The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-07
The inaugural Address.

We expressed on Saturday our general ap-
proval of the grounds assumed and the doc
trines laid down in the Inaugural Address of Pre-
sident PIERCE. IF he acts up to the princi
pies he processes, we apprehend that it will be
less difficult for him to secure the good opinion
and support Of the friends of the late admins
tration than of Filibusters, Fire-eaters, OF
Aboitionists. By the propriety and dignity
which have marked his conduct from the time
that his name was first presented as candi-
date for the Presidency, and the respectful and
manly tone of his Inaugural Address, he has
made an impression on the public mind so de-
cidedly favorable, and has won SO largely upon
our own regards, that we should do violence to
our sense of justice and of honor if we hesitated
to avow our convictions.
| 1t is gratifying to contrast this document
with that which would have emanated from
| General CAss or Mr.. DOUGLAS. Neither of
these gentlemen is capable of penning letter
or speech for an occasion of this kind that is
not full of stale platitudes abusive of the Wines
for their "want of confidence in the people,"
and the absence of progressive" spirit.
There is nothing in the Inaugural of President
PIERCE designed or calculated to pander to the
bad passions of parties or individuals in this
regard. We think, therefore, the Inaugural is
entitled to commentator not only for what it
contains, but for what it excludes; and we shall
rely upon its text for the development of Presi-
dent PIERcE's policy, rather than upon the
comments and CLOSES of the party press.
Of these CLOSES the Union furnished an
amusing specimen in its impression of yester-
day, from which we extract the following
passage:
"The inaugural signalizes the reinstatement of
true and adequate American policy in the man.
agement of our foreign relations; vigorous re-
form upon sound principles of economy in the
administration of the Government; the careful
restriction of the federal authority, in all its de-
partments, within the limits prescribed by the
Constitution, implying, as of necessity, the full
maintenance of the rights of the States. their
rights in regard to their own institutions of
course included; and especially the perpetuation
8 of the Federal Union apd the repression of Sec
tional hostility and prejudice, by the constant
cultivation of those fraterna sentiments, and the
steady maintenance of those principles and mea.
the Union framed, and in which alone it is
to be preserved
Now mark the language. To (" signalize"
is to sc make remarkable or eminent" g to rem
der distinguished from what is common" 1t
is good long word, however, and though i'll
used we are not disposed to complain of it..
But the inaugural is alleged to make remarka
BILE or render distinguished the g reinstatement
of true and adequate American policy in the
management of our foreign relations" ssRein-
statements the act ofputting in former state.
The implication is that President FILLMORE has
adopted foreign policy different from that of
WASHINGTON, or some of WAsHINGToN's sue
cessors, and that President PIERCE proposes to
re-establish the old policy. Well, "renstate
| ment," at all events, is not progression -
Reinstatement" is not cutting the Threats and
plundering the estates of our neighbors, and
| therefore there is much consolation in the
Unions idea of reinstatement. But the re-
markable feature in this comment is that there
is no such word and no such idea in the whole
of Presidents PIERcE's Inaugural as that of
Reinstatement" 1t is all fction-an inven-
ton. We have re-examined that portion of
the message which treats of our foreign policy,
and we cannot find single word that involves
a censure of President FILLMORE, or the idea
Of ''reinstating" any antecedent policy sup
posed to have been by him abandoned.
But again, it is alleged that the Inaugural
'signalizesn or 'makes remarkable" the re
instatement of a ''vigorous reform upon sound
| principles of economy in the administration of
the Government" Let us see how much
foundation there is for this remark The idea
of"reform" involves the idea of existing abuses
in administration. The epithet "vigorous"
suggests that these abuses are so rank as to
require strong arm to remove them. Now,
| it is odd enough that the words vigorous re-
| form" are not to be found in the Inaugural
nor any words that intimate the necessity of
any reform, vigorous or feeble. Why does not
| the public printer adhere to the language of
the Inaugural2 If he ignores the language,
| why at least does not he adhere to the spirit
of the document?
| Once more. The Union commends the
Inaugural for "signalizing" the "reinstate-
ment" of careful restriction of the Federal
authority" &c. Now the Inaugural, SO far
from 'signalizing" any such reinstatement y
does not even intimate that President FILL
MORE has ever invaded the limits of the Con-
stitution, or INDUCED in any such latitude in
the Interpretation of that instrument as would
justify the censure implied in the language Of
our contemporary. President PIERCE says
with truth and propriety that the people have
a right TO expect their agents in every depart
ment to "regard strictly the limits imposed
upon them by the Constitution of the United
States" Certainly they have. President
| FILLMORE has said the same thing in sub
stance, and acted upon it uniformly. Whatever
else they may say of him, his worst enemies
will not deny that he has always manifested ,
strict observance Of all the duties imposed or
him by the Constitution, and has always kept
himself strictly within its limitations.
Why cannot our contemporary confine him.
| self to truthful and sincere commendation Of