The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-07
The Presidents M. ssaSe.

The Presidents M, ssage.
The first public document which Franklin
Pierce gave to the world attracted a good deal
OF attention. Opinions differed as to its merits.
but all agreed that it was remarkable paper
will not be as successful as the Inaugural. If
there is one thing in it more noticeable than an
other, after the somewhat tawdry rhetoric in
which it is couched it is surely the care dis
played to avoid precise statements Of opinion,
and to cover over cautious silence with flour
ishes and fine language With the paragraphs
which allude to the details of our foreign and
domestic policy, we have no particular fault to
fnd They are. in general, plain and matter Of
fact, aud what opinions are expressed are sensi
BILE and practical. But if our relations with
Great Britain and other foreign powers are sue
cinctly reviewed, if our home revenues are stated
with accuracy, there are other points as well
on which the country would have been pleased
to know the Presidents mind. There is
one point above all others on which
policy as well as duty required him
to speak plainly and frankly. We need
hardly say that we allude to the Compromise
Sensible men see clearly enough that what
ever false issues may be set up by political
schemers, aud whatever dust may be thrown in
the eyes Of the public by the Cabinet and free
soil organs, the compromise measures of 1850
and the principles on which they were based
are the only real bone OF contention between
political parties in the present day. BE they
wings. or be they democrats, Pierce men. Van
Buren, men Marcy men, Dickinson mon. or men
| bearing any other known designation. all poll
| ticians necessarily belong to one or other OF
the two factions which respectively sup
| port and oppose these principles. There may
| be-doubtless there are-ininor points Of dif-
ference, but not ore of these is of sufficient
importance to stand 10 the way of coalition
between it's advocates and its foes. Whether
the spirit which prompted the Compromise of
1850 is to inspire our future legislation
whether, in short, the equilibrium between
North and South is to be preserved at all ha-
yards; or whether, for the sake Of gratifying
few fanatics in either section OF the country.
the advocates free soil and the advocates of
secession are each to be allowed their full
swing. until some tangible question arises to
| set them by the ears--this, is in honest truth,
| the only political point that a bearded man can
| condescend to debate at the present day. So
| the country viewed it when it elected Pierce
as the Compromise candidate. So the Cabinet
viewed it. when It, by its arts threw the Com
promise overheard. and itself into the arms
Of free soiiers and secessioniets 1t affected
to deny the fact but in their hearts no one
| knew better than Marcy, Davis, Guthrie and
| Cushing that the spirit of the Com
promise was the only living principle in our
politics Of to-day. So the sturdy Union men
viewed II when they withdrew from corrupt
party organization, and planted themselves
squarely on the Compromise, as the sole plank
of their platform. So General Pierce ought to
have viewed it, and ought. in frank, manly
way, to have told us in which of the only two
real parties in this country he desired to be
ranked
He hos not done go. The Message contains
two illusions to the Compromise: but it would
defy the skill If the most ingenious interpreter
Of language to render their meaning in plain
terms. The metaphors, though not particularly
original ore very snowy; the style is ornate.
without being strictly correct; aud the asser-
tions Of fact are unquestionable Bat the ONLY
assertion which throws any real light on
the position Of the President, IL that III
which he tells us that =. the repose nc.
stored to the country by ''the scqcscence
of distinguished citizens'i in the measures or
1850, shall "sulier no shock during his Pres-
DENTAL term" Taken literally, this is bold
prediction for any man be he even President.
to make. Aud If Nebraska or Southern Cali
iornia, or a portion OF Texas. are proposed to
be admitted as slave States during the coming
session we fancy that Gen. Pierce will have
some difficulty in keeping his word. In truth,
the only practical inference from the assertion
is, that the President like John Van Buren,.
"acquiefces" in the Compromise measures. it
needs little astnteness to perceive that he like
wise acquiesces" ia the course recently pur-
sued by the Washington Union. His policy Is
one Of uniform acquiesccnceD in the will o,
those who surround him. TO what extent This
"acquiescencep pledges him to the side Of The
disupionist party, the public may Judge.
TIE more practical portions Of the Inaugural
contain little that The public did not know be-
fore. The whole of the difilcultios between the
United States and Great Britain have been
fully reviewed II the newspapers; tie Me-sa9e
throws no new light On any single point. The
rcGuaities in CIR commercial relations With