The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-05-19
What the Union Party Think OF the
Admin istraciOn.

last Baltimore Convention impaired to the
country is yet fresh in the memory of our
readers. Before. all was suspense. uncertainty.
Neither party felt certain that its doctrines
would have a fair trial. No one could say
what principles were to decide the contest.
After much random argument all doubts were
cleared away by the Conventions and the rival
candidates were placed upon definite, well-un-
derstood platforms. Scott was well known to
be the nominee ofthe Seward faction-unsound
on the slavery question, the secret ally of Hale
and Giddings, an opponent of the naturalization
laws, and foe to the extension OF our territory.
With equal clearness Pierce's position was de-
fined by his nomination by the party whose
motto is the preservation OF the integrity of the
Union be went to the country as Union
man, the champion of the Compromise, and the
fulflment of manifest destiny Between can
didates so plainly identified no citizen could or
did hesitate in the disposal of his vote. All
those who were opposed to the Compromise and
Southern institutions ranged themselves under
the banner Of Scott; those who viewed minor
questions of social or political economy as
utterly insignificant, in comparison with the
preservation of the Union and the harmonious
working of the constitution handed down to us
by our forefathers, looked to Pierce as the man
for the country.
Upon the issue thus laid before them the
people rendered verdict unparalleled in
point of unanimity since the days of NJ onroe
Out Of 296 electors 254 registered their votes
in of rf ha ITp,n tbo
Compromise, and the fulflment Of manifest
destiny"
The Union party were triumphant They
saw their candidate victorious and their enc
mics Frustrated They counted larger num-
Der Of adberents than had ever rallied round
any previous standard since the Independence
Even their opponents were prepared to give
the victor a fair trial. The state of the country
was in his favor. Commercial enterprise was
thriving to an unexampled extent. Prosperity
spread contentmcnt among all classes. Peace
prevailed. A large surplus lay idle in the
treasury. No internal dssensions agitated the
public mind.
Viewing this extraordinary combination Of
suspicious circumstances. the Union party
loudly predicted that the new administration
would shed unexampled lustre on the country.
They were confident that General Pierce would
choose a strong and united Cabinet COM
posed Of men Of tried worth and well known
principles. They secuted the idea that men
assuming Office with such brilliant advantages
would allow O week to elapse without giving
to the country some evidence Of their ability,
or at least some earnest of their patriotic inten-
tions.
The appointments, it must be confessed took
most people by surprise. The names of Guth-
RE, Dobbin and Campbell were new to the pub
lie; but the Presidents choice was some guaran-
tee for their character. Mr.. Davis had opposed
the Compromise Union measures and advocated
Southern secession; and Mr. M'Clelland had
made free soil speeches, and voted for the Will
mot proviso but the surprise which their Sc
lection created was overcome, and all thoughts
Of the past were forgotten, in authorizations of
the future. Mr.. Marcy was hardly Che man the
Union party expected to succeed Mr.. Everett
and Mr. Webster. The limited opportunities he
had enjoyed for gaining practical knowledge
Of foreign affairs were no qualification for the
post Of Secretary Of State and however SER
viceable his dictum, . to the victors belong the
spoils," had proved to The democrats. the Union
party could not help wishing that they had been
represented in the highest Office Of State by one
whose notions of politics were not those of
huckster They had hoped, moreover, that
when the whole country had pronounced in favor
Of their doctrines the control of so important
an Office as the Department Of State would not
have been entrusted to one whom they regard
cd az a deserter from their ranks. Similar rea-
sons contributed largely to the feeling of regret
with which many beheld Mr.. Cushing's appoint
ment to the Office Of Attorney General. He
wae Undoubtedly a man Of considerable infor-
nation, talent and experience, and brought to
the Cabinet the resources Of well cultivated
mind But these advantages were more than
counterbalanced, in the opinion Of many Union
men, by the versatility with which he had shift
ed his support from the wings to Mr.. Tyler, from
Mr.. Tyler to the coalitionists, and from the lat
ter to General Pierce.
Still the Union party uttered no complaint
They regretted that the first Official act OF the
President should have fallen short Of their ey-
pectations but their regret was endured in
silence. That the administration was neither
strong nor united they felt convinced, and they
feared that it would not prove Union admins
tration.
1t had never entered their minds that Cabi-
net, called to power by vote that might al
most be called unanimous, would have been
composed in nearly equal proportions of men
who had given the public no proofof their right
to the position and men whose antecedents
were hardly in their favor Southern seces-
sionist-a Northern free soiler-an untravelled
soft shell-a converted whig-were not precise
ly the materials out Of which the Union party
fancied the new administration would have
been composed. Still, for all slips of the Pre-