The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-18
General Pierce In New York.

General Pierce I'm New York.
Among the passengers who alighted from ihe
New Haven cars on Wednesday evening, was
a man of commanding figure and intelligent
countenaEe. slightly furrowed by the traces
OF receRt sorrow; he was accompanied by a
secretary and q single servant. The by
ISLANDERS, without crowding round him, or be-
traymg by their conduct any signs Of recogni-
ton. made way for him to pass to u carriage
ana in few minutes he was in a private sit
ting room in the Astor House. His luggage
wore an aspect of severe republican simplicity
"a couple of old hair trunks which might
have been the property Of veteran Of 1872
and two portmanteaus. scarcely less venerable
in appearance, were the modest eguipage Of
the traveller. Their owner, reader, was
General Pierce; who, in three weeks from this
time, will WELD more actual power than any
other man in the civilized world. Philosophi-
cal minds will find not q little food for reHec-
tion in tie contrast between the humble ar
rival Of the future President Of the United
States, in the ordinary passenger train, and the
pompous entries Of the sovereigns Of Europe
into the large cities of their kingdoms; be-
tween the hair trunks CONTEMPORARY hustled
about by the railway porters, and the imposing
array Of baggage, carefully guarded by soldiers
and policemen, which follows in monarchs
train. The Queen of England congratulates
herself on the comparative privacy of her move
ments when the express train in which she
travels is not impeded by any more serious OBJ
stacles than half dozen triumphal arches, and
a deputation Of railway directors at each sta
ton and Napoleon enjoys delightful exemp-
ton from State ceremonial when he can ride
through the Bots de Vincennes with no other
cortege than Q few marshals, an aid-de-camp or
two, and . select body of chasseurs. Our chief
ruler elect arrives in the metropolis of the
Union as unobtrusively as mere Mr.. Timpkins
or Mr.. Briggs might be expected to do, after
days recreation in the country and except
among certain class Of place-hunters there
seems to be no inclination among our citizens
to violate the privacy which is due to domestic
sorrows, and which happily involves no breach
of national etiquette.
Those who are fond Of pageants will mourn
over the republican simplicity Of Gen. Pierce's
mode of travelling but what we lose in show,
we shall gain in substance. The time that others
might have consumed in receiving Populations,
and standing to be stared at by crowds Of idlers,
will be proftably spent by the President elect
in maturing the web Of his future policy, and
studying the dangers and difficulties which al
ready beset his path. No easy task lies before
him. Discussions in the party, in almost every
State-envious calumnies from one quarter, and
menacing warnings from notwithstanding
dictates from the conservative wing, and indig-
nant circumstances from the ultra progressives
"a food of counsels, directions, complaints, in
functions and insiduous hints on one side, and
undisguised orders on the other-have heaped
obstacles in his way. to surmount which
General Pierce will need all the frmness with
which nature has endowed him. To concilate,
he knows full well, will be to succumb. Presi-
dents, like women, are lost if they seek middle
rocking not jot whom he may offend, or whose
enmity he may incur, will shape his course ac-
cording to the dictates Of his own judgment
Young America may clamor. Old America may
growl, free sellers may threaten, disunionists
may conspire-we are much mistaken if their
tokens ofdisapproyal, however loudly expressed,
will cause the President elect to deviate one
inch from the path he has determined to adopt.
His policy will be eminently national 1t will
acknowledge no sympathy with any Of the fac
tons or cliques into which the democratic party
is split. 1t will bow to no dictation from with
out, and seek no inspiration from selfconstitu-
ted oracles 1t will be essentially policy of
progress.
Thus, prominent feature in that policy will
be. as we have frequently stated, re-assertion
of the Monroe doctrine, in new and startling
language. Foreigners are aghast at the boldness
with which our constructive empire over the
whole hemisphere was asserted in the Senate;
the proposal to vote ten millions to General
Pierce, to provide against contingencies, will
throw enough light on the modern reading of
the doctrine toprepare them for radical change
in our dealings with colonizing powers. Nor
will the alteration in the tone of our diplo-
matte correspondence be confined to our
protests against European colonization. Ian
guage BETTING the ruler ola republic destined,
at no distant day, to take the lead among civil
lied nations, will replace, on all occasions, the
timid conventionaities of our past diplomacy
The great powers must learn to fear us, and
minor States to rely on our high sense ofjustce'
The change will soon be felt by our countrymen
who are travelling abroad. Foreign despots
wiH be taught that it is as much as their crowns
are worth to touch hair of an Americans
head, or offer the most trifing insult 10, the
American flag. 1t will be part of the same
policy to pursue, and possibly to conclude the
negotiations for the peaccaHe acquisition of
Cuba. Nor will General Piercc's domestic adj
ministration be less progressive. lie will efrec-
tually crush fillibustero movements, and will
prove that this country has reached full ma
turity of strength and judgment, and can, with