The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-04
WHAT THE PEOPLE o, Eso1Asp THING or

WHAT TIE PEOPLE or ENGLAND THING OF
GsNxRAL PnRcE-The Presidents inaugural
address seems to have puzzled our transat-
lantic brethren. The London Times thick
and thin supporter Of General Pierce during
the canyass-has suddenly shifted its ground,
and Tilted the President Of its affections.
The inaugural, according to this amiable
expounder, contains doctrines directly OPP
posed, not only to the principles OF honor and
equity, but also to the best interests Of this re-
public. Territorial expansion" has frighten-
ed the "thunderer of Printing House square"
The notion of practical movement, set on ioot
by the President, to annex possessions not
within our Jurisdiction" has reused all the
jealousy of the British lion, and, with tail erect
and quivering name. he is ready to pounce on
whomsoever shall threaten to usurp his sove-
reignty of the seas.
Such, at all events. is the picture presented
by the leading newspaper of Great Britain
Other Journalistic Morning Chronicle, for
instance-take totally different view of the
inaugural, and absolutely charge Gen. Pierce
with federalism, in its most fossil shape. All
the democratic professions contained in the
former are set down as rhetorical fourishes,
which are qualified and neutralized by the con-
text and sequel. President Pierce is to rule,
says the Chronicle, according to the old con-
sentative doctrines; and, loudly as the progress
party in this country have boosted of the ad-
vanced ideas of the new President, the British
editor finds in the inaugural good grounds for
congratulating General Pierce on the marked
moderation and conservatism of his tone, as
contrasted with that of Mr.. Everett.
We need not expatiate on the obtuseness Of
our neighbors in all that concerns America.
But few years ago honest LondOners wondered
that an American could be white; and though
the progress of education in Great Britain has
been highly creditable since then, our excellent
brethren d0utre mer have not yet mastered
the rudiments Of our politics. Hence the ANU
sing nonsense they occasionally talk hence
it was, that when the nominations were made,
the London Times, being told by some saga
cious correspondent that the issue was free
trade or protection, promptly espoused the
cause of General Pierce; hence it was, that long
after the lone star and other similar follies had
become o stale joke on this side of the water,
the same journal used to entertain it's readers
that terrible fraternity; hence it is that at
present the London press are divided in opinion
with respect to the inaugural-one portion de-
claring that it goes too far, the other that it
does not 60 far enough.
One can easily comprehend how the Morn
ing Chronicle, and other minor journals, should
have failed to appreciate the democratic and
tendencies of General Pierce's open
ing address. or to reconcile the desire for
territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT with high sense
of national duty and honor. Whatever ter
ritory the British have recently added to
their empire has been obtained in delbe-
rate violation Of every precept of national
duty-the ler tortioris has been the only law
British officers have recognized; and, if the ma
tions whose Independent rights they have tram
pied under foot have been weak and semi-barba-
rous tribes the offence of their oppressor is
rather aggravated than mitigated by the fact.
Our territorial limits have been expanded by
the expressions which have puzzled the London
editors he merely meant to convey his inten-
tion Of pursuing the policy of his predecessors.
The Chronicles error is, we repeat, natural
enough. But it is matter of some wonder
that so high commercial and political autho-
rity as the Times, should at once have read in
the passage where General Pierce states that
" the attitude of the United States as nation,
and their position on the globe, may render the
acquisition of certain possessions not within
their jurisdiction eminently necessary, impor-
tant for their protection, and, perhaps, in the
future, essential for the preservation of the
rights of commerce and the peace of the world"
and Mexico. Are these the only spots on the
continent to which the sentence will apply?
Has the Times never heard of Tehuantepec,
and the strip of land which Mexico ceded to a
citizen of this country and then strove to wrest
from its owner? Was there nobody in Lon
don who could tell the Times that at the time
the inaugural was penned Mexico refused. in
violation Of its own contract, to cede to this
country. or its citizens, possession not
within our jurisdiction, but eminently neces-
sary for our protection, and, perhaps, in the fl-
ture, essential for the preservation of the rights
of commerce and the peace Of the world?' The
editor of the Times must read up his file of the
HERALD before he lectures us again on our
wickedness.
The SENATE AND THE CoPYRIGHT QUESTION:
We hope that there is yet some chance for
the United States Senate to take up the copy
right question, and do something with it, one
way or the other. If the old wiseheads and
wiseacres Of that distinguished body will only
condescend to consider the constitutionality Of
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