The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-07
THE PRESIDENTS INAUGURAL.

THE PRESIDENTS INAUGURAL.
Opinions OF some of the leading Whis jour
| From the New York Tribune, March ST.
THE PRESIDENTS INAUGURAL.
suwarIow now was conqueror-a match
For Iimour or for Xenghs in his trade:
"he nS sh and streets beneath his like thatc
With bloody hands. he wrote his first dispatch;
And here exactly follows what he said: =
Eteral @ scn MAJ names ss mi ninqeaS hmSs ops
| ByRoN-Don Juan.
Franklin Pierce is now President, not in prospect,
put IN fact and has taken possession Of the White
House. His inaugural address will be generally
read. Would that it might as widely be read care
fully and thoughtfully
We belong to that large portion of the American
! people 10 whom he Tin common parlance) "owes
nothing" He cannot dsappoint us, except by ruling
firmly, wisely, nobly. We cannot fairly complain
even Of what seems to us very bad in his inaugural
Those who will be panied have no right to be sur
! prised by it.
Yet we must say that there is much in this naugu.
raj which seems to us not only wrong but maladrot
We think even the opening aluson to his late be-
reavement unhappily placed in juxtaposition with
much that is embodied in the same document The
Unonism would do very well by ITSELF but it rides
avowals Of his determination to apply the bowstring
relentlessy to the Fillmore oce-holders who are in
the main as jealous Union-savers as he is SO the
non-interference portion Of the inaugural would read
much better in paper which did not SO significantly
aver that the acquisition Of certain possessions not
within jurisdiction, eminently important for our
protection, &C., &c. What is the Of telling the
world how honorable peaceful and well-behaved we
are, we at the time tell them that they have
possessions which we need, and in due time will have,
somehow! Who does not see that our professions
and selfpraises are completely nullifed by our bra
vado?
But on another point the new President is still
more glaring in his selfexposure. That he should
gor1fy our freedom, our broad and intelligent
prehension of rights" our ullment Of our "highest
duty to suffering humanity radiant example, SO
cheering to "the oppressed throughout the world"
&C. is very far Buncombe, and would pass by itself
without provoking criticism But that he who in
dulges in this sort of "high falutng should proceed
in the selfsame document to gorfy save-hnnting as
patriotic duty-tO denouncc a consistent devotion
to human liberty as the offspring Of feverish amb
ton or OF morbid enthusiasm to cheer on in
every manner the bloodhounds bayng in the track of
the hunted fugitive, guilty of dark skin and on
honest desire to work for his wife and children
rather than masters-and finally, to mix all this
up with "humble dependence on God, )" "our pros
perty under Providence" &c, &c-this seems 10 us
medley quite as incongruous as Suwarrow's, and
not less audacious. "Father,' said frank boy,
whose sense Of propriety had been shocked by the
parental admixture Of suppcations and execratons,
81 wish you would either quit praying or swearing
l don't mind which,"
from the Philadelphia North American March
read with the interest which always attaches to the
first utterances Of President Of the United States.
1t has the merit OF not being very long, and, we
may add, the further recommendation Of certain
degree OF vague explictness subjects which, just
now possess peculiar interest to great many citi
zens. Office hunters, anneXationists, Monroe doc
tl1nists OF the modern or Young America school,
and the Unionists, who think themselves better
Union men than other people, will all find something
in 1t to reward their studies, and perhaps to exer
else their powers Of Interpretation. There is no
thing in A. it, we rejoice to say sgsSiay adapted to
The general tone of the inaugural is not altogether
SO grave and measured as that we have been accus-
toned to note in the first formal address of Presi
dent OF the United States entirely iusti
fy it the of perfect good TASTE There is in
it too much OF the man-toO little Of the President.
We not that the hypcrcrtical will not think
itopen to the charge Of egotism. There is thread
to end, producing an effect not always perfectly
agreeable Many persons will doubt the proprety Of
the first little Introductory paragraph in which au.
sion is made to a domestic calamity that awakened
the sincere sympathies of the country; and others
will object to the almost obtusve confession of poll
tical faith which forms the burden Of large por
ton OF the address. As for ourselves think that
President Pierce errs in announcing himself as called
to preside over the destinies of the republic" His
real function is to preside over the execution OF its
laws. God alone presides over the fate OF men and
of nations.
General Pierce speaks with little reserve on the
subject dear to annexationists.
This means that the new administration casts the
eyes of affection on Cuba and who knows but that
Still stronger if possible are his expressions in
ation to the principle OF the Monroe doctrine which,
he declares, should now be regarded fundamen-
tai" The rights security, and repose OF this con-
federacy, he says "reject the idea OF interference
or colonization, on this side of the ocean, by any
foreign power, beyond present jurisdiction utterly
inadmissible" The present jurisdiction will per-
haps. settle the Belize question, and may even dis
nlCn nj fnff fhn rOIn nj Ia
In regard to the disposition Of offices, President
| Pierce speaks out unequivocaly. "No reasonable
man." he says, "of any party, will expect the ad-
minstration to be regardless Of its responsibility,
and of the obvious elements of success to retain
persons known to be under the influence OF political
hostility and partzan prejudice, in positions, which
will require not only severe labor but cordial coop
eraion. This with the further declaration that "Oc-
cupancy can confer prerogative,' and the saving
that "a claim for office is what the people
Of republic should never recognise indicates that
there is to be universal clearing of the kitchen, so
far as whig officials are concerned, and that the va
cancies are to be filed by men not presenting
'caims, but possessing diligence, integrity and
capacity is the principle, we believe, on
which new Presidents have always put their party
| into Office.
There are portions of the address which we could
commend more highly than the passages we have
referred to. We are pleased and we are sure the
whole country will be pleased with the resouton-if
we can speak Of it so strongy-which Gen. Pierce
ayows, that, under his administration every Amer-
can shall realize the protection which it should be
the pride Of the republic 10 secure to the citizen in
all parts of the earth That is the right Of the ct
zen but it has rot always been secured TO him. The
sentiment Is proper the resolve is noble, and If the
one be sincerely entertained and the other be bragely
carried out President Pierce will In this one partic-
uiar at least, Deserve az he will be sure to receive,
the applause, and with t, tie fullest and heartest
| support Of bis countrymen.
[From tho Albany Evening Journal March I,
We should have liked General Pierce's inaugural
better If he had daped bis thoughts in simpler Ian
The address contains many good sentiments, often
very beautifully expressed But itwould have been
more appropriate il il had been less ambitious.
OF the President we know nothing personally, but
indging from his public course, we are inclined to
the opinion that he enters upon the duties OF his
high Office with honest intentions and patriotic i'm
pulses, His views in regard TO the mission and
l a fhp l,c enti ght nd