Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-09-29
Failure OF the Pierce Adminis-
trasion.

Six months ago the new administra-
lion came INTO power. Everything was
III ITS favor. Ii started off with grand
promises. IL was to introduce In portant
reforms in our domestic and foreign pol
icy. 1t has miserably fsied in every
one of them. We find in a late number
of the New York Courier and Enqul.
rer, capital summing up on these plInls
which We present to our reaGers. That
paper has gone far to praise aud uphold
Pierce But the little experience of
halt year has done its work, and now the
editor draws a portrait that will be ad
mllIed 10 be faithful and true, by every
intelligent and honest American citizen:
IL was once SAID by great command-
er--PrInce Eugene oil Savoy--tha, the
most successful generals have commonly
been those who have al once been raised
To command, without ever having been
employed IN the petty calculations. and
man1uvres which engage the attention
"f an inferior officer. We suspect that
the same principle hold true in American
poNtcs. The great tactics of states
Lanship will, in general, be best under
stood by those who have not had much
practice in drilling party squads.
Franklin Pierce was, for twenty years
previous to his election to the Presidency
ot The United States, by general consent,
the best party manager in New Hamp.
shire. He had an agility, an adroiiness.
aud an address that peculiarly fitted h,m
for the training of the political! militia of
small State; and i. was he, more than
any other nan, that kept New Hamp
shire steadily to the Democratic party
every successive year through five ad.
minisrAtions. But, in the capricious vi.
clssilndes of fortune, Franklin Pierce
awoke one morning last March, aud
found himself al the head of The nation,
aud from that day success has forsaken
him. f@
The man who could wheel his liHle
regiment with such pretty effect. upon
the banks of The MerrImac, is no sooner
promoted TO the chief command, than,
without single demonstration upnn the
part of his enemies, he maneuvres him.
self aud party out OF every inch of fight
ing ground. His very first act was 10
renounce all principle in the selection o:
his Cabinet officers, by choosing Them
without special reference 10 diversity oi
their principles, thus constructing his al
minis.ra.ion upon the idea of a system.
attic dlscord. HIS next was TO inaugur
ale himself with sonorous address,
which no two men in the country under
stood alike. His next was To appoint his
subaIterns, down 10 The lowest grade,
from men who were the most bitterly
opposed 10 the Balilmore manifesto.
which elected him. His next was To
plai tantalizlng game of fast and loose
with certain important offices, like the
ministry TO France, the envoyship TO
China. and the consulship to London
His next was 10 make an expedition TO
New York, in company with the two
most brilliant of his staff, and ON the
way, suffer one of them TO trumpet forth
The EXTREMIST doctrine of free trade, and
the other TO make proclamation of a iob-
ber policy towards friendly nations that
had to go back 10 pagan Rome Tor pre-.
ceden,. His next was TO issue, through
his organ at Washingtod. a rose,w water
bulletin, that all this meant nothing -
His next was TO join those who were in
favor of liberal construction of the
constitution, and make show IN favor
of the greatest national enterprise of The
dav-lhe Pacific railroad, His next
was 10 wheel about. and turn his back
upon the whole project. From The very
frs, day of Gen. plerce's rule, nothing
but division and vaccllation have pre-
vailed i'm the conduct of our national af-
fairs. Not single new policy has been
marked out. Not single negotiation
of importance has been brought to an
end, or even. SO far as we know, mate
rally forwarded. There is no.sing !"
denote that This administra.~n has no'
| fallen into absolute leihasJ. except the
.rueiuI ,hroes'' of itsswns factions.
Washiro,on b. proved TO General
p;erce ,hs C.drubusco of his political
carser Lss management Of party in
,srss, ~ New Hampshire had won him
siderable credit--credil, much The
came both in kind and degree. as that
gained by him in carrying the New En-,
gland regiments through from Vera Cruz
To Puebla But in wider field and
higher command, where things are done
by sweep and NOT by detail. where are
required The comprehensive glance. the
quick. strong grasp OF judgment, the fer
nlity ol resource, the power of combi-
nation, energy. boidness, determination,
supreme presence of mind. self. reliance,
invmclble conslancy--.all those high
qualities on, Of which nature makes mas
ter spirits, which no art can acquire nor
no expertness counleriel,--Mr. Pierce
falls and founders. Who dares deny
the truth OF this! Who does nnl know,
who does no, see as vividly as he sees
any object in the natural world, ,ha, Mr.
Pierce IS not The same sort of man as
the Andrew Jackson whom be professes
10 follow! that there is as much differ,
ence between the two as between Cen
eral Tom Thumb and the Napoleon Bo-
naDarte whom GenpraI rom Thumb