The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-29

BAD Menery.- Ehs Prssident On the Stand.
IfCen. Pierce's administration fails Of every
other distinction 1t may well be characterized
az the era of bad memories.
In the great Salem murder case, which Was
conducted by Daniel Webster on the part Of the
prosecution, the prisoner attempted to prove an
abb by his aged father. "He strives to re-
member" said Mr.. Webster, in commenting
upon the old mans testimony, perhaps per-
suades himself that he does remember, that on
the evening of the murder he was himself at
home at ten o'clock. He thinks, or seems to
think, that his son came in at about five min
utes past ten. He fancies that he remembers his
conversation !; he thinks he spoke Of boiling the
door he thinks he asked the time of night he
seems to remember his then going to his bed
Alas these are but the swimming fancies Of an
agitated and distressed mind. Alas they are but
the dreams of hope, its uncertain lights, flicker
ing on the thick darkness OF parental distress.
Alas the miserable father knows nothing, in
reality, of all these things"
No more did John Cochrane remember any
thing in reality, of all the things which he
strove to remember, and perhaps persuaded
himself that he did remember-for John Coch-
rane is naturally an honest sort Of man-as
contained in General Pierce's letter, for the
very good reason that General Pierce's letter
never contained them. And we were very ma
turally reminded of the extract which we have
quoted from Mr.. Webster's argument by Mr..
Cochrane's desperate effort to save the Presi-
dent by remembering things which never
existed.
But when Cochrane and Waterbury united
to drag the President out of the ditch they
proved bad match-they reminded us of
pair of oxen which we once saw yoked together
by an Irshman, one heading each way. The
position of these two gentlemen, one giving his
impression that the letter was full Of blood and
thunder towards the free soil movement, and
the other that it contained nothing at all
though both of them read it, both Of them had
had it-their position, we say, was already
ludicrous enough, when To- third party ap-
pears in the field This is no less parsonage
than General Pierce himself, who, with touch
at the absolutely sublime in impudence, MAIN
tains that he wrote no letter at all to the free
soil committee
The old story runs that the King, travelling
in disguise, accosted q peasant with the in
quiry what he thought Of his Sovereign. He
is villain, robber, murderer. q man
covered with every crime" was the reply.
But" continued the inquirer, /" I am the
king" The peasant, raising himself to his
full stature, exclaimed :" Your Majesty I
swear never said It'll" He has never had
more faithful imitator than General Pierce
shows himself to be in his denial Of his free
soil letter.
We find the following in the Washington
Epenimg Star, generally known as the White
House Scarenger,) of Thursday =
TEE ALLhGED PIERCE LsrrHR 10 TIE FRU
S0ILBRs.-It is understood in democratic circles
here that the President Is of opinion that he did not
write declension Of the invitation to endons
free soism in ls48, as alleged BY Judge Waterbury
in the letter published In another column In this
days Star, (Scarengr.) We hear that he has made
IT rule throughou his public life not to reply to
printed circulars such as Judge Waterbury says was
sent to him, and also never to reply to any political
letter from committee without fling copy Of his
answer among his papers. II is further said that he
has no such copy 10 this case has he the sghtest
recollection OF having In any way noticed the circular
to which the herald refers
thority than the President himself Isn't this Q
pretty piece of business Cochrane is confident
that the letter of Gen. Pierce to the free soil
committee was one thing; Waterbury is 'quite
positive" that it was another; while Pierce
himself has forgotten all about II, and most
earnestly wishes that everybody else would
follow his example. It is the era of bad me-
mories. What comfort to the President il
they could become universal!
The fact clearly and fully established by
the testimony of Cochrane and Waterbury
for on this point their testimony agrees,
and is full and plump, while the Presi-
dents denial goes for nothing-is that
Gen. Pierce did write letter to the free
soil committee in this city in 1s4s. There ia
also, we think, ample evidence to establish that
the character of the letter was anti-slavery.
The Evening Post of July 10, lS4S-the day
after the ratification meeting which Gen. Pierce
was invited to address was held-published
anonymously letter from Concord, N. H.
Gen. Pierces place of residence-in which the.
writer says -
Everybody here is in favor Of keeping free terri.
In answer to the charge brought against him
Gen. Pierce had already attempted to prove an
abb by two witnesses, who attempted to show
that he was in two other and entirely different
places when the offence is alleged to have been
committed, when he himself. through one Of his
organs. comes out with the avowal that instead
of being in either Of those places he was just
mo whar" at all
Nobody doubts that the letter was written.
Does any one doubt that 1t went for the Wilmot
proviso? fit did not, let the letter be pro-
duced. The letter-the letter-the letter
THR BROADWAY RALR0AD-INyUNorIo MADE
Ira Harris, Of Albany, has
given his opinion in the case Of Milhau against
Sharpe, which argued before him in the October
term Of the Supreme Court Of this city, and decides