The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-26
his am ability, and devotion to the President,

/
whistled against the north wind. Let John
Cochrane pass.
But the Cochrane letter is only small a
very small part of the evidence, showing that
| General Pierce was a Wilmot provisost be-
| tween 1913 and 1850. We have tracks of many
other letters, and we have also the famous
anti-slavery speech spoken at New Boston, and
reported by Mr.. Foss, the accuracy OF which
never has been refuted by any competent au-
thority. The conclusion is Inevitable The
nomination and election of General Pierce
were both gross and palpable frauds on the
American people. If this conclusion is not
| correct, produce the letter-the letter-the
| letter.
Free Soil Excavations OF DlstInQulshei
| Politicians
Since we commenced to dig up and root out the
free soil antecedents OF the gushedpoitical
leaders ofthe day, our example has been followed
by other journals, and very curious develope-
ments have been the result. Among other excava-
tions which have led to the discovery OF interest
ing relics of antiquity, we may mention those
which the Albany .afias has been prosecuting in
to the past career of that distinguished member of
Congress, the Hon. Mike Walsh. Our readers will
be shocked to learn that Mike, too, was among
the traitors. On the I'd February, 1917, the
resolutions affirming the Wilmot proviso being
before our State Assembly, Mr.. Walsh, then a
member, rose and delivered one of the most
| powerful speeches made in favor of the resolu
TONS He was willing. " if by the sacrifice of
| his life he could relieve every human being from
bondage, to lay it down gladly at that moment.
so declared himself when at the South" Our
| excellent friend Mike added
am here to face any question that may come
up And II these resolutions went for the extermi
nation of slavery, should most cordially approve Of
them. Even IS it is shall vote for them.
Mike is very different man to day, Us peo-
pie know. What he thinks of his former speech
we cannot say. AT all events, we are pretty
sure that he will not summon thirty or forty
people to swear that he did not make the
speech. as General Pierce did when Foss's report
of his free soil speech was produced. He will
be content to let by cones be by cones; and will
probably have the sense to see that to attempt
to argue against facts is sheer folly, aud never
makes proselytes. This much, at all events, he
will have learnt from the Pierce and Foss con-
troversy.
We are continuing our researches and exca-
vations in our free soil diggings, and shall,
from time to time, ,ibit to the public the
very curious Iner- sof political antiquity
which come into our hands. The task is an in
teresting dite as much so as the excava-
tions into :. r., ruins Of Pompeii or Herculaneum.
One fact has been strongly impressed on our
mind in the course of our researches There is
hardly public man in the North, OF either the
whig or the democratic party, who. at some
time or other has not been infected with the
free soil mania. 1t has been universal disease
An epidemic like the small pox and the cho-
lera, which attack all, and from which only a
few recover. In view Of this fact we begin to
think that reason and common sense ought to
induce our public men, politicians senators.
members of Congress, and editors, to agree to
rub out the entire political history of the last
twenty five years, and to make a fresh start in
the political world. An opportunity OF clearly
defining their position is now afforded them by
the Nebraska controversy. They can take
sides either for or against the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, as their inclinations and advi-
sers prompt and from that event they can hence
forth date their political life. Without some
such amnesty as this, the discussion will be
nothing but series Of endless recriminations
We have not doubt that large number of
those Northern men who gave a noisy adhesio
to the compromises of 1850 had been previously
as deep as John Van Buren, himself in the free
soil and Wilmot proviso conspiracy. Every
body must be convinced by this time, that dur
ing the period which elapsed between Genera,
Pierce's return from Mexico and the year 1850
he sympathized strongly with the Wilmot pro-
viso conspirators, and would have taken a more
active part in the conspiracy had his position
been more prominent. Now, it turns ont
that Mike Walsh was, only seven years ago, an
out and out free soiler If, therefore we really
want to apply ourselves satisfactorily aud prac-
tically to the discussion of any new question,
we must exercise little practical charity
towards each other, and begin the campaign
without the heart-burnings or bad feelings aris-
ing out ofpast events or antecedents
In this yiew the Washington Union takes up
position in favor of the repeal Of the Missouri
Compr omise in the new bill. The Washington
Sentinel takes the same ground, and advocates
precisely similar course 1t is intimated that
the President is likewise convinced of the pro-
priety Of repeating the unconstitutional pro-
viso; time will show how far this is correct,
and whether or no he intends to betray the
South. If the President really means to insist
on the repeal, and act honestly in this design
we shall soon ascertain the fact, and give him
due credit for the deed But meanwhile why
have the leaders Of Tammany Hall no! spoken
out? Where are John Van Buren, and Captain
Rynders? Where is the Stuyvesant Institute
Committee? The abolitionists and1ree sellers
are alrealY ON the move. call for tremen-