Washington telegraph., 1854-02-15
President Pierce,s Antecedents

Dur1ng the last three or four months the New
iofh 1era!d has been insinuafing imnIvin1 or
asserting that General Pierce. after the nomina-
tioh OF Martin Van Buren as the abolition candi-
o. oa.e 10! tne Presidency in 1913, wrote letter
approving and appsauaIng the movement Our
readers will see BY the following extract from the
i1eiaid that the editor of that paper at last gives
I 10 ms statement upon the subject definite and
very uneqnivocal form. We have no very exaI-
,eo oI'ho OF the principles of the editor of the
ei9't'' oGt ne has at least lair share OF worldly
wisdom and this. it seems to us. precutles tbe
idea that he would make such a statement unless
ne knows 1t to be trne, for he must be aware that
II Il is ase Its ialsity be proved and that the
I ehect would be Injurious TO himself ana advan
tageo''s 10 those agaiast whom he is waging war
Under the circumstances we canp,t do otberw;sn
than believe him i" 'Se
Inc editor of the Herald saws that General
fierce Freesoil or abolition letter was addressed
to John Cochrane, the present surveyor of +he
port OF New York Cochrane is a violent suppor-
ter OF the administration. under which he holds
his Office and it is not spposabe that he win saw
ahything tending to lnculrate his master: hut un-
less he shall either deny broadly ard directly that
ne received any letter at all from General Pierce
IN 1S4S upon the subject OF the Van Buren move
nent or shall produce and publish the letter that
ne dld receive the nation will hold the charge of
the Herald TO be true. There is nothing inered
lhle or Improbable in the supposiGion that Gen.
Pierce sympa thiZed at first fully and heartily
with the Van Buren movement Of IS4S. for his
recent course IN espousng tie quarrel of the New
York Soits against the Hards is exactly what was
to be expected from an abolition syrnpathiser of
1648:
Our authority is John Cochrane. the present
surveyor OF the port of New York appointed by
Gen Pierce-the same John Cochrane TO whom
as chairman of the Utica Van Buren, Freesoi
committee OF correspondence OF 1s4S the letter of
tren P1erce IN question was addressed: and the
same letter which Judge Waterbury, John Van
buren, anc others have had the prvledge OF
reading.
After the secession of Van Buren delegates from
the Democratic national convention at Baltimore.
In lS4S, they returned to New York and. assem-
bling IN an independent State convention at Utica
they nominated Martin Van Buren, as their can
didate Tor the Presidency, and set up a platform
looking to coalition in the election with all the
treesoll ard Abolition elements of the NORTH
his U tica convention also appointed a committee
OF correspondence. with John Cochrane us their
chairman This committee accordingly began to
cast about them for such cooperation or sympa-
thy as they might pick up among the various dis
tlngushed influential politicians OF the country
as were previously known to have been idenii-
fed with the fortunes of the Van Buren, dynasty
through thick and thin. Letters were addressed
to number of such persons in different localities;
ard among others a friendly partisan letter was
written to Gen. Pierce. at Concord. then recently
returned from the Mexican war In response to
these numerous letters a number of replies We're
received by the committee. and among Others
reply from Gen. Franklin Pierce. sympathising
and concarring fully in all the movemenrs OF Van
Buren, and his Freesoil Partisans in New York
his is the letter of our ndctment-that is the /
letter which admits of no denial. and concerning
which we challenge cross examination OF Judge I
Waterbury. John Van Buren, but especially John /
Cuchrane. /
=
The letter of Gen Pierce. we reneat was ad- |
dressed 10 john Cachrane Chairman OF the Utica
committee oi correspondence, the present survey
CT OF the port OF New York. and cur authority for
oGr general charge and our specifications upon the
subject is this identical John Cochrane.
LoaisUIe Journal.