Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-27
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRKss.

SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS.
The Iniclgencer contains communi.
cation against the Gadsden treaty, marked
by ability and no little acrimony.
The Union presents the letter which
John Cochrane, Esq, of New York, has
addressed to the Herald, in reply to that
journals reference to him as being able
to prove that Franklin Pierce wrote a
Free Soil letter in 1S48. 1t seems that
the Herald is so terribly pressed for room
as to render it impossible for it to give
the Waterbury and Cochrane letters an
insertion. We published the former yes
terdsy, and herewith copy the latter,
from this mornings Union, as follows:
NEW YORK, January %, 1854
DEAR SIR see by this mornings Herald
that am referred to rs authority for certain
statements which appear in your cdtorial
article upon President Pierce 9 Freesoil letters
and opinion. You will permit me to explain the
extent of the authority you possess from me,
and the circumstances which warranted my
communication. This I propose, that the
statements made by me may not appear to
have been volunteered, and that the error you
have committed may be the more easily cor
rected 1t is eight or ten days since that a
gentleman called upon me, in your behalf, with
inquiries for letter which you had proof from
other sources General Pierce had written to a
Van Buren, ratification meeting held in the
Park in our city in 1S48. My reply was, that
] remembered such letter was received, and
that thought it was still among my papers.
and that would look for it. Upon his express
sing his opinion that it would be found to have
favored the object of that meeting, tod him
very distinctly, that thought not that had
no distinct recollection of its contents but thai
my impression was that the letter expressed
kindly personal "reminiscences of the gentle
men Cndividualizing no One) understood to
have acted with the radical democracy of our
State, but disapproved Of our course and
position. l referred to Judge Waterbury, as
the person who would probably recollect most
distinctly the contents of the letter As I sup
posed that should succeed in my search for
the letter, I said that when found should
assuredly produce it. My Impressions of the
character of the letter was repeated to this
gentleman, substantially as have stated, a,
the several times when he subsequently called
L have since heard Judge Waterbury's state
ment of the contents Of the letter; and az |
memory, am now moro inclined to rely on his
recollection than on my impression.
The meeting to which the answer Of General
Pierce was addressed was a meeting held in
the Park on the 18th day of July, 1913, to re-
spOnd to the nomination of Martin Van Buren,
as President and Henry Dodge as Vice Pres.
dent OF the United States, made at Utica on the
22d day Of June, 1S4S. The Buffalo cenyen.
ton was held subsequently, on the 9th of
AnDnSt 1919 ha of IL
chairman, and to which the letter of General
Pierce was addressed; did not emanate from
the Utica convention, but from the radical cor
responding committee Of the city of New
York
You or your informants must hare been
strangely mistaken, if understanding from me
as you say, that the reply of General Pierce
sympathized and concurred fully in all the
movements Of Van Buren, and his free-soil
partizanS." l have no such recollection and
L could not have so expressed myself, for nv
only impression of the character of the letter
was, until my conversation with Judge W ate.-
bury.) and rs have always answered when
questioned, that General Pierc1 expressed
kindly personal remembrances of persons en-
rolled among the radical democracy of the
states of New York, but disapproved of their
object and action. 1 should add that its sxclu
sion from the list of letters from prominent
AHu ihSuLsneu Seuienen published, when
any the least favorable was included, has al
ways confirmed my impression that General
Plerce's letter was decidedly against us
address myself to you in confident reliance
that you will correct the errors of your article
to day and for that purpose, perhaps, the bet
Ter way would be to insert THE communication
IN to-mOrrow's Herald. Please to obliee me
BY doing 50. Yours, respectfully,
JOHN CocHRASH.
JAMES G. BExSErr, Esq.
The Union further contains a yerv
able leader on the Nebraska question
showing the hollowness of abolition pre.
fences Of devotion to the Missouri Com.
promise line, which was so unceremo-
niously thrown aside in 1850, when the
question of abiding its obligations with
reference to territory south of Sc degrees
30 minutes was in issue.
The Sentinel discusses the mob spirit
IS manifested in the treatment in DIR.
bedini in Pittsburg Cincinnati, and else
where; and compliments Professor De
Bows last public address.