The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-04

expense OF hlghtfdl agitation throughea< the
country, and pecuniary speculations in railroad
grants, land operations, surplus revenue job
berry, and patent monopolies. They have not
only wasted our money and rendered our ma
tonal councils q source of sorrow and shame to
all good men, but have proved that it was pos
sible to surpass even the bassst of their preds-
cesscrs in corruption and infamy.
Such ID the record of the first three months OF
this session Of Congress. Let US turn to Mr..
Pierce and see in what light the first year Of
his official term displays his character and
abilities
1t would not be risking much to say that on
the morning of the 4th of March. 1853, no politi-
clan in these United States possessed larger
share Of personal popularity than Franklin
Pierce. For months previous. he had been
identified with the reigning sentiment of the
day-the Union sentiment: and was still re-
garded throughout the country as the champion
and exponent of the compromise measures. A
moderate exercise of discretion, and liberal
amount of disingenuousness had secured him
that false position. He had allowed himself to
be presented to the country on a platform
Numerically opposed to the doctrines he had
advocated for five years previously; and con-
scented throughout the canvass to play the part
Of an embodied lie. Still, this was = secret on
the 4th of March, 1858; and Franklin Pierce was
popular. The first blow his popularity received
was the announcement OF his Cabinet. 1t was
reasonably expected by those who had sup
ported him on the strength of his supposed ad-
hsrance to the compromise measures that his
Cabinet would have been selected from those
who had rendered themselves conspicuous by
their fidelity to that creed. Words can hardly
depict the establishment and indignation with
which the public learnt that the administration
was composed of New York barnburner,
wing renegade Wilmot proviss leader, red
hot secessionist, and one or two individuals
tics. The publication Of the names OF the
members of the Cabinet was a dreadful shock to
Mr.. Pierce's friends. Still, they they did not
suspect the truth. As time wore on, it glim-
mercd in every act Of the administration. So
far from the compromise measures being the
test of eligibility to Office, the very men who
had opposed them became the government f.
vorites throughout the country. Free sellers
rose to premium in the North; and secession
lists occupied the high places in the South. So
thoroughly was this doctrine carried out that
high minded public officer who refused to
divide the Offices under his control among the
free sellers was dimissed with insult and con-
tumely. In nix months Mr.. Pierce who would
never have received vote had it not been for
his fraudulent endorsation of the compromise
had succeeded in planting his administration
on Q platform whose basis was enmity to the
co,sit.tion, and disloyalty to the Unisa.
The case of Judge Bronson was NOT IN iso-
lated one Mr.. Pierce took m early opportu-
nifty of convincing the people that federal in
reference in State elections was . cardinal
point in his creed. His Cabinet endeavored to
dictate to the States in the Union what local
officers they should elect and what local policy
they should pursue. In New York, Massachu-
sets, Mississippi, and Georgia, direct attempts
were made by its members to counterfeit the
independent voice of the people, and for the
first time since the days Of Jefferson, the 1ederal
government tried to wrest out Of the hands Of
the States the control Of their own affairs.
Meanwhile, the disorders OF our home policy
were exceeded by the utter folly which charac-
terized the selections Of our foreign ministers.
Had the country been ransacked for incapable
men Mr.. Pierce could hardly have hit upon
worse ministers than those now accredited to
foreign courts. 1t seemed ~ though some
mental defect or moral blemish was . nsces-
sary qualification for . foreign ambassador.
Those who were not notorious for ignorance
and general incapacity were conspicuous for
degrading habits, or incendiary opinions. As
if to complete the task which their intrinsic
worthlessness so nearly achieved, the pith Of
the instructions handed to our foreign corps of
diplomatists consisted in directio 10 respecting
their coats and breeches. Thus they went
forth one to duel another to aJew counting
house; third to card table; fourth to the
stock exchange fifth to revolutionary con-
ciliabules all engrossed, body and soul, in
questions of dress and problems of black velvet,
lace and rufles. Meanwhile, storms gathered
silently on our foreign horizon.
Our domestic troubles did not rest with VIC
lations of State rights, and prescriptions Of
Union men. The latter measure being carried
out thoroughly, the President thought the time
ripe for frank exposition Of his designs. He
accordingly directed his organ in plain terms
to repudiate the compromise which had elected
him. This was throwing off the mask with q
vengeance: coup d'ftat, such as, in France
or any other similar nation, might have answer
ed its purpose, and raised Mr.. Pierce's charac-
ter Here it produced precisely contrary CT
feet The insincere course Of policy pursued by
the President in his domestic appointments had
given the first stimulus to the old anti-slavery
and pro-slavery elements and far sooner than
Mr.. Pierce expected, the old controversy arose
ever assumed. The man who, q free soiler in his