The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-03-07

Il their bitterness 90 lar beyond either The wings
81 the know nothings. The DeIta-the Official
organ oi the office holders of the New Orleans
custorahpuse and post-ofice nm declares that
fs'FraTkln Pierce is a failure, = and afirms thai
steyery man from Maine to California knows
that fact After making this candid COMES
sion, the Delta goes on to say that, he Is the
worst feature Of the age. Carried into power
/ BY d wave Of popular enthusiasm-sw in, az
i if there was a hurricane at the back ofthe wave
lie was unsble to top if, and necessarily was
hurried To HE broad ocean Of dead reputation
He has BEEN the noir faineant Of presidents.
He has done nothing-not even very wrong
thing. If he had been guilty Of a single act
even though itstruck public opinion "below the
belt" and doubled It up, lie would have pre-
served a name; but politics do not permit de-
nothing TO have any longevity The individual
who .tcones before the people takes a
prominent and notable position-Who accepts
onerous responsib iities-who assumes the Dig
nifty (as the French say Of "a man ofaffairs, =
music Do or 90. Pierce gone! The cause OF
his failure is obvious; it is the cause Of the fai-
lure Of all modern politicians-he possesses no
faith He cid not believe in his destiny. He
felt, even in power, that he was common place
man, who must always have the unconscious
ness attributed to Nelson when he was child.
| 1tWere you not afraid to be alone in the wood?"
said the mother to the boy-hero. mo" was
! the answer, II never saw Fearp' The indi-
| Yidual who presumes to lead the democracy Of
this country, with its great, bounding, benef-
cent heart, its terrific impulses, its great hopes,
its silent presentiments, must be a Nelson in the
wood-that is to say, he must not see Fear!-
Franklin Pierce saw fear from the first He
hoped TO coHciiate parties, not to command
them Elected as the representative Of pro
erosion, he became the resurrectionist of dead
difficulties, tile reconstructionist Of superannu-
ated issues. He evidently. labored under tie
mistake that caucus was congress and that
congress was caucus! We will not apologize
for speaking Of him in the past tense; fuit illium
he has departed othe Limbo of forgotten names
never to return. He had an opportunity (the
only thing q man Of talent wants. and he had
not presence Of mind enough TO use it; he had
q splendid future (if the present were well cul-
tivated, and he sowed no seed for the harvest
Of fame; he had an eager audience, prejudced
in his favor, and he--forgot his part! The fai-
lure of such a man always leaves moral. We
anticipated itWhen we mentioned his want Of
faith. ne statesman can succeed without that
attribute; with it, any one can become ruler.
Why did Cromwell win his way to supreme
power? The answer is obYious-because he
had creed in which lie believed, not conven-
tionally, but really. Why did Robespierre be-
come an irresponsible power? Mirabeau gave
the reason when he said, .ilra loin-il croft:
he will go far-he believes. No man ever
achieved anything in politics who had not ter
rible fath..-.....This grand element of the true
politician was altogether wanting in the orga-
nisaton Of Pierce. He was mere septic
He said himself that he scarcely 5ezieyed that
he had been chosen for the presdency;'' it
would be well if his doubt had been founded On
fact. He knew short time after, that he had
been elected as the standard bearer of Amer
lean progress; but he deserted bis position, re-
treated to the commissariat department., and in
stead Of looking ahead, turned his eyes back
ward, to see what the suffers (who invariably /
follow sudden political movement,) thought
Of bis bran-new uniform! Through his fault,
eighteen tiftT-two, which promised to be an era
Of marked men, became ali era Of medocrities
He reyamped old epu.ations--brought super
animated actors on the stage, and Disguised the
galleries without catching the applause of the
boxes. He did not imagine that the people were
in earnest. He judged Of them by himself
But democracy is-alWays earnest, and woe to
the man who endeavors to rule it By shan1s!-I
Oxenstein said, sMy son, you know not with
what little wisdom the world is governed bv
which he meant to imply that those known as
great statesmen were not as sRperhuman in
heir endowments as the populaec is inclined to
believe. The world owes him debt of craft
ude for his candor, because, when one cones
know the man who occupies the largest share
i public attention, and measures himselfbv His
tandard, he IS astonished to find SO little differ
nee existing between their inches. One has
walk UP 70 reputation and eye ii from head
foot before he can estimate its Importance or
worth. Few men can stand the test If such 9
Dol, lnperturbable, and minute attention and
franklin Pierce is not one Of them: lie can no
aore bear examination than forged note,
The candid confessions made by the Delta in f
ne above artcle, are only the more remarka- 5
le as that Journal and its editors were durino
he late presidential canvass. among the most $
Enthusiastic and indomitable supporters ofgen. i
fierce 70 be found at the south; and on his ele-
alton TO the presidency were rewarded with
\ Offices uhfderth general government. Il
lhe Uazette, ol Saturday, contains the most .
ushful criticism on new work we have read
II months SDeakinr of fla State Rae.;s+o., ), t