The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-12-08

INTERCOURSE OF THE Press WITH Poor PIERCE
AND HIS CABNET.-N0w Is the administration
of poor P1npe is drawing to close, and can do
but little more harm to the country, we are
willing to give it such credit as it may deserve
with the same readiness with which we have
hitherto censured it when it did wrong.
The intercourse Of the press Of the day with
the President and his administration is very curl
GUS, very important, and highly useful to the
country and the world Its perfect knowledge of
public affairs, its ability to enlighten the minds
Of the people on their domestic interests, and to
explain their misunderstanding with foreign
governments, give it position of the utmost con-
sequence. 1t has, therefore, high and important
functions to perform, and they increase in mag
nitude with the greatness Of the nation with
which it has its relations. 1t is, in fact, a me-
dunn between the government and the people
and between the people and foreign countries
anticipating and discussing all their intercourse
In this view the government should regard the
press with respect, and the press respectfully
regard the dignity Of the government During
the last three years the HERALD has treated the
administrative acts of poor Pierce with frequent
but not uDdeserved severity, though never IN
Justly, and it has not withheld its appreciation
when it was fairly due; nor has it failed to give
credit from the highest functionary in his Cabi
net down to poor Pierce, its responsible head,
himself, when their conduct was patriotic and
ness when selfish and unworthy purposes were ap-
parent.
Now that the whole batch is about to retire to
private life, we can discriminate between the dig
nifed elevated and generous spirits belonging to
the Cabinet, and others, who possess neither dig
nifty, elevation nor generosity. Among those who
have had the good sense to appreciate the impor-
tant position and functions of the press, and in
spite of the censure frequently cast upon them
have maintained their dignity-among those
who have uniformly extended to the HERALD the
courtesies Of gentlemen in their intercourse with
its correspondents, afiording them information
valuable to the country and the world, and
have thus shown their appreciation of the po-
stion and Importance Of the press-we may
name the Secretary Of State the Secreta-
ry of War, the Secretary of the Navy and
the Attorney General. But while we say this,
and say it with pleasure, we have no thanks to
offer either to Mr.. McClelland, or Mr.. Campbell,
or Mr.. Guthrie, or poor Pierce. They, on the
contrary, have betrayed on every occasion mar
rowness of mind, a smallness of intellect and
want of appreciation and tact in their intercourse
with the press, which belong neither to the charac-
tiers of statesmen nor men Of sense. The members
of the Cabinet we first alluded to-Caleb Gushing,
w. L. Marcy, Jefferson Davis and Mr.. Dobbin-
are entitled to the courtesy of our acknowledge
ments. Whether their general policy has been
marked with occasional errors or not, they are,
undoubtedly, men Of mark and ability-their
names are connected with the history Of their
country-wbile their associates may be thankful
if they even retain line or two in our childrens
school books Fossils which are chronicles Of the
formations Of which they were an accidental part,
have chronological value, but no other. Such
will he the position OF McClelland, Campbell,
Guthrie and poor Pierce.