Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-04-24

party should be emphaiieally a representative
man. He should be the exponent, not only of
the principles of his party, but of his party it.
self II is, therefore, not enough to select
candidate merely because be takes his stand
firmly upon the platform which may be erected
for him; because this can only, in the nature
Of things, represent the logic of the party, and
not by any means its sentiments, its sympathies,
or its impulses. We.want man who possesses
attributes and peculiarities of his own, but
they must harmonic with the attributes and
peculiarities of the party whose leadership is
committed to his hands. Does Franklin Pierce
fulfill these requirements? Not the most cred
ulous Of his followers would venture to assert
that he does. No one believes that Pierce is a
greater man now than he was in 1852, and he
could not persuade even himself that his nomi-
nation at that time was the result Of any con-
viction of his superior capacity. He was, as
everybody knows only pts aller. Though it
may be true that we might have gone farther
and Jared worse, it is also true that if we had
not gone so far we should not have Jared so
badly. When we complain that the admins
tration of Franklin Pierce is remarkable for
nothing so much as for being salient excep.
ton from long line of brilliant Democratic
Administrations, we are told that he is good
party-man-that he is Democrat. We might
take issue, successfully, on these points, but for
our present purpose the game would not be
worth the candle. We might admit, for the
sake of this argument, that Mr.. Pierce is a
Democrat, and may be good party,man.
But what then? There are fifteen hundred
thousand other just as good Democrats, and
just as good party men in the United States as
Franklin Pierce. Are they all to be presented
to the Convention as candidates for the Demo.
cratic nomination? What has Mr.. Pierce done
during his administration to repay the debt of
gratitude which he owes to the Democratic
Party. In what has he represented the divine
idea of Democratic progress? In what has he
confirmed and extended the Democratic faith
What act Of his administration marks il as an
era in the history either of our country or our
party? How has he emulated the gories of
Jefferson, and jackson, and Polk? How has
he fulfilled the aspirations of the Democratic
Party, and the wishes of the country in his
foreign policy2 We expected not only man.
ly and dignifed, but a progressive policy. We
have seen timorous, a wavering and retro
gressive policy. A few ships seized few
flibusters indicted, an expedition or two pre-.
vented Important national objects appear to
have exhausted the energies of the administra
ton. We are sometimes told that Franklin
Pierce represents the principles of the Nebras-
ka bill-that he is identified with that prea.
measure, and that he would, therefore, be an
exponent of the principal issue in the canvas.
If the mere mechanical act of signing the bill
when it had passed Congress-, gives him any
claim to that position, we are compelled to
yield that much to his friends But who is
there that ever seriously invokes the name of
Pierce when the Nebraska bill is mentioned
Who fails to connect it Immediately with that
distinguished Senator who, by his courage, his
energy, and his eloquence contributed so much
to the success of the measured We assert that
whatever battles have been fought, whatever
battles have been won for our principles during
the last three years, have been fought and won
by the Democratic party whatever defeats
have been endured, have been owing to the
weakness, the indecision, perhaps the treachery
Of the Administration. A demoralized party,
as far as party united by principle and sym
patty could be demoralized, an opposition ma
jority in the popular branch of Congress, a
long series Of disasters after one of the most
brilliant Of victories: these are the results of
Franklin Pierces administration. And this is
the man who asks to be again entrusted with
the command of the Democratic army. With
small forces, it is yet possible to win a victory.
But something of seriousness must be preserved
in the combat. What commences to be ridicu.
lous ceases to be dangerous. And what could
be more ridiculous than the spectacle of the
great Democratic Party again fighting under
Pierce. An army Of Brobdingnogians CON-
manded by Liliputian Chief would not be
more incongruous. In some political Lilipu.
tia, Mr.. Pierce might be respectable, perhaps
even greater man; but in a party which
boasts among multitude of able leaders such
chieftians as Buchanan and Walker, and Rusk
and Butler, and Dallas and Douglas, the at.
tempt to measure himself with them, only makes
his diminutiveness the more painfully con.
spicuous.
RUMORED DIPIOM TIC cuarnrs