Daily American organ., 1856-02-16
Sam Houston 10 Franklin Pierce.
WAsn1NoToN, D. G., January 2s, Is

WASHINGTON, II. o., January 2S, 1858.
GENERAL: 1t is not on the ground of familiar
acquaintance that / now address you. 1t is be-
cause am a member of the Democratic party, of
which you have been the standard-bearer in the
recent election. A sincere desire to see the prin-
ciples of the party triumphant, united with respect
for your character, induced me with cheerfulness
and sincerity to use all fair and honorable means
to secure the election of the Democratic nominees
to the Presidency and Vice Presidency. The sue
cess was triumphant and am happy to congratu-
late you upon the result.
1t is natural, under present circumstances, that
every lover of our institutions and of the Union
should feel anxious for the success of your admin
istration. As one, certainly do and doubt not
but you feel duly impressed with all the response
bilities of your position. From what hear around
me in relation to the gentlemen who are to COM
pose your Cabinet, have grounds to suppose that
various individuals are pressed upon your notice
by numerous gentlemen, each claiming for their
respective favorites places in your Cabinet. These
circumstances viii most reasonably suggest refec-
tions as to what might be the proper course for
President to pursue in its formation. No one, i
presume, will deny proposition 80 selfevident as
that the President s to be responsible to the Amer
lean people for the character and acts OF the gen.
tlemen who compose his Cabinet. From my OBJ
servaton in life, / have come to the conclusion
that as the President is responsible for the action
pendent of all extraneous influences, is conceded
point
Perhaps one of the most unfortunate political
events in Gen. -Jacksons life may be traced to the
contrary principle He permitted individuals to
be urged upon him, by most respectable infuen-
ces and, yielding to that pressure, placed persons
in his cabinet who would not have been selected
by his uninhuenced choice Hence, it was COM
posed of discordant materials and the consequence
was, the removal of the members who formed the
original cabinet and the formation of one entirely
new, composed of gentlemen of his own selection
In my opinion, it is not reason sufficient to urge
the pretensons Of gentlemen because they possess
marked ability, or that they have powerful and in
huential friends, or that those friends may desire
to obtain for them commanding position, that
they may enjoy large share of political influence
to induce the Executive to waive his own prefer
ence and defer to the wishes of others.
The relations between the Executive and his
Cabinet are of confidential character. He desires
for his confidential advisers those on whom he has
unbounded reliance. They onght not only to har-
monize touching political subjects, but personal
intimacy and respect should exist between all the
members No one can so properly Judge of these
important and delicate relations as the Executive
himself If he has not full confidence in the mem
bers of his Cabinet, harmony cannot exist, and
suspicious once entertained, would embarrass not
only the Executive, but clog the measures which
he might think most important to the country 3
prosperity " he selects gentlemen whose per-
sonal and political relations he approves, the con-
sequence win be, that they viii feel that they owe
their selection to him, and their allegiance will be
necessarily given TO him alone and not to others.
Their feelings of esteem and gratitude toward him
viii be guaranty Of their fidelity and their efforts
win be united in maintenance of the principles
which he represents and the success Of his mea-
sures.
If he were to select his cabinet upon the recon-
mendalion of Others those who are selected would
be aware of the influence which had been exercised
in their behalf with the Executive, and instead Of
feeling under obligations TO him, they would nstu-
rally advert to the circumstances which caused him
TO make the selection and instead of feeling their
dependence upon him, and an interest in the sue
cess of bis administration, they might imagine
that, unnfuenced, he would not have selected
them. Hence, their sense Of obligation to him
would be lessened by the reflection that the nfin-
ence which brought them into the Cabinet was ir-
resistble and therefore the President not indcpen-
dent Of them.
So far as hear suggestions, conclude that the