Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-06-19
We insert the following as a literary carlo
From the Savannah Georgian.
President Pierce.

FROM the oaVannaH Itorglan
President Pierce.
1t has been permitted to British historian
to give the vastness of untiring research, the
fervor of a mighty genius, the brilliancy of an
apt illustration, and the conclusions of pro-
found philosophy, to depict the decline and
fall' Of great empire. May it not be the
privilege, in the distance of ages to come, for
some searcher after philosophical knowledge,
some seeker of truth, some painter Of the
luminous points in our history, to initiate the
great Gibbon in describing the virtues and
vices of mighty nation of the earth? When
We shall have passed through the phases which
all nations have, and WILL to time immemorial
experience; when revolution shall have sue
ceeded revolution when wars, foreign and in
testine, may have devastated the face of our
fair country; when Governments may have
been changed and rechanged; constitutions
made, read, and broken; empires and republics
raised by genius cast into the dust by fana,
tcism and violence; the pleasing task no doubt
will be the lot of some philosophical student.
As the historian of the empire" turns back
from the fervid denunciaton Of bloody Com.
modus, the son, and dwells on the praises OF
the lustrous virtues of an Antonius, the father,
may not this new traveller in the path of know.
ledge revert back from some less happy period
of our history to those earlier and purer days
of the first century of our republic? When
he spreads the Constitution of our country be.
fore his admiring gaze, with all the elements
of reasonable happiness contained within its
compass, shall not be startled at the fact that,
with it as guide to political superiority men
have been found who we're willing to destroy
the principles it contained as easily as the paper
upon which it was engrossed?
When he shall look for the patriots who
have done battle for its maintenance-the
statesmen who have thrown around it the
shields of intellect and virtue-wil it not be
his pride and his pleasure to record the name
of Franklin Pierce, who, for bis strict adher-
ence to the valued precepts Of that instrument,
was unexcelled by any that had preceded him ?
1t may be thought by some that we write in
the language of hyperbole when we speak thus
of a man who has had Washington and a
Jefferson as his predecessors, but such are the
honest convictions Of our hearts. To Wash.
ington alone we give the reverence and flial
affection due to "the Father Of our Country
Jefferson I'VE view as the younger brother OF
that "father,n but Franklin Pierce is the son Of
America, and good cause has America to feel
proud Of such son.
Many may differ with us, but when the little.
ness of parties shall have passed away an i'm
partial posterity will do him justice. Assaied
from the region in which he first drew breath
by horde of factious and merciless revilers
DETAINED by truthless and licentious press, he
has barred his breast to the storm which made
the gigantic Webster quail and bow his head
and recently the cultivated Everett entirely
succumb. To this man we give our unquali
fed appreciation.
The closing scene Of his political career, as
connected with his candidacy for the Presi
dency, is contained in his speech which VIC
publish this morning. 1t Is the GROWING glory
Of his life. Breathing a dignity, magnanimity
and fervent patriotism that claims our enthu
siasm, it will challenge comparison in style
and sentiment with any production Of oul
country.