Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-10-01


northern Democracy aud his intimate per.
sonAl relations With Davis, all lent a weight
to his words, which the letters of few of
the northern correspondents Of the Missis-
sippi traitors could have. Pierce of course
knew all this. Il appears also from the
language he uses that he was aware that
the rebel leaders were maturing their plot
of secession. And yet at such an hour,
when the nation was threatened with dire
Perils from the men, who have since
wrought such destruction by means Of re-
bellion, Franklin Pierce had no mind to
''discuss the question of right, the abstract
power TO secede," no ringing word OF iudig-
nAnt aud patriotic protest against the men,
who were then concOetIng their schemes of
treason. He did not summon the aid OF that
6ne rhetoric, which 10 has at his command,
to pour forth expressions OF righteous anger
and adherence at the tidings of the great
Southern plot. No, at that critical time,
when perchance honest aud firm words of
patriotism might at least have enlightened
Davis, ii they did not stay him in his mad
course. Pierce had words of condemnation
only for "Northern abolitionists" +" AT that
period, when IL Davis had known that
there would be o united North in arms, the
moment shot was fred at the old flag, u
faithful description Of the patriotism of
the North might have made the rebel plot.
ters pause aud delay, If it had not stopped
them altogether. Pierce had nothing better
to do than to klndle new hopes III their
hearts BY assuring them that ii war should
break out, it would uot be along Mason
and DixUn'S line only, but within our own
patriot statesman for you. There is the
man, on whom this nation had conferred
her highest official honors. There is the
orator, who on the last independence Day,
while the brave soAs OF his owu State were
pouring out their blood on the fields Of
Gettysburg in defense of the Government
against the treason, that he had helped
nurse into life by his letter TO Davis, was
aippantly criticisiug the administration,
aud accusing the North of causing the war
by "Vicious iutermeddliug" with the South.
Oh Mr.. Hawthorne Mr.. Hawthorne of
little value is the book which you have
dedicated to your old comrHle, Franklin
Pierce, unless you have read the character
of the English more accurately than tha
of your frieni, when you say:
~ need no assurance that you coutiuue
faithful forever to that grand idea Of an
iTreVoctbls UuiQn, which, as you once told |
me, was the earliest that your father taught |
you. For other men there may be a choice
OF paths-ioF you, but onei and it rests I
among my CeTtaiuties that no mans iOyal-
ty is more steadtast, no mans hopes or APP
Prehensions on behalf Of our national ex-
istence more deeply heartfelt, or more
OF personal happiness than those OF Frank.
lin Pierce"
1t was old friendship, we fear, which
spoke then, and not the subtle analyst of
character, who gave The Scarlet Letter
and the House of Seven Gables.
1t is not an accidental coincidence that
the authors of all these captured letters,
in which Davis is encouraged in his nefa.
rious work, are now copperheads, more or
less notorious. They are only striving to
make good their own prophecies. Their
sympathies have always been and still are
with the rebels. The best that can be said
of the least offensive of them is that they
bate the rebels less than they hate the
present administration, aud their conduct
is as nearly in accordance With their feel
iugs as they dare to make it.