The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-10-09
4itIlmond Dispatrh.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 8, 1869.
Death of Ex.Prcsident Pierce.

Now Hamnshirc. He was born in Hlllsbo
rough. y. H.. on the 2%d November, lsoa
Hc was the son Of General BENJAMIN FIERCE
n soldier of the revolution Of rs, who was
an influential politician in the early part
Of this century, was Governor OF Nc"
Uompehirc In 1929. and died in 1899 at thf
age Of cighty-one. FRASKLIS completed hi
education In 1874 by graduating at Bowdot
College, and afterwards studied law under
the distinguished LEVI WOODBURY., who was
Secretary Of the Treasury under VAN BURES
He was admitted to the bar in 1927, and hi
first ESSAYS not being very encouraging M
became m active politician, supporting
with great zeal General JACKSON forthe Pre-
sidcncv in 1929.
IIr. prrgcr was sent to the Legislature OF
New Hampshire in 1929. and served lou
wears in that body. In 1888 nc was eiccteo
= ,ncnbcr of the lower House of Congress,
In which botiv he continued until 1887, when
bc was elected to the United States Senate.
where he remained till 1919, when he re-
s;-ucd his seat. In neither body did he be-
come distinguished. He entered the Senate
when CALHOUN, Clay, WEBSTER, SlLAs
WRIGur. and BrNToS, were there, n
The Youngest member OF the body, being
barely old enough to comply with the law
fixing the minimum age Of senators. tic
had that delicate sense Of propriety winch
restrained him from stepping forward
amongst the giants, youthful and ineNpc-
ricnced as he was. He made few very
crcdtablc speeches. but while he was
greatly respected, did not rise TO distnc-
ton.
Upon returning to private life he devoted
himself to his profession with decided sue
cess Giving some attention 10 politics. until
1877, when he entered the Mexican war.
and was made brigadicrecneral. He
marched with the army Of General SCOTT.
aconittcd himself very gallantlv, and
after The battle Of Chnrubusco was appoint
Cd by General SCOTT one Of the commission
ers 10 negotiate the terms Of an armistice,
which was Of short duration but soon
after the resumption Of hostilities the war
was brought TO close by the entry of the
American army into the city Of Mexico.
In that city General PIERCE remained until
December, 1877. when ne returned home
and resigned his commission.
Tn 1850 he was elected Il member Of the
convention Of View Hampshire 10 amend
the constitution. ard was chosen President
of the body. He manifested his liberal
principles in that body by seeking to relieve
Catholics from some tests which excluded
them from certain offices.
On June y, 1852. the Democratic Nj
4 -, l,I az oil
and after thirty-fivc Intellectual, ballottin@S for
aPresidcntal candidate. during whichnot
vote had been Given for General PIERCE, the
Virginia delegation brought forward his
name, and on the forty-ninth ballot he re-
ccivcd 2S2 votes to l. for all others. The
principal names voted for were BUCHANAN,
CAss. MARCY, and DOUGLAS, whose friend,
were 50 umcompromising that neither OF
them could be chosen. At the succeeding
Presidential election he received the votes
Of I'll the States save Massachusetts, Yer
mont, Kentucky, and Tennessee, which
voted for General SCoTT. The electoral col
legcs cast for PIERCE pa votes, for SCOTT A..
in the midst Of this sudden and surprising"
political success, the President elect was at-
flicted witha severe bereavement. In making
a railroad journey with his family from An
dover to Lawrence, Massachusetts, his onl,
child, BENJAMIN PIERCE, Il promising youth
&C thirteen, was killed by the cars being
thrown from the track.
President PIERCE selected for his Cabinet
". l.. MARCY, Secretary Of state; JAMES
GUTHRIE. Secretary Of the Treasury; JET
rER>oS DAVIS, Secretary of War; JAMES c.
DOZEN. Secretary Of the Navy; ROBERT
NcCLELLAND, Secretary Of the Interior /:
JaNEs CAMPBELL, of Pcnnsylvania, Post
mastcr-Gcncral and CALEB CUSHING Attor-
General. In his message he took stronc
Democratic and states Rights ground, and.
with reference to slavery, declared that it
was recognized by the Constitution, and
that the fugitive slave law was constitu-
tion2l. He ever consistently and boldly
maintained these doctrines.
President P!EEcE's administration was al
active and progressive" one. Amongthe
subjects disposed Of were the Mexican
boundary, in which our claim TO the Me-
slla Valley was established; a dispute about
the fisheries with Great Britain the affair
measure, Ivy which the Missouri compro-
mise was repealed; commercial reciprocity
treaty with Great Britain relative to the
trade with the British provinces; the APP
puintment or General SCOTT as Lieutenant
General the settlement Of the serious mat
Ger Of the crl!>tmcnts for the British army
under the approval Of the British Minister,
Mr.. CHAMPION, whose recall was demanded.
but the British Government declining, he
was dismissed by ours, along with several
consuls; with others Of importance.
In 1888 there Was quite Il sensation pro.
duced by "thc Ostcnd Conference. ;" ut which
Mr.. BUCHANAN, United States Minister tc
Great Britain; Mr. SouLE, Minister tc
Spain; Mr.. Mason, Minister to France,
were present, and proposed to buy Cuba
for 500, 100000, and in case of her refusal to
sell the land to take it by force. The mea,
sure met such widespread disapprobation
that Mr.. PIERCE did not press his policy fur.
Their.
The last two years Of bis administration
were disturbed by the miserable agtation>
in Kansas, which were the beginning OF the
storm which ended in the late war.
On June >, 1856, the Democratic Conven,
ton met at Cincinnati and nominated JAMES
BucuASAN for President. President PIERCE
received H. votes on the first ballot, but
WAS finally dropped.
At the close OF his administration he re-
tired TO private life, in which he remained
TO the day Of his death, appearing very sci