The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-15

v,.v OF the FourieeRth Prssident
,omswhat Oal or ihs Common.

Chicago Times-H Herald; One OF our
much misunderstood men of fifty years
avo was President Pierce. Not a few
nsople Of this day suppose him TO have
been q weak mana tool Of 1.-The slave
pouer." az Il became a fashion to call 1t.
This was great mistake. There was
ma weakness about Pierce, He was
oIear.headed aud logical by nature He
gag that for congress TO legislate at all
obout slavery was 10 recognize It's ex-
istence. and that II II existed at all II ex-
is,ed by colonial or local origin and law,
and could only be abrogated by the
same; that ''the nation" existed solely
by virtue Of the constitution, and that
ave no power 10 anybody 10 touch any
Thing which itself LEFT reserved TO the
states or the people" Hence there was
no course open 10 the nation except abb
salute Bop-lnterVention or-the sword.
n Mr.. Pierce had been the weak man
many suppose him, Martin Koszta would
have been sent back into an, Austrian
nrison. When Capt. Ingraham de-
handed that he be surrendered, and
even In the port OF Smyrna cleared his
decks for action II that demand should
be refused, he practically flung the gage
Of battle ut the feet OF all Europe. II
has been common TO credit the splendid
nerve as well as the ineisiye logic OF our
national utterance on the subject TO the
courage and the brain OF Mr.. Marcy, the
secretary OF state. There is no doubt
mat he spoke as no felt, but II Mr..
Pierce had not felt the same Mr., Marcy
would not have so spoken. No man has
ever sat In the presidential seat who had
more the courage of hts oplnions''-not
even jackson, though the latter under
scored hts opinions more assertiYely.
Jackson was q product of the border,
uncut and unpublished Pierce was a
product OF the nearest approximation
we then had TO polished society. But
the water" OF the stone was In each
case very much the same, There was
no MISLEADING the steely CLINT In Pierce's
eve when he was reused, though the
suaye smile never left his lips.
In respect to his suavity-this polish
and urbanity OF high social culture
Pierce was probably without an ex-
ceptlon the most accomplished man Of
MS time. The southern gentleman Of
that day bore high reputation for
slderatlon for others And they de-
served 1t. crittenden and Breckenridge
and Presley Ewing. OF Kentucky
Churchwell. of Tennessee, Clingman, OF
North Carolina. Mason, OF Virginia,and
many others were very dignihed and
courtly gentlemen, but there was not
one OF them whose polish Of manner
and bearing was so unfalllngly fiawless
and lustrous AZ his.
The loss OF his son In a railway aeci-
dent about the time OF his elevation to
the presidency fairly broke his heart
and hung like the shadow Of u funeral
pail over his whole after life. but 1t
never MARRIED or dimmed the sunny &C.
renity OF his bearing toward all who
came In contact with him, 1t was
equally proof against the tribes OF an
poyance OF temptation that led so many
merely cultivated men to forget II or
lay II aside for q time. 1t was my for
tune to see II tried more than once In
different ways.
Mr.. Pierce often walked out among
the more irequented streets, Just as any
private gentleman would, and was
rarely interrupted. One evening after
sunset, when was walking slowly to-
ward the white house, / heard the
voices OF two persons approaching be-
hlnd me, one OF the speakers obviously
under excitement, the other perfectly
calm and steady. CHANGING over my
shoulder 1 saw that one OF the two was
the President, the other some one to me
unknown. The excited tone OF the lat
Ter induced me 20 time my gait with
theirs, while not seeming TO notice
them. 1t coon became obvious that the
excited man was from Mr.. Pierce's
state, and was in an angry mood be-
cause he had not been given something
he wanted. He was obliged to admit
that the President had never promised
It. but for some reason he chose to be
angry. and he used language which any
magistrate would have decided at once
was Calculated to provoke breach OF
the peace" Mr.. Pierce had 1t In his
power 90 summon assistance at any
moment, but he preserved the most Sc
reBe self-commapd throughout. No one
but myself was near enough TO dlstin-
gulsh words, or even the anger OF eth
er party. / heard the angry reproaches
to speak mildly-ot the one and the
calm disclaimer OF obligation and po-
lite regret at disappointment by the
other while passing most OF block.
Near the gateway to the grounds OF the
Presidents house paused as IL looking
ecross into Lafayette Square. Nj. Pierce
turned In at the gate. lifting his hat
with a courtly bow and said good night
calmly aud politely, adding: You viii
pardon my quilting you now to a bind
ing engagement. and will doubtless feel
differently after You have reflected.
The angry mans splutter was checked
IN mid career. have never been more
impressed with che impregnable force OF
self-command and the imperturbable
bearing OF the cultivated gentleman.