New Britain herald., 1914-11-25
New Hampshire HonoTs Former
 President Of United States
.fORIY-fIVE YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH
Great at-Granddaughter of Former Chief Executive Unveils Statue-SenatO William E. Chandler Pays Tribute to Character of Ex-Presidcnt.~

Concord, N. H., Nov. 25.-Forty-
 five years after his death. the mem-
 ory of Franklin Pierce, the only New Hampshire man ever elected president of the United States, was honored to- day by the dedication of a memorial statue. Opposition on the part of many citizens who believed that Pres ident Pierce showed too active sym pathy with the south in the days i'm mediately preceding the Civil War frustrated several previous attempts to provide such a memorial. Last year the legislature appropriated $15,0O0 for the purpose.
 Clarence E. Carr of Andover, a mem Der of the commission appointed by Governor Samuel D. Felker to ar- range for, the erection of the me- morial was chosen to preside at the dedicatOry exercises. The honor of unveiling the statue was given to Miss Susan M. Pierce of Hillsborough, great-granddaughte of the president. The program provided for addresses by Frank F. Carpenter of Manches- l0I, CHdlIuldIl Ol tHc COIufUlIIoe, LOT- mer U. S. Senator William E. Chand- Ter of Concord; Governor Felker and, Judge Edgar Aldrich of the United States district court. The statue is executed in bronze on a granite base with an inlaid bronze border of laurel leaves. It shows President Pierce in civilian garb with the exception of a military cloak limiting at his service in the Mexican war.
 Ex-Senator Cllandlcrs Address.
 Tribute to the character and achieve ments of President Pierce was paid by former United States Senator Will liam E. Chandler in an address at the dedication exercises in the State House Park.
 Tt would be impossible" said MT. Chandler, for me to fail to speak of him in words of deep tenderness, for the simple reason that to me as a boy he was kind and helpful
 Accounts Personal Efforts.
 MT. Chandler recounted his personal 1 efforts, beginning in 1888, to secure | the erection of a Pierce memorial l statue. Referring to the objections | ra ised because of President Pierce's | attitude toward the subject of slav- cry, Mr. Chandler said that the same | objection might reasonably have been ! made to the erection of statues of l ,wo other New Hampshire men, Dan- el Webster and Lewis Cass.
 You all know" he continued, "The aroused in those days But hey did not continue to prevail against cass and Webster. They ought no onger to prevail against Pierce. The 1 cal reason why We should not at this ate day longer refrain from erect ng statues to such men is that their lesitancy to make efforts for the abo- ition of slavery, their willingness to make compromises in behalf of Slav- ny, arose from their deep devotion to he Union of those states which it was relieved would be endangered if con- roversy over slavery continued.
 Orator of Eloquencc.
 Franklin Pierce was a scholar of uperior knowledge, an orator of cap { ivating eloquence, a lawyer of acute l a trial advocate of unsur- I assed skill and force, a brave soldier n the battlefield of his country, a ublic official of ability and fidelity and
 president of a conscientiousness and a atriotism." @ ~~y