Pierce-fest '05 continued

Red Ted excerpts from President Pierce's 1854 annual address (although there is some confusion here -- he calls it the Fourth Annual Address, which would make it 1856 -- again, being away from the books, I cannot verify which), a fairly standard Jacksonian Democratic grocery list, which a few items peculiar in their emphasis to Pierce:

"We have to maintain inviolate the great doctrine of the inherent right of popular self-government;" Standard stuff, although how you define popular self-government is a problem. Just ask Kansans 1854-1858.

"to reconcile the largest liberty of the individual citizen with complete security of the public order;" Goodness, Barry Goldwater said the same thing. The largest amount of individual freedom conducive to public order.

"to render cheerful obedience to the laws of the land, to unite in enforcing their execution, and to frown indignantly on all combinations to resist these;" That means you, abolitionists and others who view a disagreement with Federal law as reason enough to ignore it completely. Stop reading Thoreau.

"to harmonize a sincere and ardent devotion to the institutions of religious faith with the most universal religious toleration;" Pierce was a separation guy and well-known as an attorney for his defense of Shaker religious rights in New Hampshire.

"to preserve the rights of all by causing each to respect those of the other;" The power of example. Shame nobody was paying attention.

"to carry forward every social improvement to the uttermost limit of human perfectibility, by the free action of mind upon mind, not by the obtrusive intervention of misapplied force;" Good Jacksonian line -- reform via individuals and families, not government institutions and law.

"to uphold the integrity and guard the limitations of our organic law;" Pierce the lawyer talking.

"to preserve sacred from all touch of usurpation, as the very palladium of our political salvation, the reserved rights and powers of the several States and of the people;" States rights

"to cherish with loyal fealty and devoted affection this Union, as the only sure foundation on which the hopes of civil liberty rest;" But he was a states rights Unionist, very much in the line of Jackson.

"to administer government with vigilant integrity and rigid economy;" Jacksonians were renowned penny-pinchers of public monies. After four years of Pierce, the federal government was running a surplus and had entirely paid off the national debt. I think this is the last time it has happened in American history.

"to cultivate peace and friendship with foreign nations, and to demand and exact equal justice from all, but to do wrong to none; to eschew intermeddling with the national policy and the domestic repose of other governments, and to repel it from our own; never to shrink from war when the rights and the honor of :he country call us to arms, but to cultivate in preference the arts of peace, seek enlargement of the rights of neutrality, and elevate and liberalize the intercourse of nations; and by such just and honorable means, and such only whilst exalting the condition of the Republic, to assure to it the legitimate influence and the benign authority of a great example amongst all the powers of Christendom." A slightly misleading foreign policy grab-all, in that it looks pacifistic, but in reality was more than ready to fight for territory and honor if the chance arrived. Pierce was a "Young America" devotee -- expansion of national borders was quite desirable.