"PIERCE, FRANKLIN, THE LIFE OF" (NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE).   Term Paper ID:25146 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Critical review of biography of 14th U.S. president.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Critical review of biography of 14th U.S. president. Paper Introduction: Franklin Pierce was the Fourteenth President of the United States and served in office for one term, from 1853 to 1857. In many ways, he has not been considered a particularly notable President, and there are few biographies available for him. One of the earliest and most important was The Life of Franklin Pierce from 1852, important not simply because it is the life of Pierce but because it was written by the noted American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. In some ways, this biography can be considered a campaign tract extolling the virtues of Hawthorne's choice for the next President of the United States, for the book ends with the nomination of Pierce to be his party's candidate. Indeed, in the lat paragraph, Hawthorne suggests that the country would do well to elect the Democrat Pierce over the Whig General Scott, Pierce's former commanding officer. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. hawthorne biography ofPierce is more in the nature of the story of Pierce's early life and leadsto his greatest triumph without actually reaching it. Hawthorne draws attentionto certain errors on the part of this candidate to show he is both humanand willing to admit an error, citing in particular the vote Pierce ledagainst the creation of West Point and the fact that years later as asoldier he admitted he was wrong. Electronic text, eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/hawthorne.html, 1998.----------------------- [1]Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Life of Franklin Pierce (electronic text,eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/hawthorne.html, 1998), Chapter 1. At Franklin Pierce's birth, and for many years subsequent, his father was the most active and public-spirited man within his sphere; a most decided democrat, and supporter of Jefferson and Madison; a practical farmer, moreover, not rich, but independent, exercising a liberal hospitality, and noted for the kindness and generosity of his character; a man of the people, but whose natural qualities inevitably made him a leader among them.[1]This passage shows not only how Hawthorne connects the son to the fatherbut also the complex style in which the biography is written as Hawthorneuses a series of subordinate clauses to extend his basic idea with examplesilluminating the character of the father and suggesting the character ofthe son. The trip won him few friends."[5]Pierce wound up carrying all but four states. It was also during thisperiod when various groups approached Pierce and tried to get him to runfor office, but he resisted. The major political act of Pierce before running for the presidencycame with his support for the Compromise of 185 , a deal which includedacceptance of the Fugitive Slave Laws. Hawthorne says that his own political beliefswere in accord with those of Pierce, but he also finds he is drawn to theman as Pierce is elected to Congress and represents his constituency firstin the state legislature and then in Congress. Hawthorne's biography indeed has a military sub-theme, beginning withPierce's father, General Benjamin Pierce, a veteran of the RevolutionaryWar. Hawthorne analyzes Pierce's subsequent career and notes that it wasan illustrious one, with many legal successes and the growing ability tomake speeches that moved juries as they would later move voters. In many ways, he has notbeen considered a particularly notable President, and there are fewbiographies available for him. Hawthorne also notes that Pierce wasmuch-honored for this campaign. In some ways, this biography can be considered acampaign tract extolling the virtues of Hawthorne's choice for the nextPresident of the United States, for the book ends with the nomination ofPierce to be his party's candidate. are essential parts of the biography of his son, both as indicating some of the native traits which the latter has inherited, and as showing the influences amid which he grew up. offer an analysis of ninePresidents who were also generals, and their assessment of Pierce suggeststhe value of being a general for political advancement: On the strength of the bays won in battle this small-town lawyer was to be presented to the electorate as the reincarnation of Old Hickory [Andrew Jackson], and in this refurbished uniform was to vanquish the leading soldier of his day.[4]Of course, this contest was between two generals, and presumably Pierce hadmore going for him than his generalship. The book promotes the candidacy ofPierce and so is not valuable in showing differences of opinion regardingthe man, nor does it analyze his policies in any depth or raise anycriticisms of him at all beyond the most mundane and minor. This disappointed abolitionists,but it won Pierce notice in the South, which would serve him well in theelection in 1852. Hawthorne dwells at some length ona scene he envisions as the Old Man and a number of his military colleaguesgather to celebrate their victories and to remember George Washington, andHawthorne believes this must have been a scene that inspired the youngerPierce. Indeed, they also cite Scott's conduct during the campaign,noting that Scott made too many speeches trying to defend himself and onlysucceeded in tiring the voters: "Even by the standards of stump speaking,it was not oratory of a high order. . The book is abeginning point for examining the life of Pierce and suggests influences onhim more than it demonstrates the consequences of those influences. [4]Dorothy Burne Goebel and Julius Goebel Jr., Generals in the WhiteHouse (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc, 1945),141. Hawthornecites a number of authorities on these matters and finds that they agree asto the abilities of Pierce in the courtroom. BibliographyGoebel, Dorothy Burne and Julius Goebel Jr. It is valuablefor the words it includes written by a man who knew Pierce and in the wayit cites others who knew him and supported him. It was during this campaign when he metand served under General Scott, whom he would later defeat for thepresidency. The Life of Franklin Pierce. Generals in the White House. In writing this passage, of course, Hawthorne is also linking hiscandidate to the Father of the Country and to the spirit that helped createAmerica and its values. He entered the military as a general in theMexican War, and much of the story of that campaign is offered by Hawthorneby quoting from Pierce's journal. As if to help protect those values himself, Piercedecided on the law as a career and continued his studies accordingly. . It offers some analysis ofthe Mexican war, though that is hardly its central focus, and similarlygives a view of the debate surrounding the Compromise of 185 , thoughHawthorne does not go into any detail on this issue, either. Indeed, in the lat paragraph,Hawthorne suggests that the country would do well to elect the DemocratPierce over the Whig General Scott, Pierce's former commanding officer. As noted, this idea seems to shape the story told of Pierce'slife from the beginning, but in the last chapter, Hawthorne is more directin his appeal to the voter. Hawthorne only sees Scottas a general past his prime, while he sees Pierce as a younger man with abright future. But a failure of this kind serves an opposite purpose to a mind in which the strongest and richest qualities lie deep, and, from their very size and mass, cannot at once be rendered available. Franklin Pierce was the Fourteenth President of the United States andserved in office for one term, from 1853 to 1857. Hawthorne knew Pierce and says he firstmet him after Pierce had entered politics in support of the presidentialcandidacy of Andrew Jackson. In the last chapter, Franklin turns away from the life of Pierce towhat has been his subtext throughout--the reasons why Pierce has beenselected to run for the presidency and the reasons why he should beelected. It is a well writtenand interesting account that creates a strong impression of the man, thoughthe Goebels's version may be more balanced because it is written from adistance and is not intended to promote the man's candidacy as isHawthorne's book. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc, 1945.Hawthorne, Nathaniel. [5]Ibid., 15 -151.----------------------- 2 Hawthorne finds many characteristics in the elder Pierce that wouldbe passed on to the son, and he also finds the direct link Pierce has tothe Revolutionary War to be significant: The history, character, and circumstances of General Benjamin Pierce . The Goebels also write about the Pierce administration, which theycould do from a different vantage point in time. One of the earliest and most important wasThe Life of Franklin Pierce from 1852, important not simply because it isthe life of Pierce but because it was written by the noted American authorNathaniel Hawthorne. The Goebels agree with Hawthornethat the event which put Pierce over the top was the compromise of 185 ,which garnered him support in the south without damaging his reputationunduly in the North. Asif to humanize the man, Hawthorne notes how Pierce did not begin his careerat the high level he would attain later and that he lost his first case.Hawthorne describes this as if it were an important life-learningexperience for the future political and military leader: It is in such moments of defeat that character and ability are most fairly tested; they would irremediably crush a youth devoid of real energy, and being neither more nor less than his just desert, would be accepted as such. Hawthorne finds not only the generally good qualities passed fromfather to son but the essential spirit that would hold Pierce in good steadas a military man: He became early imbued, too, with the military spirit which the old soldier had retained from his long service, and which was kept active by the constant alarms and warlike preparations of the first twelve years of the present century.[2] Pierce's education is also given close attention, leading to hisemployment as a schoolteacher, and Hawthorne points out that most great menserved a period as teachers so that in America this seems to be a necessaryelement in the rise to power. Dorothy Burne Goebel and Julius Goebel Jr. Pierce left college in 1824, and at thattime, his father was aged and retired. It provokes an innate self-confidence, while, at the same time, it sternly indicates the sedulous cultivation, the earnest effort, the toil, the agony, which are the conditions of ultimate success.[3] Hawthorne throughout writes in a way that makes it difficult to judgewhether he is being strictly accurate or is shading events to promote thebest qualities of his candidate. The Goebels also point out a number of flaws inGeneral Scott which Hawthorne does not address. The Goebels point out that Scott had a number of episodesin his record which damaged him, including battles with superiors andassociates. [3]Ibid., Chapter 2. He came in ahead of Stephen Douglas, James Buchanan,Lewis Cass, and William Marcy and was nominated on the 49th ballot. [2]Ibid., Chapter 1. Hawthorne book is interesting as a primary source on the election of1852, or at least some aspects of it. 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