"I observe the paper styled you as Hon. Franklin Pierce. Have you already an official claim to that title?
"Your friend,
"Nathaniel Hawthorne, alias Hath."
And again we find a letter written later.
"Dear General:
"I deeply regret we are not to have our mountain excursion together, and especially grieved that the disappointment should be on account of Mrs. Pierce's ill health. As the greater part of my pleasure would have been your companionship I question whether I shall press the matter any farther, although I do not as yet decidedly give up the idea.
"Some spiteful abolitionist took trouble to send to me a compendium of abusive paragraphs from the newspapers in reference to you, and it seems to me that the best way of disappointing his malice was to lay them aside without reading one of them, which I accordingly did.
"With best regard to Mrs. Pierce and most earnest wishes for a speedy recovery,
"Faithfully yours,
"Hath."
In addition to the Hawthorne letters are some written by Jefferson Davis, who was a close friend of President Pierce, and who was appointed by the latter Secretary of War during his administration. The friendship between Jefferson Davis and President Pierce commenced during the time when Pierce was a member of the Senate. Mr. Davis thus writes concerning him to one of his personal friends.
"Mr. Pierce, then a member of the Senate, sustained every cardinal principle asserted by Mr. Calhoun, and there was not a member of the Senate who more uniformly voted to sustain them. As an auditor I heard the debate, watched the votes, and then commenced the affectionate esteem and high appreciation of Mr. Pierce which grew and strengthened with every succeeding year of his life. The position he then assumed clearly indicated the views subsequently expressed in the extract you have incorporated in your article.