Piedmonte

3732

Piezometer

and wine. It is also noted for its silk; p. 508,-
626. It was occupied by the French in 1796,
passed to Sardinia in 1814, and in 1859 to
Italy.

Picture-writing.
i. N. American Indian, Wy-
oming ('one Indian killed an-
other'). 2. Ojibway chiefs* me-
morial post (the inversion of
the figures symbolizes death).
3, 4. Mexican inscriptions from
Atliaca and from Masaya.

Piedmonte Plateau Region, an area of
considerable extent, lying between the Atlantic
Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains.
The underlying rocks of this region arc old
metatnorphic crystallines in complex relation-
ship and structure which were, during the long
Cretaceous period of erosion, reduced to al-
most a plain (peneplain). Subsequent eleva-
tion of the eastern continental border caused
a retreat of the sea, bringing the Atlantic
Coastal Plain into existence and at the same
time raising the former peneplain to a height
consistent with the term plateau.

Pierce, Franklin (1804-69), 14th Presi-
dent of the United States, born at Hillsboro,
N. H., Nov. 23,1804, In 1829 Pierce entered
the N. H. legislature, where he served four
years* the last two as speaker of the House. In
1832 Le was elected a representative in Con-
gress, where he also served four years. In 1837
tit succeeded John Page in the Senate, enjoy-
ing the distinction of being the youngest mem-
ber of that body. He resigned his seat V«g. 31,

1842, and resumed the practice of law at Con-
cord. Hero he shortly rose to acknowledged
leadership of the bar. On the outbreak of the
Mexican War in 1846, Pierce was commission-
ed colonel of the Ninth New Hampshire In-
fantry, and on March jj, 1847, was made a
brigadier-general of volunteers. He went to
Vera Cruz, served under Gen. Scott m the
campaign against the City of Mexico.

In Jan., 1852, the Democratic state conven-
tion of N. H. nominated Pierce for President,
but he refused to permit his name to be used.
Under the lead, however, of Senator James W.
Bradbury of Maine, his classmate and friend,
his candidacy was skilfully nursed. In the
Democratic national convention at Baltimore,
in June, his name did not appear until the
35th ballot; on the49th ballot he received 282
votes in a total of 288. His popular vote was
1,601,494, against 1,386,580 for Scott and 156,-
667 for the Free Soil candidate, John P. Hale.
The leading events of his administration were
the settlement of the Mexican boundary con-
troversy by the Gadsden purchase; the adjust-
ment of a controversy with Great Britain over
the fisheries, and the conclusion of a treaty
providing for reciprocity with Canada for ten
years; a commercial treaty with Japan follow-
ing upon the expedition of Commodore Perry;
the Ostcnd Manifesto; the reorganization of
the consular and diplomatic service; thfe es-
tablishment of the United States Court of
Claims; and the completion of surveys for a
Pacific railroad. In the Democratic National
Convention of 1856 he showed at first con-
siderable strength, but failed of renomination.

Piers Plowman. See Langland, William.

Pieta, a work of art representing the
lamentation of the women over the body of
Christ after its removal from the cross.

Pietists, a party in the Lutheran Church,
which appeared in Germany at the end of the
17th century. They laid great stress on the
emotional in religion and decried dogmas and
ecclesiastical institutions. The extravagance of
the pietists brought the movement into con*
tempt, and the name has now an opprobrious
signification, implying lack of intelligent belief
or mere affectation of piety.

Pietra Dura, Florentine inlaid work of the
finest kind, formed of stones of extreme hard-
ness, such as agate, jasper, chalcedony, carne-
lian, amethyst, and lapislazuli, set in a slab of
marble, generally of a dark color.

Piezometer, an instrument for measuring
the compressibility of liquids* It consists of
a cylindrical bulb and tube to contain the li-