Was Franklin Pierce a strong president?

Franklin Pierce was elected as the fourteenth president of the United States in 1853. Pierce assumed office at a time when sectionalism was becoming a more significant issue in United States politics and when the expansion towards the west was a priority for many of the leaders in government. The Compromise of 1850 had quelled some of the storm caused by the pro-slavery movement to expand in western territories. Pierce had resolved to maintain a course that would not inflame either side. Underestimating the passion of the two sides to maintain a semblance of peace, Pierce promoted policies that several historians believe pushed the country in the direction of secession from the Union by Southerners and, ultimately, Civil War.
From this perspective, historians say Pierce was a victim of the times unable to project an image of a strong leader and without Congressional support flowed with the tides of the times. Democrats were far more invested in compromise as a means to unite the Northern and Southern factions into one party to win national elections. Their rivals, the Whig Party, nominated candidates unable to generate Southern enthusiasm. Further weakening the Whig Party in national elections were the deaths of Daniel Webster and Henry Clay in 1852, eliminating the Whig's major national leaders capable of uniting the country in elections.
Pierce's leadership was probably impacted by personal problems, which may have affected his judgment and his public persona. Jane Pierce did not support his candidacy for president. Pierce's wife did not want him to be elected and wrote to friends expressing her hope for his defeat. Washington, in her mind, was not the place she wanted to live, and undoubtedly, the lack of support of his wife in a national election created a tense situation between the two.
It was a freak accident and tragedy that drove the final wedge in their relationship. Just a few short months before taking office, Pierce and his wife were devastated by the death of their eleven-year-old son, who died in a tragic train wreck. Pierce, his wife, and son were riding in a train car that derailed, barreling down an embankment and killing his youngest son. Pierce and his wife had already suffered from the death of two children earlier in their lives. Reports indicated that his son's skull was crushed by falling wood. When Pierce went to provide medical aid to his son, removing the cap from his son's head, a shocked Pierce saw the wood had penetrated through the skull and into the brain.
Witnessing the death of his youngest son took a toll on Franklin Pierce. Historians believed he was suffering from depression before he took the oath of office, and witnessing the death of his youngest son only made the problem worse. At his inauguration, Pierce refused the tradition of taking the oath of office by swearing on the Bible. Both he and his wife believed God was angered at them for campaigning and that the death of their son was evidence of God's anger. Compounding the immense guilt and grief from the death of his son, Pierce was known to be a heavy drinker and an alcoholic. At the time of his leaving office, Pierce was reported to have told reporters, "There is nothing left but to get drunk."
Personal problems before being elected, alcoholism, and a strained marriage contributed to the persona of Franklin Pierce as a tragic figure in American politics. Some historians refer to him as America’s saddest president. Pierce cannot be characterized as a strong president, but it easy to sympathize how the tragedies in his life were hard to bear and to understand how his leadership abilities were compromised during his time as president.
http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/triumph-tragedy-franklin-pierce/

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/franklin-pierce

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-pierce/