Democratic banner., 1847-03-22
From the Washington Union.
SPEECH OF JUDGE DOUGLASS,

risen fox the purpose of submitting IL few
remarks i'll reply TO tie honorable gentle.
man from Massachusetts, especially direct.
ed to that part in which he charged a de-
liberate design Oh the part of the admins,
t~ration, and Of the democratic party, TO dc
injustice to Gen. Taylor. He Mr.. b. had
been unable to discover upon what ground,
upon what authority any mcmberon that
foor could make a charge of that kind
He knew nothing in the history Of tie
course Of this administration towards Gen.
Taylor that could justify any such charge.
When their difficulty first arose with Mcxi-
co, and Mexico threatened to treat certain
acts as a declaration of war, Gen. TAYLOR
was selected to take charge of the army of
occupation in the western part of Texas.
Certainly the act of selection to take COM
mand, no one, he apprchended would con-
tend evinced any hostility. 1t was a high
and honorable command conferred upon
General Taylor voluntarily. He was then
only a colonel Of the line, with a brcrct
commission as a Brigadier General. He
continued in that command; and, after the
battles of the Sth and 9th, what did they
find as evidence of hostility on the part of
the administration? The gentleman said
that, after these brilliant battles, the admin
i~strati9n formed the design of Frustrating
Gen Taylor
MIR. Astmun lin his seat.J Before those
battles.
Dr.. Douglass. Before those battles, he
said, the administration had formed the de-
sign Of prostrating Gen. TAYLOR.
Mr.. Ashmun. If the gentleman will al
low nc, | will state precisely what | did
say. 1t was this: that before those battles
there were mysterious givings-out, that if
any disasters occurred Gen. Taylor was 70
be made 4 sacriicc.
Mr.. Douglass cared not whether the ncn-
t!enan tonk it before or afterwards. He.
wanted 70 t:y TIE gentleman by the record.
by Aa3%n. fy"a facts. that coald not be.
S~tllSayt,l, anl see where was the evidence
Il sustain tic truth Of that charge. or the
cv!Ic"cr to justify anv man in the ewes Of
the worll to So: t!at he had d pretcxt for.
sI:h charge a5aiHs; the administration, or
against nc democratic party. or against any
man. Those ADDS fucIt
and what didtIc administration d.? ImmcGi-
a,r.r !Y q Tie news The President Of t!.c
rttc.i States s"at to Ike Senate a nominal
ti"n OF Gen. Taylor as H"fajnr General O:
trr Intel states arm hv brevct.
Mr. F."kim here rasc and in:imatcd d
desire f. aG.rra; the Chain.
Mr.. Douglass. | canmot be INTERRUPTED
Way was tIat lonc.' 1t was lone as d
marx OF appreciation by tie President of
tie United States of Gen. Taylor; TO con-
fer the honor as 4 signal mark of his conf
dcncc; Of his regard, of his friendship for,
General Taylor; and in doing that, he gave
Il brevet TO General Taylor, placing him
thereby above other officers in the L. s.
ANY WAC hei: older commissions older
RANK liz the army than Gen. Taylor.
W:at next? Was there evidence on the
r.:t -. tie President. or Of the cabinet, in
TIE b.evct, % hostility? Tie gentleman
said thu hostility had been formed before.
but the Victories hns!ied it. Let them see
what evidence the dc:-!ocrrtic party gaze at
that time Of hostility 10 Gen. Tav!ur. \.
resolution Of thanks was brought forward
IL that lIousc-if he recolicctrd risi.t by Il
democrat-and passed unanimously. re-
cciv!n9 evtrY democratic vote IA that
'IouSc, giving TIE th'.!!hS o! SONH!cSS 10
General Taylor for his military services,
and all that after the base design had been
formed Of sacrificing Lin! Was not that a
strange way for n party to snow its design.
Of sacrificing a man, by rendering a solemn
vote Of ~thanks-by couferrinG the highest
honor, in the face Of the world, that il was.
III their power too confer Oil a man! Was
that the way TO chose to execute that base
design of sacrificing a general. What
next? Why, when that declaration of war
was passed to which the gentleman had re-
icrrcd, 4 resolution passed providing for the
creation Of an additional Major General in
the army; and it dcvolved Of course, upon
the President, under the constitution, TO Sc
lcct and nominate that Major General.2-t
Who was selected? Did the President Sc
lect the hi.i.cst in command? The high
est officer was General Gaircs, nextt0 Gen.
Scott, who was a Major General. Did the
President sclcc. Gen. Gaines? Not at all.
Tic passed over Gen. Gaines. Next he
would come to Gen. Wool. Did he select
General Wool? No. He passed over Gen.
Wool. Did he select Gen. Jessup, the next
highest in the army? No. lie passed over
him and several othcrs. fill he ant dnwn IN