Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-02-12
The Attack on General Taylor.

men ofpoltry partisanship that ever disgraccd the
country. 1t has not evinccd any feeling, since
its ill.omencd accession to power and authority,
that approximates to any thing bcarnga rescm-
blance to magnanimity or enlarged National
desire and propensity. 1t is poor, housing,
scheming selfish. plotting and merccnary affair,
that was brought into being for the ignoblc pur
pose of annexing Texas to the Union and build
ing up the crumbing foundations of Slavery.
and of putting into practice what Senator NILES
called The cold heartlcss, miserable theory of
Free Trade The party who thrust it upon the
Country selected for its head one of the most in
considerable mon in their ranks--a man whose
previous history was almost wholly unknown.
who was IN no one respect identified with any |
great measure for the advancement or prospect |
e. of the Union and who neither possessed nor
was likely TO acquire. the confidence or respect |
OF the people. He was absolutely unknown by |
name to nineteen twcnti, tbs of the party who !
were drilled into his support. We have no man
ncr of doubt that the anecdoc that is told of him
Is essentially true, and that when first informed
of his nomination to the Presidency he regarded
It as hoar But since his election, he has
been true to the party purposes for which he was
selected The game has been played according
to the programme. lie has ncveriorgottcn him
self so far a. TO conceive himscIto be the Presi-
dent of the People for a single instant. Indeed
kis talents and his instincts not of an order to
elevate him above the character Of Il mere par
tsan. He was selected TO be the tool of the
e1, Of thn
party. and in carrying out their plans and views
for the political subugation of the North. he has
had neither ability nor discretion enough to avoid
giving mortal offence to the Northern and West
ern sections. True only to Slavery and the
South, he has disaiccted his Western supporters
by pusillanimousy devouring his own swelling
words of Wanting and bravado respecting our
title to Oregon, and drawn upon himself the BIT
ter denunciatons of his northern allies by his
indernsible and frivolous exercise Of the veto
power For all this we have no regrets to cX
press except those which arise from the mortili-
cation that all good men naturally feel that our
Country should be thus msgovcrned, and her
character and reputation abused. That the
President is without a sufficient party to carry
forward his measures, and that the Party is
without President whom they can rcspect,qnd
whose leading they can follow, are results that
under the circumstances. calculated to ex-
cite neither surprise nor regret
But perhaps the very smallest and most con-
tcnptblc of all the schemes Of this partisan .id-
minstraton is that which is daily developing it.
self in an attempt to bring dishonor on the name
and fame of General TAYLOR. General TAYLOR
is a Whig--a fact that, while we admit it nei,h-
er adds to- nor detracts from his merit as brave
and capable Officer in the service of his Country
is yet deemed a-sufiicient to win for him the
hostility of Mr.. Polk and the small lights by
which he is made visible.
Our readers will remember that, in the whole
length and breadth of the intcrmnablc Message
of Mr.. Polk at the opening of the present Scs
sion of Congress, Gen. TAYLOR is not mention
ed with praise. That this omission was an in
territorial and studied insult to the brave old vet
eran who insuliciently provided with means
and without adequate support from his Govern
ment, was with unexampled gallantry sustaining
the renown of the American Arms in an enemy.
country. we have not moments doubt. II wa:
so regarded throughout the Union. Such al
omission, at such time, could bear no other in
terpreaton. 1t evinccd most unworthy anC
narrowmnded Jealousy Of the growing populari
ty of a distinguished citizen who had reri lc,
bis life and his reputation in carrying on wa
that the President had unnecessarily, and for un
holy ends, commenced Bat this stratagcm onl
recoiled upon the head Of its author. Genera
TAYLOR lost nothing from being unnotccd b.
james X. Polk! The Sun, it is presumed
would not be greatly terrified if the Moon shou
refuse to shine upon him. "Old Rough an
Ready is alive and ready to fight, and Mr.. Poll
must try again.
The next move Of thcwarlikc Arorncy-a'-'a'
from Tennessee. who occupies tie post one
held BY WAsHINGToy, was to recommend tn
passage Of a law authorizing the -appointmcl
of a LIEUTENANT GENERAL. This, he hattcrc
himself, would be ciect-mq,er! Ifhe could'I
throw Gee. TAYLOR into the shade by refusin
TO shine upon him. he could Supercels him in I'll
command of the Army. What he couldn't d
by shook" he might do by crook" The idc
ola Lieutenant General was not n new one
General WASHINGTON had been offered the san
post. and HENRY CLAY also had hcen socit
BY MApIsoN to accept it during the last war
THEREFORE. it was most likely that the Repr
sentatiyes of the American People would conf
upon him, James X. Polk, the power to conf
the same exalted Office upon IlomGs Hirt H.
ton, particularly as he would thus be enabled
"fecd fat the ancient grudge' he bore for p
tilent Wing general who was leading captive
hearts of the great constituency who make Pro
dents Most ''lame and impoten, conclusion
The Peoples representatives gave bis Lieut.
ant General an ignomnious reception. lie :
thrust out Of both Houses with flea" in ei
hand for Mr. pok's two 'ears" The opin
appeared to be very prevalent that General J.
IoR and General ScnTT (both Wings, and 81
Mr hchrynr!') are quite competent TO do "
fighting night yet he necessary to purchase 1t
peace" with the iorlorn, and distracted, and y
worn Republic Of Mexico. And SO another
vice of Mr.. Polk fell through.
Whist next? The pop-guns of Polkoer
IN Congress, the Farans, and the Th'mpS
and the Ficklins, birds Of party prey, had
discharged at General TAYLOR to very little