The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-08-10
BY studied gravity, which ems to say
4 anu Sir Oracle;

iCte1 fatally OlefnlSnlng the perfection
which they pretend to. and preserve the
appearance of, by keeping at a distance
from their peers. Gen. Taylor is not Of
this class of great men. Any Cne may
| approach him as nearly as can he desired
and the more closely his character is ex-
lmlned the greater beauties it discloses.
|. He is an honest man. | do not
mean by that merely that he docs not
cheat or lie. mean that he is man
who never dissembIes and who scornes all
disguise. He neither acts part among
his friends for eject, nor assumes to be
what he is not. Whenever he speaks you
hear what he honestly believes, and,
whether right or wrong, you feel assurace
that he has expressed his real opinion
His dealings with men have been of
no t varied character, and never have
heard his honest name stained by the
breath of the slightest rePrOach.
He is n man Of rare good jndgrment.-
BY no meanspossessed of all that briIlian-
cy If genius which attracts by its flashes,
yet. like the meteor expires even while
you gaze upon it; by no means enjoying
that combination of talent which pene-
trates instantly the abstrusest :bject and
measures its length and breadth as if 10y
intuition, Gen. Taylor yet has that order
of intellect which more slowly but quite
as surely masters all that it engages and
examines all the combinations of which
the subject is susceptible. When he all
nounces his conclusion YOU feel confident
that he well understands the ground upon
which he plants himself, and you rest as
sured that the conclusion is the deduction
of skill ana sound sense faithfully applied
To The matt in hand. 1t is this order OF
mind when has enabled him, unlike
many other officers ofthe army, to attend
10 the wants OF his family by so using the
means at his disposal as 10 surround hlm-
self in his old age with handsome prl-
yate fortune and to be blessed with almost
ii perfect constitution | would to-day
prefer his advice in any matter OF private
lnterest-woud take his opinion as To
the value of al estate-wOuld rather iol-
low his suggestion in a scheme where
property or capital was to be embarked,
would pursue more confidently his coun-
sci where the management of an army
was involved or the true honor of my
country was at stake, than that of any
other man | have ever known. | regard
his judgement as frst-rate at everything
from horse trade up 10 trade IN hu-
man life upon the field of battle.
He is a firm man and possessed Of great
rRersu of charartcr. II were a waste of
time To dwell upon these traits of his char
acter, for his military career has all rded
such abundant examples of his exercise
of these qualities as To render them ia
mlliar to every citizen who has ever read
ar heard of the man. In the army they
are daily exhibited and stand conspIcu-
uusly displayed in every order which emil
mates from his pen.
4. He is bcHcyolfnt man. This quail
ity has been uniformly displayed III hi
treatment of the prisoners who have been
placed in his power by the vicIsslludes oil
war. No man who had seen him after
the battle of Buena Vista as he ordered
the wagons to brina in the Mexican
wounded from the battle field, and had
heard him as he at once cautioned his
own men that the wounded were In be
treated with mercy, could oubt that he
was alive to- all the kinder impulses oi our
nature. The indiscretions OF youth he
chides with paternal kindness yet with
the decision which forblds their repetition,
and the young men of his army feel that
II is pleasure to gather around him, be-
cause they know that they are as welcome
as though they visited the heart stone OF
their own home, aud they are always as
freely invited to partake of what he has
to offer as if they were under the ro0soi
a father. His conduct in sparing the de-
>eriers who were captured at Buena Vista
| exhibited at the same time IN remarka-
BILE manner his beuevOlence and his Judge
ment, Don't shoot Them said he !; the
worst punishment ! will inf1ict is To re-
TURN them TO the Mexican army When
| Napoleon said to one of his battalions In
scribe 1t on their flag No longer the ar
my of Italy, he used an expression which
was deemed so remarkable that history
preserved it for the admiration of future
| iges, yet il was not more furcIhle as an
| illustration of his power in touching the
springs of human action than is that oi
Gen. Taylor illustrative Of the manner III
which he would make an example for the
benefit of the army.
| 5. He is a man ofJusiress habits. ] never have
known Gen Taylor to give up day TO pleasure
! have never visited his quarters without seeing
evidence of the industry with which he toiied. II
his talented adjutant was surrounded by papers 50
/ - ,ho o,onersl And though he would salute a
visitor kindly and bid him with familiar grace TO
amuse himself until he was At leisure, he never
would interrupt the duties which his station called
him TO perform. When these were closed Tor the
,Iav. he seemed to enjoy TO remarkable degree
| he vivacitv of Young officers and to be glad TO
minele in their society. Aa conversationiSt !
| 10 not think Gen. TAYLOR possesses great power.
| He uses few words and expresses himself with
| energy and force but not fueniiy. His language
is select. l would say, however, from the knowl-
edge of the man, that he is entirely capable OF
producing anything in the shape of an order or
II