Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-05-08
rTE, MISSOURI, SATURDAY, MAY s, IsA7.

tons of Gen. Taylor, the praise bestowed
upon him in the message would have been
as indecently excessive as it was, in fact,
indecently frugal. His name would have
appeared, be assured, conspicuousy enough.
if his name had been one or which laures
could be hung. not for his own honor, but
for the honor of his superiors. We rejoice
we rejoice greatly, that ZACHARY TAY.
LOR's name was not such name.
Here. then. was one open mark of dis.
respect TO Gen. Taylor, viz: the omission
eUen to mention him in the annual message,
when recountng the victories achieved by
his galantry and good conduct. and won,
all of them, under his command.
But this studied and offensive Might was
soon followed by boder demonstrations
Be it remembered that General Taylor had
pushed forward his forces into Mexico, by
order of the President; had every where
acted with prudence and sagaciiy as well
as bravery; had fought three several battles
against odds, and been successful in all; and
now stood high in the confidence of the
Army, and waiting only for orders and re-
Inducements TO advance further. At this
juncture the President sent to Congress his
famous message Of January 4. lS41, recon-
mendlng provision to be made for the APP
pointment of Lieutenant General. The
object Of this recommendation was not con-
cealed. 1t was 10 superSede General lay
lor, as well as every other officer in the
Army, by appointing an officer Of higher
grade; and the person Intended to fill this
higher Office, as all know. was a member
of the Senate, of Mr.. Folks own party,
and whose support of Mr. Folks measure,
in party estimate of its Importance, was
absolutely essential. General Taylor was
thus to be checked, in mid career; and
henceforth he was to be under the direction
of an officer of higher grade, just transfer
red from civil life; as was also his superior,
Gen. Scott, when he should take the field.
Gan efficient organization Of the Army" says
the message composed Of regulars and volun
teers, whilst prosecuting the war in Mexico, it is
believed, would require the appointment. OF
general officer, to take command Of all our mill
tary forces in the field" 81 recon-.
mend that provision be made by law for the ap.
pointment Of such general officer, to serve dur.
ing the war.
Translated out Of official language, and
expressed in plain terms, descriptive of
well-known purposes and wishes, the fore
going recommendations stand exactly thus:
II do not think | can venture to recall Gen.
Taylor; but he is acquiring very danger
GUS degree of distinction. think it quite
best to supersede him, by making Mr.. Ben
ton Lieutenant General, and thus placing
him where he will naturally keep Zachary
Taylor in the back ground"
Now, all this was as well understood and
comprehended by the Presidents friends
and followers, in Congress, as any other
political party purpose whatever. The
whole party with few honorable excep-
tions) put their noses to the ground, snufied
the scent, and opened with as loud a cry as
If the game was already near enough to be
seized. Thus, one of the party orators in
the House of Representatives, Mr.. Ficklin,
of Illinois, on the 9th of January, denoun-
ced Gen. Taylor for not following up the
battles of the Rio Bravo by cutting the
Mexicans off; and when answered that he
had no bridges, the honorable member ex-
claimed, the General ought to have follow
ed them into the river" He further said,
and this is the gist of the whole matter, she
might add, with the army in command Of a
Wing General and with the opposition of
Wing members on this floor, there was no
doubt the war would be crippled" This
is fine. Gen. Taylor had showed, accor.
ding TO this intelligent reader Of the occur
rences of the campaign, from Resaca de la
Palma to Monterey, that he was man I'M
der whose lead the war would be crippled
But Mr. Ficklin is good as another TO let
out Executive secrets, and to express known
Executive purposes; and from his declara.
lions in Congress, we learn two things
first, that Gen. Taylor WAS known to be a
Wing; and, secondly, that i, was deemed
highly important 10 place the chief command
of the army in the hands of one who was
not Wing.
On the same day. the same game started
by Mr.. Ficklin. was followed by Mr.,
Thompson, of Mississippi, another friend
of the President, not undistingushed in the
House. We give few extracts from his
speech:
:" Mr.. Thompson said he deeply regretted that,
during the time we had been engaged in the con,
test, more had not been done. He confessed his
own severe disappointment, He had expected
that before this time we should have seen the
power OF Mexico effectualy crippled"
"In the course Of last summer II 900
volunteers had been sent to the Rio Grande, and
the whole of them but 5000 had been kept on
the banks Of that pestilential streem. What
did this evince? The want Of great combining,
governing mind there. Whist we wanted was a
man at the head of our armies who was capable
OF planning and conducting campaign. We
! did not want in that station mere fighting SOL
der. He admitted that General Taylor was as
valiant a fighting general as ever set foot in a