Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-05-19
Old Rough and Ready and the
Political Spectators.

Ola kt0uS0 ana Hea0Y ana tne
Political Spectators.
A letter from the scene Of action gives
in substance, the following account Of The
emotion evinced BY Gen. Taylor, who i.
himself Kentuckian, on bee oming ap
|prehensive that the End Kentucky regi
ment was about to tarnish the honor of the
state which is so renowned for chivalry.
In advancing to engage division Of the
enemy, the movements Of that regimen,
became quite irregular, in consequence o.
the distractions which they encountered
in passing low and very uneven piece
Of ground. The eagle eye Of the old Here
was watching them from distance with
the most intense anxiety, and, being de-
ceived by the irregularity of their move
ments into the belief that they were about
to falter, addressing himself to his aid, he
exclaimed-"by Cd, Mr.. Crittenden,
this is no way for Kentucky troops to be-
have when required to make gooda battle!'
But they soon passed the distractions,
and the Generals feelings Of modification
were succeeded by those Of pride and adj
miration, as he saw the brave fellows as
cend the opposite slope, pressing forward
shoulder to shoulder with the tirmness and
regularity Of true vetersns and when he
saw them pour the deadly fire Of their
Kentucky rifles" into the ranks Of the en-
envy, moving them down by scores, his
eye slistened with emotion, and he gave
vent to his feelings by calculating -" that's
right, boys; d--n them give them HI!
Huzza for old Kentuck !"
An exchange paper, in noticing this in
cident, says that many people will be
shocked at the profanity Of these and SIM
liar CALCULATIONS in which our officers and
soldiers sometimes indulge; and observes
that they should consider the intense ex-
element of fierce and bloody contest,
under the influence of which men are apt
to use the name of the God of battles with
too much familiarity to tally with the ideas
of propriety entertained by pious people
in the peaceful walks of life.
We regard this as rather an equivocal
apology, and are not ready, in this instance,
to subscribe to the old adage-" poor
apology is better than none." For our
part, we cannot perceive the necessity Of
any apology for those ardent expressions
of the gallant chieitain to whom an admi-
ring nation is pouring out its heart in
praise and gratitude for bis glorious
achievements. Though we would much
prefer that old Rough and Ready would
" skip the hard words,'' yet we regard
these enthusiastic expressions which come
warm and fresh from an honest and palri-
otto heart as indicative Of the noblest trait
in the character of the military Hero.
But if it is an indirect aspersion Of Gen
Taylor's fair fame, to attempt an apology
for that language whose utterance was
prompted, in an hour which was big with
the fate of his country's cause, by the high
and noble impulses Of his soul, how much
more derogatory, and how humiliating to
him, must be the graiuitous denial of its
utterance, by those political harpies who
are attempting to steal his well earned
military fame, to make it serve them, in
the absense of any principles that can NEE,
the public appreciation, for political capt.
tai in the approaching state and national
campaigns!
The democratic press and the admins
tratlon have awarded to General Tayl Tor
the highest honors as military comman-
der, treating him as a true patriot who was
too high minded to harbor any sinister
motive in the discharge of his duty to his
country; while, it will be borne in mind,
nearly all those incidents relating to him
personally have been furnished by wing
letter writers and retailed with much pa
rade by the wing press; as who should
say to the people, Behold all the great
things which are done and the cunning
things which are said by our HMg (?)
commander in Mexico Is not he, verify,
the man for President of these United
States? viii we not, in 1913, with
hurrah for old Rough and Ready, the hero
of Palo Alto and Busna Vista, drive the
rabble democracy to the wall ?" In this
zeal without wisdom, they have awarded
very small portion Of the credit of our
brilliant victories to the thousands of brave
volunteers who have fought, bled and died
to achieve them.
But they have just discovered that in
rehearsiDg these incidents respecting their
intended political uictins, they have over
shot the mark; for the purilanical federal
party has always been careful to select
candidates who never make use of any pro-
fame language; and consequently they
have gone to work to falsiy their own re.
cord, by expunging the naughty words at
tributed to Gen. Taylor.
By way OF effsctng this, Mr.. Critten-
den Gen. T's aid and son of John I