The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-08-16
A SKETCH or
THE LIFE I'D PTBLIC SERTICES
0F
General Zachary Taylor,

. uIIlcidl LdlCllHl 1dllUT,
]. The RttLIss faHiaa.s fer ne
PrxidrRy,
WITH CONSIDERATIONS IN Favor OF
MS ELECTION.
The position 81 ZarhaIy 'laylnr. ~ =
eandidale lar The Presidency. neressari.
~ creates in The minis 81 his r0nniry.
men desirr. moi less universal Than anx-
ious. 70 learn something Hy0nd Nhal is
already known 10 them ofhis early life and
past history. The more enduring mnnu-
mrnls OF hi fame-his extraordinary sur.
eesses in Mexico. are every where fami-
liar. and every whsre appreciated. Paln
Alto, Resaca. aud Buena Vista. are rs
household words. presenting 4 series Of
victories nnexampled in the career Of ma
tons. The least of which establish upper.
islIable renown rs a military chieiiain. In
considering these. The long seFvire. iran
will, aud indanIiIahle energy by which
the scientific knowledge VAS attained
which Shone so eonspieu0nsly ON those
= hard-loughi hattie fields. have been too
much overlooked. II is 10 supply to snIRe
extent this nmissinn. and tn hiring Oul
more prominently TO public view the
more beautiful elements Of his nature.
which hare 50 cndeareh him 10 the PEG.
pie. that has induced the writer to attempt
\ sketch Of his life and public services.
Much. however. Is he sdmires the man.
he will not. as is often the custom. sacri-
fire tnIthlulness To indulge in indiscrimi-
nate praise or high-wrOughl enlogy. The
name of Zachary Taylor needs no such
advenlilious aids; il stands in iulI relief on
the annals of his country, associated with
whatever is glorious in war. ar eommenda-
bile in peace. Ii is pure and uniarnished,
freed from the gilded arts and ambitious
schemes through which. unfortunately
fnr The age. most men advance To power
and greatness. He was designed for high
purposes. and those great occasions. which
il is said make great men. have only de-
veloped his resources. lie was no less
the hcTo-allhough The number Of his adj
mires was lewer--ai Fort Harrison than
at Palo Alto and Resaca; no less The hero
al the battle nf the Bad Axe, and the iierc-
or conflict of Okec cho-bee. than At Mon
terey and Buena Vista, when he appeared
in The fullness of his glory, and electrified
the world with the Pkieni nfiis capacity.
His prudence in council, decision in ac-
lion, and loriilude and frmness in dam
ger; and, abnye all, his humanity, his he.
nevolence, his strict integrity, aud single
ness of purpose, were thrn, as now, the
bright spots in his character. All who
knew him loved him, ami none approach.
ed him without being struck with his
goodness and virtues. He needs, there
fore, no eulogy. His character frames IFS
own eulogy: and the more it is tested Tie
brighter il will shine. To love him, il is
only necessary for his conn,rymen In
know him, not alone as a soldier. but as
man aud a citizen. II is to afford them
this knowlejge-knowledge which is :"
prove not less grateful Ia Them than proh,-
able to the Rrpuhlc-,ha, this brief mar
rative Of facts is presented. i
His Birth and ParenfGgr, Nth Incidents #
his Early Youth. j
Zachary Taylor was born in the coun-
~ of Orange, Virginia. in 1884; and is,
now sixty four years of age. HIS father,
Richard Taylor, was Colonel OF the
Revolution. and served conspicuously dur
ing that long and doubtful struggle, much
Of the time with General Washington,
who always held him in high esteem. His
most important service, although he was
in many of the bloody battles Of those
stirring times. was at Trenton, where he
signalIy aided The commander-in.chief in
the brilliant achievement which aecomplisll-
ed so much towards the establishment Of
American independence. In 1855. when
Zachary was less than year old, he en-
igrated 10 Kentucky, known then as the
" Dark and Bloody Ground" lie there
filled many prominen, positions is civil
life; was one of the trainers OF the present
State Constitution; for several years a
Representative in the Legislature, and a
member Of The Electoral Colleges that
voted for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, aud
Clay.
II was from such father that Zachary
Taylor received his early training, and his
youth was spent and character formed
amid the danger and toll Of frontier life.
His education, as the advantages now so
generally afforded the youth Of the coun'
try were not within his reach, was neces-
sarly limited-praclical, rather than finish
ed or classical. All the learning of schools
he acquired was under the pupiage OF
Mr.. Elisha Ayres, of Norwich, Connec-
ticut, private tutor in his fathers family.
He did no, fail, however, to improve his
natural abilities by diligent application.
His temperament was ardent, vet he was,
nevertheless, persevering. and his thought
full observation quickly taught him fully
to estimate his powers before tasking them.
and then to pursue to the end whatever he
undertook. lie thus 0vercame all diff
entities. and disciplined his mind for the
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