The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-12-05

MIDDLEBURY.VT,
Tuesday, December 5, 1913.
GEN. TAYLORS CABINET.

On the election of q new President, tongues
. and pens without number are always set IN mo-
ton with the very important discussion Who
are to be selected rs members of the new
Cabinet? Had the people vote in this mat
ter-or properly, in any sense, roice in 1t,
evcn,-these speculations, however premature
they might seem, would not be altogether in
appropriate. Nor do we wholly condemn an
expression, in the various quarters Of the Un-
ion, of individual and popular preferences
for those responsible stations, on the suitably
filling Of which, the success of an administra-
ton so much depends Yet, for us to at
tempt to give any assurances, In the present
instance, that this or that man will be called
to a particular department under the admins
tration of Gen. Taylor, or to make out full
catalogue of the probable members of his Cab
met, would be quite a useless undertaking.
Still more, TO make out such list Of appoint
ments, from our own imagination, and then to
proceed to comment ON the propriety of those
appointments, as some papers among our op-
poncnts have done, would seem TO be no less
an act of injustice than of absolute folly.
We deem it not improper, however, TO state
our conviction that Gen. Taylor will select,
as members of his Cabinet, well-known, capa-
bic, and experienced Wings; men who have
never been characterized by ultra, disorgan-
zing, or sectional views; men who will not
be ambitious TO gain distinction for the new
administration by novel or radical schemes,
who will seek to maintain peaceful relations
with all nations, and whose predominant aim
will be the prosperity of the whole country as
now constituted, and the success of all its real
interests; and men who will have some par
ticular fitness, both in theory and practice, for
the positions to which they are severally called.
! Whether all this might in truth DE said of the
Cabinet Mr.. Polk origin ally called about
him, we leave for others to decide-yet we
venture to predict, from the character of Gen.
Taylor and his knowledge of men, that the
next Cabinet will be made up of very differ
ent order of statesmen from those who have
occupied that position during good part of
the last eight years.
The citizens of Vermont have, of course, an
interest in this matter-and, could important
services in the late campaign, and steady de-
votion TO Wing principles, alUays, give US any
claim to have our preferences consulted on
this subject, we should, perhaps, be entitled to
declare our wishes as decidedly, and to urge
thom as strongly, as any State in the Union.
But, under the coming administration, we trust
that very few partizans Will be rewarded, SIM
ply as partizans-and that whoever expects to
receive or control any Executive appointments
on the score of partizan services duly per-
formed, will be very liable to disappointment.
1t may interest our readers to see some Of
the many speculations on this question, in diff
ferent quarters, and to know what names have
been most prominently suggested in this con-
nection. Among those most talked of for the
Department Of State, are Gov. CRITTENDEN,
Of Kentucky, and DANIEL WEBSTER. 1t is
not hazarding much, to say that one or the
other of these distinguished gentlemen will un-
doubtedy be Taylor's Secretary of State.
For the Treasury Department, ANDREW
STEWART, of Pennsylvania, GEORGE EVANS,
of Maine, and ABBOTT LAWRENCE of Massa-
chusetts, are mentioned. Of these, it seems
to us that Mr.. Stewart stands the best chance
of being appointed The War Department
is Pretty generally assigned, by newspaper
) writers, to JOHN BELL, of Tennessee, and the
: Navy Department to THos BUTLER KING,
of Georgia For Postmaster General, several
names have been suggestcd-among others.
FRANCIS GRANGER, of n. Y, and TRUMAN
SMITH, of Connccticut,-neithero of whom, We
think, will have place in the Cabinet. Mr.
Granger has expressly stated Cat public din
ner in New York, recen1y) that he would
r not accept the appointment, if offered him
and Mr.. Smith, having just beer elected to
the Senaie,wil undoubtedly prefer to retain his
seat in that body, during the term for which
he is chosen. 1t is very probable that some
one from the West will be selected for that
station-possibly EDWARD BATES, of Missou-
t ri. Among the persons talked of for the At
torney- Generalship, are REvERDY JOHNSON,
2 of Maryland, and RUFUS CHoArE, of Massa-
D chusetts. Should the other departments be
filled as now seems probable, this appointment
will naturally tall upon some New England
man-and, of course, a jurist of some emf
nence will be selected. MIR. Choates reputa-
ton, if we mistake not, is due more to his tai
en:s as an advocate, than to any particular
distinction in those qualities especially suited
: to TIE bench. On the other hand, it is wei
e known that one of the Senators from this State
!, enjoys The reputation, in all quarters, of being
It one of the first jurists of New England, if no
u the first in that particular department: ant
: VIC have some reason to believe that attention
will eventually be directed TO him, as a suita
- BILE person to ill this station in the Cabinet
\ These are speculations, however, which