The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-29
Movements Before the Election-Who ar
the Best Taylor Men,!

the Best Taylor Men!
Our amiable and modest contemporary, the Cou-
,,sr and Enquirer, issued yesterday morning a
most elaborate and magnificent puff on the gen.
tlemen of the recent Wall street committee, which
met sometimes at Lafayette Hall, sometimes at
the Union Club, and which came out In favor of
General Taylor in February last, and made prepa-
rations for the general mass meeting to bring him
out for the Presidency, which took place on the
twenty of that month.
The excuse put forth for pronouncing this elabo-
rate puff on that committee, and on its chairman,
Hugh Maxwell, grows out OF some lntlmatlons
which have been made in some obscure quarter,
tina. Mr. Maxwell. and some of his assistants, will
be applicants for Office soon as General Taylor
shall reach the Presidency Our contemporary
denies that Mr. Maxwell is an applicant for Office;
but the denial is confined to HIM, and does not
include several of the other sixteen gentlemen, or
their connections, who formed the committee;
many of whom were connected with the famous
pipe-laying gentlemen of lS40, who were clamorous
for office under General Harrison-who got office
from him but whose policy and influence broke
down his administration in few weeks after 1t
was formed. There may be some gentlemen on
that committee who do not want office. Possibly
Mr. Moses H. Grinnell does not ask for office
himself; but there is no doubt that he wishes some
particular friends appointed to particular Offices
Possibly Mr. Prescott Hall may dsclaim wishing
for Office: but we do not think that he would re-
fuse the post of District Attorney OF this district.
Possibly Mr.. Simeon Draper may dlsclalm wish
ing for Office; but he certainly would not refuse
the colectorship of this port. Possibly MI. Webb,
if he do not look TO something higher, would not
refuse what he wished for before-the post office.
We are willing. however, to make every allow
ance for the purity, the independence, the energy,
the perseverance, and all the other qualities, which
the committee might moderately claim in aiding
and assisting the movement which carried General
Taylor into the presidency yet the committee
cannot claim too much credit, must they at
tempt TO exercise sinister Influence in d-termiu-
ing the appointments, or shaping the policy of the
new administration, as was done In the case of
Gen. Harrison.
With respect to the elaborate claim put forth by
our contemporary for this committee-lhat General
TAYLOR has been elected principally through their
labors-we beg leave to deny 1t in the most pointed
manner AS early as the month of May, 1916,
there was standing committee organized, with
branches in almost every State In the Union-a
committee of energetic, talented men-who took
enhghten the public on his great merits and quail
fications, from that period up TO the result OF the
recent election This committee was composed
of nearly twenty-five editors, writers and reporters,
connected with a certain journal called the Nec
York herald. Expresses were run, bringing the
first intelligence Of the great battles fought by
General Taylor, and this intelligence was spread
through the country IN various ways, by the LABOR
and energy of that committee, aided. as we were'
by sub-agents to the number OF two or three nun
dred scattered the Union, and even In foreign
countries. In every possible shape, Gen. Iaylofs
rame and character were placed before the country
n a popular and'imposng attitude and the result
of such abors was gradually seen TO spring up In
uomin atoms by meetings, both OF wings and de-
mocrats. IN various parts OF the country, besides
receiving the appreciation OF nearly one hundred
journals, belonging to all parties, long before Mr.
Hugh Maxwell was heard OF In the matter. This
movement continued from the month OF May,
ls.i6 without intermission, up to the time when
our contemporary the Courier and Enquirer, states
Mr.. Maxwell. Mr. Grlnne and the other Wall
street gentlemen, made up their minds to come
out in favor OF the man who had been made popu
lar BY previous and other persons efforts.
But this is not ALL Our contemporary claims
for his committee prodlgious merits. Let them
have the merit Of supporting the cause of Gen.
TAYLOR for few moths previous to his election,
when they found the whole country going for hum
We hardly think they deserve any other merit or
credit than that OF seeing which way the tide was
oo,ng. II is well known that our contemporary
and al The influences by which he is surrounded,
were preparng, on the most extensive scale, to
h,,no ont Gen Scott and set aside Gen. Taylor,
for many months previous to last January ana
by that time the splendid campaigns OF Gen oco''
from Vera Cruz to Mexico, furnished them win
sufficient platform on which TO raise his standard
and but for the unfortunate predicament Of the
nasty plate Of soup," and the iAaiseiee' S0--a's