Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-03-09
Gen. TAYLOR and the Presidency.

Hon. Mr.. Ingersol, of Penn, written last August, but
recently brought to light, which is to be made the
ground of his claim to a nomination for the Presiden-
cy at the hands of the Wings. We ask every intelli-
gent man to give it a thorough perusal, and Judge for
himself ifany additional evidence is here furnished of
his qualifications for the high office to which he as
pires.
HEADQUARTERS, ARM OF OCCUPATION.
Camp near Monterey, MenicO, Aug. 3, ls47.
DEAR SIR: | have the pleasure to ackn owl
edge the receipt of your esteemed letter of the
7th ult., which has Just reached me, in which you
say, 81 had the honor of being called on, last
evening, to address a mass meeting of the Wings
of the city and county of Philadelphia. At that
meeting your name was frequently mentioned in
connection with the office of Chief Magistrate of
the United States. | stated to that meeting, as
l had stated in my place in the House of Repre-
s%entatives at Washington, that you were a Wing
not, indeed, an ultra partisan Whig-but a
Wing in principle"-and all of which is entirely
correct.
After the discussion which occurred in both
Houses of Congress, at the last session, growing
out of the capitulation of Monterey, in which
discussion you thought proper TO defend my con-
duct in regard to my transactions, when assailed
somewhat, if mot entirely, upon party grounds, in
the House; of which you were a member, and for
which you have my sincere thanks-which was
done in such a way by those who oisapproved that
measure@ can hardly imagine how any one who
was present, and heard the speeches on that &C.
c%asion, or read them after they were published,
could well mistake the complexion Of my politics.
At the last Presidential canvass, without inter-
tering in any way with the same, it was we'll
known to all with whom | mixed (Whigs and
:, Democrats for had no concealment in the
/ matter, that | was decidedly in favor of Mr..
3 Claws election to the Presidency-and | would
e now prefer seeing him in that Office to any indi-
viduaI in the Union certainly much more so, at
4 any time, than myself Independent Of his
great talents and long experience in Government
affairs, | consider his views were those of the
Wings for the most part, more nearly assimiIa-
a ted, as regards political matters, to those Of Mr..
S Jefferson, than their opponents, in whose politi-
cal creed | was reared, and whose opinions in
matters of state | have never lost sight of, as we'll
s as endeavorcd to conform to them as near as nv
circumstances would permit. My commission
). as a lieutenant in the army was conferred by him
:, a short time before he retired from public life.
J., Although no one can appreciate more highly
than | do the too favorable opinions | fear YOU
' have formed as regards my fitness for the first
T. civil office in our country, which | consider,
II should | reach it, is rather too much of an ex-
IN pertinent, ! am duly grateful for your aid in
bringing me so prominently before the nation
y for the office in question vet ] cannot permit
y the present opportunity to pass by without re-
1t pe0ting to you, what | have slid to others in
connection with the subject, that | am no politi-
clan. Near forty years of my life have been
= passed in the military service of the Republic
nearly the whole of which in the field, or camp.
! on our Western frontier, and in the Indian coun-
" try may well say constantly on duty-the two
last IN Mexico, or the intermediate border, dur
ing which time I have not passed one night I'M
Or der the roof of a house. You may, therefore,
De very readily suppose, under such circumstances,
e. have had but little time to devote to the con-
to sideration or Investigation Of great questions or
nr subjects, or to their discussion nor have ] at
tempted to DO so, or to be mixed up with poIiti-
, cal men or measures in any way, not even having
voted for any one Of cur Chief Magistrates since
Joined the army-having for the most been SER
ne wing or stationed beyond the limits of the
ST. States.
IS Tmust say | have no wish for the Presidency,
P and cannot consent to he exclusively the candi-
to date Of a party; and if | am one at all, or to be
in made so at the coming election, it must be borne
in mind hat I have been, or will be made so by
Others, without any agency of minein the matter,
independent Of my wishes. ! greatly doubt my
want of the necessary qualifications to discharge
the duties properly Of any office which was filled
and adorned by a Washington, a jefferson, as
well as several others Of the purest, wisest, and
ant most accomplished statesmen and patriots of this
=, or any other country.
| almost tremble at the thought of the under
l-' taking; yet, if the good people think proper to
~ loIavDta mr. 1f tho nrppar fiunO 80 tIo I;uIo. r.
7r flee IN their gift, | must feel bound to serve them
Is if not from inclination, from a principle of duty
Ire and must do so honestly and faithfully to the best
yer of my ability, in accordance with the principles
of the Constitution, as near as | can do so. as it
was constructed and acted on by our first Presi-
no dents, two of whom acted so conspicuous a part
sy in aiding and completing that instrument, as we'll
as IN putting 1t in operation. But very many
M. important changes may take place, at home and
abroad, between now and the time of holding the
election for our next Chief Magistrate; so much
so as to make it desirable for the general good.
that some one with more experience in state aE
fairs should be selected as candidate than myself
and could be elected, | will not say | would Weld
my professionalism | have not the vanity to be-
lieve | have any-for that distinguished states
man, but would acquiesce; not only with pleas
ure in the arrangement, but would rejoice that
the Republic had one citizen more worthy and
better qualified than l am, to discharge the im-
portant duties appertaining to that position, and
no doubt there are thousands.
Be this as it may, if ever | occupy the White
House, it must be by the spontaneous movement
of the ~People-without any action of mine in re-
lation to it-without pledges, other than | have
previously stated, a strict adherence to the pro-
visions Of the Constitution so that | could enter
on the arduous and responsible duties appertain-
ing to said office untrammeIled-so that | could
be the President of the country, and not of a
party.
With considerations Of great respect and es-
TEEN, | am your obt, servant, z. TAYLOR.
Hon. Joseph r.. ARersOM.
STATISTICS OF LOWELL. There are now in
this Aourishing New England city, twelve man
ufacturing corporations, having an aggregate
canital stock Of $40 no 900 and enonlovinn 10