Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-05-03
From the Washington Union.
Tactics of TIE VI iss SIS.

We have no desire TO throw a single
stone at Gen. Tayl or. We would rather
do him honor. Nor shall we criticise, at
this time, tie course which he is pursu-
ing, the aspirations which he has permit
ted himself to indulge for the presidetial
chair, or the want Of qualifications which
he so frankly acknowledges 10 exist. He
has served in the camp for forty years; he
has never studied the great questions of
the day; and is pared to declare his
opinions, because he has formed none, on
the important measures which have divi.
ded political parties. He is, according to
his own confession, no politician. In fact,
he will accept the nomination of either or
both parties, without pledging himself to
carry out the principles Of either. How
far this distinguished soldier is right in
undertaking to navigate the vessel Of state
in stormy sea, without rudder or CON-
pass to direct her course, or knowing into
what port he is likely to conduct her, it is
not for US to say. But the wings, seeing
that he sometimes calls himse whie, and
that almost all his political friends are OF
that description, are still willing to trust
their fortunes in his hands, and to employ
his agency to put down the Gemocretic
party. 1t is their conduct, then. not his,
to which we beg leave to devote few
considerations.
The wing leaders are inpatient for the
acquisition fpower. They are SO anx-
ious to attain the end, that many of them
are reckless about the means for lis ac-
compli>hment. During the two last cam
paigns, they have attempted to cheat the
people by devices and humbugs. Instead
Of appealing to the understanding, they
have appealed to the senses. Instead Of
boldly atowing their principles, they have
avoided the issue by getting up an excite
ment of the passions. In 1910, they bold
ly asserted that the bank was obsolete, that
the tariff was adjusted by compromise,
and they resorted to every species of de
vice to humbug the country. They got Up
the notable system of leg cabins, coon skins
and hard cider. They succeeded in their
scheme, and the very first evidence they
gave Of their sincerity was to call an ex-
ira session, to revive the national bank,
and to substitute a protective tariff in place
ofthe compromise act. In 1874, they again
attempted TO humbug the people. They
employed the log-cibin and the "yalitr
kivver;' and by a proccse as insulting to
the people as it was disgraceful TO item
selves, they tried TO sing t,.eir candidate
into the presidential chair. They tried i,
in vain; although they were warned hy
one Of themselves to avoid all deception
to practice honnsly as the best policy, and
no more to ''spread their nets for the pur-
pose Of catching birds of every fea,l err"
Warned in vain by the results of two
last elections, many oIthese insidious poli-
ticians are about to adopt new and cum
ming mode of carrying their point. The
alternative is now presented to them, Ell
ther to nail their flag TO the mast, and take
the champion who will carry out their
principles: or to carry the election by in
directions and if they succeed, then to
carry out their principles by the candidate
whom they have elected. If they were
honest in there purposes, they would bold
ly select the champion who openly repre-
sents their views. They call Mr.. Clay
the very ''embodimeut' Of their principles
lie wouid hare obtained all the wing vote.
But this is not sufficient for their purpose.
They must have mere than their own.
vote. This is not enough to elect him.
Hence, they say, he is not areilatie, and
they must take up some other man, who
will catch some Of the democratic votes to.
elect him; and who, they believe, is whigI
enough to carry out their views. Hence
many of them go to Gen. Taylor. They
are aware OF the eciat which he has won;
and they are willing to unite this military
capital with their wing vote TO succeed in
electing him. 1t is indiscribably disgust
ing see the circumstances under which
they are willing to run Gen. Taylor. They
are willing to sacrifice their own '.embod-
iment' for one who declares himself ''no
politician" They abandon their own par
ty notion for one who calls himself enc
party man. They desert their most dis
tinguished civilian fer military leader,
whom they have been in the habit of de-
nouncing as ''worse than war, pestilencc,
or famine" Rut the contrast e}1r.s mn