The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-08-05
Gen. TayIor's Position.


American people; but SO far. he has maintained a
studied avoidance of any declaration Of sentiment
that would in any way bind his future action,
should he be 50 fortunate as to be elected Presi-
dent Of the United States. s
Now we ask, are the people Of this country
prepared to Cast their votes for man without po-
litcal opinions who will not be the exponent Of
the views of any political party' Are they pre-
pared for such juggling and trickery' A candi.
date without opinions, or without any known or
declared views upon the great questions which
have heretofore divided the two great parties Of
this country, is certainly new feature in our po.
tica history. All parties have heretofore acted
upon the belief that the people had right to know
the opinions of any candidate for their sufrages.
But this order Of things IS now changed, and the
people are asked to 60 for Gen. Taylor upon trust,
without any pledges or declaration Of sentiment
whatever. l''. t.iti
''In this view Of the case," says the Vicksburg
Sentinel "the coming contest for the Presidency is
really another moral War Of Independence for the
American people. They are to decide whether
they will retain the right of governing themselves
and selecting for themselves the policy to be OBJ
served by their political servants. or whether they
will appoint one man to Judge and select for them,
and elect him to the highest Office in the country
in utter ignorance Of his intentions, and with the
kingly declaration on his lips that they have no
right to Information on the subject, and must take
him with no pledges, in ablind trust alone TO a
sort Of Divine Right, that whatever the Lords
annonted may demand must be just and proper,
nolens voens. With this question thus presented
before them, how can selfgoverning freemen,
glarying in the pride Of their individual sovsr-
eighty bequeathed them by heroic ancestors, hes
itate! Are they ready this early ior an elective
king? this early to tamey abandon the most sacred
Of their rights'" 3ift
But it is sometimes claimed that Gen. Taylor
has declared his political opinions in the Allison
letter. Is this true! In that letter he says he
would not veto the action OF Congress in refer.
ence to the tariff, the currency and internal i'm
provements; and that the Executive should not
exercise the veto power "except in cases of clear
violation Of the constitution or manifest haste and
want Of consideration by Congress" This is his
language. Now does that contain any declaration
of sentiment! How many cases might arise which
he would consider "cIear violations of the con-
sttution," or had been passed in "manifest haste
and want of consideration by Congress" For
instance almost the entire south believes that the
passage of the Wilmot proyiso would be "clear
violation Of the constitution" We have no rea-
son 10 believe that Gen. Taylor differs from the
rest of the soutL on this question: question
which some of the whig papers Of the north la.
Dor to show is Of their cardinal doctrines; and
yet they have no assurance that Gen. Taylor would
not deem it a "clear violation of the constitution"
and consequently veto it. 4. g..
Most of the whig presses in the north claim
that Gen. Taylor's "Signal' letter endorses the
doctrine of the Wilmot proviso. Now let us see
what truth there is in such statement. The
Tuscaloosa (Alabama) Monitor Gays: A'.''-
SAT any rate, we have in our pos.
session an original private letter, in
manuscript, written by General Taylor
seven months and half ago, in reply
to specific question on this very point,
in which he states that IT WAS NOT HIS
INTENTION TO INTIMATE HIS CONCUR.
RENEE WITH, NOR OPPOSITION TO, ANY OF
THE VIEWS OF THE EDITOR OF THE Sic
NAL; that the "Signal letter. was not
written for publication; and that, un.
der the impression that ii would not 90
beyond the person addressed, 1t was
written without that critical attention
to the terms employed which poliii-
clans appear SO much 10 require. Hs
replied, he says, 10 the editor only as a
mailer Of courtesy; and, as is alyaysl
his custom, he signifed his respect for
opinions honestly entertained, and his
approbation Of The course Of a man
loho maafully defends what he sincere
ly beleves. a4a ss 81 8iaa ssgs
.This letter, which now lies before |
is, we are not at liberty to publish in |
-uIl; but when we see efforts making 4
o produce the most Injurious impress
,lons 10 regard TO its distinguished au-J
lhor,. we should be recreant both to
ruth and TO duty five did not, on our
own responsibility, make use Of The |
means in our possession-at least SO
far as, may be necessary to correct the
Misrepresentation" Is. .s,sl,. 8ss. /
In February last, a Mr.. Mcconkey Of Cincin-
,ati, addressed letter to Gen. Taylor, PROFOUND.
ng three intenogatories, the last Of which was as
iollows:
Should you become President oflhe
United States, would You veto an act
Of Congress which should prohibit sla-
very or involuntary seryitude forever
except for crime, in all the territories
Of the United States where it does not
now existi 7ia Y ''i1's'g i'gissn s2s
Inoii - d'la aoliEB Ell elgl hlaaW u