Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-05-24
A Letter from General Taylor.
Baron RouGE, April %, l848.

De" ~. WY opluloIlS nave recently
been SO often 1nisconceived and misrepre-
scented, that / deem it due to myself, if not
to my friends, to make brief exposition
of them upon the topics to which you have
called my attention.
have consented to the nee of my .,as,,e
las candidate for the presidency. have
frankly avowed my own distrust Of fitness
for that high station; but, having, at the
solicitation of many of my countrymen,
taken my position as candidate, l do not
| feel at liberty to surrender that position,
until my friends manifest wish that /
should retire from it. / will then most
GLADLY do SO. l have no private purposes
to accomplishing party projects to build
up-no enemies to punish-nothing to
serve, but my country.
have been very often addressed by let
ter, and my opinions have been asked up
on almost every question that might occur
to the writers, as affecting the interest of
their country or their party. have not
always responded to their inquiries, for
various reasons.
| confess, whilst have great cardinal
principles, which will regulate my politi-
cal life, l am not sufficiently familiar with
all the minute details Of political legisIa-
ton, to give solemn pledges to exert my
influence, if | were President, to carry out
this or defeat that measure. / have no
concealment-I have no opinion which l
would not readily proclaim to my assem-
bled countrymen; but crude impressions
upon matters of policy, which may be right
to day and wrong to morrow, are perhaps
not the best test of fitness for office. One
who cannot be trusted without pledges,
cannot be confided in, merely on account
of them.
II will proceed, however, now, 10 res
pond to your inquiries.
First reiterate what I have often
said-I am Wing, but not an ultra Wing.
If elected, l would not be the mere Pres
ident of party. l would endeavor to act
independent Of party domination. l should
feel bound to administer the Government,
untrammelled by party schemes.
Second-The veto power. The power
given by the constitution to the Executive
to interpose his veto is conservative
power, but, in my opinion, should never
be exercised, except in cases of clear vio-
lation of the constitution, or manifest haste
and want of consideration by Congress-
Indeed, l have thought that for many years
past, the known opinions and wishes of
the Executive have exercised undue and
injurious influence upon the Legislative
department Of the government, and from
this cause | have thought our system was
in danger of undergoing "a great change
from its true theory. The personal opin-
ions Of the individual acho may happen to
occupy the Erecutire chair ought not to con-
troll the action Of Congress upon questions
Of domestic policy, nor ought his okjec-
tions TO be interposed, when questions of
constitutional po,rer hare been settled by the
various departments Of gorernment, and
acqatiesced in by the people.
1hrd-Upon the subject of the tariff,
the currency, the improvement of our great
highways, rivers, lakes and harbors, the
will of the people, as expressed through
their representatives in Congress, ought
to be respected and carried out by the Ex-
ecutive. .
+ Fonrth-The Mexican war. Isincere-
ly rejoice at the prospect of peace. My
life has been devoted to arms, yet look
upon war at all times, and under all cir
cumstances, as a national calamity to be
avoided if compatible with national honor.
The principles Of our government, as well
as its true policy, are opposed to the sub
iugation of other nations and the dismem-
berment of other countries by conquest. -
In the language of the great Washington,
"why should we quit our own, to stand
on foreign ground?"
n In the Mexican war, our national honor
has been vindicated, amply vindicated, and
in debating terms Of peace, we may well
afford to be forbearing, and even magnani-
nous to our fallen foe.
These are my opinions upon the sub
jects referred to by you, and any reports
or publications, written or verbal, from
any source, differing in any essential par
tieulars from what is here written, are
unauthorized and untrue.
do not know that shall again write
upon the subject of the national politics.
| shall engage in no schemes, no combin-
ton, no intrigues. If the American peo-
| pie have not confidence in me, they ought
not to give me their suffrages. If they
do not, you know me we'll enough to be-
lieve me, when declare that shall be
content. l am too old a soldier to MUIR
muir against such high authority.
4. TAYLOR.
STEAMBOAT ORDLRs.-l'he following
orders were given by the captain of a
Western steamboat, when she was about
to engage in race with another boat:
"Rosin up thar, and tell the engineer to
shut down the safety valve! Give her
goss! Gentlemen who haven't stepped
up to the office and settled, will please re-
tire to the ladies, cabin till we pass that