Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-07-14
RICHMOND, VA
wednesday Morning, July IL, ls4s.
"OLp TACK" AND TIE "DIsGRUNTLE-
MENTn OF TIE WIG.

We do no, intend 10 contradict any Thing the
Wing says about Gen. Taylor's APPROXIMATION
with regard to historical events in general, arc
those OF his own country in particular" ou' We
purpose making some remarks upon Inc e4lIac
of Gen. Taylors letter 10 Mr.. Delony, which WI
present in conuexion with our quotation from Int
Wing.
Wemay sometimes &c required to $50 ahead,
wi,hou, being sure that we are right, and yet
when j, is in our power TO find out that we art
right, we should always act out poor Crock
etts maxim, be sure ihatyo are right, and thef
go ahead" We think il is the nature OF man, eilhe
as citizen or soldier, TO exert himself more 10
cause he believes 10 be just, Than in one ever
where any doubts exist as 10 The "justice" OF INC
thing; and the idea advanced by Gen. Taylor IN
regard TO the war would imply DOUBT 'na' y
was to him matter OF but little importance
ther we were right or wrong. Our oP'n.on -,
that Gen. Taylor should have INFORMED nuns. -.
of the facts, and if his judgment approved INC
"ips,icep OF The war on our part, he would nave
,hrown Tho whole moral force OF his character
into the scale OF his country, by procia''n'ns "
the Mexicans that it was bnl justice thal we
asked al their hands. The old Generals Know
ledge Of "hisoiical events should have taught
him tina. he is doubly armed whose cause IS luS'.
We are not inclined 10 think that General lay
lor supposed that The war could have been brought
10 an mhonorable termination by the most Wig
rous and energetic operations, unless ne 'noush'
that "jus,ice" was on our side. The Wing par
". in The Winter OF 1867, after having voted
that the war existed by The act OF Mexico Inc
May previous, began 10 find out, ashley thousn''
that the war was unpopular; and as all lhei1 PEI
measures were in too shattered condiiion 10
f,cs The great and successful measures OF The De-
mocracy. they felt The necessity OF having some
thing 10 hang hope upon-and, true 10 Inc IN
s,ict of their origin as party, they broke out IN
full cry agains, Mr.. Polk, for bringing on lhs
very war they themselves had, but eight monthS
before, under oath said was brough; on by Mexi-
CO. Abou, this time, General Taylor began 10
be promising candidate OF The Wings iof 'ne
Presidency, and ii would by no means have SUIT
ed that party for him 10 have said "our country IS
r;oht in the war with Mexico" although ne
speaks OF an onorable termination By The most u
eorou, and energetic operations Our honor
would have been dishonor with all the GROWING
victories our arms have won. il they were Inc re-
sult of Injustice on our part towards Mexico.
One could not have supposed that any person
whose "ercellent information, wi,h regard 10
historical ereats in general, and those Of ms
o,on country in particular" could have been at
any loss to express his opinion respecting "a
National Bank and High Protective Tariff,
as those two measures enter largely into the
history of sour country in particular" point
of view; and vet Notwithstanding what has been
said Of Gen. Taylors "information,' ne says IN
relation TO those questions am mol prepared
to ansver hem-I could only do SO after duly
investigating those subjects, which cannot now
do" Now we undertake to say, that General
Taylor is the only person, above twenty hve
wears Of age who has "mixed' as much with
the world in the last four years, as General lay
lor has in any four years in the last forty, VINO
could be found so i'll informed upon those two
great and absorbing questions, as to be at
loss to express his opinion in regard 10 lhem'
from the want of historical Information respect
ing those subjects" We think it was the phi
losopher, Fernandez, who said sknow thyselt;'
and the remark Of General Taylor in the ex-
tract we make from his Delony letter, that "!As
regards being candidate for the Presidency, a,
The coming election have no aspirations IN
that way." contrastcd with his Galahcr letter,
in which he says he will not withdraw his name
if MIR. Clay or any body else is nominated by
the Philadelphia Convention, would so far 10
show that the old hero did not "know himseli;'
or. if not so, il shows the rapid strides which
vauting ambition can take when that passion
gets fully aroused.
Th- Whig press had better take care, or they
will lind themselves condemning some oil their
own "tlunGer,h when they take the Democratic
press 10 TASK tor exposing Gen. Taylor's want oil
civil experience for the high duties which devolVe
upon Inc President OF the United States. The
country al ,hi. time requires man oil enlarged
civil experience and the highest order OF safes
mauIike abilities, as well as the highest order Of
both private and political honesty, aud just such
a man inc SItdt IGLuOSioSs ~ 49, SoAohJ ~
sen, in Gen. Lewis Cass OF Michigan; and for
The second office hey present one equally deserv'
ing The supper OF his tellow-ci'izens in General
VIM. o. Buter oil Keniucky-whe, on The 9TH
er hand, the wings present candidate lor The
Presidcuci wbo has never held civil station, and
who. in he extract OF the Letter We give below,
contssses his want of Information in regard u
two ofthe mos prominent measures, which have
been SO fully and SO frequently discussed in The
counlry; and for the second highest office they
present The name of Willard Fillmore, gentle
man of talents and political experience, hu' on
wha is SO Justly obnoxious 10 the South, on &C
conn, Of the ultra opinions he holds against Inc
vial interest Of The whole Sou'h, that, factious
as the Wing party is known now 10 be, yet many
Independent Wing presses in the South refuse 70
presen, his name 10 their readers.
Between two such tickets, ought even mode
-ate Wings. who are satisfied with the successful
operations of the great measures Of the Demo-
cratic party, to hesitate' We think not, and u
they will carry their minds back TO the line
when "old Free Seas, then in Franc :, brought
his powerful battery to bear against the nachi
nations of England with such unerriDg effect as
to blow up that abomination of denominations,
the Quntuple Treaty. we trust that they will
find cause sufficient 10 induce them TO come
up manfuly TO the support Of the old hero and
statesman, Lewis Cass.
Here is the extract from General Taylor.
Delony letter, above referred TO:
CAMP NEAR MONTEREY, Mexico,
June 9, lS47.
Dear Sir: Your letter Of the 18th ult., from
Clinton, Louisiana, has just reached me il
which you are pleased TO say, "the signs Of the
times, in relation TO the next Presidency, and
the prominent position Of your name in connes
ion with it, is a sufficient excuse for this LEI,
ter" That sit is happy feature in our Go
yernment that official functionaries under it