The North-Carolina standard., 1848-08-30
RALEIGH, August, ls4s.

RALEIGH, August, 1849.
SIR: have received your communication of the
22d instant, and having submitted it, at the earliest
opportunity to the Rough and Ready Club of this
County by their direction return you the following
answer
1--WE have the utmost confidence, derived from the
character of Gen. Taylor and from the whole history
of his life, that if called by the voice of the people
to the Presidency of the United States, he will dis
charge his duties with fidelity and ability, and with
single eye to the good of the whole country. We
therefore decline your request to unite with you in
quring into his views the particular questions you
suggest. Neither Washington, nor Adams, nor JEFF
ferson, nor Madison, nor Monroe, ever catechiz-
ed by clubs or conventions. They stood upon their
well known characters for integrity, intelligence and
patriotism, and Gen. Taylor, in this respect at least
stands upon their platform.
We have other reasons for declining your request.
First, you have not avowed your motive your OBJ
ect in making the inquiries, in asking us to par
ticipate in them. If indeed, you had stated that,
should Gen. Taylor, in his answer to these inquiries
show that his opinions accorded with yours, you
would support him for the Presidency, then your
request would have some plausible foundation, and
we might have given it a more favorable considera-
ton. You have not avowed this object, and we have
no reason to presume it. If, the other hand your
object was to draw from Gen. Taylor an answer,
which, by any sort of distortion ingenuity, could
be converted to his prejudice, then ask you, your
selves honorable men, what kind of a response,
question propounded to any honorable gentleman in
private life, with such covert or avowed purpose,
would inevitably provoke? We must decline an as
socIatlon In an inquiry proposed, but at the
time, We feel perfectly that, if under such cir
cumstances. Gen. Taylor would answer the inquiries
the purpose would not be accomplished.
We will, however, out of respect to you, give
other reasons. What you request to Join in ask
ing is, what the Generals views as to the Justice
of the Mexican the mode of it's prosecution, &c.
Peace having been concluded with Mexico, we think
the question of the justice of the war rests entirely
between the Executive of the United States, who
commenced it, and the people who are to pass upon
the acts of his administration. The war belongs to
past events-and we should no sooner ask what Cen
Taylor thought in the abstract upon its Justice than
inquire what his opinions were to the conquests
Alexander, the edlsmemberment of Poland the forc-
BILE acquisitions of the British in the East Indies or
any other matters of historical fact AS to the prose-
cutlon OF the war the same remark applies 1t is now
part of the history of the country, and the Cass
and Butler Club must surely have heard of the part
Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena
Vista, which covered our country with such food
Then we are asked to join you in requesting Gen.
Iaylor's opinions upon the Wilmot Provso. You
do not say in what respect you desire information on
this subject whether as to the consttutionality of
such provision In law relating to territories or as
to its expediency. As to the fret the constitution
alty OF the law, we presume you nosD be very
anxious about Gen. Taylors opinion since your lead
ing Southern Senators in Congress-, Houston, Bent
ton, and the President the head Of your party have
upon their oaths declared such proviso constitu-
tonal-the former by voting for, and the latter by
approving the bill for the government of the OREGON
Territory, in which the Wilmot proyiso was
~ and deliberately inserted. As to the exuediencv
Leo, We have no reason TO doubt that Gen. Taylor
Wa DO every thing in his power protect the RIGHTS
and interests of the South :
We have TINS respectfully, as we trust, answered