The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-05-11


For time past, the whig leaders have been zeal
ousy engaged in doing the work of their opponents, and
preparing their own disunon and defeat Mr. Clays
chance TO be President but slim when he started
from Ashland; and his pilgrimage homeward and his
famous letter To the Public" which was the result of
it, certainly did not improve his position before the coun
try, while If manifesy put his friends upon their honor
not 10 abandon his claims in favor OF any other man.
Just before, Judge Mclean, whose position upon the
bench shielded him from the necessity of offending any
portion OF his countrymen, and who doubtless would
have been strong candidate in sections chose
seriously to damage his prospects, by putting FORTH in
relation to the letter which has nothing to redeem
or excuse IN the eye OF any patriotic American In the
same way General Scott, whose brilliant battles had
doubtless done much towards rendering him available,
saw h in an evil hour, to lay his lance in rest and run
tilt against the Secretary of War; and the wings know
better and more bitterly than tell Them how fatal
he found the result of the encounter to be-
Meantime, Gen. Taylor had for some months been
writng-about once week. at least--in reply to whole
series of letters, both spurious and genuine First, he
needessy wrote himself out OF favor with the democratic
party Then, because he knew the wing leaders looked
upon him with an evil eye, he protested his 'ndepend
ence of all parties until the wings concluded that
Coulu Oh MN, ana must give MN
Thereupon Mr. Clay became the ascendant of the hour
and how the Generals penor the pen of his friends for
himhas lately bestirred ITSELF in view of this fact our
readers already know.
Now, such series of letters as this is enough to ruin
the political prospects of any party One and all, they
their face bids for the presidency Uncalled
for by any special emergency prominent question in
public affairs they tend dectyone and all of them-to
confirm the prepossessons and exasperae the hostility of
the different wing ciques. In particular, Mr. Clays last
letter. and the two last of Gen. Taylor have made dec
sive rupture in the wing ranks almost inevitable. Mr..
Clay will not withdraw his claims from the convention
Gen. Taylor will urge his claims upon the convention
while distinctly refusing to abide by that decision if shall
be against him. Mr. Clay is not the submit to such
treatment at the hands of one whom it is clear enough
that he and his friends regard suspicious interoper
in the wing ranks, unless greatly deceive ourselves
in all our differences from Mr.. Clays past history. Gene
raj Taylor, whether nominated not nominated by the
wing convention, when going before that body under the
dicatoral laid down in his letters, will not be Pres
dent of the United States if Mr. Clay and his friends
prevent his election But they do great deal more
than prevent it. General Taylor has chance at ALL
he be nominated, to be elected without the most
cordial and unanimous and Jealous aid of all the Clay
men. To that aid he has forfeited every pretence of
claim by his open refusal to abide by the decision OF
the convention 1t would not surprise to hear at any
day another roar Of the Lion at Ashland this very
point
But it is not against the Clay alone that General
Taylor has TO contend, moi only for his nomination, but
for his election if he shall be nominated There eud
between the friends OF General Taylor and General Scott
growing out OF the events of the Wewill not spe-
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And there are other elements in the case not less i'm
portant Judge Mclean is the favorite candidate of
large section OF the wings in his region of the
try, and elsewhere. He is their candidate upon views
and principles which render the nomination of General
Taylor little less in their judgment, than direct in
suit TO him. In view of this, well-informed and zeal
Gus TAYLOR men do not hesitate to concede that Ohio
lost to the wings if Gen. Taylor be the wing candidate
To make up this oss they claim that they shall carry for
him Pennsylvania and Virginia Surely in this they for
get that Virginia has just given argely-increased demo-
cratic maorties and that she has yet failed to cast
her vote for the democratic candidate President Surely
they forget also, that Pennsylvania stands at this
ment against them, with solid democratic majority of
twenty thousand and that with the pressure of all
the hard times upon her, she gave Gen. Harrison in lS40
majority of only some two hundred and fifty votes.
With Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia lost to General
Taylor, his election is, need not say utter and
manifest impossibility
But there is another fact, of perhaps greater importance
than any of these to which have alluded. We
Gen. Taylos confessed and admitted political incapacity
for the presidency There should be mincng of this
matter at this tme because every candidate must expect
his qualifications to be canvassed and because moreover
this very topic has been prominent in Gen. Tayors own
letters ever since, in an evil hour for his fame, he
began to aspire for civil Office, and to write letters to OBJ
tain it. The people OF this country are not yet ready to
choose for their Chief Magistrate soldier who avows
that he knows nothing about political duties and ques-
t;ons and has therefore determined to leave them all in
the hands of Congress. Least OF all can such man
unite the full vote of party which styles itself Conser
vatiye. which has always professed to look with deep
rooted dstrust upon military cheftans, and which has
rallied almost as one in especial opposition to the
war in which Gen. Taylor has won all his aurels IN
less all the ordinary calculations upon mems actions are
deceitfuuness may look in the next canvass for an
absolute reversal of all the motives which usually
troll the action of pares-the wings have difficulties to
encounter in their party great, nay greater than
any which they pleased to ascribe to u.s.
General Taylor.
We sincerely regret that Gen. Taylor has suffered him
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