The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-08-10

The Second Washington.
When the wings first proposed to avail themselves o
General Taylor's military fame, and him for III,
presidency, spite Of their ancient anpahy to military
asprants and in spite of their hatred the unjust
unconstitutional war, which had raised him TO disnc
ton, he hailed with general enthusiasm. He wa,
cried up a second Washington 1t said that he
was, like Washington, the peoples candidates. and, like
him. independent OF all parties of all conventions of al
nominatons-,ha his fame lowered far above all party
ties and excused him from the duty of expressing HE
political principles The General fell into this "Herces
vein" himself and he declared that he would not be
party candidate, and that, unless the people took him
up he decline the field These sublmated notions
suited very WELL until the wings spoke pretty decided
language and their convention the of meet
ing; and then, unlike Washington, he surrendered all
his high-hyag scrupes, all his Independent preten-
sions and he has been pleased TO avow himself wing
and to accept the nomination of wing convention
In the same spirit, he affected to hold himself su.
peor all party pledges and, like another Washington
determined go into the presidency uatrammelled by any
commitments to measures to principles To
show that Gen. Washington had pursued this bold and
independent course, letters have been quoted from his
correspondence with Mr. Benjamin Harrison and other
friends declining to give any pledge as to the course
he should pursue when he should become President
of the United States 1t turns out however, as we sus-
pected that this too was another humbug and that Gen
era Washington refused to explain his political
principles to his ceuntrylnen. But the Vcksburg Sen
mel has saved us some trouble in writing upon this sub
ject, and adopt from its columns the following appro
pirate articles
Another Vile Wing Trick sxposedt
Garbling and peruerting Washingtons Letters
Our readers have doubtless going the rounds of the
wing press articles attempting show similarity between
characters of Washington and General Taylor pa
radng proof short from Washington's let
ters purporing establish the that General ash
ngon took similar grounds with Taylor refusing avow
his political principles to give pledges the prn
cpes which would govern him in the administration OF
public affairs We suspected trick on first meeting
with these extracts, and upon referring Sparkss Wash
ingon' find that the pledges" referred to are in
applications for office, before General Washing
tons election, and not in any his ON
great questions OF public policy General Washington was
the himself above the peope-he never
declined giving his opinions when called by his fellow
cltzensnor did he that he had felt little in
terest in the of his country be totally igno
rant Of civil affairs public That his memory
may be vlndicated from any such suspicion copy
tire OF the letters which has been garbed by wings
We agree with leading whig paper, the Boston Atlas,
before it was bought up by the Taylores) it
well for these who institute comparisons between
Washington and Taylor the Father of his Country has
left near relative particularly tenacious Of his good fame
and memory"
Thatour readers may glance the fraud attempted
10 be pracsed itdse the portion culled by the
whg press. The reference is entirely Offices asked for
themselves relatives, by those whom the letters are
addressed
From spaks collection of the Writings pp 477s
To Benjamin Lincoln.
Mount VERNON, March ii, 1889.
My DEAR SIR favored last evening by yours of the
i nl,no and am glad to be confirmed in the idea tina,
My having company with me present. and being much
occupied With my private concerns, will be considered by
ns, WILL therefore reply to the principal scope of your
En- such friend has right expect another
Should become inevitably necessary for go into The
Shat Of government have determiHed to free from all
posture engagements Of nature Whaoepc This the
ansc Ihduc already giucn multiplicity of applications
s"a nass aee "a % sn. @
reference to Justice aud the public geod But without devia
for say yo naa dsa
that you need not doubt my ncnations very sincere
with duty the public This can sv a9 beca1ss SaH
known you in public life for do intend swayed
IN me disposal OF Places by motives arising from the ties
What offices there may be under the government
what pretensons may be urged in favor Of the different
candidates, cannot pretend oretc All can add at
present is, that you may assuredI am with sentiments
GEO. WASHINGTON.
The letter to Benjamin Harrison quoted irom is dated
two days before, and also application
above that we deem it unnecessary copy it, few
fences culled from it, from the above, and their
meaning distorted to suit the decepou purposes wing
gerry.
These letters written about the time of tho adop.
ton of the constitution The only parties then in the coun
try had formed that question: considerable party OPP
posing its adoption. General Washington as his wri.
ungs at the time abundanty show, far from raising
miserable whine OF noplrtyism, warm, nc.
tve leading member of one of the parties of that daythe
party in favor Of the adoption of the present constitution
He previously the head OF party in the Revolution
Questions of policy arising under the constitution did not
as he thought during his administration assume sufficient
Importance to require him join either of the parties form
ed under them Could he have forcseen the attempts
which were to come, to enact under latitude
nous construction OF that instrument with spirit
and meaning cannot for doubt that he would
have been thoroughly allied with the democratic republican
party of that Gay.
the people bindod into the sanction of odous measures
whom all should venerate, would scrupe s in in
hlcting any stain upon his memory it, by so doing they
could further their purposes OF trickery and deception.
The note of Mr. Sparks on this letter to Mr. B. Lin
coin, shows in the commentary it Offers that General
Washington confined his remark to appointments, and
did not extend to the declaration of his principles 1t
Is not easy, therefore, for the second Washington to take
shelter for his silence under the example of Washington
himself
Reception French Minister.
On Saturday last, Mr.. William Tell Poussn was pre-
sened to the President as envoy extraordinary and min