Evansville weekly journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 184?-18??, 1848-07-20


gives the following extracts of letter from
the Hon. John. c. Spencer, who, while Secre-
tary of War, was necessarily brought into fire.
quent communication with Gen. Taylor. gives
a morejnst idea of his civil qualifications than
perhaps any thing our readers have before
tseen:
You ask me to communicate the opinion,
which you understand has been expressed by
me, in reference to the attachments OF Gen.
Taylor, derived from his correspondence with
the War Department during the time it was in
nv charge. 1t is very true, have often stated,
my high opinion not only of the sound Judge
ment and unsurpassed discretion of General
Taylor, but also Of his capacity as a'writer; and
when doubts were cast upon the authorship Of
the admirable dispatches which came from
Mexico under his name, i declared unequivocal-
! " my thorough conviction thathe was the all-
! thor of them. And / stated my reasons for this
conviction; that his Official letters and other
communications which had fallen under my
observation contained the same condensed Wig
or of thought and expression, the same peculi-
arites of style, and beauty, and force of lam
guage that, characterized his Mexican despa CHI
es; and that, from circumstances personally
known to NE; was certain that he could not
|
communications referred TO, which some of
the newspapers alleged had been rendered to
him in Mexico. This opinion | now deliber-
ately reiterate, Youand know perfectly well
that persons who are in the habit of literary
composition can detect the style, manner of
thought, and turn of expression of writer a f.
ter having been acquainted with some of his
productions, with certainty at least equal to
that with which an expert in penmanship can
decide upon the signature Of one whom he has
seen write his name,
do not mean to deny that Gen. Taylor, like
| Gen. Washington, and like every other modest
man, may have had the aid of literary friend
in looking over his dispatches, written, as
they must have been, under great excitement
and sometimes in haste; and that friend may
have erased redundant word or phrase, OF
, rounded period. Ifthis be evidence of inca
pacity, who shall escape? 1t is notorious that
The writings of Washington, and particularly
, his Farewell Address, underwent the revision
of Gen. Hamilton; and that the messages and
/ public communications ofevery other Presi
dent have always been subjected 10 the critical
examination of his Cabinet. Indeed, do no.
hesitate TO say that the man who will submit;
important public papers to the public scrutiny
r without the revision Of a friend when it can be
obtained, will evince more presumption thai
: Igood sense.
For forty years Gen. Taylor has been in the
military service ofthe country; more than thir
ty years of the time in garrisons and at posts
where in the time of peace he has had abun
dant leisure. His habits are admitted on al
sides to be exemplary, and he to be any thin;
bnt an indolent man. What, then, have pro
badly been his occupation during the tediou
days, weeks, months and years of garrison du
ltV2 The answer Ia the 0ueStiOn ma y hp fount
; in the rich, manly and condensed thought tina
makes his compositions models of epistolar
writing. And it may be found in the signf
I, cant fact stated by the veteran Gen. Gibson Il
Mr.. Cnttenden, and byhim proclaimed at Pitts
: burgh, that he had been for many Years associa
: ted with Gen. Taylor in military service, all
frequently on courts martial and of inquir
. with him, and that Gen. Taylor "always drew
: up the proceedings and reports of the COURTS
); Men accustomed to business will see the full
n force of this fact.