The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-10-06
Lieut. Gov. Reeds Opinion OF Gen.
1'nYloH. y .... !

Inc opposition press seize every possible
Preiext Tor misreprescnting the views and
feelings Of leading men Of the Whig party A.,
concerning Gen. TaYlOr--vhose character,
like pure gold, shines brighter the more il
is rubbed. Among other things, they have
charged that Lieut. Gov Reed, of Macs
aehusetts, who preferred another candidate
before the nomination, would not support
it. Now hear him. We take the follow.
ing from his speech on Saturday before the
Wings Of Yarmouth.-BGh PairiDL .f.
"ln the first place as TO Gener al TayloE's
literary qualifications. lie carefully look
ed at the dispatches which were said to
have been written by young man who acled
as aid to the General; they are full Of wis
dom and good sense; they are fingularly
modest and unassuming; they are devoid Of
egotisD and the letter I hardly appears in
one of them. No young man could have
written them; scholars, mere scholars could
not have written them. Mr.. Reed knew
Gen. Scott we'll, he loved and es'eeme d
him; he knew him to be ascholar, but Gen
Scott could not have written them. We
have the most uncOntrovenible evidence
that Gen. Taylor himself wrote them, and
he is competent and capable. hr. Reed
thea alluded 10 and read a letter written by
Mr.. John q Spencer, and to evidence fur
nished by Gen. Gibson, the former Of whom,
had ample opportunities 10 Judge Of Tay.
lor'sliterary qualifications from being con.
versant with his epistoIary correspondence
for some years, and the latter of his other
accomplishments from thirty years persona
interc"urse. 1t was from General Gibson
that the first convincing proofs of Genera
raylor's mental resources and scqnirementi
were received; his testimony was not onl,
satisfactory but ample; a more honorable
witness than he cannot be found 10 the coun
try; and he testifes among other things
that he has in the course OF his military ca
reer, sat on seventeen Court Martials will
General Taylor, and that 10 every case ih,
decisions were drawn up by the latier,-
as difficult. perhaps the most difficult Of al
kinds Ofwriting, requiring not only elea
head, good judgment, and sound sense; bu
a knowledge Of justice, and law, and grea
condens alton Of ideas.
. As 10 General TayIor's general opinions
: appears from the Investigations that the
are sound on ali points. He is a savehol
, der, it is true, but so was General Washing
ton, and it is proved that the one is no NOR
in favor Of slavery, or Of extending slavery
I than the other. So far as the mere objec
tion that he possesses slaves is concerned
That is not very important, at least whe
considered with other matters of vital im
: portance. and connected with the fact tina
D he is known TO he opposed to war, whethe
} for slavery or more slave territory. Th
a great point with US is which of the thre
candidates will we have! We must Civ
= up some Of our cherished opinions occasi0na
y, to accomplish great good or to prever
: a great evil. The speaker thought at FIR,
that he Philadelphia Convention selecfe
: Gen. TayIonion the ground Of availabilit,
. but subsequent inquiry had satisfied hi
3 that they had other and substantial reason
Mr.. Reed then read extracts from sever;
documents, containing testimony to Ger
, Taylor's good sense and humanity in h
conduct of his share of the Mexican war;
= He has, It appears. the power Of attractin
men who know him 10 his friendship az
q respect, in a manner that is strange-pas
d ing strange. From all that we hear
" must be great and good man.