The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-05-09
THE GALAXY.
MIDDLEBURY,VT.
Tuesday, May 9, l848.
GENERAL TAYLOR'S LAST.

.ooOo-oOO-OoO
GENERAL TAYLOR'S LAST.
The following letter of Gen. Taylor, address
sea to his brother-in-law, Capt. j. S. Allison,
originally appeared in the N. o. Picayune, of
the 9th ult 1t is evidently intended to have
an effect on the Nominating Convention
though the General has no intention of with
drawing his name, should any one else be NOM
mated. Horace Greeley, who is now at Wash
ington, thinks Gen. Taylor stands no chance
of receiving the Wing nomination. What the
old soldier means by an ultra Wing, we should
really like to know. Also, how he can accept
nomination from the Democratic party, or the
Nafire american party, (the AbOlitionists, for
tunately, are not in want of candidate if he
is an Orthodox Wing. However, the general
tone of this letter is not after all, so objection
able, and he has certainly spoken more to the
purpose than on some former occasions.
THE LETTER.
BATON ROUGE, April %, 1913.
DEAR SIE: Ny opinions have recently been
so often misconceived and mlsreprcsented, that
l deem it due to myself, if not to my friends,t to
make brief exposition of them upon the top
les to which you have called my attention.
l have consented to the use of my name as
a candidate for the Presidency. l have frank
ly avowed my own distrust of my fitness for
that high station; but having, at the solicita-
ton Of many of my countrymen, taken my po-
sition as a candidate do not feel at iberty:to
surrender that position until my friends mani
fest wish that i should retire from it. will
then most gladly do so. l have no private pur-
poses to accomplish, no party projects to build
up, no enemies to punish-nothing to serve but
my country.
| have been very often addressed by letter,
and my opinions have been asked npon almost
every question that might occur to the writers
as affecting the interests of the country or their
party. l have not always responded to these
! inquiries, for various reasons.
confess, while have great cardinal princi-
Piles which will regulate my political life, am
not sufficiently familiar with the minute de-
tails Of legislation to give solemn pledges to
exert my influence if / were President, to car
! ry out this or defeat that measure have no
concealment. hold no opinion which would
not readily proclaim to my assembled country
men; but crude impressions upon matters of
policy, which may be right to-day and wrong
tomorrow, are, perhaps, not the best test OF
| fitness for office. One who cannot be trusted
without pledges cannot be confded in merely'
on account of them.
will proceed, however, now to respond to
your inquiries
Fust.-I reitcrate what have often said
am Wing, but not an ultra Wing. felected
would not be the mere President Of party.
| would endeavor to act independent of party
domination. / should feel bound to administer
the Government untrammeled by party
schemes.
Second-The veto power. The power Civ
en- by the Constitution to the Executive to in
terpose his veto, is high conservative power;
but in my opinion should never be exercised
except in cases of clear violation of the Con-
stitution, or manifest haste and want Of con-
sideration by Congress Indeed have thought
that for many years past the known opinions
and wishes of the Executive have exercised
undue and injurious influence upon the legis-
lative department of the Government; and for
this cause have thought our system was in
danger of undergoing great change from its
true theory. The personal opinions of the in
diridual rho may happen TO occupy the E1ecu-
tire chair, ought not 10 control tie action of Con-
gress upon questions Of domestic policy; nor
ought his objections to be- interp0sed rhcre q,les
tions of constitutional pO,rer hare been settled
By The UdriouS departments Of Government and
dcquiesced in by the people.
1hTd.-Upon the subjects Of the tariff, the
improvement of our great highways, rivers,
lakes and harbors, the will of the people, as
expressed through their Representatives in
Congress, ought to be respected and carried
out by the Executive.
Fo,Hlh-The Mexican war. / sincerely re-
joice at the prospect of peace. My life has
been devoted to arms, yet look upon war at
all times and under all circumstances as ns-
tlonal calamity, to be avoided if compatible
with national honor. The principles of our
Government as well as its true policy are op-
posed to the subjugation of other nations and
the dlsmemberment of other countries by con-
quest. In the language Of the great Wash
ington, " Why should we quit our own to stand
on foreign ground?" In the Mexican war
our national honor has been indicated, and in
debating terms of peace we may well afford
to be forbearing and even magnanimous to our
fallen foe.
These are my opinions upon the subjects re-
ferred to by you: and any reports or publca-
tons, written or verbal from any source, differ
ing in any particular from what is here written,
are unauthorized and untrue.
l do not know that l shall again write upon
the subject of national politics. l shall engage
in no schemes, no combinations, no intrigues.
If the American people have not confidence
in me they ought. not to give me their suffra-
ges. If they do not, you know me well enough
to believe me when 1 declare l shall be con-
tent. l am too old soldier to msrmur against
such high authority.
u TAYLOR