Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-09-14

have endeavored To obtain access to those
sources as best might, and 70 obtain my niOr-
matlon from those who have known his services
aud character as q soldier and a man, aud from
his conversations with his friends upon loliti
cal subjects. And will tell you frankly wha
| think Of him.
! That he is a skillful, brave and valiant sold
icr, is admitted BY all No one denies it, Blu
that goes with me but very little way. Wha
is more important, believe him to be an hon
est man, an upright man, and modest, clear
headed man, a man of independent character
possessing a mind properly disciplined and
controlled. believe him to be estmabe ant
amiable, in all relations Of private life. ! be
lleye that he possesses a reputation for equity
and for judgment which gives HIM an inhuenc,
over hose under his command, beyond that
conferred by authority or station. ! believe
that he possesses The entire confidence and al
tachmen. of all who have been nesr him, OF
have known hiu.
so much :or what think of General Tay.
lor's personal character. And | will say too
that so far as have observed, his conduct since
his nomination has been irIepUachable. There
has been no intrigue on his part, no contune-
lious treatment of anv rivals, no promises nor
hopes to any men or any party. We do not
find him putting forward any pretenslons OF
his own And believe Of HIM as he believes
of himself, that he is an honest man Of up
rgh, purposes-and as TO his other qualliica-
tons Tor the Presidency he has nothing more
20 say.
Now friends and fellow townsmen, with re-
spcct to his political preferences, ] will say
that believe him to be Whlg-to hold to
the main doctrines and uphold the great prll.
ciples of the Wing party. To believe other
wise would be to impu,c to him a degree OF
tergiversalion Of which suppose him utterly
incapable.
Gentlemen, it is worth our while 10 cons der
in what f!!auner General Taylor became a can
dldatc. 1t is great mistake to suppose that
he is the selection merely of the Philadelphia
Convention, for he was nominated in various
States by numerous popular conventions a
wear before the Philadelphia Convention ASSEM-
blcd.
Cehtlemen, the whole history Of the world
shows us that, whether IN the most civilized or
the most barbarOns ages, the affections and
admiration oi the people are easily and always
carried away BY successful military talents and
achievements. And in the case now before US,
Gen. TAYLOR, bv his own brilliant operations
on the Rio Grande, at PaIO Alto and elsewhere,
secured spontaneous nominations irom portions
of the people IN all the States. And let me
say, too. that they were mostly Wing noTni-
,ions-,hey were nominations by Wings; not
always, it is true generally they were Wing
nominations.
Gen. Tarlor has been esteemed, from the
moment his military achievements brought HIM
into public notice, rs "A Wing general. You
all remember that when we were discussing IN
Congress the merits Of the generals, on the
question Of presenting thanks To the army, the
supporters of the administration and the friends
Of Mr. Polk denounced Gen Taylor because
he was Wing. My friend, whom | am happy
10 meet here, the Representative in Congress
from this district, (llon. Artemas lIalc,) will
remember that a leading man Of the party,
and prominent friend of the administration,
in his place in Congress declared that 1t
was the policy OF the administration
to prosecute the Mexican war, and HAT that
policy could never prosper I'LL the recall of
those Wing generals, Scott and Taylor. That
was the policy of the Democracy-that
the war should be carried out by the Democracy
it was Democratic merit and glory-aud on
that ground the Democrats would refuse vote
of thanks to Wing general.
Gen. Taylor was nominated mainly thus by
Wing conventions and Wing meetings IN num-
eroUs quarters of the country.
| remark, gentlemen, IN the neN, place, that
there was no particular purpose concerning the
advancement of slavery entertained by those
who nominated him. As ] have sand, the
nomination was made by Wing meetings and
convenIlons-more in the Northern and Middle
States than at the Southland the men who
did nominate him never entertained any desire
TO extend the area of slavery, through his ad-
minis,Ia'lon or by his m1ucncc.-Thc Quaker
city of Philadelphia. the great state ofPennsyl
yania certainly nominated him with no such
views. We remember that "A large convcn-
ton IN the city of New York, composed of
highly respectable men, many ci whom are
personally well known To me. romlnatcd hun,
and certainly they had no such views. And
the nomination was haIed, not very extensively,
hut by some enthusiastic and not very iar-sGeug
politicians here IN Massachusetts,. amongst Us.
who raised the notes of exulldtIon over their
anticipated triumph. certainly cady enough,
perhaps little too early fOI sound judgment
and discretion. They might better have waited
a little.
But gentlemen, the truth is, and no one can
case. the object Is brought too near the eye 10
be disccrncd-thlI these Wing meetings and
tins Philadelphia convention proceeded exactly
according to this reason that, believing Gen.
Taylor to be- Wing, they thought he could
be elected more easily than any other Wing
That was the whole of n.-Ghat SfgHi0us,
,r,sr. tdr-scqHg doctriac OF draild6,Wy lleG at
the bottom of the whole matter.
30 far. then, from lmputng any motive or
desire Tor the promotion or extension OF slavery
as operating upon these conventions through
out the country. or on that at Phuldelpma-
at least A. regards the majority Of their members
ill the nomination and election oi Gen. lay
lur. don believe one word ol IT,
But see that one part of what j. called the
Buffalo platform, says that the nomination al
Philadelphia was made under the dclailon 0i
the slave power. | don't believe a word Of
that either For there vas very great mllorl-
ty of members from the free States 10 that body
who might have nominated anybody else they
chose. on whom they could agree. And then
there were a great many Ot hle most earnest
advocates. some from New Eurldnd, who
would sooner cut of their right hands than
submit tn any such dlciaiion in any such case.
| NAV not admire their discretion or policy, bot
| must acquit them Of all such base motives A.
have been charged upon them. think un'
derstand their motives. ' heir reasoning was
L.