Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-01-14
For the EHqhreT.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE WING.

Messrs. Editors: see in lae number oil
your paper that you have declared your prefer
ence for General Taylor as the Wing candidate
Tor The Presidency in the approaching election
and. al lhe same time, you insist upon bMS
National Convention TO nominate Wig parry
candidates Tor the offices Of President and Vice
President OF the United States.
How YOU can reconcile such course with
General Taylors positive declarations in his
celebrated "Signa" letter, in which he declares
in terms that cannot be misunderstood or misin-
trepreled that" can and shall yield 10 no call that
does not come from the spontaneous action and
free will OF the nation al large, and void OF
The slish,es, agency OF my own" and again, "ln
no case can permit myself to be he Candidate Of
any party, or Weld myself 10 party schemes" is
what plain man like myself cannot conjecture.
You certain y wish, you are sincere, 10 make
General Taylor, lhroueh the insrumen'ality OF
Convention. the candidate Of The Wig party for
President; vet YOU must know tha, General Tay-
lor cannot and will not be the candidate Of either
The Wing or any other party, or "lend himself 10
anv party schemes" whatever, without FORGETTING
his solemn and deliberately uttered word.
You must then, Messrs. Editors, either believe
that General Taylor was dishonest in his decla'
raions, and that he will forfeit his word by accept
ing "a parry nomination" and thus become "a
party candidate" and "lend himself 10 parry
schemes" or you desire 10 thrust him aside 10y
forcing him 10 forfeit his word, or 10 reject party
nomination.
Now, Messrs Editors, you must either believe
that General Taylor will swaILo,0 his words and
become The candidate of ia party" or you must
be acuaed by secret feelings of hostility 10 Gene
raj Taylor, which You dare mol express. and
which you seek TO vent through the instrumental
~ OF Convention, by placing General Taylor in
a position in which he will be compelled, as
man OF honor, 10 reject parry nomination.
Do you suppose, Messrs. Wigs, that General
TAYLOR will in any case, be the candidate OF any
parly-Whig, or any olher7 Ii you de-, please
refer to his "Signa" letter, in which ne says, q
repeat il for your benef',) ain NO CASE CAN PER-
NIT MYSELF To BE THE CANDIDATE OF ANY PARTY,
OR riELD MYSELF TO PARTY SCHEMES
Your course, gentlemen of The "Whig," shows
a state of morals low and degrading, even for
misguided and over.zealous party leaders. You
seem 10 act upon the principle that honesty and
integrity may be safely discarded in politics; that
the lend iusiifes the means" -otherwise why do
YOU seek 10 make Gen. Taylor party candidate
after his positive refusal to be such-yea, his &C.
clara,ion that "in no case" would he be party
candidate
But, let us suppose that Gem Taylor (his word
10 The contrary nolwi'hsanding) should suffer his
name 10 be used as party candidate, do you
suppose that he will lend himself to party
schemes-Whis party schemes7 Mark what
tell you, he will not, he cannot Do yon ask me
for my au,horiry2 point you 10 his "Signal"
letter, in which be says be will not.
Come, gentlemen, inform me, Won please, by
what leserdemain you hope 10 escape from The
dilemma in which you have placed yourselves
for you are either acting The par, OF hypocTne
yourselves towards Gen. Taylor, or you believe
that be will forfeit his word. Which horn do
you take 7 | am anxious TO see how you will
i,ire yourselves out OF the dilemma in which you
have placed Yourselves.
ONE WHO ApMlREs GEN. TAYLOR
AND BELIEVES Nm TO BE- HONEST.