The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-25
General Taylor's Prospects-Whig Jour
nalism.

If General Taylor is to be elected President of
the United States, it has been admitted openly by
many politicians, and tacitly by all, that the
power and influence of the wing party cannot ac-
complish such feat per Sc, as Captain Tyler would
say, or by Its own individual influence, as we
would say. II is now more than two years ago,
since the hero OF Buena Vista was brought forward
by the independent journals and politicians-long
before he was taken up by the wing party. He was
first named in connection with the Presidency,
after his first battle on the Rio Grande, IN the CO.
lumns Of the Ne,c York Herald and this move
ment, thus begun, was followed up, with similar
indications, by the greater portion OF the nde-
pendent journals throughout the country. Thus
was done without any reference to party, or to
cliques Of politicians, and without any aid or con-
currence from them. Both of the old organized
parties, speaking through their various news
papers, and by their leaders, different parts of
the country, opposed this movement in Its very
inception and nothing but the force of the popular
voice, coming from the independent journals and
from independent bodies of the people, caused
him to become such formidable candidate
as to make the parties wish to avail them
selves OF him, and to give him the chances
Of receiving the wing nomination at Phlla-
delpha. He afterwards received that nomi-
nation with, however, violent opposition from the
whig leaders as SUCH Thus his strength and his
prospects of success have from the first been based
upon his supposed popularity and availability with
that great and independent portion Of the Ameri-
can community which defes the shackles of party,
and is opposed to the ludicrous platforms of cques
and coteries of politicians.
The nomination and election of General Harri-
son eight years ago, sprang from similar state
and position of the political elements in his day
The wing party, as such, for the last twenty years
has never been able by its own individual strength
10 elect President of the United States nor can
this party at this day. succeed in electng General
Taylor without concurrence and aid beyond its
own ranks, and without adopting such course as
will find response among the independent think
ers and journals of the debatabe States
The recent State elections, north and south, and
particularly the results of the elections in Yer
mont and Maine, testify the accuracy of these
views In reference to the pending contest. The
free soil movement Of Martin Van Buren, and
company, is already reduced to certainty 1t
will operate chiefly in the State of New York, but
by no means TO the same extent or in the same
direction in the other States of the Union
Vermont II Is true, has given a great access
sion Of strength 10 the free soil movement
but the general results are not varied much in that
Safe, on this account. The wing party has always
been in ;he ascendancy there, and retains this as
centancy still, according 10 the returns of the last
.iecton. The democratic party, with the excep-
uon Oh NE contest of 1910, always held the ascend
ancy In Name; and the result of the late election
IN that Site, while II gives trining increase TO
the free sol movement, by no means varies the
general political character of the State, and the
democracy there appears still to be in the ascend
ancy as strongly as ever. The free soil move ment
IN Pennsylvania i, in critical and doubtful posi-
tonj II is difficult 10 speak with any accuracy, a,
present, as TO its prospects, and the extent of its
operation IN that State The same may be said of
Ono, and the Northwestern States in general.
The Tree soil agitation may operate more against
ifsSwh'gs than against the democrats 1t is evil
dent, therefore, on a calm and dispassonaie con-
nderauon 81 the elections III both the Eastern and