Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-08-01
GENERAL TAYLOR AND THE SIGNAL
LETTER.

ginia, the Wing orators have attempted 10 make
light of the comments Of our speakers upon the
reply of General Taylor TO the Sigpalle,lcr
Colonel Meredith in a discussion with our
distinguished Elector, Robert G.. Scott, in King
William said: "If, fellow-citizens, General Az.
lett, or General Braxton Of your county were
candidates for Congress, would you ask them
whether they were sound upon the Wimot Pro.
viso,'' We admit that the residence Of candi
date in the non slaveholding States may be con.
sidered primq f.cic evidence of his soundness
upon the Slavery question; but it may be con.
troyerted BY his own assertions to the contrary.
Such is the position occupied by General Tay
lor, the owner Of slaves, born in slave.
holding State. The first opinion Of every one
would be, that he is opposed to the Wiimot
ProYiso. He is innocent until pror.d 10 be
guilty. The Signal letter places him as the en-.
dorser Of the sentiments Of the Editor, in the
attitude of one who approves The principle OF
the ordinance OF l7r7, which is almost identical
with that of the Wilmot Proviso. BY this the
belief in his opposition to the proyso, derived
from his residence in non.slavcholding State
was destroyed by his positive declaration. Or,
if this is not the case, 10 say the least of it, his
position is doubtful, and liable 10 misconstruc
ton. 1t enables demagogues 10 assert, with
some reason, that he enteriains opinions which
arc Numerically opposed TO each other. iha.
4 Al II n h.,
Southern Wing orators, from tie fact, that re re
sides in LouSiaaa That he is in faror Of
1t, is demonstrated with equal clearness by
the Ohio Central Committee, from his letter
TO the Editor of the Signal. Since this two
sided gamo is being pla!ed, does il not be.
come General Taylor, as an honest man, TO
define his position, and eas, no doubt about the
matter, In taci,ly permitting III, : Srcprcsen.
talion, he certainly does no. act "a, towards
the people of the South, who anSiously desire TO
find out his position.
To the contrary, when ths General has been
asked his opinion upon the subject of The Will.
mot Proviso, he has refused an answer, which
would have removed all Of this uncertainty
Mr.. b. Nc Conkey wrote to General Taylor,
asking him mhett.r he pm'd, as President,
peto an Get Of Congress prohibiting slare,y in he
new territories. The General says:
"In reply 10 your inquiri,s, have 10 inform
you that have laM il dorm as a principle, nat II
g,ve my opinions upon or F'ejudse in any way,
The rarious questions Of pOticyaop a. ISSUE between
~ IL.
rict ,could ar ,couid nat d. rsrs sicstcd u the
Presidency of The Unted STATS"
Here then, is letter, written long since the
Signal letter. in which Gen. Tay lor refuses 10 e.
press his opinion ugon tic Rtjsc' n TIC IIiimot
P,or;so. Bui, Wills, he IS unwilling y give Us
any clue 10 his opinions upon 50 aaimpo't4nt and
trivial mater as Tie slapsrl question, he cones
ou with iull declaration o. his opnioEs 10 Al
lisun upon "tic Icto pprcs" and hs ACQUISITION
or TERRITORY. !. il proper lha, he should vio-
lat" his position about not declaring his opinion
in one instance, and refuse 10 DO SO ir another
Look at his position in a common se,se way
an employer and man seeking 10 become his
agent. The employer says: MIR. Smi.h, wish
TO employ you as my agent y transact mcs i'm
poran, business; and, trusting 10 yonf honor, viii
TAKE your cma 'cord for yoar iaiegri'g, willingness
and eapaei,y 10 perform such duties as Will re-
quire Of YOU" He then details 10 Smith the du-
ties and responsibilities which he has 10 assume,
and Smith reres Il doubt my capacity 70 dis.
charge tic high trusts which you desire me 10
assume. Upon the subjects 10 which you have
~ I hap irip and hav
made il rule not 10 declare my opinions upon
the numerous subjects which you haze mention
ed, or to sale how will az as your spen."
Such an answer, in The business Jurisdictions oil
everyday life, would lead T. very s'tedy tispo-
si,ina OF Mr. Smith. In inc discharge OF high
political trusts, We psrmi! man % make an.
.wers very like those Of Smiths, AMI The Wing
papers laud them as The very answers, and prove
the candidate as perfectly right in DO, "pesm.Atng
aimself 10 be pumped"
We call The attention Of our readers 10 the
comments Of our talented neshbo, Of The Ex-
aminer, upon The McConkey letter:
"lf the Wing leaders IN know The principles Of
the man they are urging upon US (slch were our
lhoushis) they ought Certainly 10 tell IS what they
are and II they do m, know they ought 10 ask
him and find oui. But after readn. This "nca
leuer' from Gen. Taylor, we have once AMI Tor
all excused them. They 10 nj frd out be-
cause they canno, find GU. They do not tel Is
what Taylor IS goIas 10 do, because Taylor VIII
not tell u himself.
''l'his pretty state Of things He'e is can
dida.e SCI before Us for the Presidency. The
course pursued 10y the man who fills hat office,
is oil The hl2hcsi importance 10 Our wcliafe-5o
private anu public. II he pursues one course, II
will deeply and injuriously affect our pecunlary
interess II he plisnes another, il Till give our
employmenlSa steady and unmislakeable adyan.
tage. we are therefore, extremely anxious 10
know what The man Tor whom We ale called
10 vote IS going 10 do il we elect him. We ASK
The people who call on Il, Tor orr votes what h.
will do; and they say ,hatthcy ''don' know" We
then ask The man himself; and he tells US with
trigid polleness, that he has "laid il down as
principle" mol 10 tell ''what he will DC what he
will not Go, were he elected President oil the Uni
ted Sales"
"Now 1.-THE parsonage who talks in this cool tone
had been Tor many years before The public as a
civilian and statesman; il BY his wise speeches
upon pubic affairs, by his able leuers, and by his
distinguished political services he had mace his
opinions upon the principles oil orr government
well known we might then excuse MN for this
refusal 10 answer enquiries which might be Pui
TO him as 10 the measures Of his administration
Because these measures must De The results OF
his principles. But when we have no possli le
means OF knowing anything about his p'liscdi
principles; when he has been all has days removed
from public lie, from civil affairs, and from The
couary's eye; when his very name was un-
known ill he gained two or Ih'ec battles about
TWO years; when we have never heard from nun
a single political sentiment, save his dlsappfooa-
lion OF one OF the provisions Of the American
Constitution; there is in his case no excuse Tor
This constant and obstinate refusal 10 answer any
questions about The course he will pursue, or 10
give US any pledge Tor the security Of our in,er-
ess should he be elected 10 hs Presidency. we
are therefore forced 10 consider this position OF
Gen. Taylor as ON exceedingly deserving Of re-
ptehension. |, is something more than anli-De.
nucraic; ii is anii-,epubcan, in the fullest sense
ofihe VOID.
So much for the general pT'n;ipfes ny Which
rT..l,r ;r ,,r,I,t;,o nrsSent cunIuct. For his