Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1848-03-15
GEN. TAYLOR A MERCHANDISING
ENOUGH

The following most explicit and satisfactory lot
ter from Gen. Taylor, is published by the Cincin
natl Chronicle
BATON RoUGE, La, Feb. IL, lS4S.
My Dear Coouel--Your very kind comnunica
ton and the accompanying newspaper have duly
reached me.
In reply TO the closing remarks Of your letter,
have no hesitation in stating. as have stated ON
former occasions, that aui Wing, though not an
ultra one and that Ihace desire to conceal this
tact from any portion Of The people ef't!c United
Siates.-I deem it bur candid, however, TO add,
that if the Wing party desire at the next Presidcn-
tal election, to cast their votes for mo- they must
do 1t on their own responsibility, and without any
pledges from me. m.
Should be elected to that office. I should deem
1t to be my duty, and shapld most certainly claim
the right, TO look to the constitution and the high
interests of our common country, and not 10 the
principles OF a party, for nay rules of action.
With my sincerest thanks for your expression Of
friendship. and my best wishes for your success
through life, remain, very truly, your friend and
obcdient servant, II. TAYLOR
Col a. NJ. MIrcHELI;, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Surely every gldg will agree. after reading this
letter, that Gen. Taylor is Wing. That has
now become mere question as to the old hero's
. Gritty, which, we imagine, :, II no, be impugned
aer' Dc * >. c@f0lss o. 4Sll gins 20 5e -gaged
with the usual rolen.lcssness OF Locofocoisu. F5r
the present we are confden. .ha; all true Wings
VIII concur in the opinicy OF the Washington o.
nion as to Gen. Taylors whiggery that his own de-
claratons ''leave no doubt upon that point"
1t is worthy of remark that the meaning of Gen.
layor's refusal to give party pledges, is set forth.
In this letter, IN that must be satisfactory
TO every impartial Wing. He tells s'thc people OF
the United States" with the frankness that be-
longs to him, that he is "a Whig;" but he adds,
in substance, in the next sentence. tina, il thu
tn p'a tn tln Droe
must be simply upon this ino,ciedge of his political
opinions and not upon specific pledges to carry out
string OF ''swetering resolutions" as Mr. Hun
ter, of Jefferson, humorousy styled the celebrated
Baltimore schedule. Gen. Taylor says farther,
that although himself ga Wing" and therefore,
convinced Of the wisdom of Wing principles, be-
lieving them, as he has elsewhere observed, TO be
more nearly allied to those old republican doctrines
IN which he was reared than the principles of tho
Democracy, he will, if elected President. yet look
to 'the constitution and the high interests of the
country rather than to these Wing principles as
his rule of conduct. The distinction is not only
not Objectionable, but in the highest degree worthy
ofapprobatlon. 1t is precisely the ground assum-
ed III 1889, by the venerated Washington, in HE
letter to Benjamin Lincoln
Should it be inevitably necessary (said the ia
ther of his Country for to go into the chair of
Government, have determined TO go free Of all
poSitiCc engdgemeRts If crerly ,Gtsire tchaisoeycr
tpiicity applications and have assigned as the
true reason OF my conduct, the predominant desire
had, d being al liberty TO act lch sole reference
TO justice AID tte paLEc good"
The elder public of tho present day well
recolect that similar declarations Were constantly
made by the early statesmen of The republic; and
yet there is not now distinct division of par
ties than existed in the days Of Washington, John
Adams, Jefferson and Madison. Ii was the prac-
tce OF all those eminent men, themselves the living
intellectual embodiments of the constitution, to de-
precale the excess of party spirit, and place tho
common good above all party considerations e.
ven James X. Polk, in faint imitation of their pa
triotic sentiments, essayed to promise that he would
be the President Of tho nation and not of Il party.
Gen. Taylor undertakes 10 conduct the GOVERN
ment on the true principles of The constitutions; but
ne believes these principles to be SYNONYMOUS with
the principles of the Wing party. We have there
fore The right TO expect that he will carry out Wing
principles, not indeed because they are protested by
the Wings but for the better reason, tha, in his
honest Judgment, they are sound and just. and
constitutional Does any man want better Wing
President than this ?-R Richmond Times.