Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-11-24
From the Washington Union.
"A GENTLEMAN IN DIFFICULTIES"


lave no doubt. At the same time we beg leave
10 remind our friends. that never has any Presi-
dent gone into the Executive chair under more
peculiarly embarrassing circumstances than will
attend Gen. Taylor's induction into the Presidrn-
cy. We shall rut enter into analysis of
them, as the most prominent will readilv suggest
themselves II the minds Of all. But we. in COM
mon with The country, have full faith in the abili-
~ OF Gen. Taylor 10 meet all the momentous is
sues which he is likely to encounter in his admin
istration."
Thus speaks, under date of the lth instant,
Inc Lexington Observer journal which,
pnoiished IN the immediate neighborhood of
ME- LAY residence, has long enioved the re-
pute oil beng his peculiar organ. As its edi.
tors prudence or modesty prevents him from
" analvzing" the peculiar embarrassing cir
cum>lances" under which Gen. Taylor must
enter upon his Office, IRE will endeavor 10 ex-
plain and g ampiify" what we take 10 be his
meaning.
First and foremost. then. among Gen. Tay-
lor's peculiarly embarrassing circumstan.
ces,' stand his own solemn, repeated, written
of May 18Th, 1917: g In no case can permit
yield myself to party schemes > like this in
y
fl that high office, it must be untrammelled
With party obligations on interests Of any kind.
and under none but those ,chich the const'tu.
ton and the high Interests Of the nation at
large most seriously and solemniy demand >
| like this in his letter of February 12th, l848:
Should be elected to that Office, should
| deem it TO be my duty. AMI should most GER
tainy claim the right, to look To the consiitu-
| ~ nd fba irh &c
country, and not to the principles of party.
| for my rules of action - and lastly, like this
even in his Allison letter of April p !, 1913 ::
81 reiterate what have often said-l am a
whig, but not an ultra whig. If elected, !
would not he the mere President of party. |
would endeavor 10 act independent of party
domination. should feel bound TO adminis
ter the government untrammelled BY party
schemes"
These declarations OF Gen Tayler, pledging
his public honor to an independent, untram-
mellei, non partisan position and course, will
he found, We do not doubt. peculiarly en-
barras<ing," both 10 Gen Taylor himself and
to the wing leaders. who are already stIaning
every nerve 10 make him I" lend himself to
their party schemes !" How, with these dec
| laratons engraved on the memories of the
whole people, is Gen. Taylor 20 confront and
satisfy, or even begin 10 satisfy, that clamo.
rous and hungry multitude Of ultra wing of.
fee seekers who will haunt his Ilprisngs and
his down sllings from the moment that he
reaches Washington, if not even before he
starts from Baton Rouge. with that same fierce
AMI mercIless importantly which tormented
Gen. Harrison into his grave in month LIE,
him act towards these men for one day in the
>pirt OF his solemn pledges above cited. ana
before the sun sets, they and their friends and
their leaders will course him to his face !" II
riH be peculiarly EMBARRASSING
Next among Gen. Taylors " peculiar EN-
harraSsments we place the vote which will
have made him President 1t is vote made
up of the most heterogeneous combinations
wings, and half wings, and no whigs-inle-
pendents. and natives, and ee-soiIers, and
ahoIitoniSi-, and adopted citizens, with 2
strong infusion of dcmocrats-sectionalis, o
the North, who went for him because 9TH,
whlg party cmbodie< the measured an | mole
rate anti-s!avery feeling OF the country" AM
he ause they hal heard letters rea plcdgine
him not 10 veto the Wi'mot Proviso and sec
tIonalists of the South. who went for him a.
Il Southern man, bound by ali his interests an,
affinites, AMI pledged Ivy his own declaration,
10 stand by the rights of the South-men il
favor of reversing the policy of the country
ana men IN favor of letting it stand-men who
= want tariff for protection, and men who wan
4 tariff tor reVenue-men who want bank
and men who hate bank-men who wan
= the general government TO turn harhor- clearer
railroad builder, and canal igger-in- chief 70
, the nation, and men who hold any genera
scheme OF internal Improvements to be IL VIC
= ation of the observation-disclosures men, WIZ
inlulged silly fear that Gen. CaSs, if elected
would forthwith Gluten Cuba from Spain witt
one hand. and lash England straight INTO
!, war with the other; AMI other men, by n
:, means Quakersh. who went for Old lack
- because he was soldier, every inch of him
;. had made the camp his home from his hoy
: hood" had not slept under roof for tw
years or more," and would, if he had had hi
way, rs he told Gen Gaines. have taken, in
= steal of New Mexico AMI California, sir q
the Mexican provinces at least Such is bu
;, an inadequate sketch of the strange tumble &
!. antagonist political elements and interest
. which. against all natural af6nities, have ag
;. gregated themselves together, rather than Goa
Fl lesced, to place Gen Taylor in power! Ho,
y is ne 10 control their antagUnlem? What on
, palpab!e rule of action can he opt 1t
> not marked out for him in his past po!itic7
y career, for he has none II is not deducibI
| I"Ai HIS poiItICdl experience. LOT lie mas none
He cannot be very largely or intimately &C
o quainted with many OF the political men OF tn
i country and of the details of the politics G
different sections of the country he knows a
most nothing at all. He tells Us that his min
= ~ not made up az 10 great measures even {
q public policy. How difficult must he find
:. in such a stale of things, and amid such cor
tlcting interests all claiming To be represente
A. in him. even TO form his cabinet! He wi
, not hive sent into the Senate the names of hi
, principal secretaries, before large masses {
his supporters. in sore and sulIen diSappon
Q rncnt, will be leaving him in gangs Ii Wi
be peculiarly embarrassing" even from ii
start But suppose the first step taken, al
the cabinet formed Then will come bus
e ness still more g embarrassing" His inaugu
raj must foreshaIow, and his first mes sas
l. must describe. his policy. His policy! H;
,e he got any' Has he been elected upon any
IS Has ne given anybody to understand that
has any clear and definite views about the f
reign policy or the domestic policy of Il
country' Has he not ntimaled, on the Co
9 trary. that he has not any such views, al
that he means TO leave the whole thing
Congress- He has laid down the veto powe
Viii h. --y Il