The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-10-03
GEN. TAYLoR'S LETTER.
BATON ROUGE, OA) June %. 1874

BATON ROUGE, OA) June 90, 1913.
GENTLEMEN Il have the honor 70
knowledge the receipt of your polite comm
nication of the 9th instant, calling nv a,tau
ton to certain statements relative to nv nos;
ton before the country as a candidate for ~,
Presidency, which are represented to haro
been made in the Wing National Conycpt;or
recently held in Philadelphia, pending liz, ,r'
ton of that body, by Judge SAUNDERS. ~
Louisiana, in the name of the delegation fror-
that State; and requesting to be informed
whether such statements were made by nv,
authority. / have 10 inform you, in reply. Tim;
on their way to that Convention, Judges WIN
CHESTER and SAUNDERS, of the Louisi,n.
delegation-who cave been for many years
nv personal friends and neighbors-wrote -
me requesting my views, before the MEETINGS.
the Convention, as to the course desired nv
friends to pursue in that body. In two Com.
munications, addressed 10 them in reply. lin.
formed them, in substance, that at my distanrs
from the scene it would be quite impossible e.
me to give any specific instructions upon the
subject ; that many questions or continoen.
gencies might arise, during the action of the
Convention, the character of which | copld
not fortell; and that they must, therefore &C,
sumo the responsibility of acting for me; thu,
felt nv honor and interests safe in tbe;r
hands, and that whatever they should see A.
to do / would most cordially approve.
/ substantially informed them, further. that
unless they should discover an evident dispo.;.
to treat me unfairl (which had no reason for
supposing would be the case-I thought tia,
my friends should go into the Convention. as
they had been selected by their fellow-citizens
for this purpose but that, having once enter
ed it, they were Of course bound, if were
nominated, TO sustain and support the nomi-
nee, whoever he might be, and that hoped
they would do so, heart and soul. That was
a candidate for the Presidency only so far rs
my friends had chosen to make ME one ; bu,
that, having been placed in my present a;ti-
tude towards that subject without any agency
or act of my own, directly or indirectly, did
not feel myself at liberty, by any such act, to
withdraw myself that my friends, in whose
hands had ever been, could do so whenever
they should see fit: and, finally, that if they
should succeed in electing to that office any
one better qualified for its duties than was
and who was at the same time honest, truthful
and patriotic, it was their duty to 20 for him
and that, so far from being disappointed or
Such think, has been the language which
have uniformly held on this subject since nv
name was first mentioned in connection viii
IT. L regret that have not a copy of my com
munications to Judges Saunders and Winchestc7:
but the above believe to be their substance. In.
der the general authority. then, thus given these
gentlemen, shall deem whatever statements thew
may have made to be right and proper; and, con.
tdent in their integrity, and in the sincerity OF
their friendship for me, shall sustain them with
ont qualification. l. therefore, take upon mTovn
shoulders the responsibility of the acts Of the
Louisiana delegation in that Convention, and am
prepared to stand by the consequences, in their
length and breadth.
regret exceedingly that my friends il Bali
more, whom you represent, should have Thus mis-
understood the course pursued by the Louisiana
Delegation in the Convention, and should have
imagined that had abandoned the position
which have uniformly held in my published let
tiers on this subject.
feel bound, however to respect the opinions
of those who honestly differ with me, and. there
fore, while feel conscious of no change Of feeling
or Inconsistency on my part. l cannot expect or
desire that any If my friends whom vow rrpr--
sent should do violence t. their own sense ofriaht
and wrong, by supporting my election, while they
believe have changed my political views Task
no man be he Wing. Democrat. or Native, iorhis
vote. take every American citizens interest III
The welfare of his country to be as pure and rs
ieep as my own; and have therefore no right
md certainly no desire, TO influence his action in
he exercise of the important duty of voting for
he officers Of his Government.
Though have no objection TO your circulat-
ing this communication among such of ur
friends as may be interested in it, vet request
hat it may not be published. My aversion 10 the
appearance Of my name in the public prints. in
with such subjects, is my apology FIR
he request.
With great respect gentlemen, am your O.
oedient servant L. TAYLOR.
Messrs. CHAs. II. PITTs, JOHN W. WALKER
Tn. 5. ALEXANDER, and others, of Baltimore,
Nd