Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1848-10-11
Personal Character Of Gen.
TAYLOR.

j A0y oOos
The letter which we give below va
: written by q gentleman who has long en-
joyed the pleasure Of an intima. 20 persona
. acquaintance with General Tnyl Tor.
was written at tho request OF a friend. VIII
; has placed it in our hands for publication
II nccords with all our own impressions
f Of the Gems. character, and with ths
opinions Of all whom we have heard speal
Of him from personal knowledge. W.
arc not at liberty 10 name the writer, bu
We can state that he is gentleman wide
~ known for his p'cty and talents. whose
name, if given. would command universe
confidence in tho truth and sincerity oil
his statements. With tina, conscientious
ness which distinguishes him. he has boon
careful moi TO give too high q colOring to
his portrait, for in private note he says:
81 fenr have not made what you wished,
but was afraid to let my henrt pour its
.trickiings out Of the end Of my pom, lens.
my culogy should bnvo made readers dis
trust me as too partial. - National III
teiiigencer.
LOUISIANA, SEPTEMBER IL, 1918.
My DEAR Sir
1t affords mo pleasure to
comply with your request TINT ] would
communicate to you the opinion which a
personal acquaintance with General Tay-
lor has induced me to form Of his charac-
ter. think know him we'll; and. with.
out reference to recent public events. both
in Mexico and at home. which placed him
conspicuOusly before tho country, shall
speak Of the traits wh.ch distinguish him
as a man. As you well know, ] keep n
loot from tho strife Of parties; the heat
and dust Of tho political arena hive no
charms for me; and You must therefore
take nv estimate Of the Generals char
actor as being that merely Of IN humble
individual, who, with some opportunities
Of observation, has contemplated the man,
without nssocia,ing him with either the
battlefield or Presidential chair.
have been sometimes not n little n
unused by the question, very seriously pro-
pounded, whether Gen. TIA lor was not n
perfect clomn in his manners. doub,
not that his sou5riquct Of "Rough and
take. While with the A rmy. and especi-
ally in the field he lived (as learn from
friends who were with him. very much as
his soldiers did: oil had something to do
more important than studying the Cruces
OF The toilet. His external appearance.
there. fore, was trough enough; and ]
think it quito probable tina, ut Palo Alto or
Buena Vista he might, to the outward
man. have boon mistaken for enc Of his
baggage teams,crs have sarn h,m n,
his own home. when he reminded me Of "
plain homes, New England farmer. in his
working dress. But rough in any 9th
ar ,-anse than that Of accommodating his |,
a np,r,! to his employment. he is not. !
hive seo,, him, in his military undress. re-
ce;ve OFFICIALLY. the City Authorities and
w RON. Deputatit.:s in Now Orleans, and
his dcpor,mont on those occasions was
unaffected, modest, and d'gn'fiod. lie
has the element Of all true courtesy in the
kindness of his nature; for, IT, 'ugh con.
brave, he has yet mIch OF
The scnsibili,y and tenderness Of wome?'s
nature when he looks on human suffering. !
| remember that when no was received IN
New Orleans, on his return from Mexico
with all tho honors that the State and City |
could offer, he seemed insensib'e to the
.ri butte rendered to himself, in his appre-
hension that, among the thousands who
crowded around the ,riumphal procession,
some Of the women and children might
probably be injured. 1t is possible that
General TAYLOR may be ignorant OF some
Of the points Of etiquette. purely conven-
tional, established by what is called the
fashionable world. have not. however,
observed in him any such want Of knowl- :
edge and, both in manners and feeling,
should call him gentleman.
He is not n man Of many words; this
may result in part from the fact that he
has a slight impeachment in his utterance.
(it is very slight. however;) but more. J |
apprchend. from the natural modesty OF
his disposition. He is man OF thought
and action rather than ofspeech. when. 7
however, he does speak, he expresses him.
self in few words, ~ell-choser. and nl- /
ways to the point. In the familiar inter-
course Of private friendship he is less re- /
and in such circumstances, his !
character will be most highly appreciated. /
As 10 his intellectual powers, his mind !
is far above the common order. Its dis
cha acteristic Is sound Judg-
ment. should not deem II either brilliant !
or rapid in its exercise; but it Is acute and /
OF all the men whom
have known none has been more consPicu-
Gus than Gen. Taylor for ''doing has orcn
thinking" Possessed Of a strong clear
head, no reasons himself into his conclu- I
sions. and thew are invar bly, marked BY
good practical common sense. You will
naturally inquire what are his at,ainmen,s;
how for he has furnished himself with (
material for thought! And hero again
las in the case Of his manners great mis- !
take prevails. General Taylor possess far
more information. derived from actual
study. than hundreds of those who write
dispnrngingly Of his understanding. Hi.
studies have been chiefly in history. L
have been told bv some Of his officers.
who served with him for years OF our
Westcrn frontier that III his leisure there