The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-07-17

The WASHINGTON UHioN AND GENERAL TAY-
LoR.-In late article in the Washington Unmw,
the editor, IN discussing the importance ofa union
of democrats for the sake OF the Union" and in
connection with the Wilmot proviso, says that
the election Of General Taylor to the Presidency,
will produce tremendous 81 ctional agitation, in
and out Of Congress, on the question of slavery,
and that the Northern and Southern wings will
each hope much from that "confusion of ideas
and manifest infirmiry of purpose" which have
characterized the Generals letters, touching his
acceptance of the nomination by the whig ma
tional convention.
We cannot, for the life of us, see that the elec-
ton Of General Taylor, more than the elevation Of
General Cass, to the Presidency, would produce
such tremendous sectional agitation in Congress,
as is spoken of by the Union; neither can we per-
ceive from General Taylor's letters, nor from his
past history, that he, above all men, can be ac-
cused of confusion of ideas or an infirmity of
purpose. 1t cannot, with any regard to truth or
honesty, be asserted that that great hero exhibited
any signs of either of these mental disqualification
in the Mexican war. Surely he showed no con-
fusion of ideas or infirmty of purpose in the
battles of Palo Alto or Resaca de la Palma. Mel
ther did he exhibit any in the captare of Mon
terey; and more than all, there was no confusion
of ideas or infrmi,y of purpose. IN his mastery
conduct in the field Of Buena Vista. Where, then,
has he shown those weaknesses In his letters
In regard to his nomination TO the Presidency?
Jus, the reverse In all his letters on that subel
General Taylor has been consistent throughout.
His ideas have been as clear and his determi-
nation as strong as they could be this subject,
from the time when he was first nominated for that
high Office, by the Neso York Herald, until he was
nominated by the wing national convention in
Philadelphia. These remarks and charges of the
Untom are gIatuitous, and made of the same stuff
as dreams are composed of.
If a sectional agitation should succeed General
Taylors election TO the Presidency, between the
ulras of the North and those of the South, on the
question Of slavery, General Taylor would be en-
phatically the man for the crisis, as much so as
General Cass. The latter is firm and determined
man, too, and would doubtless make an excellent
President; but from present appearances, his elec-
ton is very doubtful, say the least. But if those
ultras carried their mutual hostility SO far as to dis
regard the federal compact, and endanger by their
madness and folly, the peace and harmony of this
glorious confederacy, General Taylors firmness of
purpose, and cleaness and cemprehenslveness of
view, would be just the weapons to promptly sup
press such an insane state of things. He could be
as much depended upon in such an emergency as
General Jackson and his efforts to quell an out
break of that kind would be attended with as much
success as We're General Jackson's in the matter
of South Carolina notification.
What, then, becomes of the charges of the Union
about General Taylors confusion of ideas or in
trinity of purpose! If the editor Of the Union.
wants any further proof of the error which he has
committed in this respect, we would refer him to
General Taylor's correspondence with Secretary
Marcy He would find that there is very little
confusion of ideas or infirmity of purpose IN the
letters which he indited to that functionary