The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-07-30

recover ms strength, and with vgor to resume the
ght, when that enemy was supposed TO be in the sbol
low OF the hand OF General be censure of Genera
Taylor then do censure If say believe thai Gen
taylor entered INTO that capiiuation by which the
operations OF our army IN Mexico were suspended 70,
elght weeks, when their active services We're deemed
important because of ''the fact of a recent obanre of
government IN Mexico believed to be favorable 10 the
interests OF peace, and that in that fact he was eceve
anu hupusge,i ne eensure upon General Taylor then
do censure. having before me General TayIor's own
Teporl-sven, Of course upon honor-to prove the fact
20 say approve OF Mr. Marcy's letter which ordered
me discontlnuance OF that amisice one of the terms of
hat captation, be oensure upon General Tayor then
I say 40 approve IT. and consequently do censure
h.d SIR nose who seek 70 cons,rue the povso which
had Inc honor 10 offer to the resolutions of thanks into
Gensqre' INTO an insult TO General Taylor are them
el.es ms greatest enemies and do him great injustice
oad I authors anu supporters Of the dlsa
voWeo suc an n'eniicp at the time and gave bv their
oes on the neiioa TO strike out, thanks and insert cen
Jury, S9,enposanenus exposition of this pronoslion.
and 'mron ' e wotia Know that il error existed
Sno Wo's views mad been formed hv the menohars M
congress- General Taylor, BY his mperfeot and nosat
A,.Sry report had required Congress 10 stuy them.
selves or come to that oonolsion because they insist
that the representatives of the American people have ~
that construction, pronounced that here General TAYLOR
committed an egregious bunder and that Judgment stands
unreversed because, by attracting public attention this
matter, instead OF making capital for the wing candidate
effect. 'O-''N
During this session, joint resolutions of thanks to
General Taylor for the victory achieved at Buena Vista
were introduced into this House; and upon motion made
BY one Of his political friends, Mr. Ashslus, Of Massa
chusetts,] there was appended TO the resolutions an
amendment, that the victory was won in " uncon.
sutlonally and unnecessarily commenced by the Presi
dent Of the United Staes.' Did this convey censure
upon General Taylor' 1t was not so intended by his
friends; yet | think this military chieftain would have
felt his cheeks tnge with shame to have read them for
the war was unnecessary and unconstitutional in It's
mencement, was equally unnecessary and unconsttu
onal IN its prosecutions and the war being Of this char
acter, he General Taylor the leader of licensed
band of murderers and highwaymen, who had been en-
gagged in the unholy work Of shedding innocent blood
He but successful buccaneer or land pirate skilled
in the art OF destroying those who had the manliness to
stand up and defend their homes their wives, and child
rem Such honors, though they had been pied up
tain high won in such would have paled, dwin
died, died before the eternal principles of justice, and
right, and truth. Such resolution, coupled with such
SENTIMENT would, in my estimation have dshonored
the and the brave soldiers who had the victo-
y and the day Will come when all OF countrymen
will so esteem it,
If Gen Taylor be the man have taken him to be- he
would have sworn in anger, for another He
more intimately associated with the commencement OF
this war with Mexico, than any man living He advised
The movement OF our army to the borders OF the Rio
Grande He of his own free will and discretion, pitched
his tent opposite Matamoros and pointed his guns
to bear upon the main plaza of that town. Ii his small
force invited the attack he responsible for its weak
ness, because he had full authority to enlarge at any
time. When all these things flashed across his mind
could he have regarded the resolutions other than direct
personal eilecon II he did not so feel, he is not the
man he boasts himself to be- "who asks favors and
But in the language of this truthful and faithful hsto
rian cannot say that those who voted for the motion
had determined to censure General Taylor 10 mock
him, or that they were conspraors or that they acted
from base, vindctive, party motives. am chariia
bic, and ouPpoee they actod with due but mistaken
sense of their responsibility TO God and their country
and as know acted from correct motives pronounce
the charge of "a determination to censure, false of be-
ing consprater, UNANIMOUSLY false and of acting from
"bdSe vndictive, "party motives" superatively false
General Taylor candidate for the presidency his
military character is not in the issue | am willing to
concede to him all that sort of merit which his
giant friends may claim for him. think he possesses ample
military knowledge TO answer the purposes of Chief
Magistrate but shall oppose his election with zeal and
industry with all the lent and all the influence which
can command; and IN dong so, shall act with
seriousness that am serving my country and It's best in
teress preserving and advancing prosperity and per-
petuang our liberty and glorious Institutions. shall
do because do not believe he the requisite
political information and experience. The able civilian
and the distinguished general not necessarily blended
in the same individual man may be an excellent pilot
which propels his vessel. A man may be accom-
plished mathematician, and yet be wholly unable to
struct house.
1t is no reflection upon General TAYLOR TO say he knows
nothing of the civil affairs of government, because he
has lived till he is threescore and five years old without
forming and expressing an opinion on those great meas
ures which have divided the people, and which, being
carried out, have borne this government upward and on
ward to our present proud eminence of prosperity and
greatness-an emlnence from which we hold out the
beacon light which invites and guides and cheers the
down trodden of all the earth into the paths of liberty and
republicansm In this vacancy OF mind he boldly takes
his position, flatooted, upon the mldam, and says
What majority OF these censorious congressman shall
think, will think. But unfortunately for this position
if he be elected President the constitution will require
him to think first The third section of the second arti
Gle of the constitution provides she Uhe Presdent)
SHALL from time TO time, give to the Congress Information
OF the state of the Union, and recommend TO their con-
Slderaon such he shall Judge necessary and
eXpeden Our foreathes silly enough to suppose
the people would have the and Independence to
lect thinking for Presdent-a man with some po
Itca principles; and they had constructed house o
his residence, and required him TO be always al his post
presumed, the representative OF the whole peo
pe he would what the true interests OF the country
required and therefore they made his duty TO collect
lay before Congress all proper information, to enable then
to legisate for the people of the Union, and recommend
the adoption of such measures he might Judge
ry and erpedient,
| From the political opinions which have been given GU
TO the country, what kind Of message would Genera
Taylor send to Congress' In the language of the gen
tleman from New Jersey, Mr.. VAN DYKE,] echo an
swers, Il don't know" A Taught Ii should Judge
from the staple of the speeches of his friends in his be
half before the people, ii would something after thu
fashion: 81 hold no opinion which would not readily
proclaim TO my assembled country men but crude i'm
pressions upon matters OF policy which may be right TO
day and wrong tomorrow, perhaps not the best ties
of fitness Tor Office One who cannot be trusted withou
pledges, t. without opinions cannot be confded II
merely account OF them General Taylor never sur
renders. General Taylor asks iavors, and shflnk
from responsibility General Taylor eats fat meat OF
a piece of cold bread, and cuts 1t with Barlow
knife, Mr. Critenden says little more grape, Cap
tain Bragg Pao Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey
and Buena Vista" IA Taught
One of the cardinal articles Of faith taught in thu
new edition OF the wing catechsm, is, that "Genera
Taylor never surrenders" His military history proves
this to be true but when you consider General Taylo
politician, ii has no foundation In fact He has