Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-02-18
GEN. TAYLoR,s LETTER rn cpr -

! ur
prise when we find that their desperate and
: patriotic efforts shall find a response from
q people. We mistake The signs OF The ,in,,
i shall become necessary for US 10 express on,
J, prise in the manner indicated.
!, We notice That some of the Wing leader. +.
E published in full General Taylors leuer !
h neral Gaines, from Monterey, Of OH Mover.
!! 1916, with expressions of high satisfaction :,
contents.
! The General says il was written %, ;.
4 haste" and We incline TO The opinion, ,hs, !
: had MOI written Tin great haste" he wop4 J.
Ter due reflection, have written in H.
;. which marks his letter. II our recoIIe,,.'.
coTreci, We now ;ake from his letter Tho 49,,
e which prndenec appears TO have dictated A..
= who controlled the letter, when f,st publish.
Suppress
/. II have, with solicilude and interes, w..
IL over The result OF The investigation; and am.
j; II was not, as regards The opinion d; he O.
; Inquiry, what | could have wished /, y,
,. as much as ! could have expected cons
e The hostile feeling entertained tawdl.s ~.
h some OF The high iuncli0naries a. Wa,hle.,.
d was fearful that the President might IA ~.
i" tent, and even without being aware Q, il r.,
|, some OF The preIutices and unsind lee.jr,.'
those around him in regard 10 Won. Il
: was no doubt restrained IRON carrying her
Il lar, IN consequence Of public opinion, wh.s
i ne must have found, was decidedly in ,out 4,
= he That, however, as il may, taking il alce...
!, ! am gralitied al, he result
: | moved in such a way, and with such IN
means, that had | not succeeded, shout
, doub! haze been severely repfimandcd, i. nc.
y worse. did So 10 sustain The Admnls!ls
but do not believe The Administration 10 l. /,
posed 10 sustain me in So doing"
Here we find motives imputed 10 the Pies +.
which none, at The lime The letter Was VIII.
would have said we're warranted by The cc...
Of The President The fact is well known
"public opinion" was not in ayor al Grn. Gar.
though there was willingness 10 excuse HI, n
duct, from The belief that he meant well hu /.
his action was an error OF Judgment.
We think, from The relation Gen. Taylor !,
10 the high iunc!ionaries al Washington /,
it was improper in him to insinua,e thai !.
would be governed by the "hosle feeling" y.
they felt towards Gen Gaines. Surely the /:
neral must have been in greater haste thar
creates, captain Of the age was, when he VIZ.
letter over "hasty plate Of sonp," or he ".
not have said, 81 did So 10 sustain The admls
tration, bur do not believe the administration
be disposed 10 sustain me in SO doing" ~
we believe that the object OF both The admins,
ton ami Gen. Taylor was the same, tiat ~ !.
tanning THE COUNTRY; and The opinion Of G.
TAYLOR, that the administration was no, disr,s
10 sustain him, reminds US OF the fable Z, /.
arms and the belly, in which, il will be recca.
Ell, that the hands accused the belly OF beil: /;
idle fellow, who would do nothing bu, ca, u, Z.
labor Of the hands, and The latter determine. !
longer 10 help such,a lazy fellow, and The re-,
was, by stopping The "timbet" Of The former,
weakened the arms OF the hands that lhcy /
tell an easy prey the enemy. So it would b,
been with the administration, il il had refuse
"suslai in" Gen. Taylor-the interest was "a
mon one 10 both, and one loo OF The first con.L|
ration, involving nothing less than The rishs 4:
honor Of our glorious country.
Ii certainly would be immeasurably telcw |
standard which is claimed for Gen. TaylG
suppose that unless he acted from that huniet |
pulse, which will at times betray the wisesl 4
The best into error, he would have represc:
/, IL 1,
administration. when il is iair 10 suppose thai g;
~ pulsation Of his heart was in unison with
rights and honor Of his country, which the P.sI
Gent and himself were alike the servants Of
We recoIlect, when the capilua.ion Of MosI
rey reached Virginia, that il was not irsatei Il
party matter a, all, and the opinion was as H.
expressed by Wings as by Democrats h, CT
Taylor erred in judgment on that occasion, i
though the Wing leaders would now hare |
people 10 believe that nobody except the Dau /
Gratis ever looked upon il in any other ligh, ia
that OF the creates, wisdom.
We give an extract from The Gaines Letter /.
ting forth some of The views which conlrollet
action Of Gen. Taylor, in reference TO Ina! n /
ter. We never doubted that he acted lot
best; but, certainly, we are warranted in say
tina! he placed too much confidence in The saenf
made BY Gen. Ampuda, who, i! may be ).
never "voed lie, yet it may be remar ket, Ina
mistatements to Gen. Taylor cover quite as d.
ground as though he had SO voted.
II Gen. Taylcr had been Democratic Gepk
we would be warranted in saying, from The c,.
rate course The Wing leaders have pursucdlovat
the Administration and against The ir.eres, d y
they wonld have raised Inc cry aga y
he brave old General that he had turned loo, II
powerful and we'll disciplined Il
which had soon turned against our galan; ari
with additional forces, which had cost the los
he lives Of hundreds OF our own brave rooI,t
irving them back. We believe that he i
'mo.ion OF patriotism which fills the hear, o,Gt.
layior, alike causes every true parro, 10
nduIsenily upon errors OF judgment in lho.egt
lave s'aked their lives in defence Of their "A
rvs honor, and hence the Democrats ser y.
mpuie any Thing more than an error d. ia
nen', when they differ in opinion with ,ho>c
ave rsked their lives in the just cause d b, Z
,oun'ry. Here follows The extract from
iaines letter alluded Il:
Although The terms OF capiulalon NAV b. I
ideTed too iihefas on our part hy Inc Pre-. 4
ID his advisers, as well as by many Then 4 IL
istance, particularly by those who do no Ut.:is
tand The position which We occupied (o,hersi
hey might come 10 a different concn>ign
esaTd to the mater, YET, on due reflection,
oihlng 10 induce me 10 regret The course | III
ned. The proposition On The part OF Gen d
udia, winch had much to do 10 determining 6 4
curse 10 the mauer, was based on The eIoG
hal our government had proposed 10 him u :
he existing difficulties by negotiation, (Hnic
new was The case, without knowing The rest
Which was then under consideration by The
er authorities, and which he (Gen. Al ha
ouot would result iavofably, as The whoie |
copIe were in favor of peace. II so, consIc@t
ne further efusion OF blood no, only unnccesS
Ut improper. Their force was also consite l
srser than ours; and from The size and 20, /
The place, we could not completely inye' I
. lha, the greater portion Of their troops, i
'e whole, bad they been disposed to do So, n
ny night, have abandoned The city, al once III
'Td The mountain passes, and effected the
eat, do what We could Had We teen 7.
lie alternative OF taking the place BY 80 A