Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1848-10-24

The following eloquent aud torcibIe article
forms the leading editorial OF Mondays Phil
adel pbia North American:
TAYLOR AND HIS ENEMIES-THEIR
TESTIMONY.
We publish. in another column, Princi-
pal portion OF the spe Oh ol Col. Jefferson
Davis delivered of a Locoioco meeiingin Ray
monl Mississippi as we find it reported IN
The Nicksburgh IYhig. Il j. the testimony
OF d brother soldier-a brave and distin-Nl~h-
ed one--his political foe-a pledged and ouen
foe-to the merits aud virtues OF Geu. lay
Tor. and. as such, "a view Of the circcms'an-
c,s connected with il, IL may be considered
as testimony of The most striking. aud even
affecting character; the proof OF which l. The
impression il produced upon The audience
the 'ihuudcrs # involuntary applause The
''Checis. the excitement, ALT the out bursi
OF irf-pr s,ibir, heart deep feeling. which II
drew from Lucoioccs, men bound. II not 90
bigrd." like the speakers, "to vote Tor Csss
and Butler Colonel Davis acquired hl5l
appreciation by his CALAMITY at Buena VISA.
Perhaps il was not increased 10y his late Ell
forts IN the United States Senate. At Ray
moud the Southern mau and political partisan
were forgotten; there was magic III tie
name aud recollection OF the Hero OF Bupnd
inth utiNlt Nuiet ltoitf anu : tiiHHi 'eNf''
melted away aud, for a moment a least,
Colonel Davis appeared again Ia proud aud
noble attitude before his country-iu prou-
der and u,bIer one thsn he occupied even III
that mighty field OF victory which is the field
Of his iame-doing justice, Ia despite oi po-
lltcs 10 the great heart and lofty qualities OF
+ the man OF whom he avoNs himself the pied
ged party enemy.
lie (ColoEel Davis said. if any person
expected him TO speak evil OF General lay
/ ior, they would be disappointed There
+ was something in that. 1t Is really some
+ thing IN these, our degenerate DAYS, when a
Locoinco orator refuses To speak evil OF a
/ Wing candidate for the Presidency. Was
ever one known 10 spare Henry Clay or Gen.
+ Harris N Ii was Tar, far better, however,
when Colonel Davis assigned as reason Tor
! THIS omission, that che knew no evil OF the
old hero ;" and ten, yieilng 10 the feeling,
! the generous, honorable, manly feelings OF
soldier of one who bad deserved TO fight by
| the side Of such d comma nder IN such battle
as that OF Buena Vista, he spoke OF him as
one OF the purest aud nobiesi men the world
! had ever seen" Nowonder, as The report has
/ it, .'he Colonel seemed greatly moved when
speaking the truth OF such man, among enc
ifie. who. doubtless, came expecting 10 hear
him abuspd-slaadeIed ndieuled, denounced,
according TO the usual fate OF Wings IN his
position--as an "afistucfat, 'iederalsi,
/ t,rant to the volunteers. an ignoraut weak
Old soldier, who never studied political econ
omy and refused 10 massacre the women and
children Of Monterey, &c. &c. And no
wonder that the eulogy, yelling suddenly
ana irresstibly out OF the speakers heart,
great but glorious indiscretlon, was, as The re-
porter describes it. beyond all question, The
/ finest he ever heard
/ Il is not necessary we Should review all
4 the good and true things said by Col. Davis OF
Gen. Taylor ia this speech but there Is one
passage worthy oil particular commentary,
con aiming cer;ain expression uttered BY
Gen. lsyior on the field OF bAitle-we never
saw or heard ol il helofe-mhith il we weigh
all the sentiments it conveys aud the circutn-
stances under which Il was spoken, cannot but
be consld red one OF the grdndest that cvef
came from the lips OF man. ''ie SAID that
during the progress OF the battle, alter he
/ (Coi. Ddvis) was wounded, General Taylor
came aud "a down by him-the firm deter
I miualon on his brow seemed struggling with
an expression OF deep sorrow for the brave
! fellows who had lalleu, aud those who we're
i yet to Bile the dust--when, ON being lnterro-
gated IS to his purpose, be replied, while the
X
eve" Jig 1couadod arc bshind me, and 1
tolA HeUer pass them atirei'
Who has not Imagination enough 10 sum
mon up before his minds eve the picture OF
things existing on the field OF Baend Vista,
at the moment " hen these words were al err
ed Twenty thousand Mexicans pressing on
lex and last into the fatal gorge II was
uatrie wr,'' =, eIs-the second day, When the
Mexican army, twelve thousand o tnemi atc'
vanced IN a single column, pressed III upon
that one point, on the left, 10 force the Anne
rlcsn llnes-the moment when O'Bden'a ar
uilery, expressly acrificed-deUoted, accord
log to the good Old Roman fashion--to save
the army. was turned over by he FIVE living
aruiierlsls-all that renained--to the enemy,
: while Sherman and Bragg were rushing up,
under whip and spur, with all the disposable
r.iiemen and infantry, TO check, il possible,
the Mexican success; the moment when even
r Bragg asked support, tor which Taylor, who
had none to give him. substituted the order TO
, maintain his position at every hazard the
: moment decisive OF the event OF bitue--the
moment OF the death strugsle--the moment
OF danger, and-yes. Tor that first and only
tIme--ol iear-the moment WHEN American
volunteers were flying from the feld-the
moment, as many brave men thought, OF inn
: pending defeat that was the moment whe
; Gen. Taylor in the very midst OF the melee
--or he was at the exposed spot encouraging
the troops by his presenCe-stoopingo over The
wounded Ahssissipiidn who perhaps expect
Ell the order tor retreat, which seemed to DE IN
his thoughts, decIared-'My wounded are be-
hind mel shall never pass them alive"
Who does not know what would have been
The tate OF the American wonnded--they marc
just behind IN the farm buildings oi Buena
Vista ad TAYLOR ordered d retreat 1t was
ON tina; very morning that so nauy American
soldiers, wounded ia front OF the battle, were
assasslnated by the Mexican Iancers. To re-
treat, would have been the signal OF death 10
all. Aud therefore it was that Gen. Taylor
uttered those memora lie words, in which the
resolution TO fight 10 the last was founded,
I not upon dream of ambition, but a senti-
/ menl Of humanity. In the excitement of
victory and the peril OF defeat, his heart was
the sdme--a kind, generous faithful. heroic
heart. The women and chidren.ol Monte
rev, and the wounded Americans at Bueua
Vista these were the thoughts that filled his
mind' aud came with equal insllncllvene
~ moments OF glory and misfortune. A com
mon hero would have declared be would fall,
but not retreat--belng his resolution on
pnhclple OF prl lie aud honor. "My wounded
are behind me, cried our own great hearted
man OF victory; 81 shall never pass them a.
1--we J" lie never would have LEFT them 10 The
mercies OF Mexican butchery.
No wonder that Col Davis, himself, a
wounded man, who heard these woIis spoken
on the field OF battle, knew no evil OF The
old hero, aud spoke OF ham as one of the pu-
rest and nobesl men the world has ever seem"
20 wonder he Was "gr ally moved la spe. k
inp OF uen. Taylor; aud no wonder This
IL a
thunders OF applause, II is only wonderful
THAR Col Davis. compelled hy his t.aIipe,. IN