The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-18
PRESIDENT TAYLOR AND HIS CABINET

The opposition presses have been making
merry for several weeks over a falsehood
that has been industriously circulated, to
the effect that President TAYLOR is merely
one of eight in his Cabinet; that he is in
the habit Of submitting his nominations for
office to that body, giving vote with the
rest of them, and abiding by the result.
It is said, in terms, that he has abnegated
the Presidential power, and is of no more
weight or account in public affairs than
any one of his seven Cabinet officers.
We have never thought it worth while
to contradict this absurd falsehood. 1t
never occurred to us that sane man
would give it credit for moment 1t is
SO entirely inconsistent with General TAY-
LoR's well-known character, with his habits
of thought and his habits of life, that we
supposed the statement carried the lie on
the face of it. To believe that man whose
whole career has been passed in school
in which the relations of position and duty
are so well understood, and so uniformly
regarded-to believe that soldier of forty
| years. service could so unlearn all that
forty years have taught him, as to place
himself in such false attitude with regard
to Cabinet officers of his own appointment,
requires such marvellous development of
the bump Of credulity, that we could not
imagine there was man outside of a
museum, or lunatic asylum, who honest
ly believed il.
But it is unfortunately true that the con-
tinual repetition even of an absurd false
hood, gives il ultimately some sort of Gre
dit with those who are disposed to believe
it. Perhaps, if it should be published daily
in the opposition newspapers that Presi-
dent TAYLOR wore his head under his
shoulders, some people, in the course of
time, would believe it, and fortify their be-
lief on the ground that, if it was not true,
his friends would contradict it. 1t is this
which leads us to notice and to contradict
the statement to which we have alluded.
We aver, therefore, most distinctly,
that all the statements which have appear
ed in the opposition newspapers, of the
character and effect of those to which we
above refer, are absolutely and unquali-
fedly false.
| The President of the United States in
no instance submits his prerogative to the
chances of vote in the Cabinet. The
appointments vested in the President, the
President has made on his own response
bility. The applications for such appoint
ments, that have been refused, have been
refused on his own responsibility. He has
never sought to implicate the Cabinet, or
any member of the Cabinet, in the respon-
sibility of such refusal. Every diplomatic
appointment of any importance has been
made by the President himself, of his
own motion, and from his own judgment,
on the merits and claims of the respective
candidates. With regard to the inferior
and local appointments, which belong pro-
perly to the Heads of Departments, he has
left them where they belong, without seek
ing to interfere. In making these appoint
ments the members of the Cabinet have,
of course, been compelled to consult to-
gether, in order to arrange and equalize
the appointments in different sections, and
to prevent conflicting or double appoint
ments, or too great preponderance in partic-
ular localities. These appointments the
President has not interfered with, because
it is no part of his Presidential duty. II has
never been considered part of the Presi-
dental duty, except by one or two of our
Chief Magistrates, who have been afflicted
with that species Of egotism which germi-
mates in the temper of despot or dema-
gogue.
President TAYLOR does not interfere
with the clerks, porters, and messengers
IN the Departments. In our judgment he
ought not to interfere with them. II is
difficult for US to conceive that any gentle
man could remain at the head of Depart
ment without being left at perfect liberty
to select the subordinates for whose atten-
ton, capacity, and fidelity he is response
bic. We do not know any President who
has, at any time, undertaken to regulate
these matters, except possibly the late
Chief Magistrate and President JACKSON.
twas matter Of notorious complaint against
the late President that he was continually
I Tor II. Al 4