Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-06-20
From Tie Washington Union
LipDard'S Letter.


General Taylor could never have been e.
lected without the vote Of the Taylor Dem
ocrats, and, he could never have obtained
their votes without the pledges which he
gave. We call the readers attention
particularly To- the, correspondence which
passed between Mr.. Lirpard and Genera
Taylor during the campaign. The Gen
erals letter TO Mr.. l.. has been frequently
published, but Mr. LIS letter TO the Gen
eral is now for the first time given TO the
world. This letter sheds light upon the
Generals 1t shows why the General
wrote his letter, land Aoey it is to be inter.
preted:
PHILADELpHE,, May p, 1919.
Will you pardon me if make bold to
say few words with you in explanation
Of the reasons which induced me to support
you for the President of the United States?
These reasons may also give some idea OF
the motives which swayed hundreds OF
thousands Of your fellow citizens.
! am no politician. never yet asked
for an office and certainly shall not ask
one at your hands. In speaking t. you,
| do not lay claim to any political innl-
ence. am backed by no clique: con.
troll no b: dy Of voters: only speak to you
as q citizen of the United States, havln;
no influence beyond my vote an1 the train
which l utter.
In the year. 1917, while a member o.
the Democratic Association Of the county
of Philadelphia, began tho first OF seri
les Of four works upon the history of NJ ex.
leo. The first 10 ok of the series was in
tended to comprise history Of your cam
paigns in Mexico. While writing that
work, | became vividi1 impressed with the
frankness, the iron Common sense, the un.
swervipg sincerity of your character. Sick
Of the warfare of parties, looke1 to you
asthe man who had been called by Provi-
dence 10 put an end to the bitterness of this
warfare, by assuming the position of WASH
tNeFoN-not with parties, but in the hearts
OF the people.
And this ida of your character, enbod
led in the work to which reference is made,
was .dltlused by its pages among q class OF
voters entirely distinct and separate Eon
the Wing party: a class Of voters who, i'm
bued with the progressive spirit of Chris,
tiani.y, are opposed to the principles Of the
Whig party, as embodied in the history of
the w hig corporation of Philadelphia and
who are in favor Of judicial AMI national
retorm-who advocate the freedom Of the
public domain and The righ, of labor to the
harvest ofits toll. This idea induced me
to desert my party associations, break par
ty lines, and advocate Zachary Tavlor as
candidate for the people,
En- the NORTH Of April l845, your chanc-
es for the presidency were vague and IN.
certain. i he Fhig politicians in Phia-
delphla--at least the most prominent of
them all-lairly laughed at the mention
of your name in connection with that high
offrce. When the Baltimore Cnvention as
sembled, it was the earnest hope of thou
sands of the Democratic masses that you
would receive the nomination at the hands
of the representative Of the Democratic
party. This hope proved fruitless. Blu,
a: the whig convention, assembled in Phil
adelphia, June 1913, party lines were final
ly broken; the very spirit and front of the
whig party were crushed. Henry Clay,
ballotted for in the name Of the whig party,
failed to receive its votes, and Zachary
Taylor, nominated, Gin the name Of the
people," was presented 10 the people with
out any other platform than his in1epen.
dence from the spirit and tramme.s Of
party.
Doubtless, you have often had described
to- you the scenes which mark the histo-
ry of this June convention-lhe dismay Of
the whig politicians Of the veritable whig
school-:he curses both loud and deep,
with which they breathed your name-::he
three-Gold sacrafce ofwhig principles, ,whig
platforms, and Henry Clay at the feet OF
Zachary Taylor. ....-.. ...
Nominated at this convention amid tire
ruins of whgism, and nominated in the
name of the people, the whig party did not
dare TO claim you as veritabie whlg, ol
the true whig stamp, until about the 5th
of July, IS45, ,whenhews came to Philade!-
phia that Hon. Bale Peyton had in New
Orleans, solemnly endorsed you as whg,
and placed your feet somewhere amid the
ruins of the demolished whig platform.
This statement gave inexrressible pain
10 thousands of your friends in Pennsylva'
pia.-W ell aware that you had not been
nominated as the candidate oil any party,
certain, that you could not by any chance
be elected in the name or on the platform
Of the whg party, your friends-l speak of
the masses, who loved you for yourself and
for your independent position received the
statement of Mr.. Peyton with an emotion
that was not to be mistaken or evaded.-
Thev felt that either Mr.. Peyton was in
error. or that Zachary Taylor had falsified
his oit.reported pledges Under the inffu-
ence Of this wide spread teeling, ! made
hold TO write and send to you the following
letter. Its very abruptness of style ildl'
Gates the sincerity which impelled the COM
position: -
T PHILADELPHIA, July s. 1645.
General: Will you regard word from
friend as impertinent and obtrusive! J
is after great deal of reluctance that an
induced to trouble you again; but having
faith in you now, as | have ever had sine
| pledged what literary reputation pos
sessed to you in my book-"IHE LEGED