Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-03-30
RICHMOND, VA.
Thursday Morning, March 20. Is40.
"THE FREE-SOILERS ASSAlLING GENE
RAJ TAYLOR


Times quoted with qualification charge in tn
New York Evening Post, Barnburning paper
that General Taylor had personally taken
great interest in the success of Walker of Wis
Cousins amendment to the Appropriation bill
and that 1.-THE two Administrations .labored sid
by side in the attempt TO carry it through:
General Taylor was as anxious as the con
ductor Of the Washington Union that it shoul'
receive the sanction of the House Of Represen
tativcs, and every body in Washington knew
members, attempting to persuade them that tns
best thing they could do for the country woult
be 10 accept the compromise proposed oy w al
ker, devoving the whole responsibility OF the
introtsction of slavery into the territories upor
President who il himself stakeholder
So delighted was the Times with this eVi
dence, that, referring to the attack in The
Evening Post, it exclaimed
est will show that the influence of General
Taylor's accession to the Presidency is so deep
ly deprecated by that agitating faction, (the
fres-soiiers) that they already charge him with
using efforts, at the close of the late Congress,
ry question, pretending 10 esteem this patriotic
offence one Of the most heinous outrages OF
which any man in public station could possibly
be guilty.
eve hope Southern readers will consider well
the reasons assigned by the Post for its indig-
nation, and if General Taylor's course has just
" dratcn upon him such reproaches from the
Free Sellers, let each Southern voter ask him.
calf thD 20 fha INN n
make common war with that party against a
Southern President"
Without dwelling particularly upon The incon-
sistency OF this supposed movement on the part OF
Gen. Taylor, taken in connexion with The Allison
and other letters, wherein it was laid down that il
was "neilher important nor necessary" that
President should have any opinions OF his own
and that he should most scrupu.ously refrain
from lhrus,ing his personal opinions upon
members Il Congress, we confess We were
pleased with the assumed course of General Tay.
Tor, and were gra,ied that he had al last unseal-
ed his lips on the Wilmot Provso and was ready
to stand by the South on so vital question.
But Tuesdays National Intelligencer, the OF.
fetal "organ" of the new President, dashes away
all such visions 0! hope on the par, Of The South
1t quotes Inc same New York Evening POST
which says:
1.-THE tact that, after he came 10 WASHINGTON
in February, General Taylor Interested himself
in favor OF the scheme, walkers and was
anxious that il should get majority in the
House Of Representatives, is not denied b. any
paper in Washington, and will mol be-"
II also quotes similar statements from Gid
dings' speech in Ohio, since his return home
from Congress. The lnIelIigcncer then official.
ly repudiates and rejects the statements, in the
following article, which we give entire, SO as 10
avoid all misconceplion. 1.-THE italics are our
own:l
"The above articles reached US from different
quarters about the same time, and, satisfied lha,
lhey misrepTesenled the motives and conduct 0!
the President in The matter referred 10, acs hare
tahen some pains to ascertain the facts in the case
and now beg briefly TO state them.
ut was very natural tina, the President and his
friends should, in common with all The friends Of
the country, auxiously desire that some law
should pass Congress TO enable the Executive 10
govern California; 10 prevent those scenes OF riot
and bloodshed which have dsgraced the new
Territories in their present stale OF unbrded an.
archy; 10 subject The people, and especially the
munudes now proceeding 10 The gold region, 10
the salutary restraints Of law and order; and 10
redeem our solemn treaty obligation with Meyi.
leo 10 maintain a government for The protection
OF the cCuntry we had obtained from her. The
President and his frieEds were doubtless
earnestly DESTROYS that Congress should iul.
ly enable him 10 see The laws faith.
fully executed in California and New Mexico
6u, we can take upon ourselves TO say, that il
IS untrue that either he or they expressed an,
preference for MIR. Walkers amendment over Mr.
W.bstcrs or any other proposition equally eftsc-
tive with either TO attain TIE desired end. His OBJ
iect was the establishment OF government OF somt
sort and ETHER propiS,on would haze satisfied HIN
which appeared most acceptable to Congress. /
is unfounded and malicious 10 represent him a:
having sought to throw his weight either Tor o.
against the Tree Soil party.
SHOULD the Free Soil party, or any portion o
it, hereafter be detected in any act evincing de
liberate purpose TO p event he formation OF an,
civil government in California or New Mexico
SO as 10 keep up the agitation between The Nort
and The South for sectional party objects, th
| President may find il 10 be his solemn duty II
frown Indignantly on that, as not merely the hrs
dawning, but the "periect day" OF an attempt L
| ALLEVIATE one portion OF The Union from another.
Here the Intelligencer officially announce
that i, is "unlrue" that ",he President and hi
friends" (of course including Mr.. Preston, &C.,
expressed any preference for Mr.. Walker
amendmen, over Mr.. Websler's, or any o'he
equally effective with either to attain the desire
end"-viz: the establishment Of government Y
some sort" in California and New Mexico-an
that "ei,her provision would have satisfied hin
which appeared most acceptable 10 Congress
Now, Mr.. Websler's amendment, we have showl
was worse than The Wilmol Proviso, because
specially recognized 'the existing Mexican laws
anti.slavery, established church and all; and S
odious was ii regarded, that Mr.. Polk stood pr,
pared to veto the important appropriation bill wi,
that provision annexed, and was SO advised 10
by General Cas-. General Taylor, il is here d,
clared, would have sanctioned thai amendmen
But he was willing TO 60 further, and to sancto
"any Other proposition" TO secure "governme,
OF some sort" TO the new territories, (which az
peared most acceptable TO Congress-" A bill az
tually passed the House, organizing terror
al government with The Wimot Proviso anne,
ed and il is an inevitable conclusion from III
official declarations Of the IntelIgencer, III;
such bill would have Satisfied Gen. Taylo
and received his sanction.
We, TOO, "hope Southern readers will consider
and deeply study the oracular revelations OF III
acting official organ Of President Taylor whol
ITO represent as having sought TO throw h
weigh, either for or against The free soil party
which the Times calls "a patriotic offence"
denounced as "unfoundcd and malicious"
one case President Taylor is 10 thrown" upc
the free soil party, and that is, should they evint
"a deliberate purpose to prevent The formation
any civil government in California OF Ne
Mexico"-but, let Them pass any bill for teri
torial government, even with The Wilmot Prov
so attached, President Taylor will sanction
because ii passed Congres. Have we not he
cornlote real;oaIinp IF tho prpIintio