The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-28
DIrFERENCE OF TAsTE.

Sir, Il was for the sterling qualities Of head and
heart displayed o. these occasions Of uncommon
trial that the nation has learned TO look TO you as
one In whose hands It's deslinies win be safei who
will again Illustrate In Its history, that the success
full warrior may yet be the wise and moderate and
prudent statesman and exemplifying again that
TRUTH so full OF moral beauty, that
"Psacs hath her victories
No less renowned than war"
MAY your administration sir, rebound to the hon.
or and prosperity of our beloved countTy and, that
spentl be as serene and happy as It's noon y bright
and glorious .--Addrsss Of Virginia Ssrord Com
mihes BY r. Iravsrss Dan;a, 70 Gen. 1hyi0r.
Had tho chairman of the committee confined MIN
self to the commission with which they were enirust
ed--had he presented General Taylor the honorary
sword in the name Of the State which had voted Il
to him for his military services alone-had he ex-
pressed his admiration for those services In the
strongest language OF which such commission was
susceptible, the sympahies Of generous and CRATE.
ful people would have gone with the address. But
when that boundary Is passed which Is mari ed down
by the resolution of the legsloture-when the chair
man of that committee adroitly passes on 10 poi-
cal considerations, INDUCES his own decided party
feelings, and compliments not the victorious gener
raj but the actual President Of the United States
for the sterling qualities Of head and heart dis
played on these occasions Of uncommon triaP'-
when he tells him that the nation had looked to
him "as one in whose hands Its destinies VIII be
secure"-as one who might Illustrate, for q second
time, that THE successful warrior may prove the
6lsei htuueIatc, anu piuueut rtdteeHuh -Whch
we see the effort is here made TO give the sub
ject political turn, and TO compare him with Gen
Washington, as the Wing party have affected 10 40
--ioinvest him with the political qualifications which
esiy to disclaim and which every day he is sensiby
disproving-we must confess that we regret the
turn which the chairman has given TO his theme
We humbly conceive thai this portion of the address
IL not distinguished by the same taste which marks
the most ofil.- Washington Union 26th April.
Difference Of taste appears to be an inhe-
rent quality in the human mind, or rather,
every mind appears to differ about taste. One
man thinks one thing very appropriate, very
just, very sublime, another man thinks pre-
cisely the reverse Of the same thing. Hence
the philosophic poet remarked, with some de-
gree Of shrewdness, that il is useless to dis
pute about taste. But while difference Of
taste exists, and no doubt very properly ex-
lists, seeing that we are such creatures Of
circumstance, some regard ought to be had
to the time and place, when we should I'M
dertake to express our dissent from the opin-
ion Ct others in matters Of taste. There is
as much, if not more, taste, displayed in Sc
lectng the when and where for expressing
our opinions, as in the utterance of the opin-
ions themselves, particularly when they refer
to questions of taste.
Tried by this rule, we must be permitted
to say, that we do not think our contempt
rary has displayed good taste, in his com
ments above quoted, upon that portion Of the
Sword Address to which he takes exception,
The time and place for expressing his dis
sent from the wishes and opinions Of the ad-
dress, we regard as inopportune, infelcitous,
in bad taste, and we are sure, that we do not
violate good taste in thus expressing our
opinion. The occasion Of presenting this
Sword the gift Of a sovereign and inde-
pendent State was one, that pre-eminently
called for the very expressions of the hopes,
that Mr.. DANIEL was SO happy in embody-
ing in his admirable address. Such is Our
opinion, and we think, it will be accorded with
by nine-tenths Of all who shall chance to read
the account If the proceedings. We think;
it was 10 not only good taste, bat in exceed
ingly good taste, to make the illusions and
give uttersnce to the hopes, which appear
to have fallen under the ban of the
Unions Judgment, But allowing to the
Union the right to differ with Mr.. DANIEL,
which we do not mean to deny, we still
think that it is not in good taste to arraign
the orator in the manner the Union has
done, and at the present time. Good taste
demanded,if even there were any bad taste
exhibited, that it should be overlooked by
the press. In the discu ssions Of the public
press, there ought to be paid the same regard
to the dictates Of propriety as in the social
r citations. The editor Of the Union would
never have obtained his consent to have ris-
en- in person, after the conclusion Of the GER
emonies, and taken exception to Mr.. DAM
TEL 'staste, in set speech, and yet he goes
to his office the next day, and is guilty of the
very same offence under a more aggravated
form, and before the whole country. We
see no difference between the two acts,
except that what the Union has done is in
infinitely worse taste, than if he had risen in
the East room ard pronounced what he has
above written in person, In that event, he
would have been promptly put out Of the
presence Of the company, as guilty Of an
outrage upon all the eonUsnances Of society
In what he has done, we leave his punish
ment to the just censure Of every citizen,
who has any regard for the requirements Of
good taste.
We have no design Of discussing with
the Union the question Of the propriety Of
what Mr. DAsIkL said It is SO self
evident, that he was right, that be acted
with eminent good taste, that he displayed
correct appreciation Of his position, that
no man, who pretends to the possession Of