The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-23
Y H Z r Z ? u B Lie.
WASHIN GTON:
THURSDAY MORNING, AUG. %, ls49
THE PRESIDENTS TOUR.

|
| directly from the heart. His fellows iti-
zens flock around him wherever he pauses,
| in unprecedented numbers; and il fire.
quently happens that he is stopped by the
wayside by the people who have met at
| intervals on the line Of his tour, to offer
him the congratulations OF unaffected at
tarhment He travels with as little osten-
tation as any private citizen; and what
ever parade his presence produces any
| where is the spontaneous exhibition Of the
popular gratitude and veneration for his
public services and private virtues.
1t is in vain that. the opposition press,
| with a few honorable exceptions be it
spoken, seek to veil spectacle full of
welcome meaning to every patriotic mind,
| by thread bare tissue of fantastic mis-
representation. They are set at work in
inventing stories to cast rldicule upon a
brave old man, or in the more direct but
equally objectionable vocation of fabricat-
ing calumnies against his reputation. The
people, nevertheless, gather about Gene
raj TAYLOR, and make glad his heart by an
| enthusiastic and generous welcome
The opposition press account for this
upon any but the right grounds. They
even affect to believe that the people de-
spise the man, whilst they are eager to do
| honor to the office he holds. 1t is a libel
upon the American character to. say that
| the people would crowd the thoroughfares
TO do honor to an individual on account OF
the office he holds. Such sentiments as
these may suit the retainers of some mon
| archical abortion of the Old World; but
| they are not yet naturalized in this coun-
| try. The citizens of the United States
would, no doubt, treat with fitting respect
the President of the Union, though they
differ with him in political opinion; but
they certainly would not put themselves
out of the way to show him marked re-
spect and affectionate welcome, if they
deemed him false in his public or private
dealings with the country. They who attri-
butte such servility to them are themselves
the slaves of degrading passion for office
But despite the ribald jibes, the stintec
courtesy, and the paltry misrepresenta
tons of his enemies, the ''bone anc
sinew' yet press forward to give him /;
republican and hearty greeting.
In the cheering smiles of the homes
yeomanry, in the cordial grasp of the toll
hardened laborer, and in the affectionate
consideration of all classes of his fellow
citizens, General TAYLOR finds recon-
pense for the dangers he has encountered
and the hardships he has endured for hi.
country For season, al least, he vii
forget he has been assailed without cause
and without stint He will discard from
his recollection the bitterness with which
he is pursued, and the malignity witt
which his every act has been assailed; bu
the people, whose toil-strung arms ex
tract from the bowels of the earth or ere
ate upon its surface the wealth OF the ma
tion-these he will never forget To SEE
f them III their shops and fields, in cities anC
rural districts, in their manufactures anc
} their marts, he has undertaken this trip
II is to know them and their wants that ht
has gone forth, and to these he will devot,
himself. He has gone amongst them lik,
one of themselves, that he may speak will
them face to face, and learn for himsel
their condition and their desires He ha
encountered the opposition Of the turbulent
in arresting organizations which threat
ened to involve the peace of the country
he has provoked the animosity of the dem
agogue, by preserving the internationa
5 rights of the country inviolate. He ha
nterposed his authority in this behalf, tina
the honor of the country may be kept unfair
: nished, that the husbandman may reap hi
! fields in security, and that the artifcer ma
earn his reward in the steady and onwar
. progress Of the nation.
n We do believe that General TAYLOR
, were he not President of he United States
j would be received by his fellow citizen
I with an enthusiasm equal TO that whic
e his presence now excites. He has wo
z the confidence and esteem of his fellow
r citizens by sacrifices and services whlc
' republics are not prone to forget. b.
such is his aversion to parade and publ
b display, that he has, heretofore, forborn
e invitations to 60 amongst the people O
= visits Of ceremony and show. Many
: his compatriots in arms, who served onl
le days when he had served years-man
whose laurels were won under his order
RS have merited and received public we
, comes, whilst he has contented himself
to home, in the quiet performance of his d,
nj ties. In undertaking his present tour,
" has yielded to a sense of duty his reluc
4 1. e l1c a