The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-13
THE CASE STATED.


Convention at Baltimore, under the aus.
pices Of the distinguished gentleman who
sat for session in the Speakers Chair Of
the House of Representatives with the
English mission in his pocket They nom.
mated LEWIS CAss for the Presidency,
and promulgated series of resolutions
which they styled the platform Of the cam
paign. In these resolutions they embodied
a number Of barren generalities, some doc
trines that nobody denied, some assertions
that nobody believed, and residuum OF
Locofoco principles, which presented the
real issues of the impending political
contest. They announced to the people
their hostility to Internal Improvements,
their faith in the VETO as it had been ex-
ercised under the then existing Admins
tration, their opposition to any modi6ca-
ton of the Subtreasury or of the Tariff OF
1916, and their entire confidence in the
principles, capacity, and integrity Of Pre-
sident whom they dared not present as a
candidate for reelection. Their nominee
Carefully read" these resolutions, prom
ised faithful adherence to them, and pro-
fessed cordial approval. They presented
the topics on which he was willing to take
an appeal to the people.
This was the state of things when the
WING National Convention met at Phila-
delphia. 1t was as emphatically a,WHIG
assembly as ever convened; composed of
ardent, earnest, thorough-going, WING
statesmen, trained in public affairs, emil
nent in political ability, strong in the con-
fidence and affections of their party, and
| devoted to the great cause of governmental
publication and reform. They were anx-
ious to rescue popular rights and Liberties
from the gulf of Executive Absolutism
They sought to save the country from de-
grading submission and subservience to
the will of a single man. They sought to
restore the true dignity Of the elector by
fortifying the independence and elevating
the position of his representatives. These
were the prevailing and primary objects
with a majority of this WIG Convention;
for in their attainment they saw their way
clear to the accomplishment of everything
that the public interests required, which
the public voice might demand. Those
ends realized, and the pyramid, then sub
verted, would again rest upon its base.
The dominion of true democracy would be
restored. Public policy would take its
form and color from the GREAT PRESENT
of the nineteenth century-the age of in
vention, Improvement, and progress-and
our statesmen, no longer dogmatizing over
the musty records of venerable local leg
islature, would apply, in their true spirit,
the principles of the Constitution of the
United States to advance the interests,
answer the exigences, and promote the
welfare of the American People.
Such were the sentiments which gov
erned the deliberations of that Convention.
The names of several candidates for the
Presidential nomination were presented
for their consideration. Public opinion,
however, directed their attention with
marked emphasis to one man. Popular
sympathy was with him. His unaffected
simplicity of character, his unquestioned
integrity, his moderate and determined
bearing under the most trying and ,disas-
trous circumstances, the brilliancy of his IL
lustrious achievements all these elements
of strength and popularity indicated to
practical and discerning statesmen that, by
the nomination of General TAYLOR for the
Presidency, the overthrow Of the then
dominant dynasty would certainly be &C
complished. Any other nomination would
be an experIment-this was success.
Still a sentiment prevailed that the politi-
cal views of General TAYLOR we're not
sufficiently explicit and exclusive to JUS
tify WIG Convention in rendering him
WING nomination. In spite of the uni
versal feeling in his favor, there was re-
luctance to adopt the cause of any man
who had not been SCARED with the wounds
of political conflict, and identified with the
various fortunes of the party from its
earliest formation. At this stage of the
proceedings, and in this state of feeling in
the Convention, Judge SAUNDERS obtained
permission to read statement from the
delegation of Louisiana, in reference to the
position of General TAYLOR. That state