Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-05-25
correspondence Of the Boston Post.


We who inhabit the great metropolis of the
Union, have opportunities of hearing and
knowing things in the political world which
do not always reach you less favored people
of the provinces. We know that farces are
here PLAYED which, in the IS magnificent dis
tances" of this great republic, look verify like
grave and legitimate drama. We know that
the most grotesque masks are here put on,
whose extravagant grimaces are softened down
in the distance to the smooth and pleasing
Outlines of genuine respectablY-looking coun-
tenances. We know, too, that politicians
here have real tangible corporeal exstences.
while, 10 the wondering natives IN the interior
or on the frontiers, their form and semblance
are merely imaginary. And such happens 10
be the estate of the case,' as the lawyers
would say. with our present venerable and IL
lustrious chief magistrate.
You are, have no doubt, aware that they
have two emperors in Japan-one to take care
of civil, and the other religious affairs. The
first is called the lagoon, and the other the
Mekador The first is most potent monarch.
He has real tangible existence, and so has
the latter, so far as flesh and blood are con-
cerned, but he is of no account, being confined
to his religious cloister, and occupied with re-.
ligious ceremonies and the conversation OF
. |
women.
Now, something like this Japan idea we
have in real existence in these glorious and
enlightened United States at the present time.
under the figure and form of "the President"
Although your name is Greene, | hope you
are not so green and verdant as to suppose
that the General Taylor who makes inaugural
addresses, receives foreign ministers, delega-
tons from sovereign states, municipalities and
trades corporations, to whose salutatlons he
replied in well-worded and appropriate speech
es, is the real Gen. Taylor who was elected
by the people President of the United States,
If you do entertain any such absurdity, why
must set you down among the greeneSf of
all green chaps away down in Yankeedom. |
can assure you that the real General Taylor,
whose corporal substance does actually &C.
cupy The white house, is a very different per-
sonage from the Gen. Taylor who figures in
the newspapers as the President of the United
States. The Gen. Taylor who lives in the
white house is real tangible body-that is,
body possessing all the properties OF matter.
viz: form, weight, inertia, color, &c. while
the Gen. Taylor who figures as President in
the newspapers, is a mere ideal fictitious being
The form is OF no more account, so far as the
Presidency is concerned, than the Meckador
of Japan. The later-the ideal man, is the
real President-the Ziagoon of the Republic
of the United States of America. The Presi-
dent OF the newspapers par example. Gen'l
Taylor, the President elect, on his way to this
city, made many we'll conceived and appro-
pirate speeches, in reply to speeches made TO
him. Whereas, the real Gen. Taylor made
none, or if he essayed to make a speech, it
was very different one from that which the
ideal general made, and which appeared in the
newspapers as the speech actually made.
The real Gen. Taylor was invited before
his inauguration TO visit The people of George
town. they honestly supposing that he was
Gen. Taylor, the President elect. He went
accordingly, was addressed very appropriate
ly by the mayor of that city, and might have
stammered out something in reply. The ideal
general, however, was made to speak in the
newspapers, and 10, he spoke in very differ
ent style from that of the real bona .fde Cen
raj. So understand it was on the reception
of the foreign ministers and other persons for
mally introduced to the real General at the
white house the ideot General always ap-
pearing as the spokesman in the newspapers.
Recently the magistracy of this city were
introduced to the real General by Mayor Sea-
ton, who made an appropriate address on the
occasion. And the real general made reply,
as understand pretty much in these words
81 am glad TO see the mGjistry of Washington
pleasant day TO- day. | think we shall have
some good weather" But the ideal general,
the figure of speech that personifes the presi-
dent in the newspapers. would not allow the
address TO go out in this form, and according
ly it was fixed up in a very decent garb and
sent forth throug h the press another affair al
together than the real speech of the real gen.
eral.
One example more. A committee from Vir-
GINA came here the other day to present a
sword to the real general whom the people
elected president. The National Inteligencer,
that curious antediluvan fossil, which stands
forth as the impersonation of the stupidity Of
genuine " conservative" whiggery, formally
ton would take place. But the General was
not ready. Col. Bliss had not got the reply
to the address ready, and the General had not
committed it to memory Two days elapsed,
and the ceremony came of. The chairman
made handsome speech so far as language
and manner were concerned, and the General
made a reply. This was real affair. he
good old man held the speech prepared by
Bliss Tor somebody else) in his hand, and tried
to read from it; but not being so familiar with
the handwriting as his own, he made bad
piece of work of it. But he continued to
stammer through it. And the idea! general
concluded TO accept this speech, and let ii 60
forth TO the people as the speech OF the presl-
dent but he, the ideal general, had the bung-
ling manner in which the real general read
the speech explained in this wise in the news.
, papers" Gen. Taylor read his reply, and
was firm and manly, until he came to the pa
ragraph wherein he was obliged TO allude TO
the compliments paid to himself. What he
said was not only appropriate. but said with
, deep emotion that sometimes checked his utter
ance." See " IoN,'' correspondent of the Bal
t timore Sun, April 25th. With this explana-
f ton the ideal general allowed the speech to
t go forth as that of the President
The truth is-and it is well to tell the
truth TO the American people-Gen. Taylor is
utterly incompetent for the place he now &C
cupies. He is very far inferior in point of ca.
pacity even 10 Gen. Harrison, appropriated
and incompetent as he was And every can
did and impartial man, who sees and hears
him speak or converse, goes away from him
with hat IfyYinr ICfIo m