The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-03

stepped into the Metropolis in disguise, and got
hold of the columns of the Washington Union.
There is occasionally Of late, solemn farce in the
leaders of that quizzica journal, which is almost
worthy Of Boz; and every one who remembers "the
little Peddlington papers," which few years since
were repubished far and wide in our country news
papers, must enjoy the spirit with which some of
these articles, by out-Heroding Herod, burlesques
the character of the old leaders of the Union. There
is capital display of this clever talent prose paro-
dy in the Union Of Wednesday, throughout well
sustained Punch-ike article of nearly two columns
in length, from which we extract the following rel
ishing specimen:
''Thc scheme from the beginning, has been TO d.
vest General Taylor of the duties Of his office; thus
hoping to save him from exposure for want of ca
pacity, and if possible, to relieve him from respon-
sibility. 1t is scheme having really for its pur-
pose bold aud daring inracsn Of the Constitution Of
the United STATES. If successful it will then matter
not whether the President be capable or incapable;
whether wise man an idiot. 1t will be intro
ducing into our system the degrading fiction in
vented in regal governments to excuse the imbeciI-
ity or knavery OF sovereigns, that the "King can
do no wrong'-or, as modified in a more civilized
age, that the King do nothing the duties
and the responsibilities of the government to the
Prime Minister and the cabinet. But the system
which the federalists are attempting to introduce
into our government, is even more degrading and
more dangerous. In the limited monarchies of
Europe, the Prime Minister and the cabinet arc re-
sponsble to the people for their conduct, upon
peril of the loss of their offices and their heads.
But the system introduced by the Federalists of
this country to conceal the incapacty Of their Pre-
sident, gives no such guaranty to the people,"
There is grave humor about this, which for
quiet JUNCTION is worthy of the pen that wrote Knick-
erbocker; and, indeed, the whole take-off would
ing the portentous bombast and stited balderdash
of some bantom-like little county newspaper, had
only borrowed from his brother humorist across
the waters that old wood-cut entitled "Punch dis
covering a political mares nest"
Such illustration, too, might be well on other
counts; for fun rarely Aourishes in the columns
of our sober-minded brother that some might think
that the whole article, instead of being intended as
a burlesque upon journalism in general, and car
feature of the leaders of the Union in particular,
was offered as serious specimen of "stated preach
ing" to the great political congregation of which the
Union claims to be the chief organ, guide, and
friend.
This, however, would be absurd supposition
AsAN, from the frequent introduction of the term
'.tederaiist" There must, assuredly, be other po-
htical writers in the country to whose limbs nerves,
and 6bres the Nessus shirt of Federalism clings SO
closely to become part Of their integuments
although whatever is herculean about the late hon.
orabe Secretary is known to be so especially per-
meated with the veins that, when under excitement
il always, in other Of rabies, manifests it.
lfupon his organ of language.
There other reasons, too, for supposing that
the article, if intended as serious, did not emanate
from the pen of Mr.. Buchanan, although it uncon-
sciously betrays his old Bourbon's prediction for
the strenuous exercise of the one-man power
throughout the whole paragraph which we have
be pretty thing to read in Mr. Buchanan's biogra-
ply hereafter that he, as retiring minister of the
American Government with the dust Of Depart
ment dignity still clinging to his footballs, turned
who had superseded him in power. The act would
be in horrid bad taste in private gentleman; and,
in the case Of a shelved statesman, il would only
make him ridiculous. Mr.. Buchanan is too much
man Of the world TO have so compromised his
dignity.
And yet there is something of the successful po-
litical pedsnt and longtime county oracle in the
GOODNESS with which the writer charges irnbeciliu
upon man whose fame has cast a giant shadow,
wherever his name has reached, throughout Chris
tendon. We write advisedly when we say it, and
we appeal to any American now, or of late abroad,
to confirm what every man in the country Of ordi-
nary intelligence knows that the energy and dis
cretion, the humanity, hrmness, and victorious
ability Of ZACHARY TAYLOR, when the eye Of the
whole world was upon him, have placed him before
that world as the most genuine living impersona-
ton Of the direct manly and selfsustaining traits
Of American character. Nay, that by furnishing
an ustrious embodyment Of those traits, and by
the instant and hearty recognition Of their sympc-
thetic type by the majority Of our countrymcn,
the whole national character has been lifted in the
appreciation of the world The actions which
made TAYLOR illustrious have passed to the page
Of history. And that amber page, where Mr..
Buchanan may also meet with preservation, is one
Of the brightest in our annals. But the deeds Of
the hero only made him President by advertising
the man. The country was sick to nausea Of poiti-
cal automatons, begotten in committee rooms,
pulled into breathing existence in newspapers, and
sent to walk abroad as mechanical humbugs by
the fat of caucuses. None know better than our
experienced friend Of the Union how simple mat
ter il is, by little " examining" and little drill
to get up given quantity of leading statesmen
upon party platform, provided you select second
rate and secondhand men, who, with no impulsive
genius of their own, sufficiently shrewd and I'M
scrupulous to avail themselves of every occasion of
advancement, where it becomes the business of
party to "save them from exposure for the want Of
capacity"
When Mr.. Buchanan, in his long career Of