The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-08-25

to Ris many voluntary pledges his administration could
not be whig but would be Taylor administration His
original friends and mutudes who had given him their
votes desired dynasty, and mobilization OF the
wing party and its principles; but large segment en-
bracng the ancient edests and the devoted followers
Of Mr. Clay who had reluctantly given their support to
General Taylor, had other and different views II was
their design and pat OF their plan TO first the
s n e a%d Asa nis A
General Taylor maintained his position that he would be
the president Of the people, not Of party and honestly
could not be wing administration but Il he disregarded
his pledges. violated his word gave his exclusive conf
dence TO the wings. made his appointments exclusively
tanly he knew party and the administration would be
completely wing il Henry Clay or Daniel Webster
had been elected instead Of the hero Of Buena Vista
The selection OF the cabinet was solution OF the PROB
lem 10 most OF common sagacity farua and intef
ested supporters attempted to defend General Taylor at
an early day. ne naS mol sSe s q ms ~.
tion-those who had made themselves conspicuous by
their zeal and labor in his behalf But though this was
degree OF intgues among the wings themselves That
General TAYLOR would rather have kept his word than
broken il i he had u: intelligence and moral 5mness to
5 history ~ and and can never = erased By
deeming his pledges BY excluding Truman Smith, and
Caleb Smith, and Jared lngesol, and Thomas Butler
King and that class Of politicians who had rendered them
selves obnoxious the working men OF Messrs Clay
ton, Cttenden, and Others in opposing Mr. Clay and de-
featug the wings in their undoubfed choice he guilty
Of extreme weakness True these men were wings ba.
not more than all his cabinet They had been more
open. bold. and active than Clayton and Collame but
ardent and unprinciped These phtul dstinc-
to9s introduces By M Clayton iSr sinister and seiss
wretched sophsm, deceived the President or Afford
ed him pay pre!ex for the moment was so allacious
Indugent as all were disposed to be, towards the Pres
ident on OF his novel position there was no apo
% Which the psrascai ,h5ong VINO gane.sa ro %h
country would have pardoned errors but Tor fraud and
broken faith ignorance furnished excuse, nor inexpe
ricnce any justification. That the cabinet composed oil
men some Of whom had been schooled in deception and
intrigue who bad for years prostnted their talents In
resisting what they knew to be right and advocating
ses should disregard any promises, would have caused
no establishment But the reputation OF a soldier and
hero Of loer and Purer character public estma
ton The people cherished with reverence and regard
the integrity and devotion to truth OF washington
and Jackson. who rfed with their word or per-
n.ss anS On saS:e 10
they delighted to believe until the cabinet was selected
that Zachary Taylor was as sensitive OF his word and
equally devoted 10 truth. Painful was the conviction
that fell millions, when they ascerained that the acts
of the President were inconsistent with and directly
against all the repeated promises and solemn proesta
tons he had made. obscured, AT once and forever,
the fame he had acquired at Palo Alto, Monterey,
and Buena Vista. The moral qualities which con
% the true nero on a punS 10 Ss
where the soldiers honorl General Taylor had de-
ceived his counuymen-had obtained high place by that
deception, and abused the confidence thus obtained.
There evading the facts His principal Secretary
said. there Disgrace oil this " but, unfortunate
ly for him. the assertion Of the Secretary standard
Submitted to the unerrng test of public opinion. the
administration sunk with npidity nnexamped in the
country Conscientious men who had advocated the
election of General Taylor could defend and sustain
him. feeble effort was made by some OF the partisan
presses to relieve him BY impung the wrong to his cabi-
net But the acts OF his administration his own;
and for man or President to permit himself to be
counseed by interested parties into the commission of
aed SS
oihe, unfortunately not TO be controversial but
ignorant il honest. could regard his word, and ad
here TO truth, although unenghtened and inexperienced
The derelichon of the President and the profgacy OF
the cabinet made the support Of the administration
question Of morals we'll as Of politics To sustain
General Taylor 10 justify deception treachey, and
fraudit was admitting that the solemn promises and
pledges OF public men were as idle wind, and that TO
violate them mil. involved no wrong he Were t sas-
and be destructive OF all honest principle and good faith
the part Of public in conducting the affairs Of
had not sunk 10 thai state Of degradation and no organ
izaton OF party, ntrigues Of leaders, prostitution
Of patronage could pess the rising sentiment Of popu
lar Indignation.
Mr. Secretary Clayton. with that instability Of char.
which attends the absence of honest principle
and integrity Of purpose, was filled with apprehensons
readiness with which he had fomented the conspiracy 10
beray his old friend and leader, exceled by his
alacry to propaie him after his election to the Senate,
by sacrificing those whom he had seduced and with
whom he had acted in that teachery Failing TO obtain
any limitations from Ashland that he would be sup
ported and received into favor and appalled, by symptoms
Of combined and determined action the part Of those
late associates whom he proposed 10 sacrifice, the timd
Secretary usual began TO temporze and again courted
the men whom he had infamed. Truman Smith, who
had been prominent in late events and borne honor
able though very efficient part in the election. was
early TO detect and keeny felt and resented the ntgues
Of Clayton. From having been Of the most devoted
and obsenuious follower of Mr. CLAW and the
tor OF those who opposed him, Smith had been the
open manager OF the conspiracy against that gentleman.
although elected delegate TO the national nominating
convention. and instructed TO support him by the wings
OF Connecticut lie was not a OF quick parts, but
had strong, acute, and obdurate mind with indomabe
perseverance, and partisan vrulence not surpassed by
Ewing. Clayton and the leading conspators had used
purposes; and these being attained, the cunning Della
wsran anxious TO avoid intimate connexion.
In this he might have succeeded but for the fact that
smith had been elected the Senate by his State which,
with his late position rendered him formidable with the
party that elected General Taylor That there could be
cordially between Mr. Clay and the active, perse.
verng. and notorious Of his berayers TO be
socaied with him was, besides being insulting to Clay,
repngnant 10 the views OF the assembling and
in9 Secretary There therefore, no resource but 10
slight and discard him. But Smith, wounded and hum
bcd ~ be was soon terrified the Secretary 10 terms Of
compromise II was arranged that he should be offered
seat In the cabinet on condition that he would decline
eepng IT, and that he should be consulted in the dspen
easily disposed or He had counted with great
tainty on being intrusted with the administration Of
the Navy Department For several years he had
been one Of the Naval Committee in the House OF