The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-27
CITY OF WASHINGTON.
THURSDAY MORNING, DEG. 81, Is4s.


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the Presidsnt's Message.
The hrst message of General Taylor is before the coun
Try and we hazard nothing in saying that has been
read with feelings OF modification and disappointment by
the best friends OF the President AS State paper. it
is decidedly the weakest which ever emanated from an
American Chief Magistrate Its style is faulty, its state
mens are confused, and its doctrines emineny dan.
gerous, and tend directly to consolidation.
II is not our purpose to ccise the abored ahecation
OF simplicity which characterzes the message nor can
we at the present time examine its features minutely
That task can be better performed when the accompany
ing documents have been laid before the people Our
purpose to enter protest against the whole charac
ter of the paper, one which an American representa-
tive although he be wing President. has no right to
address TO the American people Our government is not
monarchy; and our Chief Magistrate is monarch,
but servant OF the people He has no right therefore,
to hold the same language his message which the Queen
OF England holds from her throne He has no right to
assume lordly airs and indicate that our commercial
and financial as they have BEEN by
their practical operatonare faulty and defective, and to
say that they should be abolished or amended, with
out condescending to inform his constituents in what
their faults and defects consist or why they should be
abolished or amended what principles should prevail
in the system which be adopted if they are de-
stoyed Il is the duty Of the President Of the United
States to render account Of his sewadshpto explain
fully TO the people the operations Of the government and
to recommend to Congress such measures as he may
deem conducive to the public welfare In discharging
this duty General Taylor has but given meagre synop-
sis OF the topics of newspaper discussion, almost in the
exact order in which those discussions arose and on
Of those subjects is his message explicit or as
satisfactory the revelations OF the newspapers them.
selves In truth, it may be said that point has the
message given any information to the public except that
the President has at length determined to throw off his
paryism and to go further than even the wing party
is willing to go in his subservency to the doctrines
of federalism The broad ground OF protection for pro-
ections sake is urged upon the country. Knowing that
the reduction of duties effected by the revenue bill OF
ls4o has increased the derived from customs
General Taylor has permitted his cabinet TO induce him
to recommend increase Of dutes and to endeavor to
deceive the American people, by asserting without the
shadow of authority TO sustain him. that such an increase
would tend TO enhance the public revenues As if
ashamed Of the patent faacy and the open duplicity
which he palmng off upon the people, General Tay.
or copies the English monarch and refuses to enter into
the particulars OF his commercial theory while he en-
dorses the report of the Secretary of the Treasury who
advocates restriction TO an extent which would destroy
commerce and annihilae exports, so that the
whole agricultural product Of the Union should be fitted
for consumption by the manufacturers OF the United
States In addition to this, the warehousing system,
which has operated favorably commerce, and
whose benefits have been extensively felt by our
small towns and small capitalists, is to be overthrown,
and system Of internal improvements adopted, without
limitation restriction, which, going beyond all prece
dent, must only swallow up the OF the gov
eminent, but fix upon enormous public debt, ob
crate the boundaries of Satcs and make them depart
ments OF consolidated empire and stpendiarirs Of
central government.
These are the general features Of the message, and
revolving as they are, they harmonic well with each
particular recommendation OF that paper No satisfac
tory explanation is given of the outrage on European lib
ery perperaed by the detention OF the steamer United
States; none OF the danger into which country was
placed by Mr. Cayton's ridiculous quarrel with the
French minister none Of the conduct Of the government
touching the abduction OF Rey none OF the war made
upon our citizens assembled at Round leland; none OF
the unwarranted and unconstitutional interference OF the
President by which an armed force was compelled to
interfere in the affairs OF California and none OF the
views of he government in relation to the great question
which has agitaicd the country for the last two years
On this question General Taylor has adhered strictly to
his position of criminal non-commtalism; and Tor fear
that he would reveal which section OF the Union has
been duped aud cheated in bis election he has shrunk
from his rgh,fu responsibility and concealed himself from
the public view These sins OF omission; but they
are accompanied by sins of commission which must in
duce every patriot to blush for the first message Of Gen
Zachary Taylor With absurd declarations OF universal
philanthropy, the treaty with Nicaragua. negotiated BY
Mr. Hise which conveyed the United States the ex-
elusive right to charter a company to construct an
oceanic communication from the mouth OF the San
Juan de Nicaragua 10 Reajo, on the Pacific, has
been suppressed, and all information Of IFS exist.
ence withheld from the American people, while the
fact il communicated that instructions have been issued
for the negotiation Of treaty for the consruc-
ton OF ship canal across Nicaragua for the joint use and
under the Joint protection OF all the commercial nations Of
Chrs,endom On this point the message plainly indicates
that the Administration has been shaken by the fear oil
Great Britain and that the rights acquired by the Hse
treaty have been surrendered and abandoned in difference
to the unfounded pretensions Of England Mr.. Hse's
treaty gave to us important advantages over all other
nations in the State OF Observation-Disclosures which
ought to have been maintained even at the hazard OF
war with the mistress OF the nasmuch as they gave
us the control Of the projected communication between
our Atlantic and Pacific coasts. But those advantages