Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-04-17
THE ELECTIoNs-G ENERAL TAYLOR AND HIS
PLEDGEs-THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND
IT'S MEASURES.

IuCsudy "A pan ~ AcTcs
THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TAYLOR AND HIS
PLEDGEs-THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AND
IT'S MEASURES.
The period is al hand when the people OF our
time-honored Commonwealth will De callea Oh 10
perform the most important OF all Inc duties
which devolye upon them as free citizens OF an
enlightened Republic Upon the proper and con-
s,derate exercise OF the elective franchise de-
nends more the permanency and success OF our
institutions than upon any other cause whatever
Az long as this fountain OF political power is
Kept pure and unconlaminated, 80 long are our
liberties safe and out of danger.
We invoke waketul vigilance on the part OF
tue Democracy in the coming elections, for We
solemnly believe there was never greater need
OF il. The Wing party have possessed themselves
OF the government by false pretensesi and they
are making every human effort TO hold il by &C.
ception and fraud. The pledges which were
given, the promises which were made, not only
by General Taylor himself, but by the Wbig
party also, have been unhesitatingy broken and
aisregarded. The vilest party hacks even, have
abandoned The thought of reconciling the pro-
misses made before The election, with the prac-
tices Of the administration since the Inaugural
ton. They attempt 10 justify the course pur-
sued, by pleading the example of Democratic
Administrations, which, before the election in
November, they repudiaed and traduced. The
very identical line OF policy, on the part OF The
Democracy, which the Wings reprobated, and
s.. Al nonnanrat;o
should be driven from power, is the one which
Gen. Taylor and his Cabinet have adopted, and
are actively pursuing. They cannot escape
from the dilemma: the course of the Democratic
administration was either right. or il was wrong;
if right, Gen. Taylor and the Wings should
esty required ii at their hands, il wrong, as they
alleged it was before the election, there is no
contingency which can possibly justify them
TOR pursuing a course and adopting measures
which they so bitterly denounced in their oppo-
nents.
We know perfectly we'll that the people care
next TO nothing al all about who are the reel.
pients Of the public patronage; for the masses Of
our hardy and industrious citizens have about as
much to do with it as they have with the spois
dispensed by the Aulocrat OF Russia. Bn, they
have m UGH 10 do With the honor, The integrity,
look narrowly into their pledges and the perform
ance of them. 1t is into this scrutiny now. Of
the first six weeks oil General Taylor's Admins
tration, that We invite the public 10 go with u.s.
We appeal 10 the facts fresh in the recollection
Of every body. Was not the belief OF Virginia
strong that General Taylor, if elected, would
obliterate all parry lines, al least so far as ra-
lated 10 the dspensation OF The patronage and
the honors OF the naton} Ii was declared by
his advocates, far and near, that the poilca
millennium was about 10 dawn upon the country
Let rs see how far General Tayor's own often.
repeated declarations tended TO bring about This
belief in the minds OF the people. General Tay-
Tor wroe more letters, during the progress of the
last Presidential campaign, 10 all probability,
than every other Presidential candidate put to-
gether, since the foundation OF our Government.
Like Mahommel's followers. General Taylors
friends, always al The hour of their utmost need,
when il became essential 10 inculca!e parlicu.
lar opinion. nr .ndnrsa captivating continent,
suitable either 10 the North, South, East or
West, received from their Prophe, a, Monterey or
Baton Rouge revelation, which, exactly adapt
ed 10 the case in point, gave grea comfort TO the
true believers, aud, in many instances, shook
nightly the unbeliet of the lnfdel himself
Probably nothing General Taylor said during
the canvass was more relied upon by his friends,
or blunted more the opposition OF his adverse.
ries than the following declaration contained in
letter TO citizen OF Lansinburs, and publish.
cd at a very early slage OF the campaign. He
says: II will not be the candidate OF any party
place me in the chair Of the Chief Magis,racy,
tAs good Of all parties, and The national good
would be my great and absorbing aim" How
earnestly did General Taylor's advocates every
where throughout this Stale, and, indeed, the
Union, rely upon this declaration, as guaran-
tee that The purer days OF The Republic were Ger.
,ainly and speedily TO be restored when The
more than Roman viuue of the father of his
country should again guide the affairs of the ma.
ton.
General Taylor averred repeatedly, and most
sole .nnly, that he would not be even the candidate
of a party-but he said, il he ever occupied the
"While House." il should be "by the spontane
Gus move OF The people," He went farther than
this, and assumed grounds apparently dangerous
10 his political aspirations il really he had any,
He said in letter to Mr.. Peter Sken Smith,
"If ever fill that high Office, il must De un!ram-
,ssusd with party obligations or Interests OF any
kind, save that which springs directly IRON The
Constitution, and the best and paramount inter-
esls of the country, and which they solemniy de-
mand." He declares that. il elected, he must go
to the discharge of his official duties "unlran-
melted by party pledges OF epyy character"
General Taylor intima:es, by his o. 'en-rrpea,.
ed eulogies upon the earlier Presidents, as we'll
~ BY his censure of the course pursued by those
sof late, whose opinions control Congress" that,
whilst he twill follow the examples OF the earlier
Presidents" he will eschew the course pursued
sof late" by those who have occupied The
"Whie House," therefore, he solemnly and vr-
tuou,ly declares that he will be 'the President Of
the nation, and mol Of party"
The old hero did, 10 be sure, in his second
Allison letter, modify his declarations relative
to his principles, but TO the last he maintained
his neural and "no-pary" position, and tecar-
ed bis willingness 10 accept the nomina ion and
support of the Democratic parry, as readily as
that OF the Wings.
The people listened 10 his declarations, and
believed in his sincerity; and when he declared
tha, he "had no private purposes to accom-
plish, no party p ojeess to 6aiid up, NO ESEMIEs
70 ruNisH, nothing TO serve but his country"
the nation could not withhold their confidence
from the old soldier who, with his garments all
tallered on the battle field, came 10 them, with
these patriotic declarations upon his lips.
ynk.n ha declo rcd his own dictrne, ~ he o,,