The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-04-11
General Taylor's Friends.

General Taylors Friends.
Gen. Taylor's friends seem determined to exter-
inmate him. Nor are they going about 1t In the
usual hum-drum sort of way. The PRESIDENTIAL
chair has often weakened a mans power by es-
,ranpinp from him those he could not satisfy with
offices and for this reason the Presidency had bet
ter be eschewed by a man DESTROYS of retaining
his influence and bis friends. But although Gen.
Taylor has been more than ordinarily annoyed by
ofice-seeker, and though by his failure, so far,
to turn out political opponents and replace them by
political friends, he has given great and constantly
increasing dissatisfaction to those who aided his
election, still it is not from this direction that the
General is most seriously threatened. The New
York politicians at Washington intend, from all ap
pearances, to destroy the new President with apo
logetic letters. First Col. Webb tried his hand;
and though he succeeded admirably for raw be-
ginner it was reserved for Senator Seward to sur
pass the aspiring editor and show that he excels in
every thing he undertakes even to the injuring of
his friends. Mr.. Stewards letter told finely on
Connecticut and Rhode Island, if we may credit
the election returns coming in from those States.
most striking feature in the letter of Gov.
Seward, as well as in that of Col. Webb, is that
it was perfectly uncalled for. These two New
than official defenders of a man who has never
asked them to maintain either his social or his po-
litica reputation. Col Webb's letter is an attempt
to prove that the President is not an uncivil man
that notwithstanding his nickname of Rough
and Ready no person could have been more po-
lite 10 the hero of Cerro Gordo and Mexico than
was the hero of Palo Alto and Buena Vista. Gov
Seward in his letter assumes to be the political
sponsor of Gen. Taylor, and undertakes to say what
measures the President did and did not advocate
before he took the oath of Inauguration. The New
York Senator tries, indeed, to let us know what
Gen. Taylor thought about Mr.. Walkers amend
ment and the organization of a government in
California but though he tells us what he HIM
self thought and did, we are unable to discover
anything that the President thought or did. In
deed Mr.. Seward brings himself forward with far
too much prominence in his letter, and if he does
not take he WILL by his desire of notorety for
felt the reputation he has established of being
shrewd, prudent and successful political tactician
Nothing so much paralyzes a mans power of &C.
ton gossiping and womanish vanity; and there
is more of this ingredient in Mr.. Stewards letter
than we would have expected from one of his
standing and character.
The Presidents friends seem to think that he
does not understand the ats of defence. Accor-
dinghy, they intend to undertake the protection of
his character. We only hope that he has not
already had too much reason to exclaim, "The
Lord preserve me from my friends" He has
shown on many occasions that he could manage his
enemies; we think, however, that he will have
more difficulty with those who profess friendship
for him. From all the signs at Washington, the
politicians seem to be discovering that Gen. Taylor
is good, easy man, more disposed to let things
take their own way than to seize hold of affairs and
turn them into new directions. Seeing this facility
of the Presidents disposition they dare to publish
vindications of his conduct which, to all appear
ances, he never sanctioned. This Indifference of
temperament may prove serious inconvenience to
the General in his new position. Hitherto it has
rather aided than impeded his progress towards
power and distinction. But now that he has
reached place in which designing men will try to
make use of him for forwarding their own selfish
schemes, he wM find it necessary to rouse himself
up to the exercise of energy enough to shake from
him intermeddling friends, as well as open oppo-
nents Independent of the fact that the letter of Mr.
Seward indicates disposition on the part of Wash
ington politicians to use Gen. Taylor as potter's
clay, and mould him into any form they please, it
is of little or no significance. 1t does not declare
what his views are in regard to the government of
California, or what he thinks of any of the intricate
questions connected with the organization of the
new territories We are as much in the dark as
ever so far as Gen. Taylor's opinions are concerned
We had hoped that Mr.. Stewards shrewdness
would not have been at fault in discovering the
Presidents views; but if the letter is an index of
the New Workers. sagacity, he has signaly failed.