The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-26
General Tayior's Surrender.

The rumors which have been rife in Washington have
received additional confirmation, from the unbroken ST.
lence OF the National Intellgencer and the laundering
equivocation Of the National Whig-ending in direct
refusal to answer the questions which we propounded.
week ago We called the attention OF both the organs OF
the administration to those rumors and to the statement
OF the Washington correspondent of the Philadelphia Spirit
OF the Times that the President and the heads OF
departments constituting cabinet council OF eight, had
been for some time equally divided between Gen. Smith
and Mr. Lewis, the two prominent applicants for the COL
lectorshp OF the port of Philadelphia and that advan
tage taken OF the absence of Mr.. Preston from the
seat OF government to vote down and override General
Taylor Mr.. Johnson and Mr. Crawford, who sustained
the preensions OF General Smith. We also stated the
report, that General Taylor had confessed to of his
supporters his inability to give him the reward he claim
ed, by saying he had done all he could for him by
giving him his vote. We asked, if these things true
We asked, if General Taylor had dwarfed his Office to
the dimensions of that of cabinet minister, and
suffered the heads of the executive departments have
an equal voice with himself in prescribing the manner
and the mode in which he should discharge his duties
President of the United Staes' The National Intelligent
Ger was SILENT and has continued mute 10 the present
day The National Wing pretended to ques-
lions, yet evaded them by saying that had personal
experience enough in the and mode by which the
presidential Office is executed, to know how utterly
groundless Inquiries This not sat
sfactory 1t did not respond to the quesons and the
attempt at evasion too apparent to deceive any
one We then propounded specific questions. and de-
manded specific reply Again the National Wing
pretended to speak for the administration; and again it
equvocated. by saying: "We pronounce the statements
made nv CTuesday's1 10
give account OF the and mode in which Cen
Taylor executes his Office to be utterly untrue In view
of the fact that had made no statement whatever as
to the mode the in which the President dis
charges his official duties could not be satisfied with
this reply And had it been specific, it would
not have been perfectly satisfactory for it purpoed to
from higher authority than the editor of the Ma
tona Wing himself, who may, in point of fact, despite
his clustering championship OF the administration, be
as far from its confidence ourselves. In the
time the Washington correspondent of the Balti-
more Sun-a moderate and intelligent whig-one of the
most reliable writers from this city, stated that votes
taken in cabinet council on all important appointments
and removals, and that General Taylor President, has
vote but, as it would seem, does not override any
decision made by the majority of his cabinet We there
fore repeated questions, and demanded specific
swer, which would bear about it some marks of author
ty This demand not unreasonable; for. although
the editor of the National Wing may be. for aught
know utterly ignorant OF the transactions of the admin
straon, yet he pre,ends to be informed and has pre-
tended to be informed, to this particular matter To
demand for specific and authoritative answer, he
replies in his yesterday mornings paper:
sour neighbor Of the Union insists with degree of
pertnacty, upon answering a number of impe
que which he Dr1DOunds. the
the Presidents taking the advice of his cabinet W. beg
leave respectfully to decline"
We must inform the editor OF the National Wing, that
we cheerfuly leave others to decide whether
tons are pertinent or impairment. But answers may
sometimes be impairment well questions and we
suspect it is in the present If the National Wing
able to silence the reports of the country his pres
ent is far from being pertnent-if it be not i'm
pertinent Let this, however pass. The National Wing
ought to know that the manner and mode in which Gen
Taylor performs his executive functions matter of
high public concernment. He knows that Gen. Taylor
elected to discharge the important duties of Presi
dent of the United States and that the people have
right to know whether he does perform those duties
to the best of his skill and ability follows the line
marked out by majority of his Secrearies-wheiher
he is in fact and practically the Chief Magistrate of the
Union, but raced member OF the cabinet bowling to
the dication OF his advisers in performing his peculiar
functions, whilst he leaves TO them to discharge their
own duties they may think best But it seems that
is impairment to make such inquiries, and upon this
ground the National Wing processes to decline an an.
swer Yet, while declines to us respecting
the manner of the Presidents taking the advice of his
cabinet" it attempts 10 play off miserable and transpa-
rent trick upon the public about upon par with its sup
PRESTON few days ago, of portion of an article from
the New Orleans Delta which it pretended to publish en-
tire. 1t declines distinctly to in the words we
have quoted; yet in another and distinct article holds
the following language:
"The President, when he desires the advice of his cab-
receives it all his predecessors have done and in
submitting questions 10 their consideration, he follows
example of the Father Of his Country. When the Pres
dent forms an opinion he expresses it, and that conci
sire he responsible to his country and his God for
acts. and no asehoods Of his opponents will hinder him
from the discharge of duty"
This indeed miserable Device and unworthy of any
paper which permitted pretend represent the views
of any administration. The National Wing was forced
TO decline giving specific and authoritative answer to
our inquiries, yet in another article il forward with
vague statement that the second Washington" follows
the example Of the Father of his Country when he de-
sres to consult his cabnet-the very subject matter of
our questions This is indeed speaking with double
tongue; and the whig press out of Washington will
words of the other General Taylor follows the ex-