The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-12-19
A President Of the People.

Captain ALLISON, with the view OF show
ing an alleged violation of his pledge to
become, if elected, the President Of the
whole people. The paragraph cited for
this purpose is the following
First ] rciterate what | have said ] am
Wing, but not an ultra Hing. If elected, WOULD
NOT DE THE PRESIDENT OF A PARTY. ,couid en-
dsapor to act INDEPENDENT OF PARTY DOMINATION
should feel bound 10 administer me Government uN-
TRAMMELLED By PARTY SCHEMES"
This the Opposition interpret as pledge
TO keep all Democrats in office. During
their entire existence as party, with the
exception of few weeks Of General HAIR
RIsoN's term, the WIGS have been as
strictly excluded from office as if they
were not citizens of the Republic. Presi-
dent TAYLOR, when he came into power,
found one-half of the American people to
all intents prescribed class. The offices
were all in the possession of their opponents.
The first thing, therefore, called for by
General TAYLoR's pledge was the correc-
ton of this gross injustice and oppression,
by placing in office reasonable proper
ton of WHIGs. To some extent this has
been done; but still many of the most i'm
portant and valuable offices of the Gov
eminent, with thousands of minor APP
pointments, remain in the hands of Demo
Gratis, appointees of late administrations.
To such an extent is this true of the Offices
in the departments, that it has been the
subject of loud if not just complaint among
the WHIGs for the last six months.
The next thing obviously required by the
pledge in question was the preservation of
a strict neutrality between the North and
South, on all matters of sectional difference
and discussion. This pledge has been IN
violably kept President TAYLOR has re-
fused to announce prematurely his pur-
poses with regard to the Wilmot proviso.
He has not interfered with the action OF
Congress on this subject. He has not in
suited Congress by menace that, If they
should adopt this or that legislation, he
would veto it. He has not become par
tisan of either side in this sectional dispute.
He has held and still holds himself in po-
siton TO discharge his constitutional duty
on this subject, untrammelled by party or
sectional pledges. And yet it has been
made the subject of complaint and vitupe-
ration by the Opposition presses, that he
will not 'Eact as Southern man. in this
regard How could he act as a Southern
or as a Northern man, without violating
his pledge to act as the President Of the
whole people
If the pledge of General TAYLOR is sus-
ceptible of the Interpretation put upon IT
by the Opposition, why have they failed
TO put the same Interpretation on the same
pledge when made by President PoLR'
In his inaugural address Mr.. Polk gave
the same pledge in almost the same words.
He never considered il necessary to APP
point a WING to office because he had
promised to be the President of the peo-
pie. During his whole administration,
there is probably no instance of WIG
appointment. He did not consider il in
consistent with the promise TO be the
President Of the people, to surround HIM
self with political friends instead Of poit-
ical enemies. He did not consider that
this pledge involved the absurdity of car
rying on an administration by the aid of men
interested in breaking it down, and commit
ted against il 'to the bitter end" no matter
what might be the aspect Of the future.
He never thought it necessary to keep
men in office who would make it "point
of honor" 10 withhold all information on
public matters that tended to enlighten
the people as TO the conduct OF their ser
wants But, so strictly is it now claimed
TO be the duty Of a Locoioco in office to
cover up and conceal the delinquencies OF
the late administration, that the Union
has made il the ground Of an attack on
Mr.. GILLETT, the late Solicitor Of the
Treasury, that he had furnished the tn,
ofa smf commenced by the Government
against Mr.. DENLY. For twenty-iour
hours, Mr.. GILLETT was quite under a
cloud with his party, because he was
suspected Of having furnished US with the
information to which we refer; and We
were obliged TO come TO the defence Of
that worthy gentleman, and to show by
ms recorded votes that he was utterly in
capable Of communicating any information
TO the people, or Of suffering them 10 arrive
at any information which he could with
hold, when it was likely to interfere will
the interests of bis party friends.
But we are wandering from our object
In conjunction with the pledge Of Genera
TAYLOR in his Allison letter, We ask on
friends of the OpposiGoe press TO reac
President PoLK's pledge, in has iDaugura
A. -