The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-12-07


President OF the United States he was 90 in fact and moi
in Andrew Jackson's opinions were well known
to his counymen all important questions touching
their interests and welfare upon which his administra
ton was required to act His opinions upon the subject Of
internal improvements known to the people long
before he was required to act upon the question So
was in reference to reduction OF the tariff and emnenty
so in reference to the United States Bank In his first
annual message to Congress he announced his opposition
to that measures and with regard to many other import
ant questions affecting the welfare and liberties OF the
people. he was equally frank and explicit Andrew Jack.
sconed concealmen and he equally scorned hypoc-
risy and deception.
But what spectacle does the present incumbent OF the
presidential chair exhibit to the American people and to
the world! Speechess and dumb as the silent walls
OF the mansion which he inhabs. Under the specious
pretence that he must not interfere with the action OF
Congress, the cabal by whom he is surrounded and
guided have persuaded the inexperienced and confding
old gentleman in their keeping torepudate the use Of the
veto powers with which the constitution arms him in
order to resist the Entertainments OF another branch
the government upon his constitutional privileges
and upon the rights Of the people and States and to
carefully refrain from the uttence Of any opinion upon
the great questions which agate the nation and involve
the existence Of the Union and the dearest interests Of
the people Such is the sorry and undigned spectacle
which the present incumbent OF the presidency exhibits
before the American people and the world.
We do not hesitate to say that this silence upon the
great and porentous questions touching the subject OF
slavery, now impending with such threatening aspect
over the country almost borders upon cupabe dere-
LECTION Of duty the part Of the Executive If the opin
ions Of General Taylor upon this subject were known
the country would then understand the precise position
Of the question, and the public mind would exert itself to
provide remedies for the dangers which now menace and
imper the constitution and the Union, and thus prevent
the catastrophe which the silence Of the incumbent Of the
presidency may possibly bring about If il were known
that he wond veto the WilmotP roviso, and also bill
for aboishing slavery in the District of Columbia, il
such measures should be passed by Congress, who
does not believe that public opinion would in great
measure conform to the state of things thus created
and that Congress would act more understandingly,
wisely, and satisfactorily to the people in reference to
those questons' ii it were known that he would veto
the Wimot Proviso, who doubt that Congress-if
there is indeed majority in that body in favor of the
the impossbility Of enacting the Pro-
viso into law, would provide governments for the new
territories, emitting all legislation upon that question,
and leaving it to the people inhabtng the territories
and to the Supreme Court of the United States for set
tlement And who doubt that, il the nominal Pres
dent of the United States had any opinions upon the sub
et that could be made known to the public the great
dangers which the peace, if not the exist
of this great conederacy Of sovereign States would
be averted'
And why is this unnecessary, uDpatroc, and censura-
bic silence the part OF the who now fills the pres
idental chair, and upon whose shoulders the immense
responsibilities Of this momentous question inevita
bly, fall! We know the answer and the country knows
it, His TO prevent the exposure Of the scandalous hypocr
sy and the oked alsehood prdefised upon the people du
ring the presidential election This is the true reason
shameful and criminal it is Of the silence and dumb
foundedness of the nominal head of the administration
upon this great and vital question which looms up
before the country with threatening aspect than
before Gen Taylor represented at the South,
during the late canvass being opposed the Wilmo
Provso and at the North he represented be in IA
Of the Of the power and that he would
therefore, sign bill containing the Proviso, for
slavery in the District Of Columbia lie pas
pledged to this course by Truman Smith, and Abbott
Laurence, the present munster to England They
old the people, in the Indifferent addresses which they
maize 10 them, tnat Uey ndu leuers from General
Taylor, in which he had pledged himself not to veto
he Wlmo Proviso, in the event Of its passage II is to
prevent the exposure of this niqutous and fagtous
fraud upon the American people, that Gen. Taylor now
keeps silent upon the question. II he should speak, and
express his opinions upon that subject he would convict
his followers either at the North or South Of the most
shameful falsehood and cupabe deceit pacsed by them
upon the people. II would either prove that Truman Smith
and Abbott Lawrence had told the truth or had fabricated
out Of whole the asehoods which they uttered in
respect to General Taylors letters II he wrote the let
ers which they say he did, why does he not have the
courage and manliness to avow them' u he did not
write them, how he, an honest man, permit such
things TO be said OF him without contradiction
These are the reaspns why Gen. Taylor not daring to
meet the truth takes refuge in silence upon this ques
lion. He and his advisers and followers, who are part.
;eps erminis 10 this wicked cheat upon the American
people, hope that this bitter cup may pass from them
They fear and trembe al the exposure OF the shameful
and criminal fraud which they have committed and hence
hey resort to every expedien TO avoid IT, Hence the
anxious and perseveng efforts which they have made to
organize prematurely State government in California
And hence their various schemes to get round the ugly
and terrible question. But, we think IL must come
Appearances in Congress and elsewhere seem to indicate
hat the presidential incumbent must face che issue which
his followers have made up for him. We doubt IL
is the interest Of the South or Of any other portion Of
he Union, that its settlement should longer be delayed
Let it come, II come il must Let come rst we trust TO
A. ~ A