The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-08
The Cabinet Is the President.

In proclaming to the American people the startling fact
that the Cabinet is the President and not the whom
they elected to that high office, we intend to do no njus
ce to General Taylor. On the contrary, we have none
but the kindest feelings for him personally We do
not wish to deny TO him the possession OF any merits
virtues which he may reasonably claim private cti
zen, or as military commander We do not deny that
his name is honoaby identified with the military glory
OF the country that, surrounded he was by able
advisers and by in the ranks almost every one OF
whom knight, he achieved victories which shed
usre upon the American We sustained him
throughout soldier, desired his success and reoiced
at his triumphs the common enemies OF country
We did this when the very by whom he is
rounded and into whose arms he has thrown himself
opposing the OF their country denouncing him
as " hired butcher" and invoking the destruction Of
himself and the brave troops under his command We
stood by country and him when traitors in
very midst allied themselves with the common enemy,
stimulating them resistance and invoking them to
welcome General Taylor and the brave men under his
command with "bloody hands to hospitable graves"
And when of the glorious victories won by our
heroic army under General Taylor in Mexico arrived
here, illuminated in honor Of the event. while those
who possess his confidence and favor refused TO
express that way, Joy and qualification which they
did not feel And after he had affiliated with the
party who had brought down upon itself such infamy
by reason of its traitorous alliance with MeXco-a
course of conduct for which the wing party must yet
at the bar OF the American people-we assailed
General Taylor personally, but we did condemn in terms
of disgust and which the spectacle could fail
INSPIRE the unnatural and revolving association which
he had allowed himself to be drawn into with the
whom he should have repealed he would the embraces
of so many Amods. We state these facts to show,
that what may say of General Taylors position as
President is not dictated by any unkind hostile feel
ing against him personally We feel none, and possess
none and only object is the welfare of the republic
and the good OF our country.
1t cannot be denied that the impression is now getting
to be very generally prevalent that General Taylor al
though elected by the people to that high office,
in fact the President, but has abdcated the powers of
the office 10 the by whom he is surrounded in the
cabinet And it is important to Gen Taylor, as well as
to the integrity and purity of republican institutions,
know whether not the impression alluded to is well
founded.
We that the fact is denied in general terms BY
the INSCRIPTIONS organ this city, the National Whig
which Processes speak for the President and the cab-
net; but its habual recklessness of statement repels all
the numerous facts and circumstances that 20 to estab
sh conclusion contrary its assertions We will re-
capua,e the circumstances which, our belief go to
show csnclusively that Gen Taylor is President only
NAME and that the duties of the office have been dele
gated 10, and exercised by his cabinet, who
elected by, and responsible TO the pco
ple in any manner in which accountability can be en-
forced.
~ ~
previous life, which had been spent the frontiers, in
the camp and field, wholly untitled him for the intricate
and difficult duties of the presidency And of this his
admirers and advocates seemed to be sensbe and they
began Immediately to prepare the public mind for the
pudaon of the functions of President by General Tay
lor which be performed by others while he held
the office. Hence the first step was the reputation of
the veto power, and the pledge contained in the Allison
letter, that he would carefully abstain from interfering
with the legislation of Congress. THIS relieved him
from the necessity tie responsibility of originating and
carrying into effect any system Of measures, govern
mental policy And thus did he repudate the duty i'm
posed upon him by the constitution TO give 10 Congress,
from time to time, information OF the state of the
Union and recommend their consideration such
ures as he shall Judge necessary and expedient."
This the inception OF the scheme OF the wing leaders
introduce into this country the odous and dangerous
example of electing man to the presidency who was
incompetent perform the duties of the Office and would
be compelled by necessity delegate them to rrespoa
sble conclave called a cabinet The next step to
induce Gen. Taylor to abdicate the appointing poper.
This accomplished by persuadng him into the belief
that all appointments should be made by the Secretary of
the department which the Office appertained There
fore, Immediately upon his assumption of the office of
President it given out in all the organs of the whg
party that the President would receive Recommended
tons for Office, but that they all TO be presented
the Secretary of the department to which the office sought
attached and that Gen. Taylor, holding the Secre-
tary responsible, permitted him 10 make the appointment;
what the thing designate the to be appoint
ed And very the daily development of proved
the statement to be true. General Taylor refused to
ceve applications for Office, and the applicants all
referred to the Secretaries The wing press affirmed that
candidates designated by the Secretaries, and Gen.
Taylor commissioned such thus designated
Mr. Clayton appointed foreign ministers; Mr.. Ewing,
heads of bureaus, land officers, &C. and the Postmaster
General appointed postmasters, those whom the law
expressly required the President to appoint In Short
the daily statements of the whg press and wing letter.