The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-05-23
Political EthIcs.-- The Mask Removed.

When General Taylor declared that he would not be
the candidate OF partyhat he would not lend himself
to party schemesthat he would not be the President OF
party, but of the whole counry-even his opponents
gave him some credit for sincerity, however much they
doubted his ability redeem his pledges His supporters
predicted era-the era of good feeling. All party
lines 10 be oberaed-all party divisions healed
all party machinery broken up and destroyed, when 'he
second Washington" should to fill the chief mags
tracy of the nation Many OF the democrats believed
that parties could be destroyed in country and that
General Taylor's position would enable him TO fulfil his
pledges, and accomplish that result For ourselves
were OF different opinion. We had doubts-if
doubts they could be caed-upon than point.
Yet we scarcely thought that General Taylor would
so soon have so directly repudiated his own prom
ises We thought that common consistency, COM
mon faith, would induce him to make an effort,
at least, to redeem his plghted word; and, if he
failed in the effort, that he would candidly confess
the utter impracticabily of carrying out his promises
This the plain course OF one who had no party ends
to accomplish and who had determined not TO lend him.
self to party schemes But it seems, from the following
extract from his principal organ, Qhe National Whg,)
that mistaken throughout Itappears that after
all his pledges and his promises, which we will not
peat, they familiar to al-after all his letters and
after his inaugural address, delivered with his oath Of
office fresh from his lips General Taylor does not feel
himself bound to the whole people, but only to the wing
party We say it seems that he occupies this position
because unwilling TO attribute to the Chief Magis
rate OF the republic such sentiments those which
of his organs brings forward and defends The National
Wing of yesterday morning says-Uhe italics our
OWN
"When Gen Taylor told the nation that he would not be
party President neither OF the great parties of the
try made their selection of candidate for the pres
dency The wing party, after long struggle within It's
ranks, accepted him their candidate but the dem
party epudated him and took up another individ
ual Gen. Taylor elected it not sdfepdenf, thai
The promise Of being party PrrsdeM cannot be claimed
by the democratic paryto kept matter of right? We
think They rcpudated the promise and the promiser
and The keeping Of The promise, far as democrats
ce,nsd plainly matter of dscsfion and not of duty
these things be soand do how they be other
wises it the extreme of folly in democrats to accuse
Gen Taylor OF break ing his promise 10 be party Pres
en because he does take democrats into his entire
confidence The democrats not purity 10 the prons
aud he break prons they fused 10 confde in
is g cho The only party to the promise, and he ha
npioiay kept in regard to thsn and wH continue TO do
so"
We respectfully ask the reader TO ponder this
precious specimen of political morality and to remember
that it from OF the organs OF the admnlsra-
ton of the "second Washington" General Taylor.
pledge, "that he would not be party President" was
given "when neither OF the grea, parties of the country
had made their selection of candidate for the Presden
cy" The democratic party refused to nominate him for
that high office, and consequently it has right to de-
mand fulflment OF the pledge The members Of the
democratic party were not parties to the promises it
mol a compact made with them, and consequently they
have no night to expect its performance Bnt what he
comes oil General Taylors conscience Was that a
parry 10 'ne promise" What becomes of the country
was 'ha' parry TO the promises What becomes OF
the Taylor democrats whose scruples were satisfied by
hese very professions and without whose VOTE in COM
bination with those Of the wings, he never could have
been elected to the elevated position which he now &C.