The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-02
The Moral Question Involved ia the Breach by Gen.
Taylor OF his Pledges.

Wnlb convention AT Inldueiplud, HC 'o'"h"i"J o"u vi
his own free will made the following pledges to the
people of the United States in relation to the course
which he would pursue in the administration OF the
Office of President in the of his election In his
| various letters he says:
In no case can permit myself be the candidate Of
g T%sls, Or '"a "'''' ''r4''' ''"'"''' ''' '
should the nation large seek place in the chair of
the chief The good of all ppes aud The national
good pond DC my great and aosoro'"g a'm-Aen' 10 :"
Should ever occupy The White House. it must be by
the the people, and by no act OF
so that could 20 into the Office unrammeled AND BE THE
CHEF MAe!srRArE OF THE PEOPLE, AND NOT OF PARTY
If ever III that high office il must be ~"irammeed oith
party obligations or interests Of any s'nd and under none
but which the constitution and the high interests Of
nation large seriously and soemny demand
am not cing 70 be The candidate Of any party, pledge
myself any political creed that which springs directly
from the and the be,. and
the Presidential office must be without any agency OF
ny 1w s5 @ Sma /" those duties Ima go r"5%msd
party pledges Of every character Letter to j. Il Bukey
spontaneous of the people, and by OF mine,
eoad upon the duties apprtdnt"g to me Chte
,ehaf hare previously stated regards the constitutions
that Ieoud be The President Of the nation and NOT Of party
| Letter to &. L. Wt(c0E and others
need hardly add that in any permit myself
be brought before the people exclusively by any Of the
as their candidute for this sLetfer to F. Bronson"
shall offer no active opposition to the use OF my name IN
come xion this responsible office, long they
time 10 use Independent of party distinctions Letter
| to William VI Murphy and others
In being thus nominated, must mission the condition
and position thus p''nt tmniatdbIthal should
be Brought forward by them me candidate Of their
parfy, considered as me opponent o. he party
| Letter Peter Sken Smith
Ihaps private purposes to accomplishing party projects
to build upno 10 punisl-nohing to serpe but my
country ,,,1h-D ;,,
of party ,ooi.d endauOr TO act independent OF party
donmation. should feel bound to administer the gopern
ment ,oan.n,ehea by party scheme-Fra Allison letter
Such were the pledges and assurances which General
Taylor made to the American people when he was So
Letting from them the favor of being considered as can
ddale for the high Office TO which he has been elevated
He had then been proposed candidate for the Pres
dency by various persons and cques representing nearly
every shade OF political opinion and including democrats
whigs native Americans and others His position In The
army and his long vice the frontiers had IN meas
distracted him from the OF politics. and so little
interest had he taken in political affairs, that, according
his admission, he had not exercised the right OF
suffrage for nearly forty years. That portion OF the PEG
ple therefore, who inclined TO reward him with high
civic honors for his military services, and who desired
that end should be put to the violence and asperty
political strife by which the country had been so long
agated, and who believed that such object could be
gained by the election of General Taylor, had right to
take him at his word, and to conde in his professions
that he not party man, and would if he were
elected be the President of the whole people, and ad
minister the government for the good of the whole, and
not for the benefit of party
And it was under such circumstances, and with
these pledges before Them that the delegates of the
whig convention at Philadelphia nominated him. AS
| the leaders of the wing party then acknowledged.
its favorte measures had been overhrown, its prin-
cples had become obsolete, and its great champion,
who had for more than quarter OF century repre-.
scented the principles of that party, and borne its flag
CALAMITY and herocaly upon every battle field in de-
feat or victory had become odious TO the American
people that there was possibility of his if he
were nominated Therefore, by nominating Gen. Taylor
under such circumstances, the leaders of the old wing
party virtually abandoned their old principles and asso-
cations and gave in their adhesion TO the party plat
form which had been laid down by their candidate and
especially did they subscribe to and confirm his pledges
upon the subject of prescription. And, in conformity
with this view of the subject MIR. Cr,tenden, who had
been the chief inrguer by which Mr. Clay was over
thrown and deposed from his old position the head of
the wing party and General Taylor chosen its standard
bearer. made the following declaration in speech al
| Pittsburg on his return home to Kentucky:
prescribe for difference Of opinion He hates, ioahes
prescription He LOVES Tue FREE NpErKNDENr urrERAScE
! OF OPINION He has commanded wings and democrats
the field of batIehas witnessed their patriotic devotion
and nvincibe courage while standing together shoulder
shouderhas them fight, bleed and die together
aud God forbid he should prescribe any of
difference Of political sentiments He would tn ink
| (said the speaker) Of running from Mexican
Thus did the distinguished leader OF the Taylor party
recognise and rearm, language the most expressive
and pointed the pledges of General Taylor particularly
in reference to prescription And these pledges of their
candidate confirmed by the deliberate and solemn dec
lara,on of their chief tactcan also recognised by
the advocates of the election of General Taylor in the
press and upon the rostum and proclaimed everywhere
as the ground on which the government would be admin
isered in the event of his election The people con6ded
in those pledges. They made, as they supposed
by frank and honest old soldier, who would tc
violate them, and they believed in them. Men of al
parties supported Gen. Taylor, and he was elected
Then came the test of those pledges in the action o.
Gen Taylor President. 1t is true, when he entered
upon the duties of his Office he surrounded himself with
a cabinet, several of whom were known TO be wings Of
the most ultra and proscrptive stamp Yet ii was be-
ieved that the integrity and the rmness of Gen. Taylor
would restrain any attempt to resusca,e the policy which
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