The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-24
President Taylor.

under circumstances which should have
entitled him to fair and generous treat
ment from friend and adversary, that man
was General TAYLOR. His modesty, his
moderation, his strict integrity, his purity
of life, his eminent services, had won for
him the confidence, the affection, and the
gratitude Of his countrymen, and had res
cued the fortunes of great party which
had selected him as their candidate, and
achieved signal triumph in his name.
He was not identified with the excite
ments or animosities of political strife. He
had no prejudices or partialities, no antip-
athies or predictions, to mislead his
judgment or prevent him from rendering
exact and equal justice to all the classes
and interests in the combined strength of
which he had attained his eminent posi-
ton. In accordance with the uniform
usage of his predecessors, he surrounded
himself with Cabinet, fairly selected
from the party whose candidate he had
consented to become. In that Cabinet it
was believed that the views of different
sections were fairly represented; and what
ever else might have been said of il, no
one could deny that it was composed of
men who were identified with the struggles
and conflicts of the great WING party, and
prepared to give full encouragement and
effect to their measures, views, principles,
and opinions.
To the WHIGs, then, he had exhibited an
honorable fidelity. While prepared to be-
come the President of the people-he did
not forget, as he ought not to have forgot
ten, that it was to his WING adoption that
he owed his elevation, and that it was to
the WING party that he should look for his
constitutional advisers.
The Democratic party had no right to
object to the adoption of this policy by
President TAYLOR. They knew that it
was consistent with the usages of the
country, and with the circumstances OF
his position. They could not for mo-
ment have expected that President TAY-
LoR would deviate from the established
course of his predecessors, or bring any
other men into his Cabinet than those who
were pledged to the support of the mea-
sures and sentiments with which he had
identified himself, by all the actual and
implied pledges by which candidate can
bind himself to his party. Thus far, then,
the Democrats had no just cause of COM
plant
But no sooner had President TAYLOR
entered upon the duties of his office than
it became manifest that he was to be made
the subject of the most bitter and virulent
opposition. With cause, or without cause,
his Administration was to be assailed and
broken down. Whatever might be his
measures, they were TO be arraigned, con-
demned, and stigmatized as the offspring Of
folly and corruption. Libels so gross that
they shocked the common sense of the
country-caricatures so extravagant that
they betrayed their malignity and falsehood
on their face-vituperation coarse beyond
the coarsest in partisan controversy-base
insinuations-bold lsehoods-unsparing
invectives-were showered without stint
or forbearance on the head Of the gallant
and good old soldier, whose only offence
had been that Of covering the flag of his
country with glory on the fields of carnage
and victory, and winning in pacific cleo.
tive contest the highest honors that bis
country could bestow. Such was hi:
crime, and such its punishment!
II is not our intention to recspitulate
the accusations and charges that were
hesped upon President TAYLOR in con.
nexion with the exercise of his constitu.
tional power of appointment and removal
with the German war-steamer--the recon.
mendation of national fast--the Rev af
fair--the denial of passport TO free ne.
gro, and his refusal to act as sectional
man, or to announce predeterminatior
to veto the legislation of Congress. MOI
will we more than allude TO the abusive
epithets that were applied to him, and the
monstrous fabrications that were employed
with the view of bringing the President
into ridicule and contempt with the PEG.
pie. All these matters were merely Incl
dental and ancillary to the main topic Of
attack, and the effective combinations by
which an Opposition majority was secured
in the House of Representatives. The
great instrumentality by which this result
was brought about was the unprinciplec
use of the slavery question for the unhal
lowed purpose Of stimulating sectional agi
tation, and turning il against General TAY
LoR and the Administration. The neutra
and national position of the PRESIDENT OF
this question suggested a very obvious
mode Of attack, which was conducted will