The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-08-08
Correspondence Of the Pioneer.
WASHINGTON, July 10, 1861

WASHINGTON, July 10, 1850.
Long before this, your readers will
have been informed of the death ofGen.
Zachary Taylor, President of the United
States. This sudden and distressing e.
vent has clothed the whole land in
mourning. However bitter the oppo-
sition to the policy adopted by his ad-
mnistration, in regard to the great pub
lie questions now before the country no
man has had the hardihood to assail the
personal character to the lateP resident,
nor to attribute tn him aught but the
purest motives, in the course he saw fit
to pursue. Your correspondent had
been favored with a personal acquain-
tance with Gen. Taylor for a period of
nearly fifteen years, and he states but
the honest conviction of his own mind
when he asserts that no man ever lived
who exempli6cd in greater degree the
character of pure and simple republi-
can, than he did Sternly and infexi-
bly, Just, he was withal kind and affable
in his intercourse with his fellow men
His elevation to the highest Office in the
gift Of the people, engendered in him no
arrogance of demeanor, nor any of that
superciiousness of department too often
affected, by linen dressed in a little
brief authority 1t was my privilege
to join with him aud many thousand 9TH
er citizens, in the celebration of the an
niversary of our Independence, at the
base of the Washington Monument. .---
The heat was intense, but the president
gave no indications of being particular
! ly oppressed thereby, and il struck me
that he looked quite as well and as Wig
orous as usual. On the evening of the
9th, only five days afterwards, he was
'gathered to his father" thus furnishing
! another illustration of the truth Of the
saying that death loves a shining
mark" We may be permitted to hope
that the shock which his unexpected de-
mise has occasioned in every portion ef
the Republic, will have asalutary effect
in calming the tumultuous passions of
the people, and in restoring those frater-
nal feelings between the different Sec
tions which were wont to exist, but which
Of late have been 50 sadly impaired
The interminable slavery topic still
''drags its slow length along" in the
Senate, and it is just as impossible now,
as it was on the first day of the session,
to predict when and how the question
will be settled, if at all. The House
have now under consideration the claim
of the Delegate from New Mexico to ad-
mission. The case has elected warm
and exciting debate, in which the rights,
the privileges, and duties of a Delegate
have been thoroughly canvassed, and
opinions expressed thereon as different
as light and darkness. BY some, del
egate is declared to be mere agent or
attorney in fact for certain people, who
are graciously allowed the protection Of
the General Government; while others
assume with far more show Of reason,
that he lis entitled to high privileges
and invested with delicate responsible
ties, as the representative of regu-
larly organized government within the
limits Of the Republic The case of the
delegate from Wisconsin Territory ad-
mitted at the last session, was claimed
to be a precedent by the friends of th C
New Mexico claimant, while his oppon-
ents are equally pertinacious in insisting
that there IS no color for any such as
sumption, as Wisconsin territory had
been regularly organized by act of Con-
gress, which act had not been repealed
by the admission of the State of that
name. The contest has assumed near
ly sectional aspect, the north general
ly sustaining the application of the Del
egate, Mr.. Smith, while the south are
opposed to his admission. The vote I'M
Committee yesterday was a very close
one, on the resolution reported by ma
lority of the Committee on elections,
that sit is inexpedient to admit the Del
egate", ayes 90, nays So; SO that the
Committee of the whole on the state of
the Union, reported to the House unfa-
vorably to Mr.. Smith. The result is
still doubtful, as the House adjourned
without coming to vote; bat think
the chances are in favor Of Smith, not
withstanding the report of the Commit
tee The case will be decided to-day
On the general principle that all large
bodies of American citizens are entitled
to be heard in Congress, and probably
also, because fellow feeling makes Us
wondrous kind, your Delegate has been
active in behalf Of Mr.. Smith, so far as
it was proper and polite for him to be so.
The Senate yesterday passed 'BilI
for the benefit Of Minnesota, which pro-
vides that land for the construction of
a railroad shall be granted TO the Ter
ritorY from the Western honudarv Via |