The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-06-10

we aver, therefore, most distinctly, that all tue
statements which have appeared in the opposition
newspapers, OF the character and effect Of those 10
which we above refer, absolutely and unqual-
. ifedly false.
"The President of the United States in no in
stance submits his prerogatiye to the chances OF
vote in the Cabinet. The appointments vested in
= the President the President has made ON his own
responsibility. The applications for such appoint
ments, that have been refused, have been refused
on his own responsibility. He has never sought
: to mpcate the Cabinet, any member OF the
: Cabinet in tlc responsibility ~0f such refusal
Every diplomatic appointment of any importance
has been made by the President himself. Of his
own motion and from his Judgment, the
merits and claims OF the respective candidates
= With regard To the inferior aud local appoint
ments, which belong properly to the heads of De-
partnents, he has left them where they belong.
without seeking to interfere. In making these
appointments the members of the Cabinet have, Of
course, been compelled TO consult together, in
der TO arrange and equalize the appointments in
different sections, and to prevent conflicting
double appointments, or too great prcponderance
in particular localities These appointments the
President has not interfered with, because il is
no part Of his Presidential duty. Il has never
been considered part of the Presidential duty,
except by ono or two Of Chief Magistrates,
who have been afflicted with that species Of egoiism
which terminates i'll the temper of a despot "a
demagogue."
The article from which the foregoing ex-
tract is taken was not only republished by the
Wing journals quite generally throughout the
country, but it was replied tor at least there
was an attempt to reply to tin the Union
newspaper of July "a, in an article of some
-. -
ducing no evidence whatever upon the subject
not one fact, not one plausible item upon which
the decisive statement of the Republic could
be impugned-came to the conclusion that it
must express ia different opinion from that
which has been recently put forth by the
gans of the Administration !" and it went on to
persist in claiming the advantages of an igno-
rance which might perhaps have been as ia
milar as it was wilful. The Union's .'opin-
ion" has formed the ground of its falsifcations
upon this topic ever since; nor is il the only
instance in which il has made unfounded and
absurd opinions the basis of false averments
concerning facts.
Can any intelligent reader expect that we
should meet such charge as this, of weakness
and imbeciity against such a man as General
TAYLOR, by resort TO the defence of serious
refutation? The thing is too glaringly ridicu-
lous. The American people know General
TAYLOR very well; they elected him with their
eyes open they have never lost their confidence
in him. They know and are assured that the
hand which upheld the national standard in the
gorges Of the Sierra Madre, and bore it onward in
triumph over the living and the dead, will not re-
lax the firmness of its grasp now that it has hold
of the helm Of State. 1t is pretty well known, we
believe, that throughout his campaigns, in mo
ments of the greatest responsibility and peril,
General TAYLOR, listening to the opinions of
his officers in council, was never controlled by
them; and that his most decisive steps, which
resulted in the salvation of the army and the
achievement of glorious victories, were often
taken in opposition to the majority of his coun-
Gil of officers.
We have dwelt, however, upon this subject
long enough for the present. But we may say
TO the Union, in conclusion, that when it ven
lures, hereafter, To give its opinion To the pub
lie as the basis of slanderous assertions, for
which il has no proof, and To confound the in
diligence of a malignant spirit Of calumny with
the harmless illusions of an inventive fancy, il
would do well TO remember that there are ex-
tremes beyond which, in civilized land, i'm
posture and effrontery cannot 90 with IMMUNITY.
Especially, and above all things, let it be care
full to forbear imputations of imbecility against
anybody; for fear that its reflections upon the
alleged imbecility of others might prove dem
onstrative of its own. 1t should be sensitive to
its weak points, even though il may be con-
scous Of sensibilty in no other form.