The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-01-02
Of the enlightened and avowed sentiments which
have hitherto characterized the Messages Of the
fresl0ent -. .....S.~s. ...ss~~- ''-'
Executive Responsibility.

we were somewhat aSLOHlSHeu, Oh LdhllS
the Telegraph of last week, to find in it an arti-
Gle upon the subject of General Taylor's exer-
else of responsibilities, and especially TO find the
writer attempting to illustrate and enforce the
truth of his position by reference to the reten-
ton in Office Of the Democratic incumbent of
the Surveyor Gencralship of Wisconsin and
Iowa.
We do not intend to dwell upon this article,
nor should we refer to it at all, but for desire
we have for the welfare of the ostensible proprie
tor of that paper, knowing, as we do the very
awkward and embarrassing position in which he
has suffered himself to be placed
He has, on the one hand, put himself under
the entire control of leading and commanding
Wing of this City, with whom the subject of the
Surveyor Generalship has assumed very great
delicacy; and whose opinions and wishes he is
bound to respect and obey as he regards his own
business prospects and pecuniary interests On
the other hand he has secured the services ola
gentleman to do the Editorial of his office,
whose feelings and opinions utterly at va
rance with the whole Fogie Squad, are those
of George l.. Nightingale himself, and who, un-
less he be held in check by some friendly hand
like ours, will be sure to share the same fate,
his illustrious predecessor, whom we have
named ..f ..-'
| Mr.. Hagcr, the writer in question, is, we pre-
sumo, Whig,-at least we should infer this
from the hostility he manifests to Mr.. Richie of
the Union, in the article under consideration,
claiming, however, as we believe, to be ranked
with that Modern School, who refuse to be con-
sidcred "Ultra." But Wing, or no Whig,-ul-
ira not ultra, it is evident he is not in the Sc
crets of the party, or is taking upon himself the
the commands of the Major of the Fogie pha
lanx; and by so doing placing in jeopardy the
interests and classifying the obligations of his en-
ploycr.
The ostensible object of his article is to shoe
that General Taylor is not under the control of
his Cabinet in the matter of removing or retain
ing Democratic office -hoders, and to do this, he
instances the fact, that with regard to the pres.
ent Surveyor General of Wisconsin and Iowa,
"President Taylor had taken the matter into his
own keeping and notwithstanding strenuous
efforts had been made to effect his removal, in
which one member of the Cabinet had heartily
joined, he had put his Veto upon all these eff.
forts, and General Booth was safe.
That strenuous efforts have been made to cf.
feet the removal of Gen. Booth, is doubtless
true, and that the writer of the Telegraph article
is intimately acquainted with the nature and ex-
tent of those efforts, is no less true. But we
would ask him by whom these efforts were made,
and at what period of time, during the progress
of these efforts did General Taylor first conceive
the idea of retaining Mr.. Booth in office, and is
sue his orders to that effect? Was it while his
Brother-in-law, Maj. Floyd was pulling at the
sleeve of Preston, and Madeira through his nl-
and Davis, and Springer and NAPLES and, num-
herlcss other lesser lights were hanging on to
the coat tails of this and that member of the
Cabinet? Nothing like it.. The axe of the Ex-
ecutioner was raised to do its office and waited
but the decision of the Cabinet, upon the con-
flicting claims of those who were crying for
blood No signs of mercy were exhibited, and
no indications that single officer ,could DC SPAR
Ell, from the ten dollar Post Master, up to the
Seventy-fre Thousand Dollar Surveyor. Love
of Democratic office-holders, or respect to the
pledges of their Automaton Chief was all gam
mon in the estimation of the Cabinet Council,
and Booth would have been removed, but
for-WHAr' True promise had been ex-
tortsd from Reverdy Johnson that he should
be retained, but his was but one vote in Eight,
and notwithstanding his leniency, the political
head of the Surveyor General would have rolled
in the dust, but for WHAT?
Not, we can assure MIR. Hager, the spontane-
Gus interpositon Of General Taylor in his be-
half, as he intmates in his article of last week,
Int the interposition Of the LEADING Wines OF
DUBUQUE.
No manly, noble, or independent stand of
Old Zachary Taylor has wrought this marvellous
Slaughter. No Executive fiat was issued in be-
half of this Prince of Democratic office-holders,
while the lank and lean of the kind. were knock
ed hors du combat in the twinkling of an eye;
upon the accession of Ewing and Company to
their present position.
Let not this ranter against "Loccfocoism"
work himself into personal hostility to Gener-
al Taylor on account of his merciful dispensa-
tons to his political opponents in Office. In the
ter ofther ejectment retention, he excr-
cises no control, and takes no responsibility
The Cabidet decide and he acquiesces.
Why it is that the leading Wbigs of Dubuque
have manifested such disposition to have Cen
.eral Booth retained, we leave the Telegraph wri-
ter to find out but let him rest assured that their
petitions and circumstances, and not the fiat of
General Taylor have changed the determination
of the Political Cormorants who compose the
Erecutire Of our Country.
DUBUQUE HARBoR.--In the estimates of the
Secretary of the Treasury for the nresenf yc,r