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

|
oday at ten O'clock.
| ' TO whom should he resort but to his Cabinet |?
The whole nation prepared to expect he
would do this in very considerable degree but
no one had anticipated what we all behold = to-
tai surrender Of power to its members-a Urtual
abdication Of his office ia its behalf. We believe it
has been publicly avowed and at time contra
dicted, that General Tay lor has surrendered near
6 ly all his discretionary functions to his Cabinet
They appoint all the officers; they prescribe the
measures to be pursued; they dictate to the Pres
dent all his acts he sits equality with each
member at the council board-votes as the rest
dds, in fact, only supernumerary member Of
the Cabinet-is often out voted and overruled but
bears it with commemorate philosophy signs his
name to their appointments and their measures,
and, while he does SO, cries to the people: Lo,
see my Cabinet and myself; not verify
the President of the United States?"
This paragraph, which we quote from the
Union of Wednesday, is the latest reissue Of
a calumny which it has been in the habit of ut
tering so long that il seems to have become in
sensible to the falsehood of the allegation, and
unconscious of the absurdity apparent upon the
face of it. That journal has assumed style
Of language and of denuncation towards the
PRESIDENT of the United States, which, in
spring Indignation and disgust, has been left
perhaps too often to meet its due rebuke from
the reaction of that public sentiment which
chershes regard for truth, with feelings of
propriety; and 1t has been supposed by many
that the vilifying ISLANDERS with which the col
rmns of that journal have teemed would find
an efficient counteraction in the stupid vulgari-
ty and the palpable falsity which marks the ut
terance of them. But it seems 10 be endowed
with the faculty of self-renewing venom,
combined with an unblushing assurance which
can set decency at defiance, and regard truth as
something fit only to be denied or perverted.
The Union knew from the first that General
TAYLoR's popularity, founded upon great and
eminent services, and blended with the admit
ration, the profound respect, and the full conf
dence of the people, was the great obstacle,
and likely to be an insuperable one, in the way
of the restoration of its party to the possession
of power which it had forfeited before the tribu-
nal of the country. Ii undertook repeatedly
and necessarily to tell the people that they
ohght not to elect General TAYLOR TO the Pres
idency; and when the people saw fit to follow
their own inclinations and judgment in that par
ticular, rather than acquiesce in the attempted
dctation of the Union, that most weakly AFRO
CANT journal began forthwith to affront, grossly
and impudently, the great body of the Ameri-
can people by ridiculing their choice, disparag-
ing the character OF their chosen one and null
tiplying day after day its base and baseless
calumnes,
| But while il deprecated General TAYLoR's
qualifications for civil Office; while it even ven
tured TO call in question the merits of his mill
tary achievements, il could not venture to as
sail that upright, inhexibe integrity, that pu-
rity Of private and public life, that true and
faithful devotion to duty, and that exalted pa
triotism which had illustrated and rendered
noble the character of the warworn veteran
who had wreathed his laurels 50 becomingly
around the standard Of his country's flag II
could not do this, because it dared not; the re-
vulson of public indignation might have been
too speedy for artifce or duplicity to evade
Another course was prefered-that Of conced-
ing honest and patriotic intentions to the Pre-
sIDENT, but asserting at the same time his ip-
norance in relation TO civil affairs TO such de-
gree that he was obliged TO content himself
with being a nominal PRESIDENT only, while
the chief, nay, the absolute control Of the Ad-
ministrative functions Of the Government was
given over TO the Cabinet, in whose hands he
was represented to be plant instrument
We should be within limits if we were 10 say
that this imputation, in some form OF another,
has appeared at least once week for the last
twelve months in the columns Of the Union
to say nothing of its republication of the same
charge from other papers of its own sort through
ont the country, which are ever ready 10 re-
echo and repeat its libellous nonsense.
Let the reader note in the paragraph prefxed
to this article one sentence, which for conve-
nience we here re-quote: 1--WE believe il has
been publicly ayowed, and al no time contra
dictcd, that General TAYLOR has surrendered
nearly all his discretionary functions To his cab
met" Now, as TO the public avowa Of this
senseless falsehood, the Union had made that
often enough, and too often for its own reputa-
ton. With regard, however, To the conira-
diction, which the Union gnores-forgetful
| of the adage, that a certain class of charac-
tiers ought to have good memories-we NAV
take the trouble, for its benefit. to refer to the
Republic Of July Is, lS49, nearly year ago.
The same garment of falsehood, which the
Union has since worn threadbare and into rags,
at the sacrifice Of decency, was then fresh from
the loom Of sanderous fabrics. The Republic
Of the date above named recapitulsted the
items of this fabrication, which were to the eff
feet that President TaYLoR was merely one of
eight in his Cabinet; that he was in the habit
of submitting his nominations for Office TO that
body, giving a vote with the rest of them, and
abiding by the result; that, in fact, he had abb
negated the Presidential power, and was Of no
more weight or account in public affairs than
any one Of his seven Cabinet officers.
This is summary Of the imputaton We
quote, from the article in the Republic Of July
ls, enough to show the emphatic and conclusive
nature Of a contradiction which the Union
Ichn In, bol,a,,a hoe L..