The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-06-05


The election Of General Taylor TO Ito ONCE Of Presi
dent OF the United States commences new in the
character. qualifications and requisites generally deemed
essential to fill that distinguished place in govern
ment with credit 10 the incumbent and benefit to the
country Every predecessor from Washington to Polk.
was. greater less degree. conversant with public
affairs and with most. if not all, Of the high duties be-
longing to that station General Taylor alone mere
military man, trained and habiiuated TO the army-a
stranger TO The civil relations and interests Of the country.
and totally ignorant Of the public in every quarter
of the Union.
He came from the bloody fields OF Mexico crowned
with honor. He was Of mature age, universally
eemed to be man of integrity and hero OF generous
and patriotic impulses He had kept aloof from politics
and potciansthe very bases of his mind this sub
ect were known TO few, if even to himself. consd
cradle body OF the people had acquired dislike to some Of
the proiessed politicians OF both Sides and onged TO
the highest Office in their gift filled by fresh from
their own ranks. Gen. Taylor had said he had wrongs
to avenge-"no friends 10 reward, nor enemies to pun.
sh nothing TO but his country" Instantly he was
hailed by some Of the leading wings Heaven. sent
candidate, and raised TO the head OF the nation Scarcely
had his first official act been announced before The sad
mistake committed in his election became apparent to
his cabinet selected the truth flashed the
public mind
"Comng events cast their shadows before"
Ignorant himself OF the duties Of his Office, he chose
cabinet, majority OF whom ignorant and mex
perenced as himself When the "blind lead the blind"
we all know their inevitable destruction. These cabinet
ministers might have had personal fame in their
little localities. They might have been known to small
circle Of friends and clients in remote States but they
nearly all acquaintance TO the nation, to the
President, and to each other When they first assembled
the council board they must have stared at each other
and exclaimed, as Burke says the members of Lord
Chathams last mongrel cabinet did, under like crcum
stances, "Sr, your name" They are no doubt better
acquainted by this time
Such. however, the auspices under which the ad
minstraon of Gen. Taylor es its debut in our history
very few words will serve portray the result How
il will go off the stage, knows. How it ha 8
played its part up the present time, the whole civilized
world can bear witness.
Coming into power without any party creed or any
wedefned principles, and solely upon the trust and
credit Of abundant loose ambiguous and plausible prom
ses and pledges General Taylor assumed the reins Of
authority as free and unshackled by party trammes
as Washington did on the first organization Of the
federal government. But how far has he followed
that great mans examplei Let facts answer I'm.
mediaely after the cabinet was installed, commenced
the work of removing from Office the high and the low
from ministers plenipotentiary down 10 crippled watch
men has applied the bowstrng with unspanng hand
We doubt whether more removals have not been made
by this cabinet already than made by all the admin
s,raons that had preceded it together including those OF
the "earer Presidents" whose examples President Tay
Tor promised to follow with undertaking reverence.
We do not dispute the right, nor, in many cases,
the expediency Of making removals on the incoming
of new administration. But we do protest against
the propriey of candidate for the office of Presi-
dent, SO cheapening his reputation TO proclaim
that he has friends to reward enemies to pun
ish." that he will exert the power of removal,
only for and as soon as he is elected, fasi-
flying these assurances, swelling beyond all precedent
the list Of prescription, and lending himself tool to
crafty party or personal hatred to himself, those who
have hitherto happened to agree in ultra wing opin-
ions with Mr. Ewing. Mr.. Collamer, other po-
litica magnate Of the cabinet.
new version OF those promises and pledges has been
recently given, in which il is minated that they
never meant to be carried out in the spirit of their Ian
guage and import In other words the acts Of President
Taylos administration sought to be vindicated by
proving that bis eleconeering epstes conceived in
hypocrisy, that no democrat msled by them, or
voted for him under the belief that he 'ultra
whg" and would be. IL elected ''the President of the
country and not OF party" We suppose this pretenee
for violated faith is beneath notice Most Of those
who first brought Gen. Taylor out candidate were
democrats and many OF them adhered to him TO the last
1t was the exhibition Of this popularity manifested by
movements in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, that forced
Taylor the wing convention its candidate, and that
gave to his the prestige OF success We must say,
we have been surprised and Inundated the mode adopt
ed OF jus,fyng the rroscrpve acts Of this adminstra-
ton. II is discredable 10 Gen. Taylor man, il is
unworthy OF him President, and, il he possess one
tythe Of the high spirit Of honor ascrbed TO him,
he will spurn such advocates from his presence as
he would loathsome reptile whose slightest touch is
pollution II he does not he countenances this imputaon
Of jesutca fraud upon himself he virtually
the act; he pleads guilty charge which dms forever
the gores Of Buena VISTA and surenders the proud and
spoess fame Of the hero for the foul and atteed char
acer OF the political trickser. We conure him, by the
love Of that fame which dear to his country
men, by respect for the high Office he now holds, to
pause, reflect the sacrifice Of honor he is making
and to tell his presumptuous and rapacous cabinet they
have already the power, the offices, everything except
the name OF President; but yet