The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-05-12
CITY OF WASHINGTON, SUNDAY MORNING, MAY r. 1850.

essons from some Of his letters to sustain this position
lair examination of his letters will lead TO very dif
fefen conclusion Il viii be found that Gen Taylor re-
fused 70 pledge himself TO party; and that he did again
and again pledge hmss 10 the people, that he t0oud moi
% pledged party Now because he said he would not
oe pledged 70 party but would act independent o. ~ 'ne
10 he the mere exponent o party Sir, this position
needs no further comment
The senator supposes Gen. Taylor had an aversion to
the presidency and that be did not write his letters Tor
publication 10 not little remarkable, then, that has
letters from the beginning TO the end, should relate 70
the subject OF the presidency and that they should SO
uniformly get into the public press
He wrote, too, sswith all the frankness Of soldier"
as the senator viii be greatly Obliged to
that sedaso or 70 any supporter Of The administration
10 inform me in which OF his letters his position s de-
fined upon the exciting question OF the day, the Wnmof
PropiWf Will any friend OF his be 50 kind as to point
out the letter. Is i not notorious SIR that during ne
entire for the presidency he supported at the
North the friend OF the Proviso, and at the South as
its reliable opponents In some ocaes he was ayerred TO
be better Proyiso man than the buffalo nominee and:
in others, as the only candidate which the enemies OF
that measure could depend Even to this day we can.
not be said to have any administrative policy upon many
OF the great questions that divide me country n9
under the arm OF some Secretary moving from position
10 position.
cpes was promulgated; and, according to my recollec-
ton, resolution offered by delegate from Ohio, to
the effect that Gen Taylor in accepting the nomination,
ss q carry %, TS ). 4 e.1 0
Yet the honorable senator contends that the position OF
General Taylor was unequvoca, from the moment that
he accepted the nomination ol fna. conven.on; ana ne
speech delivered by the late distinguished Secretary OF
State MR. Buchanan in support Of the assertion These
extracts show that there those who were not msed
BY The no party professions that had been made but they
by no means established the fact that this universal
y true The experienced and sagacl9us politician was
of which regarded
as solemn and Rlable pledges.
now come 10 consider 10 what extent the system Of
removals, justified BY the honorable SENATOR has been
From the best means Of information have been able to
obtain, am constrained to believe that, whether regard
had TO eckesness of the public interest in the inds
crmaaie prescription of faithful officers, the extent to
which the system of removals has been carried the adj
ministraiion stands without parallel in the history OF
the country. do not desire 10 Judge harshy present
the facts and ask others TO form their own opinion
The honorable senator draws particular attention to the
clerkshps and subordinate positions IN the District OF Co
give view of the general administration OF patronage
throughout the country This District is not the United
States aad, be the case here has little to
do with the great question The subordnaes in this city
-combatans; they have not the right TO vote on
national affairs They are separated from their business
associations in the distant points from which they come
il often great individual distress deprive them OF
the employment which brought them from their homes;
and they stand different ground from that OF many at
home, who hold or leave Office without seyerng their
families to inconvenience. Yet the senator admits that
since the accession of President Taylor to power l06
have been removed in the different departments in this
city, apart from the appointments that have been made IN
consequence OF designations, Deaths increase OF o
To justify this prescription, reference Is made IN
general terms TO what is represented as the proscnpve
policy OF former democratic administrations There has
been so much misrepresentation upon this point that the
true state OF the facts ought 10 be known.
II has been often asserted that President jackson
adopted OF general prescription in the depart
here. and that the policy was pursued DIV
his democratic successors that - really supposed by
many TO be true The very reverse, however, is the
fact There is great msappehension upon this subject
and the senator from Connecticut seems TO have fallen
into it, trust he will allow me TO set him right by pre-
senng few facts hope they will be understood, and
that they will not be forgotten or lost sight of.
When Gen. Jackson came into office on the 4th ot
March ls29 the clerks in the public Offices in the city of
Washington Stood than four federasts TO one dem
ocrat The whole number OF persons employed IN the
executive Offices OF the general government in the city
was 2g6; OF whom SO were democrats, and 240 were
notwithstanding majority against the democrats oil ls4
made in consequence OF removals. deaths, and resgna-
tons period OF nearly three years, there still remain
ed federal majority OF 63-lhe whole number then be.
ing 3o7 OF whom i22 were democrats and iS5 were led
Mr.. BELL win the senator allow me to interrupt
him Oh course do not mean TO answer his statements;
| merely want 10 know where he got the information
that the persons whom he speaks OF being in Office in
1879 were federalsts want 10 call the attention oi the
senator the period OF time at which they were appoint
traton of Mr Adams, or Mr.. Monroe, or Mr. Madison,
or Mr. Jefferson and how many removals were made by
Mr.. Adams Of the old republican coTsl
Mr.. BRADBURY. The honorable senator appears TO
object 10 the word Iede,aist used to designate those
who opposed to the administration OF President
Jackson the term phig had not then been applied to
the party that s now known by that name. was not
discussing the origin OF parties but comparing the ex.
tent TO which prescription had been carried against po
ltical opponents under Gen. Jackson and Gen. Taylor
The honorable senator from Tennessee informed that
ha md (.obe of Nav
TO- is4i; and they were obtained under such circum-
stances as are likely 10 insure very great accuracy The
Daily Globe OF May s. 1891, published lists OF the names
OF ali persons employed the 4h OF March, 1899. and
on the is OF January, 1882, in each OF the departments
designating the politics OF each individual and specifying
each case Of removal resignation and DEATH and show
ing who remained In Office in January, 1882. These
lists carefully prepared, and corrections were inyl;
ted at the time OF their publication During this period
Of nearly three years. the number Of removals in the sew
erai departments was as follows
Treasury
War 4