The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-05

\ senator from Maine. -. .6ev were private letters
s.s ssssd s.sss.s s ssr. s Bs y
the persons TO whom they were addressed !. -sed.
this very subject the President in the letter last qu..
4 says
construed in connsxlon with what have hseioore said
on his subject should not now hsse g Of the
speed with which isolated questions have
been given to the capous criticism of those who have
@sds !, my my by which has been
o. q the manner n which selecled Of my
Dental correspondence, have been communicated 70 tho
Yes. sir many men. wrote letters to General Taylor.
and he responded to them with the franknsss Il soldier
and Of honest man and wishing to obtain some noto.
efy IN their respective neghborho0ds they very mprop.
ery threw those answers into the public press giving
come his political enemies. simply because his name had
been brought before the country in connexion with the
feTed to, adds F8F6i f asas
But riven from the context and separated from series
Of explanatory facts and which are insofar
tive as though they positive fabrications." f
Now, sir ask the indulgence Of this body in recurring
70 this earlier correspondence with view Of presenting
to the Senate and 70 the country in its true light and q
show that in that correspondence the President assumed
no obligation such az the senator from Maine insists
In the first place. call the attention Of the Senate
carsd that he osd g!os 70 pledge Slasvsr. and you'd
reach s presidency, att all, uranmeied By Obligations
Of this kind Now, do not say that the honorable sena
passages, intended to mslead and deceive the psblc
know nothing Of that honorable senator but what is
g inspire I'm me win confidence - ana S.
of extracts, brought together in the manner they have
BEEN are just deceptive and well calculated to mis-
lead as il they had been p0sitiUe fa6ricati0ns.
In order to do justice this subject Is necessary for
every draw broad line Of distinction between the
earlier and the later correspondence Of the President In
fore the country the candidate OF any party and he said
80 and over again. He wrote many letters undoubtedly
when such hs I % s will
siderable period Of time, he became convinced that # his
name was to be used in connexion with that Office at ALL
with success. i must be on nomination by one Of the
great parties of this country obvious that the idea
which many Of his friends entertained, that he or any
other matter how could be brought
forward and elected President OF the United States
independent candidate, utterly prep0ster0us.
repeat il IS undoubtedly true ] that, being utterly
averse to having MS name used IN iaat connsxion
charge the duties Of that high office taking into consd.
Grafton his position then sthe head Of the army, he did
would not become mere party candidate that be did
not desire the Office. but preferred that some one OF the
eminent civilians Of the country. should be raised to
gentleman, now member OF this body, [Mr. CLAY.l as
being his choice in preference to all Others as he cer
ys On s . hs Of .Sos
eay here that have ever preferred trained statesman
for the presidency TO any man who has been brought up
civilian to any military character by any means- pre-
fer President Taylor TO many Of the civilians Of this
country, for whom have generally high respect
In letter dated at Monterey, July 1s47 ne says
lean only say with all csndor. that Il eectsd tina. oE
ace he presidency) il mus. be BY the sponaneous will o.
the people At large and without agency or pledge on my
o. In letter dated at Monterey August 8, isa7, he
says: gA@ 1tA
"If am to occupy the White House, il must be by the
mne IN relation 70 asops gdss osber than have
previously staeds strict adherence TO the provisions Of
responsible duties apper,aning TO said Office
ha, could be the Presds Of the country and ofa
party"
g. In letter dated at Monterey. August TO- is47, he
uses language to the same effect;
"Tha, he would not submit the exacton Of any other
pledge 10 his course than that Of dischagng his functions
requirements Of the constitution"
T. In letter dated at Monterey, September %. Is47
he declines expressing
.Any .sa%en' having the nature Of pledge a"yS
s. In letter dated at Baton Rouge February IL, is4s,
he says: II has.44
81 deem Il but candid. however add. that II the whig
me. they their own responsibility,
and oithost a~y pledges from ne" FTt
9. In letter dated at Baton Rouge, February 2s 1885,
he says: M
81 have no aspirations for civil Office. and am only
made me so and those ,sho are nof sing 20 pots
the proper time for those who viii make them ''
T. In his letter TO Captain s. Allison dated at Baton
Rouge, on the 22d OF April, 1s4s, he says;
"one who cannot be trusted WITHOUT be
conhded In merely on account OF them" E
We have here, them this extraordinary state OF the
The senator from Maine insists that the President
did give pledges, and the most positive pedges-and that
too, at period when he asseverang that he would
do such thing THAT il be was oil the Office OF
President he would 70 into it wholly untrammeaed. and
would then take any position that he might be pleased to
OF the great partes neither OF them and from
Office not he might st. And yet the honorable
senator contends that though the President found Gas
demonstrate) nneenhs of the Offices in the hands
OF his political opponents, and enjoyed by party who
had carried the proscrptve system for twenty long
years, he was under solemn pledge not 10 from
Office, the President saying all the while that he would
give pledges. have this 10 say regard 10 the ex-
tracts presented by the honorable member that be- or
for him, has steered entirely clear OF every
passage in this correspondence in which this declaration
Of the President Is contained ingenuity has been
displayed in this regard There is in no one OF those ex.
tracts the word pedge" pledges except in the last;
and there II is used in not TO produce the slight
est impression upon the public mind. How comes II
about that the honorable senator has omitted entirely ali
those repeated and reiterated declarations OF the President
that he would give pledges and that when he came
into the Presidents Office he would do Just as he pleased
that he would discharge the duties OF that Office as he felt
bound in conscience TO do, and according the consu
ton II my honorable friend ever publishes another ed-
ton OF his speech q understand il has gone through
several) hope he will state in footnoe that President
Taylor said repeatedly that he would make no pledges
of any sort; and then the conclusions OF the public will
ur~ fho IN x<Ifl