The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-09-02
"reminiscences of Gen. Taylor.


GENTLEMEN Now, that the national grief for the los of
our late beloved President, hiss somewhat abated and we
paue from the agitation OF certain questonether
amcaby settled, in prospect Of being scthe following
letter, written about eighteen months ago, may find among
readers that passing regard which usually attached gos
slipping and friendly personalities about those in high places
lfyOu wish to insert please divide subdyide may
the economy of your clumnsand believe me- in any event.
Yours, always, Respectfully, SEYsoIA RuBEK.
While you, in England, my dear D., read much
and hear more, of the military achievements and
bouudess popularity Gen. Taylor, it is nv happy
privilege his neighbOr, being near the abode of
bis family, with whom he present resides, TO have,
rs an ear and eye witness, Tarfsct understanding
ofmany things concerning him, which, in due time
and order, shall deem it not amiss to disclose.
Hitherto, Rumor has done justice to his charac.
ter: but true to her nature, rs mobiiitate Uiget')
she length tries arnish the ustre of his virtues
Now wandering in vacuity-now hounderng in
darkness-Now like Mion's fiend
"shaving with level wing the Deep"
tresding some crude consstence half on foot. half
flying" or using, need requires, or oar or sail"
now rising high beneath the cope of heaven and
hiding her head among the stars-that tickle pban.
tom,
in her nrneyings
"O'er bog steep or strait rough dense or rare >,
gathers far and near, from friend, from foe. from
Ueghbor, relative and Acquaintance, truths and
@lsehoods, acts and omissions, doubtful word.
and hearsays These, with marvellous industry
and perseverance,, scattered open handed among the
multilude-(fit soil for such sowings)-and accnrn
panied by ten thousand comments ofsuperficiaI plau
sby and Satanic subtety-tit implements for
such husbandry)-yield fruit after their kind.
With elements ofmischief so foul and prolific. and
The leprous dstilments ofvarance emulation strife
4nvyings, jeaouses-minged by black spirits and
white red spirits and gray, in the seething cauIdron
oipotittcat antmoSiy, she Il mean Rumor,) burs, or
seeks to blur, both the civil and military renown of
this eminent man.
Not many weeks since, shortly after his election.
one of our citizens remarked to him, that the hard.
ts OF his battles was yet 10 be fought. Yes sir
replied the general, have heretofore fought en4
mes-l must now fight my friends, and far II. -
The Generals cottage is small, low-rooEeJ
modest, one-story building. Including a piazza.
which nearly surrounds it, it covers an area oi
about fifty by forty feet, on very insecure-Iooking
elevation of less than twenty feet above the b,ob
water mark OF the Mississippi. l. is tolerably
shaded by chinar trees. The premises, between
two and three acres in extent, are enclosed bv a
white-washed paing, and have a peaceful. MIC
cottages
OF retired admirals and other officers of high rank
on half pay, on the beautiful coat of Devon. Tav
Teignmouth, Dawlish and Torbay. The ward in
front and each side of the cottage is level gresr
unadorned with shrubs, flowers or fruit trees There
IS no garden attached-nothing at least deserving
the name. The abrupt descent at the rear, between
the house and the river, is susceptible of great i'm
provement, but the Generals tenure of it has been
'ar too precarlous to warrant improvement al his
private expense.
OF the portraits of Gen Taylor by artists deputed
from all parts Of the Union, there seems to be no
end Swords, pistols, medals, rifles, saddles, hous.
ng, Ottomans, sombreros, vases, candeabra, quilt
ngs, embroidery, pectorals and confections, pour
in upon him from California to the Atlantic-lrom
New brunswick to the Nueces. Yet. it never has
probably occurred to those good people, but it qgU
occur to them, doubtless, to erect to their hero ma
tlona testimonial in the shape of house, in which
he and his posterity may exercise to great
Tree and generous people the pleasing rites of hos
pitaty.
You have in England, BIenheim-house, Apslev-
house, Nelson, Huskison (shall say in this con-
nection) Golden testimonials. There is no nation
Christian, Pagan or Mahometan, without such
They are more ancient than Marathon or Leuctro
But there is not, there never was, a nation more
able to erect such monuments to warriors. states.
men, and other renowned and meritorious citizens
or subjects than the people of these States or more
willing, ii impulse were given, and the interest in
them kept alive by able, active and jealous instru-
ments. We might, in each State OF this confede.
racy, If all were subscribers in the ratio of their
means, erect statues Of silver and gold-of more
colossal proportions than your Hyde Park Achilles
Gen. Taylor assuredy ought to have mansion
worthy Of him, and worthy of the nation that has
chosen him as leader. We send him, it is true. tn
the national mansion President of our mighty
republic, and this, admit, is the greatest of all
honors which wise and free people can bestow
But his residence there may be only four wears
He has lived long enough in tents We should
build him house of cedar and marble, large, mar
nifcent and durable.
Though the cottage of Gen. Taylor is a very in
different edifce, it is prettily situated. The green
meadow in front, the long and shady avenue of
chinar trees, the barracks in the distance the view
up and down for many miles of the mighty Missis.
sipp the number of steamboats, freigbted with rho
produce and inhabitants of the West, on their way
10 Ne"orieans, or returning thence to their re-
sPechVe homes and carrying with them the luxu.
S0' >'AN AAHH"'uNeulSSJ tut arts Ot the Ou w Orld
to the remotest settlements of the New-shall ever
by us be deemed objects of interest, though Dick
ems and Marryatt may question taste. So also
shall be those numberess emigrants from all ports
OF Europe who are dreaming OF Edens in the forests
OF Missouri-of castles of Incidence in the prairies
of lllinois-of mountains of gold the coasts of
Caiiiornia-of their children yet unborn as Presi
dents of America. The remnant of the army re-
turned, or returning, from Mexico and scattered
in groups from the Red River of Natchitoches tn
the distant settlements of Madawaska, gives a5-
ditioual interest to the scene,
Such are the objects which meet our view on tho
Mississippi Let us stand at the rear of the Gen.
erals cottage A steamboat approaches the wharf
or two perhaps three or four in succession. All
eyes are directed toward the cottage. The old hero
rs reading his papers The passengers catch a
glimpse OF him, They VOW they mast speak and
shake hands with him, Stop the boat, captain ~
they vehemently and unanimously cry, stop here"
says Jupiter. The boat stops-the hill is gained
IE