The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-01-19
The President and Removals from once

AS MT. RkADbOkr' 3 SpScCHiH TIC cCh-
ate does not seem to be forthcoming in its
revised shape, we shall be obliged to con-
slider it on the authority of the report that
has already appeared. This is an easier
task than it might be under ordinary Cir
cumstances, from the fact that the sub
stance of it, and all its positions, as far as
we can Judge of them from the report,
have appeared at least fifty times during
the last six months in the Union newspa-
per.
The resolution which Mr.. BRADBURY
calls upon the Senate to adopt is in the
following words:
Resolved That the President ofthe United States
be requested to cause to be laid before the Senate
all charges which have been preferred or filed in
'any of the departments against individuals who
I. have been removed from office since the 4th day
of March last with specification Of the cases, If
; any, in which the officers charged have had an
opportunity to be heard, and statement OF the
number of removals made under each depart
mcnt."
The theory upon which Mr.. BRADBURY
proceeds in defending this call, is the fact
that President TAYLOR had said during the
canvass that he desired to be the President
of the people, and not of party; and,
again, as he had stated in his inaugural
address, that "the absence of" "honesty,
capacity, and fidelity, shall be deemed
sufficient cause for removal'-that this
announcement excluded afirmatively all
other causes of removal, and obligated
President TAYLOR to keep all Locofocos
in office, until he had tried them on
some charges rejecting on their hon.
esty, capacity, or fidelity, and con-
victed them of want Of some one of
these qualities, after they had been
heard in their defence, on testimony that
would be satisfactory, not only to his own
Judgment, but TO that of the Senate of the
United States. This is the sum of the
argument, from which Mr.. BRADBURY
draws the conclusion that, as a man Of
honor, President TAYLOR was bound to
undertake the experiment of carrying on a
government by the aid of men interested in
embarrassing and defeating his Admins
tration, and entertaining sentiments Of un-
disguised hostility to himself.
If the argument Of Mr.. BRADBURY is
correct, General TAYLOR was bound to
retain the members of the late cabinet in
their respective places, and TO continue
all the Offices of the country in the hands
which held them at the moment of his ac-
cession to the Presidency. He was bound,
to use the expression Of patent Demo-
crat from South Carolina, TO disregard ut
terly the s'rabble" by whom he was
elected, and to perpetuate power, where
il had existed for twenty years, in the
persons of the "siife of the distinguished
Democrats Of Richmond"
Now let us look moment at the first
position, that General TAYLOR was not
party candidate; and was, on that ac-
count, bound to exclude the ssrabble" who
voted for him from the places Of the elite
who voted against him. In the early
stages Of the presidential canvass, it is
well known that he assumed a position
independent Of party, and expressed an
indisposition TO become the subject OF a
party contest There were associations
formed OF Independent Taylor men
throughout the country, including both
A.. nnss.rs.t.fa Lx. g..
him as the Peoples candidate, without
regard b party organization. Meanwhile,
General CAss was nominated at Balti-
more, and the presses in his interest
opened their batteries upon General TAY-
LoR, broke up some OF these Independent
organizations, and whipped back the re-
bellious and recusant into the ranks Of the
faithful. II was evident enough that the
number Of "Independent" Democrats who
would abandon the party was too incon-
siderable to make any show in the field.
To every man in the country il was obvi-
Gus that General TAYLOR would not re-
ceive an electoral vote with the two great
parties united against him.
II was under these circumstances that
the WHIG convention met at Philadelphia;
an assembly as thoroughly and exclusively
WIG as any that ever sat in the country.
The independent position Of General TAY-
LoR was bar to his receiving the nomi-
nation Of that convention. II was indis.
pensable that this point should be set right.
The Who's were willing TO waive what
had occurred in that connexion, if the
General could be placed before the coun-
try as the candidate Of their convention,
with due regard TO the usages and the tenn
per Of the WING party. II was in this sit
uation Of affairs that Judge SAUNDERS Oh
tanned permission to read statement from
the delegation Of Louisiana, in reference
to the position Of General TAYLOR. Tha
statement settled the controversy; with
out il, General TAYLOR would not have
received the nomination. From that state.