The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-03
Presidential Speculations-Thc Position of
the Wing Party.


General Taylor became President in the spring of
ls49 He had been nominated against the wish
Of the great body Of Northern wings, who dis
trusted his position on the question OF slavery 1t
was represented by his friends in the Northern
States. with earnestness and success, that he was
not 10 be numbered among the pro-slayery ultraits
Of the South,-that he regarded slavery as an evil
that be would protect with equal and impartial
iustice the rights of all sections of the Union and
that he would not veto bill prohibiting the extern
sion Of slavery into the new territories if such a
bill should be passed by Congress. Active wings,
in every part Of the Northern States advocated the
election Of General Taylor, on the ground that he
was far more distinctly pledged to sanction law
excluding slavery from the new territories, than
Gen. Cass. Mr.. Webster urged his election on
these grounds. And Mr.. Fillmore was nominated
for Vice President mainly to strengthen General
Taylor. in precisely those localities where the anti
slavery feeling was most prevalent and powerful.
IT was under such circumstances and by such infu-
ences that New York and New England gave their
votes for General Taylor, and made him President.
His advent to Office the signal for conspra-
CIV on the part Of some Of his Southern supporters
TO drive him from the position IN which the course
Of the canvass had placed him, and to force him to
subscrviency TO their sectional views. At the first
whig Congressional caucus after his election, a
resolution was urged by Messrs, Toombs, Stephens
and Clingman declaring that the whig party re-
nounced and discarded the principle Of excluding
slavery by law from the newy acquired territories.
Its adoption resisted by hessrs. Brooks, Duer.
and others, recognised as Northern wings, and 1t
IL
up position of EARNED neutrality menacing the
whig party with deserton and hostility, unless it
should assent to their acquisitions, and abandon for
ever the free soil principle some OF these gentle
men waited upon General Taylor, and informed him
very explicitly Of their demands, and Of their
purposes in case those demands should be rejected
The President, meantime, pursued steady, firm,
and just course ofpolicy Avery warm contest took
place in the distribution Of Offices throughout the
country and in no State was il warmer than in New
York. On one side were the friends Of Mr.. Seward
then the only wing Senator from the state-on the
other were his opponents. Gen. Taylor made his
appointments with sincere desire TO meet the views
ii the whole party, without giving any section of it
just grounds for displeasure. lie placed all the i'm
portant Offices especially in this CITY, IN the hands
81 Mr.. Stewards most determined opponents, and APP
pointed one marshal and several postmasters in the
interior from among bis friends. The fact that he
recognised Senator Seward a. a whg at all aroused
the bitter hostility Of the small but energetic party
which had pre-ordained his destruction. Mr.. Fill
more was carefully instructed to believe that the
State Of New York was not large enough for BOTH
and that every act recognizing Mr. Seward entitled
10 any influence in the distribution OF public patron
age. was blow Of hostility aimed at him.
III feeling thus fomented IN the wing party.
The purpose u the Southern ultrasts TO force the
administration into their views or break IT down,
was steadily pursued. And the introduction by
Senator foote 81 the compromise measures afforded
another opportunity for it, prosecution. Senator
Footc, aud those who acted with him, demanded
that the admission Of California, the enactment Of
laws for governing the territories the settlement Of
the Texas boundary dispute, and new Fugitive
Slave law should all be regarded and passed as one
measuTe-as binding compact-a compromise be-
tween conflicting claims. President Taylor was OPP
,psed to this mode Of settling these questions. as
founded upon. wrong principles, a setting a mis-
chevous precedent, and as calculated % aggrayate
the evils Il prolcssed to cure.
- Senator Seward opposed Mr.. Foote's schomc
voted against It. as did more than half the dele.
on from the State Of New York in the oths,
Upon this action the Southern coDspirator
las giving them new chance Of breaking
Mr. Seward and those wings Vt the NQrtt