The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-10-04

LIES VICIss1TuDEs.-In the year 1880, col
Zachary Taylor wrote letter to gen. Mcneil
who had then been appointed surveyor of tEt
port of Boston, as follows
! Il am fully aware that it is almost impossible
for us to pursue any particularly
that of arms-for fifteen or twenty years with
out forming strong attachments to it in varou:
ways, and of course, must abandon them witt
considerable reluctance, but there are circum
stances v5hich should reconcile us to doing SO
ana to justify US, not only in our own eyes, bu
that of the community. Could I get a civ
appointment as respectable, with half the emolu
ment ATTACHED to it as there is to the one you
have received, and where I could be located SC
as to superintend the education of my children
q would resign forthwith for after serving tweir-
ty-two years and upwards in the army, all Of
which time on duty with the exception of a few
months, without being stationed two years to-
gether at any one post during that time ! begin
to think that need repose, but as do not pos
sess influence to procure civil appointment OF
any grade, consider my doom fxed.'
There is much painful--we came near saying
! disgracefu-truth, in the foregoing reflections
of good and glorious cold Zack," written as
they evidently were, under influences of deep
mental depression. For twenty-five years he
had served his country faithfully, for more than
! a fifth of century he had labored to advance
her interests and promote her hoEor-he had
been the chjef of one brilliant Engagement, ,and
always was eminently usefI-yet, when the
signet of middle age was upon his brow, he
was forced to confess to an old and intimate
friend that he did mot possess influence to pro-
cure civil appointment of any grade - and
that he would be satisfied ''with half the emolu-
oments' attached to the surveyorship Of the port
Of Boston! He felt that he ought to be with his
family, and desired to have the superintendent
of the education of his children. To accom-
plish these objects he was willing to forego the
prospects, in his honorable profession, earned
by many long years Of labor, provided he could
obtain civil paying Office.
But, col. Taylor did mot possess inASence"
enough to secure lucrative, or any other civil
appointment. He was shrcwdsenough, had ex-
perieace enough, to know that merit had little
te do with white house appointments. He was
2aware that the smiles of executive favor were
but rarely bestowed upon the deserving, unless
backed by political considerations of weighty
nature. He had become convinced that polti
cians-brawlers and takers, wire workers and
schemers, ploters and demagogues-me who
had made themselves useful on election days,
and whose labors were stimulated solely with
a view to further selfish aspirations of personal
ambition or rpecuniary aggrandisement, where
the ones who would secure the lions share of
the Office crumbs that would fall from the pres
den6al table, and unpretending men, no matter
how great their claims, would stand no chance
unless they mixed with and became clamorous
0among the disgusting class of office seekers
who besiege Washington almost from one years
end to another Of course, such men as col.
Taylor could not do this, and hence their want
of .'ntluence''
What bitter reflection this is upon our sys
TEN of government, so admirable in almost
every Other respect! Notwithstanding we have
good reason to pride ourselves, upon our con-
stitution and laws our freedom and our repub
licanism, still there are principles in other gov
ernme1ts we would do well to initiate and prac
tice. Among these that Of paying fair salaries
for services rendered is not the least unimpor-
tant. We may boast OF our susperiority over
France and England as much as we please but
those countries never turn out an old public
servant after he has played his part, to starve,
as we too often do. Their colonels and gene
rails never, owing to home and family pressure
look with wishful eyes upon the salary of twen-
tieth rate civil officer, because it would give
them bread and enable them to support and
educate their families genteely! No--nothing
of the sort. The English and French are libe- |
Pal enough and sensible to pay for what they
get.
But truce to depression. Although col. Tay-
lor Gido mot possess influence" sufficient to pro-
cure a2"civil appointment of any grade'' from
1be president, in less than twenty years after /
writing the letter of which the foregoing is an
extract, he received an appointment from the |
people, the highest in thergift. Here was asnoth
ing more than simple justice. The old hero
deserved all his countrymen could bestow upon
him. He had gaIantly fought his way into
their affections, and his mighty achievements
have conferred impe>ishable renown upon him
self and his country. Some of the brightest
pages of American history sparkle with the glo-
rious deeds of noble old Zack Taylor But even
in popular favor he was an exception to the
general rule, which only proves the more con-
cusively. N. O. Bulletin
The Baltimore Argus,i in seconding the views
Of the Baltimore American on a subject of first
rate Importance to the newspaper press of this
country strikes chord that will awakena warm i
and hearty response throughout the Union. The
Argus says:
'PUBLICITY TO CRIME-Under this head the
American of this morning has very sensible
article condemning in strong terms the practice,
too common among newspapers, Of hunting up
and displaying in their columns the obscene dec
tails of every outrage and crime which may be
in the land We entirely agree in
he opinion that such details are shocking to the
sense of all'who possess feelings of modesty or
positively injurious to the moral
one of the community. and that they ought to
De excluded from our daily journals. We shall !
De greatly pleased to see the conductors Of the /
press everywhere determining henceforth not to
suffer their columns to be polluted by such de-
ails. or be the means of polluting the minds
If their readers. This is an evil of great mag
'itude, which is entirely within the power of the
oress to eradicate. We say emphatically, let it
oe done.' /,
To such an extent has this practice been car :
led, thatmany of the most respectable families