The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-08-20

t,rnert which had not ret deyeloped,4
,vn,,Id eventually centre upon nin ~ "
a,,e .sn,e that what he had to do was nqt "
iant back toward Washington, but g loohs
forward r toward Mexico; aud that unaer ,lo
e;,r,,Tnssantns must he write letters OF i!laNs
n,ssiucs. The programme worked quite as
,.oIi Nc r eynectcd. Willard Fillmore, wing
owed everything to me, and IN whom nau
confidence. was placed second on the tieket.
We were successful. General Taylor, VINO
felt his want OF experience, was disposed
70 lean u,nn yicc-Prcsident Fillmore, ma
oven wished to make; him CT otFc,o mem.
her os the Cabinet. Hardly was the anau-
yurntion over when Fillmore began to act
re ;f be were the head Of the Government:
Ue turned his back upon the men who. iiad
made him and endeaVored to destroy their
;nauence. One day on going to Washing
ton found to my surprise that was re-
iectcd at the Departments and denied access
TO the White House. / saw there was some
thing in the wind, and resolved to meet II NJ
once. ] called on Colonel Taylor, brother OF
the President, and told him what had hap
peucd. Hdwas equally surprised and .lndig'
nant. and promised to see the President at
once. Soon after received q. summons 10
the White House, where was most cor
djallv received and my requests promptly
granted. From this time forward my rell-
lions with General Taylor were OF the most
intimate character.
Near tbe end of the session Of Congress OF
.Iune ,59 | was sent for by the president,
who fold me he wished to consult me aDout
matters of the most grave Importance t" NM
self the party, and the country. lie sala III
substance that he had made up his mind 10
reconstruct his Cabinet; as it stood u 1aileu
either to satisfy him or the country. l"o
of the members, he had learned Win pain
and surprise, were interested az parties OF
counsel in notorious claim against the Go'-
eminent; another was arrogatlng tuhchons
belonging to the Executive. There must,
said the General, "be n. change, radical
change, and ut once; and have sent for you
to assist Inc in organiznSa new CABINET.
[ reluctantly consented, and before the III
teryiew was over two of the members OF the
new Cabinet were fixed upon: Hamilton
Fish for Secretary: of the Treasury, and Ed
ward Stanley, then of North Carolina, now
of California, for Secretary OF Mar.i Inc
matter waskept a profound secret even from
the gentlemen themselves, the intention be-
ing to announce the new Cabinet lnlinedl.
ately after the adjournment of Congress.
But before the programmed could DC cr1lcu
out President Taylor was taken suddenly III
and died in Il few hours. Fillmore succeed
cd to the Presidency, threw of the lnask, ana
stood revealed, an in9rltc to his friends ana
IL traitor to his party. Governor Stanley was
told years after by me how near he came to
be a Cabinet Minister"
| have given the substance rather than the
words of Mr.. Weeds statement. and may
not have exactly reported him IN every l'al'-
ticular. ::
Mr.. Weed was compelled some time since
by ill.hcalth to suspend work OH hls Tong
nro,tisrd "reminiscences; ue was in the
midst of the history Of the famous Morgan
abduction, aid was intensely absorbed in his
labors--too much absorbed for his failing
strength. He is not without hope that he
may yet be able to complete a work when
will prove an invaluable contribution to po-
litical history.