Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-07-12
Cause OF President TaylOr,s Death.

GeneraI 1aylor undoubtedly lost his life
by presiding at Fourth of July celebration
during long open-air speech of Hon. Henry
S. Foote, of Mississippi, better known as
Hangman" Foote. 1t was one of the
warmest of the noted warm days of Wash
ington. A small and poorly-shaded stand
had been erected upon the open ground, and
the president and the orator were the only
ones who continued to occupy it. For over
three hours Foote continued to speak, and
there was no way that General Taylor could
even temporarily leave the stand without
| being noticed by the orator; and, as they
were political opponents, his departure from
the stand would have been considered dis
courtesy. 1t was new business for General
| Taylor to sit out one of Foote'S speeches in
hot day like that. He had been forty
| years in the military service, and almost en-
| tirely on the frontier and he had become
celebrated for his powers of endurance and
| freedom from all sickness. He had been in
many Indian battles before he won his lau-
rels at Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Mon
terey, and Buena Vista. But now he was
compelled to stand new test. Almost any
other man would have retreated. 1t was
said of him that he did not know how to
retreat, and so he had to sit through that
speech-he must eight it ont on that line
if it took all summer" At length Foote'S
endurance gave out, but not his words.
saw General Taylor ascend the steps with
his proverbial elasticity, and saw him de-
scend with apparent exhaustion. He was
| taken TO the White House to come out no
more. On the 9th he was a corpse, and
| there was political revolution, his appoin-
| tees being moved TO make room for the more
partisan friends of Mr.. Fillmore. The ad-
minstration of General Taylor was so short
that it is seldom alluded to. Yet it COM
mended itself to public appreciation for its
| signal efforts to institute a reform which
his successors have ignored. General Tay-
lor would listen to no applications for office.
He referred them at once to the appropriate
cabinet officer. AS he held the head of each
department responsible for his conduct he
thought that head should select its own in
strumentalities. Few persons who have
never visited Washington can form any
conception of how much of the time of the
executive is consumed with application for
office. Persons desiring no Office often wish
to pay their respects to the president, and,
after waiting long time in the ante-room
and seeing many persons still ahead of them,
they often give up the matter in disgust.
He considered himself responsible for the
appointment of his cabinet, and then he held
| his cabinet responsible for the other appoint
ments. If his cabinet did not make Judi
| cious ones it was good reason for his reor-
| ganizing his cabinet. Under his policy ac-
cess to the president was always clear. |
remember once of an old friend of his ask
ing him for an Office His answer was al
hope you will get it, sir, and if the cabinet
officer has any doubt upon the NATTER will
authorize you to refer to me-" But the man
did not get the appointment, although the
general told him when the matter came up
in the cabinet meeting, if there should be
an equal division, he would give him the
casting vote. 1t will be remembered that he
was accustomed to accept all nominations
with thanks, and that he had accepted a very
large number of them before the whig ma
tional convention indorsed him. l once
called upon him to introduce some of my
whig constituents, and they took occasion to
say that they were glad that |, although
democrat, was supporting his policy as to the
admission of the newly-acquired Mexican
territory as free states. His reply was that
he knew of no reason why any one should
oppose him on account of his politics, as he
had never been politician, had accepted all
the nominations that had been rendered him
without regard to party, and, if he should
ever be candidate again, should do
exactly as he did before, and know no
difference between parties who might nom-
mate him. l thought he was the dryest old
joker living. Every officer in my district
had been removed to make way for one of
opposite politics, and now he talked in this
way. But afterward found out that he had
a well-defned policy upon the subject, and
it is great pity that he could not have
lived to have exemplifed it. In some shape,
sooner or later, this policy of General Taylor
will have to be tested. Whatever mistakes
President Grant may have made arose from
his non-acquaintance with the qualifications
of men for civil service. His mode of life,
like that of General Taylor, had prevented
it. General Taylor had most of the charac-
teristics of General Grant. He made short
and almost inaudible speeches, and wrote
short letters. / was within few feet of
him when he read his inaugural address.
His tone and manner were like those Of
General Grant. General Taylor was reti-
cent, machine fighter, of dogged perse-
verance, not knowing when he was defeated,
and never providing any means of retreat.
1t has been said that General Grant is the
only man who could have fought the Battle
of the Wilderness. But had "Old Rough
and Ready ever got into that wilderness,
he would have come out on the same side
that General Grant did and, had he lived,
| think he would have permanently cleared
the way for disinterested visitors to the
White House through the wilderness of
greedy seekers.-Long John Wentworths
| "reminiscences.