The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-04
NOTIFYING CANDIDATES.
How Zach. Taylor Was Informed of His Nom
ination and How He Responded.

How Zach. Taylor Was Informed of His Nom
ination and How He Responded.
New York Sun,
Nowadays a train of cars Is barely sufficient to
accommodate those who travel hundreds of
miles charged with the important duty of in
forming a candidate that he has been nominated
for the Presidency. Long speeches are made.
and the notification costs many thousands of dol
lars. But this is not ali. The candidate must
write 4 letter Of acceptance, giving his views
on pretty much every subject he can think Of.
These journeys, parades, speech makings, and
long letters are OF comparatively recent origin.
The convention that nominated Gen. Taylor
met in Philadelphia June z l848. The chair
man was the Hon. John Morehead, Of North
Carolina. On the 10th Of that month Gov.
Morehead addressed Gen. Taylor a letter official
ly notifying him of his nomination. The dis
traction into which the Wing party was
thrown by Gen. Taylors nomination was not
made less in the ensuing thirty-fye days by
the silence of Gen. Taylor. Coy. Morehead, in
reply to inquiries by leading W~higs-notably
Mr.. Weed-said he had positively written the
General, and he knew Of no reason why the
reply was not forthcoming. Gen. Taylor was
such a crotchety old fellow, and Wing leaders
in general knew so little of him personally, that
it was not thought best to stir him up on the
subject. Letters from the old soldiers we're APP
pearing in different quarters, some of them not
altogether satisfactory to the Wing leaders, but
not a word came from him about the nomination
1t began to look like an indignity. Mr.. Weed.
to whom more than any other man Gen. Tay-
lor owed his nomination, was desperate under
the suspense. Meetings were proposed, and one
was actually called in Albany, looking to the
Reputation of the domination. When 1T met,
however, other ~coupsels prevailed, though the
suspense continued.
where General Taylor lived, addressed the Post
rnaster-General a letter, saying that with the re-
port for the current quarter from that Office two
bundles of letters we're forwarded for the Dead
letter Office, they having been declined on
account of the non-payment of the postage by
the Senders. 1t was in the ten-eent and non
prepayment time. OF the forty-eight letters
thus forwarded to the Dead4etter Office. the
Baton Rouge postmaster said a majority were
addressed to General Taylor, who had declined
to pay the postage on them and take them out
of the office because his mail expenses had be-
come burdensome. The General had since be
come aware that some of the letters were of i'm
~portance and asked for their return. In due
course the letters were sent back to Baton Rouge.
Among them was Governor Morehead's letter
notifying General Taylor of the actien of the
Philadelphia convention
Gen Taylors response was dated July 10, q
month and five days after the letter of netiaea,
ton was written. 1t had lain in the Baton
Rouge ppst0fice four weeks, after Gen. Taylor
refused to pay the ten cents postage.
Gen. Tayior's acceptance was couched in re.
| spectful terms. in a letter not exceeding 25t
words. He expressed his thanks for the nomi
natien, said he did not seek it. and that if he
we~reelected President, for which position he did
not think he possessed the requisite q~ualifea
tions, no would do his best. He discussed moth
1 ing, laid down no principles, and gave no indica-
tions what course he would pursue. In this the
4 General cut it too short to satisfy the Wings.
He had to write another letter-one of consider.
able length-to his friend, Capt. Allison, in
which he set things right. The authorship of
this letter was the snbjectof no little conjecture.
If living, Thurlow Weed and Alexander H
Stephens could shed light on the subject.
After that the campaign went ahead smoothly
and successfully. Although MIR. Weed makes nc
mention of this matter in his book, it was one
of the most annoying episodes in his eyentful
/ life.