Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1884-08-27
EACH TAYLOR
How He Was OMclally informed al n
Nsninsta0a, md How Ae Responded

How he WNs O0claI1y Informed at His
Nsminataon, and How Ae Rsspofded.
The convention that nominated Gen.
Taylor met Ia Philadelphia June Z,
164A The Chairman was the H5n.
John Mprehead h NbrtA Carolina.
The. 10Th 81 that month Gov. More
head addressed Gen. Taylor = letter
officially notifying him Of his nomina-
tion. The distraction into which the
Wing party was thrown by Gen. Tay-
lor's nomination was not Mada less In
the ensuing thitty.Ave days by the 81
lencs of Gen. Taylsr. upt., More
head, In reply Is tnqMiries BY ieading
Whigs=-nbtAbly MI. Wecd-said he
Mad Positively written the General, and
he knew of no reason why the reply
was not forthcoming. Gen. Taylor was
such 0 crochety old fellow, and Wing
leaders in general knew ~ tittls " Hin
p~crspnY1is1 that II Na$not thought best.
u Stir him up on the subject. Letters
from old soldiers were appearing in
different quarters, some OF them not
altogether satisfactory sc Wing leaders,
but net . w5rd came from him about
Tie nomination. II began TO look like
an indignity. Mr.. Weed, to whom
more than any other man Gen. Taylor
owed his nomination, was desperate
under suspense. Meetings were pro-
posed. and one was actually called In
Albany, looking TO the reputation of
The nomination. When it met, how
ever, other connsels prevailed, though
the suspense continued.
July ~ Che Postmaster at Baton
Roage, where Gen. Taylor lived, adj
dressed the Postmaster Central q let
ter saying that with the report for the
current quarter from that Office two
bundles of letters were forwarded for
the Dead-Letter Office, they having
been declined on account Of the n
payment OF postage by the senders. It
was in the 1O-cent and non-payment
time. OF the forty eight letters thus
forwarded to the Dead-Letter Office,
tho Baton Rouge Postmaster said Q
majority were addressed to Gen. Tay-
Tor, who had declined to pay the post
age on them and take them out Of the
Office because his mail expenses
had become burdensomo. The Gener-
III had since become aware that some
of the letters we're OF Importance, and
asked for their return. Among them
was Gov. Morehead's letter notifying
him of the action of the Philadelphia
Convention.
Gen. Taylor's response was dated
July Is, q month and five days after
The letter OF notification was written.
It had lain In the Baton Rouge postof-
flee four weeks after Gen. Taylor re-
fused to pay the 10 cents postage.
Gen. Taylor's acceptance was
couched in respectful terms, in q letter
not exceeding $50 words. ne ex-
pressed his thanks for the nomination,
said he did seek it, and that if he were
elected President, for which position
he did not think he possessedthe requi-
sito qualifications, he would do his
best. He discussed nothing, laid down
no principles, and gave no indications
what course he would pursue. In this
the General cut it too short to satisfy
the Wings. He had to write another
letter-one of considerable length-to
his friend Capt. Allison, in which he
set things right. The authorship of
this letter was . subject of no littlc
conjecture. II living, Thurlow Weed
and Alexander 81. Stephens could shed
light on the subject.
After that the campaign went ahead
smoothly and successfully. Although
Mr.. Weed makes no mention Of this
matter in his book, 1t was one of the
most annoying episodes in his eventful
life. Washington letter to NeW York