Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-08-21
THE DAYS OF 1s4s.
HOW TAYLOR WAS NOTIFIED OF ELS NOMI
NATION

Nowadays a train of cars is barely suffi-
cient to accommodate those who travel hun
dreds of miles charged with the important
duty of informing candidate that he has
been nominated for the Presidency. Long
speeches are made, and the notification
is not all. The candidate must write let
ter of acceptance, giving his views on pref
ty much every subject he can think of.
These Journeys, parades, speech makings
and long letters are of comparatively recent
origin.
The Convention that nominated General
Taylor, met in Philadelphia, June 7, 1S4S.
The Chairman was the Hon. John NJ More
head, of North Carolina. On the 10th Of
that month, Gov. Morehead addressed Gen.
Taylor a letter officially notifying him of
his nomination. The distraction into which
the Whig party was thrown by Gen: Tay-
lOr's nomination, was not made less in the
ensuing thirty-fve days by the silence OF
Gen. Taylor. Coy. Morehead, in reply to
inquiries by leading Whigs-notably Mr..
Weed-said he had positively written the
General, and he knew no reason why the
reply was not forthcoming. Gen. Taylor
was such a crotchety old fellow and Whig
leaders in general knew so little of him per-
sonally, that it was not thought best to stir
him up on the subject. Letters from the
old soldiers were appearing in different
quarters, some of them not altogether sat
isfactory to whig 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.
Taylor owed his nomination, was desperate
under the suspense. Meetings were pro-
posed, and one was actually called in AL
bany, looking to the reputation of the
nomination. When it met, however other
councils prevailed, though the suspense con-
| tinued.
On, July I'D the postmaster at Baton
Rouge, where Gen. Taylor lived, addressed
| the Postmaster General a letter saying,
that with the report of the current quarter
from that office two bundles of letters were @
| forwarded to the dead letter office, they
having been declined on account of the
non-payment of postage by the senders.
It was in the ten cent and non-prepayment
time. Of the forty-eight letters thus for
warded to the dead letter Office, The Baton
Rouge postmaster said majority were adj
dressed to Gen. Taylor, who had declined
to pay the postage and take them out be-
cause his mail expenses had become SO bur-
densome. The General had since become
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 tNOuSe. AIuOllS luSLu Wao WV.
Morehead's letter notifying Gen. Taylor of
the action of the Philadelphia Convention.
Gen., Taylor's response was dated July
18th, month and five days after the letter
of notification was written. 1t had lain in
the Baton Rouge post office four weeks after
Gen. Taylor refused to pay the ten cents
postage.
Gen. Taylor's acceptance was couched in
respectful terms, in letter not exceeding
25O words. He expressed his thanks for
the nomination, said he did dot seek it, and
that if he were elected President, for which
| position he did not think he possessed the
requisite qualifications, he would do his
best. He discussed nothing, laid down no
principles, and gave no indications what
course he would pursue. In this he cut it
too short to satisfy the Wings. He had to
write another letter-one of considerable
| length-to his friend, Captain Allison, in
which he set things right. The authorship
of this letter was the subject of no little con-
lecture If living, Thurlow Weed and
Alexander H. Stephens could shed light on
the subject.
After that the campaign went on smooth
ly and successfully. Although Weed made
no mention of this matter in his book, it
was one of the most annoying episodes in
his eventful life.