Gen. Taylor And Life Whig Party

Perliaps the bo'dness wh!ch thn article 11 display may sem improper in one, whoe minoritv has permilted him to vote for a President ('nntwitlistmding ilie a-sseit'on of ilie Frce Press) and whu claim-i but a limited knowldgo, nnd no experienoe in politica) mailers. But I cannoi behold w'th glad npprova!, calm indiflbrence, or mule contempt, vehement exertions of tmny Whigs to forcfi ihe namesof Gen. Toylor upon the ticket of ihe Whig party. I have carefully cxamined some ef tho?e VVhig journals wliich advocate this measure, and all their"strong reasons" appear lo me. " Likc verses, soft and snmoih os cream, Having nerher dopih or s'renm. - If t might dotermino the supposed relative importanoe of :hose reasons by the eanicslness with which they are urged, or the number of enlog'es wliich '.hey elicit,! would arrange them in the fullqwing order. lst. "Gen. Taylor is available ;" 2nd he is "a good General;" 3d,he is "rough" 4lh, he is "iivfiilable;" 5th, he is " a good General ; " 6th, he is " ready ;" 7th, he is " available ;" 8th he is " a gnod General ;" 9th, he is " modest ;" lOth, he is "availaMe;" llih, he is "a good General ;" 12th, he " wears plain clothes;" 13ih, he is " avaüable ;" 14lh, he is "a good General." What a glorious assemblage of qualifications. What a lucid galaxv'it intimitable virliies! ! - All (mil "Oíd Zach," and lmidly shout for " Rougli and Ready." But lel us Uriefly examine the above calal'iguc ; Perhups ihe lst, 4th, 7ih, lOlh nnd 13th reasons may be resolved into one, viz : Gen. Taylor is most avaüable. I deny the asseition, bui, whfit fit be Irue? Is this consideraron of such parnmount, iinporta:ice, such overshndowing mngnitude, as lo jusliiy us in abnndoning everything else to secure it ? Are we ïvady lo unman, and resign to oblivion lhnl nob'.e Whig thip, wliich hns so long baffled the impetiu.'us surges of politica! osce:dency, the howling storms of a mercenary pres?,nnd tiie fieice lighttiing nf Executive wrnth, to ensure merely a nominal triumph? Who does not despiae such trucUing obsequionsness wlierever it is seen ? - What Whig journnl did not leem with wjtbering and merited conlempt toward ihat Convention whicli nominateJ Jomes K. Pulk, solely because he was most available1? And are . we rea'ty so soon 10 belie our profession?, and einbraco the monster which we then spurned wilh nd gnant scorn? Was eer a surrender more pusillanimous-,3 cotide.céntiun more humilia'ing, a degrarlation more alject ? No; teil me not that the great Whig party hae no principies at slake - no i'ec .er, h'ghfir, broader, nobler object to gain than amere party Iriuaiph. 2d. Gen. Ta) lor is a succesbful Genern] Ah! I blush for my party - I tiemblo fr my country when íuch a p'ei iurged. ( an t be th;il we h;ive so soon forgotien the wnming exrimjiU'S of Rome and Greece, and oiher fallen republics 'Í Have we indped come to this? Are we so low, so b:isf, so despicable that we must select a mllit;iry chieftain to ensure succesei Must lie who aspires lo the highest station within the gift'fafree nnd mighty nalion, display, as Ihe prerequisites of success, credenlinls of his proficiency in the art of murdering? - Must warlke exploiis be reworded by civil honors and military prowess be considerfld f he bisis of civil promo ion? - Has not our beloved couniry been sul'ficienlly cursed alrei.dy for its blind devoiion to héroes? Ye who live to revel upon the field.of dealh, and hoarsly shout "a glorious victory" when you lenrn that hundreds of human lives have been sacrih'ced tu the demnn of war and slavery, mny weave around Taylor's brow the gory wreaihs of a triumph over which friendo may exult - deck him with all the regalia of marlial glory ; but say not that such serviceseniitle him to the Preiidrncy. - And yel all of you, who, to effect the nominntion of Gen. Tnylor would .sacrifice your country, your party, and (for the last of a.) youre!ves, would do so entirely because he ha acquired ■ popularity by lrs works of death - deny it ij yon daré. But I cannot meet this "renson" better than to employ the nervous and eloquent language of one of America's noblest sons - ihe sage ol' Ashland, uttered upon nnother, but preciely simil.tr occasion. ' '1 would implore Umin his mercy to visit our favored land with war, wil!) peslilence, wilh lamine, with any other scourge than mililarx rule, oy a blind and heed'e-s nthuiasni Tor merely military renown." Cali Gen. Taylor "RougV for hi disgraceful blasphemy amid the scènes of deaih - his impious onths blending with expiring moans and dying shriekï lully entitlehim to the unenviable appellation. And f you wish you miy cali him " Rough" in the iguoble work of carnage and slaughter ; bul O ! say not such a:iaÍ!iments qualify him lo be our E.vecutive. With regard lo ihe 9th qualification I wil] only say that if Gen. Taylor posseses s suporabundonce of it, L would suggest ibat le trininit a portion of it to his jinponuna'e and supereiliou dpvotees. The last recommendalion which remains unnoticíd, viz: :h 12ih is, I che-rfully gran!, llio nirs weighiy n the cal o tagne, yetl tiiink all will ncknowle'ge iliat t i.- a nael te and if rigorously np,l!ed, I fear ' Ol! Rough " h msfclf nrght be out generaled. Butngrn. Gen. Tnytar has rrpeatdh nnd ut quilified y refusd to ovow his )inon relame to those f nJanental ionets which dit!rigui,h the twogrp.-.t part e of our coun'ry. And s:i!l fartiier - lie has frequontly and positively decl'tned being the candidale nf the Whig party. So iftiipy pcrsist in nomitia;ing hitn they will present the anomaloi s specl;icle of an army fighting beneath tl;e bannrr ofachieftan vrho d'sowns them. or at le.ist refosos to be t';eir leader. - But tliere is another and still greater objection, viz, he is tl e chocen candidate of the South and the slaveiy inere.-t.-ind doubtless would sut.'iin tiiat abominablf ho:-bed of incesfatit and unrnitigaieJ curses. And now,fellow Wlrgs, are e reaHy to take a step which is so decisive aiid still so erilous? Shall wc lieten to the pl"a of avaüability nnd thus shnmefully declare that a partÍ2an lriumi!i our ohief desirp, our highe.st ohj-cl? - Shall we inscribe upon our gorgeous er.sign, that sick'y, mistrab'e sentimpnt which acknnwledges that military achieve merits and martial fame should be considered in the disposal of civil honors ? - Shall we so qui:kly disreginl the warning voice of antiquity nnd neurith in Americin snil ihat seminal plant ol mi-chiefand de.truction? Slvill we now on the eve of the great conflict desert thoso worthy sinndurd bearers, tho?e true nnd nvincilile champions ho l.ave, like tutelar spirits attended tlic advnrc ing columns üfth Wliig army during their long pilgriraage? Are we rcadv to follow those "blind guidf-s" whowiih us to rnlly nround one who will nol acknowledge our creed or identfi liimself wilh our desiny,& who has only signaüzed hiin.self by exterminalins tho-e who honorably feil as marivrs in defence of their country and their lights? Are we readv io unite in an unholv nlliance benp.nih thpb'ack binner ofNulIifer - shnmdemocrats and psfeiido Whig and the refuss of of all parties - sacrifice upon the shrine of slavory'a insatiate fiend - those principies fur which ve have so long been contrnding, or at least consign them to a rayless uocerttjnty? Have we so quickly forgotten thoe lessions of bitter experience which were tauglu u-s by ihni fickle traitor whose name i would nevpr see rpprinted, but whodegradpd our country by a dynasly of three vpars and eleven monthií Say shall we bow to tlie oflnciour. domineering of th'iíe who would sell thp.jr country 'for n m = s of pot'.'gí' to gnin a victory which tifier all ui!l bp no victory ? God furbid ihal the iV.ig party should p irsw a cnurse so sucidal, so humbling, so dcspicalde. l!ut ifit does the consequpnres must bp rlrploraMe. I ani no political srer - I wou d not ancinpt to scan ihe fiifutr, et s me resol ig follow their catitra f-o directly and inpvitnbly tliat a wayfaring runn tliough a fooi shall not err" in prfdicting them. 1 firrnly believe if the Whig party nomin-ite and support Gen. Tylor. ihough it may ttium;.h, stil rent by civil feuds, enervated by sectional and conflicting inieresis, deprivedeven ofself va cc nnd conscious of its deserverl im!iecilit it will be overwhelmed by ihe refluer.t and irresistable wave of correc:ed public opinión, and some ether pnrty, reariiig the bright banner of right nnd true rtform, securely intrrnched be'iinl the impregnable huhvnrks aC liberty and jutice, will ai'ise to redóera our hlighted country fiom slavery's blondy fang-, ai.d pprform that ork of poliiical rfgeneration whioh the Vh:g party will hnve proved itself incapable and unfit to ac cfimplish. Plymouth Retrcat, SrpL 1OS 1847.