BY JAS. ,CLARK.
TAYLOR & FILLMORE.
,
4* - 7,
7_9
:ErZIZ:
The Peoples Candidates:
The history Of GENERAL &CHAR V TAY
LOR, our candidate for the Presidency,
is as familiar as a household-word to
the American people. It is written on
the heart of the nation, in deeds that
Will challenge the admiration of future
ages. He is a Virginian, a native of
the state that boasts of giving birth to
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hen
ry Clay, Winfield Scott, John Rundokh,
Patrick Henry, and hosts of other dis
tinguished names—bat now, more illus
trious or distinguished than he. He
was born November 24th, 1784, and
s now 64 years old—an age promising
continued service to the republic, and
a long enjoyment of nobly earned lau
rels.
Little can be said of his youth, more
than be was early placed at School,
under the direction of Mr. Elisha Avrcs
cf Connecticut. His military career, on
which his fame rests, commenced at the
time the movements of Aaron Burr be
gun to excite alarm, when he became a
member of a Volunteer company, of his
native state, raised to oppose the suppo
sed treasonable designs of that individ
ual. On the 3d. of May, 1808, lie was
commissioned as Ist Lieutenant in the
7th U. S. infantry regiment. Before
the war broke out in 1802 he had risen
to the rank of Captain, and being order
ed to the western country, he was engag
ed in repelling the border warfare of the
Indians. which immediately followed the
fall of Detroit and the surrender of Hull's
army. . . . . •
The first notice we find in the
of the war. of Capt. Taylor's operations, I
is the account of his splendid defence of
Fort Harrison. He was soon after pro- !
moted to the rank of Major fur his gal
lout and intrepid conduct on that me
morable occasion. During the remain
der of the war he was actively employed ,
in the Western country, but as be had
opportunity of again distinguishing
himself in a sepernte command, we are
not able to pursue his movements.
' '
In 1832 he was advanced to the rank I
of Colonel: On the commencement of
war in Florida he was ordered on ser
vice in that district. He was more for-
Innate than those who had preceded him.
He succeeded in bringing on a general
ucticn at Okee Chohee, and gained a
signal victory over the Indians. His'
conduct was duly appreciated by the
Government, and he was immediately
promoted to the brevet rank of Brigadier
General, with the chief command in Flor
ida, where he continued to remain until
84.0, when he was relieved by Gen. ,
Armistead. The following is from the
pen of one who knows him well :
My service in Mexico frequently
brought me near to General Taylor, and
I was industrious in my examination of
the newel character of the man whenev
er opportunity was presented. I have
no motive to deceive you, and you must
take the impressions I received for what
they aro worth. If I desired to express
in the fewest words what manner of man
General Taylor is, I should say that, in
his manners and his appearance, he is one
of the common people of this country.
He might be transferred from his tent at
Monterey to this assembly, and he would
not be remarked among this crowd of
respectable old farmers ns a man at all
distingnished from those around him.
Perfectly temperate in his habits, per
fectly plain in his dress, entirely unas
suming in his manners, he appears to
be an old gentleman in tine health, whose
thoughts are not turned upon his person
al appearance, and who has no point about
him to attract particular attention. In his
intercourse with men, he is free, frank
and manly; he plays oft none of the nirs
. _
of some great men whom I have met.
Any one may approach him as nearly as
can be desired, and the more closely his
character is examined the greater beau
ties it discloses.
‘.l. He is an honest man. Ido not mean
by that, merely that he does not cheat
or lie. I mean that he is a man that lie;
ver dissonbles, and who scorns all dis
guises. He neither acts a part among
his friends for effect, nor assumes to be
what he is not. Whenever he speaks
you hear what he honestly believes; and,
whether right or wrong, you feel assu ,
ranee that he has expressed his real opin
ion. His dealings with men have been
of a most varied character, and I have
never heard his honest name stained by
the breath of the slightest reproach.
il',
Aln - tingbon
" 2. He is a man of rare good judgment.' occasion because I desired to describe to
By no means possessed of that brilliancy you with the exactness of truth, those
of genius which attracts by its flashes, qualitiefi which combined in General
yet, like the meteor, expires even while Taylor, made him appear to me as a first
you gaze upon it . ; by no means posses- rate model of a true .ilmerican character.
sing that combination of talent which Others will dwell upon the chivalry'lle
penetrates instantly the abstrosest silt). has so often displayed, and his great
ject and measures its length and breadth, ness so conspicuously Makin nted upon
as if by intuition, Gen. T aylor yet has the field of battle. 1 formed my ideas
that order of intellect which more lof the man when he was free from duty,
slowly but quite as surely masters all and had no motive to appear in any ofh
that it engages, and examines all the er light than such as was thrown upon
combinations of which the subject is sus. him by nature, education and principle."
ceptible. When he announces his con
elusions, you feel confident that he well MILLARD F/LLIVIORZI.
understands the ground upon which he The history of MILLARD FILLMORE, our
plants himself, and you rest assured that candidate for Vice President, affords a
the conclusion is the deduction of skill useful lesson as showing what may be
and sound sense faithfully applied to the accomplished in the face of the greatest
matter in hand. It is this order of mind obstacles, by intellect, aided and con
which has enabled him, unlike many oth- trolled by energy, perseverance, and
er officers of the army, to attend to the strict integrity, in a public and private
wants of his family, by so using the capacity.
means at his disposal as to surround His father, NATHANIEL FiLLmonn, is
himself in his old age with a handsome the son of one of like name who served
private fortune, and to be blessed with in the French war, and wits a true Whig
an almost perfect constiution. I would lof the Revolution, proving his devotion
to-day prefer his advice in any matter of •to his country's cause by gallantly fight
private interest--would take his opinion ing as Lieutenant tinder General Stark,
as to the value of an estate—would rath- ,in the battle of Bennington. He was
cc follow his suggestions in a scheme born at Bennington, Vermont, in 1771,
where property or capital was to be cm- and early in life removed to what is now
barked, would pursue more confidently called Summer Hill, Cayuga county,
his counsel where the management of an ; New York, where MILLARD was born,
army was involved, or tile true honor of January 7, 1800. Ile was a farmer and
my country was at stake, than that of any ' soon after lost all his property by a bad
other man I have ever known. I regard title to one of the anilitary lets he had
his judgment its being first rate at every , purchased. About the year 1802 he re
tiring, from a horse trade up to a trade moved to the town of Sempronius, now
in human life upon the field of bat. Niles, and resided there till 1819, when
he removed to Erie county, where lie
still lives, cultivating a small farm with
his own hands. He was a strong and
uniform supporter of Jefferson, Madison
and Tompkins, and is now it true Whig.
The narrow means of his father de
prived MILLARD of any advantages of
education beyond what were afforded
by the imperfect and ill taught common
schools of the county. Books were
scarce and dear, and at the age of fifteen,
when more favored youths are.far advan
ced in their classical studies, or enjoy
ing in colleges the benefit of well fur
nished libraries, young FILLMORE had
read but little except his common school
books and the Bible. At that period lie
was sent into the then wilds of Living
ston county, to learn the clothier's trade.
He remained there about four months,
and was they placed with another per
son to pursue the same business and
wool carding in the town where his fa
ther lived. A small village library that
was formed there soon after, gave him
the first means of acquiring general
knowledge through books. He impro
ved the opportunity thus offered ; the
appetite grew by what it fed upon. The
thirst for knowledge soon became insa
tiate, and every leisure moment was
spent in rending. Four years were pas
sed in this way, working at Ins trade,
and storing,' his mind, during such hours
as he could command, with the contents
of books of history, biography and trav
els. At the age of 19 he fortunately
made at acquaintance with the late
Walter Wood, Esq., whom many will
remember as one of tire ;oust estimable
citizens of that county. Judge Wood
wits a man of wealth and great business
capacity : he had an excellent law libra
ry, but did little professional business.
I He soon saw that under the rude exte
rior of the clothier's boy, were powers
that only required proper development
to raise the possessor to high distinction
and usefulness, and advised him to quit
his trade and study law. In reply to
the objection of a lack of education,
means and friends to aid him in a course
of professional study, Judge W. kindly
offered to give him a place in his office,
to advance money to defray his expen
ses, and wait until success in business
should furnish the means of repayment.
The offer was accepted. The appren
tice boy bought his time ; entered the
office of Judge Wood, and for more than
two years applied himself closely to bu
siness and study. He read law and gen
eral literature, and studied and practi
sed surveying.
Fearing he should incur too large a
debt to his benefactor, he taught school
for three months in the year, and acqui
red the means of partially supporting
himself. In the fall of 1821 he removed
to the county of Eric, and the next
spring entered a law office in Buffalo.—
There he sustained himself by teaching
school, and continued his legal studies
until the spring of 1823, when he was
admitted to the Common Pleas, . and
commenced practice in the village of
Aurora, where he remained until 1830,
'when he again removed to Buffalo, and
has continued to reside there ever since.
His first entrance into public life was
in January, 1829, when he took his seat
as a member front Erie county, to which
office he was re-elected the two follow
ing years.
His talents, integrity and assiduous
"3. He is a firm man and possessed of,
great energy of aaracter. It were a waste
of time to dwell upon these traits of his
character, for his military career has af
forded such abundant examples of his
exercise of these qualities as to render
them familiar to every citizen who has'
ever read or heard of the man. In his
army they are daily exhibited, and they
arc promiscuously displayed in every or
der which emanates from his pen.
"4. He is a benevolent man. This pal-
ity has been uniformly displayed in his
treatment of the prisoners who have been
placed in his power by the vicissitudes
of war. No man who had seen him af
ter the battle of Buena Vista as he order- •
ed the wagons to.bring in the Mexican
wounded from the battle field, and heard
him as he at once cautioned his own men
that the wounded were to be treated with
mercy, could doubt that lie was alive to
all the kinder impulses of our nature.
The indiscretions of youth lie chides,
with paternal kindness, vet with the de
cision which forbids their repetition; and
the young men of his army feel that it
is a pleasure to gather around him be
cause there they are as welcome as
though they visited the hearth-stone of
their own home ; and they are always
as freely invited to partake of what he
has to offer as if they were under the roof
of a father. H is conduct in sparing the
the deserters who were captured at Bu
can Vista exhibited at the same time in
a manner his benevolence and his judg
ment. " Dont shoot them," said he "the
worst punishment I will inflict is to turn
them to the Mexican army."—W hen Na
poleon said to one of his beta! ions, In
scribe it on their flag : No longer of the
army of Italy," he used an expression
which was deemed so remarkable that
history preserved it for the admiration
of future ages ; yet it was not more for
cible as an illustration of his power in
touching the springs of human action
than is that of Gen. Taylor illustrative
of the manner in which he would make
an exact le for the benefit of the army.
"5. IA is a man of business habits.
I never have known Gen. Taylor to give
up a day to pleasure. I have never vis
ited his quarters without seeing eviden•
ces of the industry with which he toiled.
If his talented adjutant was surrounded
with papers, so was the General.—And
though he would salute a visitor kindly,
and bid him with familiar grace to amuse
himself until he was at leisure, lie never
would interrupt the duties which his sta
tion called him to perform. When these
were closed for the day, he seemed to
enjoy to a remarkable degree, the vivaci
ty of young officers, and to be glad to
mingle in their society. As a conversa
tionist, I do not think Gen. Taylor pos.,
sesses great power. He uses few words,
and expresses himself with energy and
force, but not fluently. His language
is select. I would say however, from
the knowledge of the man, that he is
entirely capable of producing any thing
in the shape of an order or letter which
has ever appeared over his signature ;
and, in saying so much, I understand
myself as asserting that he is master of
his mother tongue, and eon write about
as effectively and handsome as he can
fight. Such, then, is the picture of the
man—not of the General—who won my
esteem.. lam not in the habit of eulo
gizing men, and have indulged on this
HUNTINGDON, PA., TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 1848.
devotion to public business, soon won
for him the confidence of the House in
an unexampled degree. It was a com
mon remark among the members, 1‘ if
FILLMORE says it is right, n•c will vote
for it."
The most important measure of a
general nature that came up during his
service in the State Legislature was,
the bill to abolish Imprisonment for
Debt. In behalf of that great and phi
lanthropic measure, Mr. Fir.i.mose took
an active part, urging with unanswera
ble arguments its justice and expedien
cy, and, as a member of the committee
on the subject, aiding to perfect its de
tails. That portion of the bill relating
to Justices' Courts was drafted by hint,
the remainder being the work of the
Hon. John C. Spencer. The bill met
with a fierce unrelenting opposition at
every step of its progress, and to Mir.-
LARD FiLLMORE as much as to any other ,
man, are we indebted, for expunging '
from the statute book that relic of a cruel,
barbarous age, Imprisonment for Debt.
He was elected to Congress in the fall
of 1832. The session of 1833-4 will
long be remembered as the one in which
that system of politics, known under'
the comprehensive name of Jacksonism
was fully developed. He took his seat
in the stormy session of 1833-4, im
mediately succeedinr , the removal of the
Deposits. In those days the business of
the House and debates were led by old
and experienced members—new ones,
unless they enjoy a wide-spread and
almost national reputation, rarely taking
mactive and conspicuous part. Little
chance, therefore, was afforded him as
member of the opposition, young and
unassuming, of displaying those quali
ties that so eminently fit him for legis
lative usefulness. But the school was
one admirably qualified to more fully
develop° and cultivate those powers
which, under more favorable circum
stances, have enabled him to render
such varied and important services to
his country. As he has ever done in all
the stations he has filled, he dis
charged his duty with scrupulous fideli
ty, never omitting on all proper occa
sions ally effort to advance the interest
of his constituents and the country, and
winning the respect and confidence of
all.
At the close of his term of service, he
resumed the practice of his profession,
which he pursued with distinguished
reputation and success until, yielding to
the public voice, he consented to become
a candidate, and was re-elected to Con
gress in the fall of 1836. The remarks
above made in relation to his service in
the 23d Congress will measurably apply
to his second term. Jasksonism and
the Pet Bank system, had in the march
of the "progressive democracy" given
place to Van Burenism and the Sub
Treasury. It was but another step to
wards the practical repudiation of old
republican principles, and an advance
to the Locofocoisin of the, present day.
In this Congress Mr. FILLMORE took an
more active part than he did during his
first term, and on the assembling of the
next Congress, to which he was re-elec
ted by a largely increased mojority; he
was assigned a prominent place on what,
next to that of Ways and Means, it was
justly anticipated would become the
most important committee of the House
—that on elections. It was in this Con
gress that the famous contested New
Jersey case came up. It would swell
this brief biographical sketch to too
great a length to enter upon the details
of that case, and it is the less necessary
to do so inasmuch as the circumstances
of the gross outrage then perpetrated
by a party calling itself republican, and
claiming to respect State rights, must
yet dwell in the recollection of every
render.
The prominent part which Mr. FILL
MORE took in that case, his patient in
vestigation of all its complicated, min
ute details, the clear, convincing man
ner in which he set forth the facts, the
lofty and indignant eloquence with
which he denounced the meditated
wrong, all strongly directed public at
tentior. to him as one of the ablest men
of that Congress, distinguished as it
was by the eminent ability and states
manship
of many of its members. Pub
lic indignation was awakened by the
' enormity of the outrage, and in that
' long catalogue of abuses and wrongs
which roused a long-suffering people to
action, and resulted in the signal over
throw of a corrupt and insolent dynasty
in 1840, the New Jersey case stood
I marked and conspicuous.
On the assembling of the nest Con
gress, to which Mr. FILLMORE was re
elected by a majority larger than was
ever before given in his district, he was
I placed at the head of the committee on
Ways and Means. The duties of that
station, always arduous and responsible,
were at that time peculiarly so. A new
Administration had came into power,
-,4 - 440fourttql
and found public affairs in a state of the
greatest derangement. Accounts had
been wrongly kept, peculation of every
kind abounded in almost every depart
ment of the GeVerninent, the revenue
was inadequate to' meet the ordinary
expenses, the already large existing
debt was rapidly swelling in magnitude,
commerce and manufactures were de
pressed, the currency was deranged,
banks were embarrassed, and general
distress pervaded the community. To
bring order out of disorder, to replenish
the National Treasury, to provide means
that would enable the Government to
meet the demands against it, and to pay
off the debt, to revive the industry of
the country, and restore its wonted
prosperity ; these were the tasks devol
ved upon the Committee of Ways mid
Means. To increase their difficulties,
the minority, composed of that party
that had brought the Country and Gov
ernment into such a condition, instead
of aiding to repair the evil they had
done, uniformly opposed almost every
means brought forward for relief, and
too often their unavailing efforts were
successfully aided by a treacherous Ex
ecutive. But with an energy and devo
tion to the public weal, worthy of admi
ration, Mr. FILLMORE applied himself to
the task, and, sustained by a majority
whose enlightened patriotism has rare
ly been equalled, and never surpassed,
succeeded in its accomplishment.
The measures he brought forward
and sustained with matchless ability,
speedily relieved the Government from
its embarrassment, and have fully justi
fied the most sanguine expectations of
their benign influence upon the country
at large. A new and more accurate
system of keeping accounts, rendering
them clear and intelligible, was introdu
ced. The favoritism and peculation
'which had so long disgraced the de,
partments and plundered the Treasury,
were checked by the requisition of con
tracts. The credit of the Government
was restored, ample means were provi
ded for the exigencies of the public ser
vice, and the payment of the National
debt incurred by the former Administra
tion. Commerce and Manufactures re
vived, and prosperity and hope once
more smiled upon the land. The Coun
try has too recently emerged from the '
disasters of Mr. Van Buren's Adminis
tration—it yet. too keenly feels the suf
fering it then endured, and too justly
appreciates the benificent and wonder
ful change that has been wroug i lit, to i !
render more than an allusion to these'
matters necessary. The labor of devid
sing, explaining and defending measures
productive of such happy results was
thrown chiefly on Mr. FILLMORE. He
was nobly sustained by his patriotic fel
low Whigs ; but on him, nevertheless,
the main responsibility rested.
After his long and severe labors in tl.o
Committee room—labors sufficiently ar
duous to break down any but one of an
iron constitution—sustained by a spirit
that nothing could conquer, lie was re
quired to give his unremitting attention
to the business of the house, to make any
explanation that might be asked, and be
ready with a complete and triumphant
'refutation of every cavil or objection that
the ingenious sophistry of a factious mi
notity could devise. All this, too, was
required to be done with promptness,
clearness, dignity and good temper.
For the proper performance of these vari
ed duties, few men arc more happily qual
ified than Mr. FILLMORE. At that fortu
nate age, when the physical and intelec
tual powers are displayed in the highest
perfection. and the hasty impulses of
youth, without any loss of its vigor, are
brought under control of large experi
ence in public affairs, with a mind capa
ble of desending to minute details, as
well as conceiving a grand system of
national policy, calm and deliberate in
judgement, self-possessed and fluent in
debate of dignified presence, never un-
I mindful of the courtesies becoming so
cial and public intercourse, and of polit
ical integrity unimpeachable, he was
admirably fitted for the post of leader of
the 27th Congress.
In 1844 he was selected as the Whig
candidate for Governor in New York,
but, in consequence of the Barnburners
andPld Hunkers uniting their support
upon the late Silas Wright, lie failed to
be elected. Confident, however, that lie
could command the strongest vote in
New York, the Whigs again selected
him as their candidate for Comptroller,
in 1847, and succeeded in electing him
by an unprecedented majority.
Such was the boy, and such is the
man whom the Whigs present as their
candidate for Vice President. In every
station in which he has been placed, lie
has shown himself " honest, capable and
faithful to the Constitution." He is em
lphatically one of the people. For all that
lie has and is, ho is indebted under God
I to his own exertions. Born to an nheri
tance of comparitive poverty, which now
VOL. XIII, NO, 25.
thanks Co' Whig policy, are enjoyed by
the humblest in the land, he struggled
bravely with difficulties that would have
appalled and crushed a less resolute
heart. Nobly has he won his laurels,
and long may he I . :Ve to enjoy them.
SCOTT AMONG THE VOLUNTEERS
Gen. Cass Hung in
_Effigy by the Penneylra.
Jima Voltiiiteevre,
[From the Berke & Schuylkill fournell
We are indebted to a friend for the
following letter from Sergt. Green;
member of the corps of Artillerist's, da
ted San Angers ; April 26, 1848. ft
serves to show the esteem in which Gen.
Winfield Scott is held by those gallant
spirits, who fought so nobly under his
command, as well as the deep indigna
tion that pervades the Army on account
of the persecution with which he has
been visited by the Government. It
also serves to show what the Pennsylva
nians, and the Volunteers generally in
our gallant army, think of Mr. Senator
Cass—the same Lewis Cass who is now
the candidate of the Locofoco party for
the highest office in the gift of the peo
ple—WHO WAS HUNG IN EFFIGY,
OVER THE MAIN ROAD LEADING
FROM SAN ANGELS TO THE CITY
OF MEXICO, and after remaining all
day in this undignified position, who•
was in the evening cut down and COM
MITTED TO THE FLAMES! What
a• position for the great embodiment of
the Locofoco party ! These gallant fel
, lows little dreamed then that the Loco
foco Convention would endorse the out
rage which Cass was instrumental in
perpetrating upon their rights, by nom
inating him for the Presidency.
But to the letter. It speaks for itself,
and is written by one whose authority
may be relied on for the facts it contains.
Sergt. Graeff is a citizen of Reading,
well known to every man in this com
munity, who was among the first to vol
unteer for the war, and has done gbod
service ever since. If any one doubts
that the letter is genuine he can see the
original by calling at this office.
SAN ANGELS, Mex., April 29, 184 S.
DEAR R.—You will allow me the priv
ilige of saying one word on politics. I
know of no man that would be more de
serving the Presidency than Winfield
Scott, and a more outrageous and shame
ful net, could not have been committed
by the Administration, than to drag
Gen. Scott from his high command and
make him a prisoner in the very Capi
tal which his own valor had won. But
they that would have sacrificed General
Taylor on the plains of " Buena Vista,"
and our own army in the Valley of Mex
ico, are capable too of thrusting the
dagger of revenge in the hero's heart.
But enough of this. I was very much
pleased in looking over your City elec
tion. It was indeed unexpected to me ;
but as the city of Reading went for
M•JI3r • r, so will the State and Union go
; for President. Mark that.
Next let me tell you how Senator Cass
was treated by the volunteers. You will
recollect that we, (or the volunteers,)
were mustered under the act of May,
1846, by which we were allowed $3 50
per month for clothing, and in a circular
dated August 7th, '47, we were again
assured of receiving the same. But it
seems that Mr. Cass, with a good econ
omical heart, offered a bill "to cause
the volunteers to be furnished with
clothing in kind, at the same rates ac
cording to grades, as is provided for the
troops of the regular army." Thus you
see lie has reduced our pay for clothing
from $3 50 to $2 50. This, I suppose,
is the compensation we get for fighting
our way to the Capital. As soon as the
Ist Pennsylvanians received news that
this famous bill had passed—they ex
tended a rope across the main road leading
to the City of .11 . exico and HUNG IN
EFFIGY POOR LEJVIS Cass
!
Some officers touched by their politics,
ordered it to be cut down, but the boys
had him in his just position again soon
after, where lie hung till evening, when
he was taken down and doomed to the
stake !
You expect me perhaps to say a word
about the company. Since you saw
Capt. Loeser's report, one more died,
one deserted, and two joined by enlist
ment, from the Regimental depot. The
men are very healthy at this time, and
are ready for any emergency, either to
fight or go home. It is reported that
we (the volunteers) are to accompany
our Commissioners to Queretaro. I
can't vouch for the truth of this, but be
this as it may, I expect to see San Louis
Potosi yet before we leave the country.
Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM GRAEFF, Jr.