Illlflll (M* UllilUllIIttmlif II iflfllllll lit itfliin AJntY A xV X AiK/JK !llll;iilll:i:i|;il;ll!llllllilllllllill .INGERSOLL gigt^jJiiisa; ; g LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Chap. Shelf UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^ EULOGY GEiN. ZACHARY TAYLOR, LATK TRESIDENT OF THE UXITKD STATES. DELIVERED OCTOBER 2, 1850, HON. JOSEni RHNGERSOLL PHILADELPHIA: CHI.SSY & MAllKLEY, I'KINTEKS, NO. 4 MINOR STREET. 1850. City Hall, July 17, 1850. Wkdn'esday Evxnino. Dear Sir: — We beg leave to hand you, eucloscd, the copy of a Resolution of the Committee of Arrangement, appointed by the Select and Common Councils, to do honors to the memory of the late illustrious and lamcntt'd President, Zachary Taylor ; and, in expressing the hope, that you will find it convenient to yourself to yield to the request of the Committee, we are sure, that we only anticipate the most ardent wishes of our entire community. With sincere assurances of our personal regard, We are, very respectfully. Your friends and obedient servants, ISAAC ELLIOTT, ALBERT ti. WATERMAN, J. PRICE WETIIERILL. UoN. J. R. Inoeesou. Coniin)(4ee Kooiit, City IIaII. "EesohcJ, That the Subcommittee be authorized to wait on the lion. Joseph H. Ingir-soII, and invite him to deliver au Eulogiuui on the memory of the late President, Zachary Taylor, at u time to be designated by himself." E:ttract from the minutes. — July IC, IS50. EDMl.ND WILCO.X, Secretary to UiC Qjinmitkc qf Arrani/emaiU. South Fonrtli Street, July 30, 1850. Gentlemen : — I aui fully sensible of ni)' inability to deliuoate justly the character of '-the late illufi- trious and lanu-utcJ President." Yet a sense of duty, aud of respect for yourselves and the distinsuislu'd lx)dies of which you are the representatives, will not allow me to decline the invitation with which you are pleased to honor nic. I will hope, in obedience to the wishes so kindly coiumunioateJ by you, to deliver '• an Eulogium," at a time that may be mutually agreeable. Believe me to be, Most truly and respectfully yours, .1. 1!. INGKltSOLL. Isaac Elliott, Albert (1. Watekma.v, John Trice W'ETHERiii, Esq'rs., Committee of Arrangements. Committee Room, C'onitcils, i'iiiL,u>ELPiiiA, October S, 1S50. '• Ormmitli'e on Sulimniticx,'' <&., apjmnlcd l>y Cmok-Us. July 10, ISoO. SPECIAL MEETING. "On motion, it was Jfesohrd, That the thanks of this Committee be, and they are hereby pri'.-ented to the Uoniirable Joseph U. IngersoU, for his most able and elocjuent Eulopum, pronounced on Wednesday Evenin;:, Oetol)er 2d, 1S50, upon the life and public services of (iciienil /a<-hary Taylor, deceased, late President of the United States; and that he be resp<'ctfully rei|uest*>d to allow this CommitU'e the use of the manuscript, for the purpose »if having' the same published in iiamplilel form.'' EDMUND WILCOX, Secretari/ to the CommMte of Arrangements. EULOGY. If it be true that no man can bo deemed bappy before his death, we shall the more willingly unite in paying to the late president this tribute of aftection and respect. His life Mas a career of glory, and he died full of honors. Yet a manly sorrow is not fur- bidden by the reflection, that the legacy which he has left to the country of an unspotted and illustrious name, is at once the cause of lasting consolation and just pride. The hopes of a great people have been suddenly blighted and turned to grief. Millions who hailed the auspicious election of the man of (li(>ir choice, bow down in sad submission to the decree that his chief magistracy shall be no loniier. Ev(mi they who, in the fair exercise of a constitutional liiilit, witlilicjd from liiiii their suirrag(\s, |)artake of the mouniiui^- l()r a general loss. I'lineral solemnities lia\ e been performed ni many cities. 'l'he\ lia\e pronouneed. 1 as it were, sentence of approving judgment on departed worlli. As tnarks of public respect, ceremonies of this cliaractcr have l)ccn resorted to in greater or less de- gree of display and pouip, from the remotest ages, loMLr iH'forc immortality was brouglit to light, and Avlicu thick darkness rested upon our destiny in the great hereafter. They continue to Ijc used as proofs of becoming sorrow, and as pledges that surviving friends, and grateful and admiring countrymen, will bear in cherished recollection the examples of those whose counsels, however wise, can no more be uttered ; and whose energies, however commanding, have ceased for ever. They arc in principle not unlike those tri- bunals we read of, A\hicli were invested with jurisdic- tion over the ^\hole conduct of life, and held their solemn sittings after its close. A diiferencc in favor of the honors which we pay, consists in their being voluntary eiVusions of feeling, flowing in unprompted puritv from the heart. These are pious ofierings of posthumous esteem. They are like evening dews, wliich, having ascended from the grateful earth, shed their gentle and refreshing influence after the light has ceased to shine. " Such honors Ilion to her hero paid, And peaceful slept the mighty Hector's shade." It is almost peculiar to our couutry that mIhIc in the tumult of political strife, invective and seemingly bitter resentments prevail, the resentments are as- suaged, and the expression of them is hu^he(l hy tlic sanctity of death. The press, so active and so crili- cal, returns to its (piiver the envenomed iiiTow pre- pared for Hight, and sheathes the s\\ ord sharpened for assault. Blessed Mould be the sorrow that should keep them there! IJival ))()liticians in the national legislature vie wilh each other in terms of eulogy. State legislatures, ordinarily opposed in i)()liiical sen- timent, unnnimously adopt resolutions of fervent praise. Justice, which may have been withheld from living merit, is freely offered, when the voice of honor and the voice of shame are alike unable to " provoke the silent dust," or " soothe the dull cold ear of death." x\n ordeal so severe stands in the way to eminence, that merit only can be expected to reach the di^niiy and inllncnce, it is supposed to confer. Kare niii.-l ho the occasion, A\ hen its jjrdcnsions, ha\ inu: stood the proof, are not entitled to \\\c praise. "The call to that high place," said Mr. Madison, in his iiiauunial dis- course, " is a distinguished mark of cnnfulence pro- ceeding lV(»ni tlic deliberate and traiKpid snllVages of a free and \iitnons nation." All those who have been so distin(Tni>hed. have been nion> than st iiitini/.ed in their approach to power, and when that power has 8 been laid aside, they have not failed in the hearts and minds of their earliest posterity to be identified with the name and fame of the republic. It is matter of liistoric pride that the eleven Presidents who, since the formation of the constitution, have, by deliberate suflrage, been called to that high place, were all re- markable for their private virtues and devoted love of country. It is scarcely possible here that an Aurelius should be succeeded by a Commodus. Accordingly the qualities of all of them have been without a taint of selfishness or inordinate ambition, from the sublime virtues of the first, whom foreign observers have placed in the foremost rank of all mankind, to the quiet heroism of the last, whose oflicial records of his own achievements have, on like authority, been received as models of simplicity, brevity, and modesty. To both, have these mournfiil rites especially been paid, with a plainness derived from the character of the institutions of which one of them was a founder, and each of them was officially and personally a zealous supporter ; and with a sincerity that was due to the chosen objects of honor and renown. They will go down the course of years together. Future generations will confirm the opinion of the present, and time, when it shall have dispersed the clouds of error and prejudice, if they now prevail, and tested the soundness of existing judg- ment, and even obscured the events themselves, which may have been too fiiintly delineated, ^vill irild the re- collection of the homage that has been done, and the names it illustrates. If the political children of the fathers of our coun- try have, like the children of the patriarchs of old, the sons of Abraham and the sons of Isaac, ditlercd in their parents' lives, they have, like those children of the patriarchs, " mingled tears over their parents' tomb," and " their angry passions sleep in dust." Impartial posterity sometimes speedily sets aside the hastily-formed opinion of the day, sometimes more remotely. It seldom fails to develope, hi the end, a genuine sentiment, though for a season it may have been obscured or perverted. It is one advantage in the too open course of the government policy of our country, and of those ^vho carry out its designs, that there is little danger that either should be greatly mis- interpreted. Ages have not always sufliced elsewhere to fix a judgment upon a ruler, and he has been ap- plauded or condemned \\ ith a voice that has lluctuated for centuries. We are told of \\\c superb funeral of Cromwell. It was more than ici^al. His waxen cfiiijy, Iving in roval rohes upon a vel\et bed ot state, with cro^\Il and i^lnlie and see|)tre, like a kiiii;". \sas borne hv his own jnrds under a pall (»l NeUit and lin(^ linen. Pendants and iii/idons were earned hy oilicers ol the arin\. Imperial hainiers and (k/ik /iik /i/s i>v 10 heralds in their coats. A richly-caparisoned horse, embroidered all over ^vith gold ; a knii^lit of honor, armed cap-a-pie; and after all his guards, soldiers, and innumerable mourners. In less than two short years, we are also told, this royal effigy was hung with a rope round its neck from the bars of a window at Whitehall. The Inst hours of our lamented President form a contrast with those of the great Protector not less striking ihan his obsequies. Some great men have looked to the dicad event which all must meet with indiftcrence ; some willi uiunanly I'car; some with de- sire. Death, we read, was terrib'e to Cicero, delight- ful to Cato, indifferent to Socrates. It was the becom- ing and peculiar part of General Taylor lo die as he had lived, in the unaficcted performance of a duty. The fatal messenger foiuul him not unpj-epared, and witnessed, it may be said, the modest, simple, brief farewell to time and all things human, uttered not in sullen acquiescence, proud defiance, or unworthy boasting, but in humble trust that he had endeavored to do his duty. \\'b("llicr the dying patriot, always conscious that his own merits Mcre of no reliance beyond the grave, and looking back to a busy inter- course with men— intcMided to convey to those about him a paternal lesson, in his own example, or repeated to himself the secret whispering of a loyal bosom, or 11 devoutly offered up his soul in all humility to its eter- nal Judo-e, claiming no loftier praise than an endeavor to do his duty — it was in every shape the ruling prin- ciple of all his actions. Never was a master passion more amiably indulged. Never was an instinctive ten- dency, which discipline had matured into a governing rule, and habit had identified with the elements of a pure nature, more triumphantly vindicated. No ostentation sullied the patient utterance. No aim to elevate, no effort to disguise the motive or the charac- ter of actions, all of which were ended. The clay-cold lil)s were closed for ever, moistened with the last breath that uttcivd the characteristic words, "I have endea- vored to do my duty." It was not, as on like occasions is often perceived, the unconscious murmuring of a distempered fancy, bereft of reason and excited by fleeting phantoms of the past. It was the distinct per- ception and fervent utterance of a predominant and habitual thought, which, having gone with the daring spirit through many a danger, sustained, for a moment, the same spirit while sink in u in the feebleness and the ao-ony of dissolving natuiT, and llicn wcMit A\illi it, disembodied, n[) to lu'iivcn. We, his count i-Mncii, arr cndcavoriuii-, in return, to pay a small part of the debt which is i\\\c to him, whose manly life was exposed, (Midanixered, and de- voted, for his country. Eulogy performs its litting 12 office when it pours forth a nation's gratitude to the memory of puhhc benefactors, — to the mighty dead, who have been high in station and in honor, — to those who, without a compromise of virtue, have, in the world's esteem, won the attribute of greatness. It was the chosen head of the government that, by a fatal and resistless blow, has been struck down in the midst of the people. A life which danger could not touch on the field of carnage, or the rude shock of armies overthrow in the fiercest conflict of battle, has obeyed a sterner summons, in seeming security, and guarded by the protecting wishes of many millions. A bereaved country submits, with resignation to the will of heaven, and adores the wisdom which permits the loss, and sanctifies the affliction. The grave has closed upon the mortal remains of a hero and a ruler, and the swelling heart speaks its willing praise of merit that is no longer cotemporary. The fragrance of the memory of departed excellence diflfuses itself over the land, and its ripened fruits have become the common property of all. It was the more than ordinary lot of the late presi- dent to have been successful and happy in all of his undertakings that are known. lie ceased to conquer, so far as we are informed, only when he ceased to live. The world may liave presented to him difficulties, as war presented dangers ; but they were difficulties 13 and dangers, presented alike, to Ix) overcome. No path was too steep to be ascended, or too rugged to be pursued. Even death was not without a serenity that has not often crowned so active a career. Tlie muse of history, after inscribing on lasting tablets, for the instruction of mankind, the bold achievements of many a hero, is compelled to mourn over his closing hours that have dimmed their lustre. Not one of the Caesars, according to some accounts, from the Dictator to Vespasian, died otherwise than by violence. The first of them, the brightest in the galaxy, fell a traitor by the daggers of the noblest men of Rome, when Brutus " shook his crimsoned steel." Another hero, no less illustrious, perished in the flower of his age, in the intoxication and voluptuousness of a royal feast, his blood-stained hand reeking from the murder of a friend. A third lived through all his battles, to become a melancholy wreck of dotage and helpless imbecility. A fourth, as it were but yesterday, fell from his tower- ing height, and lingered through his latest yr.irs in hopeless captivity upon a barren rock. In the suit tints of mellowed light which fell upon tlie eveniuix of that well spent day which we are coiitcinplatinLi-, blessed, as it was, in tlio tciulcrc^sl and dearest s\ m- pathies of domestic alfectioii, iiolliiiin: is presented to the recollection but the clear image of virtuous deeds, 2 14 and the bright example of a vigorous and unspotted hfe. This is not the occasion for entering upon the pro- vince of history, which claims exclusive right to make narratives of events, and to record, in detail, the cir- cumstances of the lives of eminent men. Our part is rather to develope striking points of character, and to show in what chiefly consisted the merits of one, whose virtues and position have made him illustrious. In displaying some of the excellencies of a lofty nature connected with marked efforts of conduct and action, it may be necessary to anticipate the biographer in lookins to certain salient and characteristic incidents that call forth exalted qualities, and serve to illustrate them. Philosophy is to be extracted from iact ; and scarcely a passing circumstance fails to point its moral if it be duly appreciated. In the Spring of 1845, when the annexation of Texas had been authorized by Congress, an ofhcer of rank in the military service of the United States was selected for a delicate and responsible command. But for that selection he might have continued to live in the respect and esteem of the government, and the comparatively few who knew him, or who had heard of an occasional eftbrt that he had made of uncommon bravery in arms. Of all his countrymen he would have been later than 15 the last to disturb an habitual equanimity by any dreams of poHtical ambition. As long as health and strength of mind and body should endure, his sober ^vishes would have looked forward in contentment to the performance of his arduous, but familiar, duty in the field ; and, when its performance there should be made, even in distant prospect, doubtful, by the en- vious course of time, then to hang up his bruised arms, and retire to the retrospect of a well spent public life, and the possession of unwonted frugal rest. Moderate and tranquil as his expectations may have been, they were animated by the arrival of confidential instruc- tions, free from all ambiguity, which found liim at Fort Jessup, La., in the month of June. They required a forward movement of his troops forthwith. The immediate destination was the Gulf of Mexico, with an ultimate view to the western frontier of Texas, on or near the Rio Grnnde del Norte, to repel invasion and protect what, in the event of annexation, would be regarded as our western border. The instructions were, as the recipient of tliem proiniscnl they should be, closely obeyed. An ouNNurd niovcinciit was pur- sued, strictly under orders ihrouiihout, from post to post. Aransas Pass and Corpus Christ i were soon reached; ami thence, in due; season, •• the Army ot Occiipalioii of Texas. heiuL: now ahoiit to take a posi- tion up(jn the left bank ol' the Ivio Craiulc, under the 16 orders of the executive of tlic United States,"* the Colorado, Point Isabel, and the designated western border. During the course of these operations, not only was military skill in threatened marches critically exercised, but much personal discretion and political judgment were required in the conduct of so unusual an enterprise. A state of things existed that was neither peace nor war, truce nor strict neutrality. It called for the appearance and the reality of diilerent attitudes in compliance with the emergencies of the moment. It was w- ell described in an official paper from the secretary as " an equivocal state which had not the settled character of peace or war." Yet it was a state of which the equivocal character might, at the most unlooked for time, from the most unexpected cause, be deprived of its ambiguities, and made to unrol " the })urplc testament of bleeding m ar." As the individual who was invested with immediate con- trol for all occasions, must exhibit in himself the modest stillness of the one condition, so must he bear witliin him an energy to rule in the whirlwind of the other. Acting always under the restraint of orders and committing no acts of positive hostility, he was gathering strength for the blow if it must be struck ; * General Taylor's " Order No. 30, Head-Quarters Army of Occupation, Corpus Christi, March 8, 1846." and he took a position that would defy the assaults of a probable enemy, against protests, proclamations, and menaces, and planted his artillery where its work could not fiiil to be etiectual, on the very brink of war.* A crisis here presented itself in the fate of the future President. The liveliest curiosity was excited con- cerninof his movements, and universal interest was felt in his behalf. During this interval of intense solici- tude, his brief career of brilliant honors began to dawn. No accidental routine of service had pointed him out for the especial employment. " About four thousand men" were officially reported by the general-in-chief at Washington, " to compose the army of occupation under Brevet Brigadier-General Taylor, an officer of high merit." In the annual message to Congress of that year, the President announces, in relation to this well-considered selection, that " from his known cha- racter, and that of the general staff', commanders of * President's Message, 11th May, 184G. "Instructions were issued on the 13lh January, 1846, to the general in command of those troops to occupy tlic left bank of the Del Norte." The gene- ral replies, February 4, — " I shall lose no time in making prepara- tions for carrying out these instructions." " The army will go fully prepared for a state of hostilities should they be unfortunately pro- voked by Mexico." April G he writes from the left bank of the Rio Grande, — "These guns bear directly upon the |niblic square of Mata- Bioras, and within good range for demolishing the town." 18 corps, officers and men, there is no doubt the army of occupation will be more than sufficient for any defen- sive exigency likely to occur in that quarter." A better choice could scarcely have been made for a delicate and doubtful duty. The doubtfulness of it was judi- ciously sustained for a season without one hasty or needlessly otfensive step, keeping in reserve the ability to conquer. Carefully to marshal all available means of conflict — fully to prepare for every contingency — firmly to assume an attitude to strike at the earliest needful opportunity, and to impart to a thus inevitable blow a vigor which would make it effectual — and yet, in appearance, to do nothing but move quietly into position ; these were the governing rules of a settled yet diversified course of conduct. They were adopted as the means both of military success and territorial acquisition and guardianship. An observance of them was the engine of political advantage to the govern- ment, and unconsciously both to the government and its officer, of certain advancement to the individual by whom it was faithlully served. Achievements soon succeeded each other, not so much according to the ordinary calculation of numbers, or established rules derived from experience, as in apparent compliance with a controlling will. One head and one heart ani- mated every movement. Triumph trod upon the heels of triumph, in positions and under circumstances that 10 were various in every thing, except a uniform disparity of forces, which was an clement of glory ; and almost unform predictions of disaster, that were doomed to disappointment. In less than a year, a prodigious change had come over the nation's dream. The watchfires that burned on the fields of Mexico were, signals for responsive civic fires, lighted by public sentiment on the top of every eminence, and blazinji; A\ith inextinguishable brightness throughout the land. Here, on the spot, and almost within the walls where independence was proclaimed to an astonished world, one of the earliest demonstrations was made on the lOlh of April, not many days after intelligence had arrived of the latest victory. It was speedily succeeded by a meeting in the Northern Liberties of the 15th ; in which a nomi- nation was made without regard to party, and as on all subsequent occasions, without "the knowledge, wishes, or consent" of the individual whose name was soon inscribed upon a thousand I aimers. ExpcriiMiccd statesmen and wise lawgivers, ihe elocjuent tongue and the learned iniiid, were superseded \)\ the iiew-horn fame of the unpretending soldier, rolitieal partitas vied with vdvh other in ellorts to be foremost in the race of i)refercnce. The voice that spoke was l)roinptc(k not i)y dehherate relleetion, hut h\ univer- sal syuii)atliy. An electric >park scenietl to have 20 struck an expansive nerve in the whole body of the people, and awakened an excitement that was not to be controlled. No spirit of prophecy was required to foretell the inevitable result. A name known but re- cently, yet emblazoned with glory; a character new to the nation and the world, but written indelibly in the affections of both ; a person that not one in ten thou- sand had ever seen, was to be placed at the head of the nation. No repugnance of his own, no long- cherished predilections among portions of the people for others, nothing could stay the onward course of excitement, gratitude, and pride, which swept, like a resistless torrent, sectional differences into one com- mon mass, and left no choice except between the beaten track of an ordinary nomination by a party, and the novelty of one by acclamation among the citi- zens. Not a few were gratified at finding the utmost simplicity of deportment which they could fully appre- ciate, united to a moral dignity that was a mysterious object of wonder. Many were dazzled by the brilliancy of the first military exploits against a civilized nation that had been brought home to their patriotic feelings after a long course of peace. Some were willing to escape for a season from the trammels of party and to try an election that should be raised above its sphere. All felt a confidence, without reserve, in the charm which sterlini]^ honest v and unbendiuix firmness would 21 fling around them, and hoped they would attract, as Mithin a magic circle, every other virtue and all good men, to the assistance and support of a government resting upon a basis of tried integrity and popular will. There was yet more in the enthusiasm that was so charged with prophecy. Every measure of the cam- paign was marked m ith the energy of the leader, by which the credit of it was made peculiarly his own. In carrying back his whole force from the river, except a well-judged sufficiency to garrison the strong bas- tioned field fort which had been thrown up, he justly beheved the brigade left sufficient to maintain itself "against any Mexican odds." While that position must be held, the depot at Point Isabel, distant some eight and twenty miles, was threatened, and reinforce- ments were to be gathered there to strengthen his limited numbers. The popularity, and with it the suc- cess of the war, depended on the result of this enter- prise. He wisely anticipated encounter on tlu> way, and knowing the value of every man in the risk of being overwhelmed I )y numbers, he resolv(Ml to keep them all toocther. It was at this tiiiu^ tliat foreign journals, joining in the taunt of ungenerous criticisni, proclaimed the contemptuous prediction thai il he should venture to cross into iMexieo, lie would soon he driven hack with nolhiiiL!: to cover his (hs^race i)iil 22 his ragged flag. Far difTcrcnt were the standards and trophies tliat floated over his return — standards of vanquished armies and captured citadels, trophies, not only of heroism and honor, but of justice, kindness, benevolence, and magnanimity. Before the final departure from Point Isabel, where much disappointment was felt at the non-arrival of what was thought adequate additional force, the gene- ral was strongly urged by brave men yet longer to await its coming. Every argument was pressed upon him which prudence could suggest, in favor of avoid- ing the exposure of so small a body to greatly supe- rior numbers, the extent of which was uncertain, but the reputation of which for discipline and cfliciency, par- ticularly in cavalry, was far from inconsiderable. He listened to a long discussion with patience and respect. Some one at length remarked to him that his only reliance was on the expected reinforcements. He promptly replied, " My reliance is on our bayonets — we will march to-morrow."* A despatch of the 7th May accordingly announces that he should move that * In the general order of 7th May, 1846, No. 58, is this phrase; "The commanding general has every confidence in his ofiicers and men. If his orders and instructions are carried out, he lias no doubt of the result, let the enemy meet him in what numbers he may. He wishes to enjoin upon the battalions of infantry that their main de- pendence must be in the bayonet." 23 day with the main body of the army, gladdened l)y the occasional sound of guns in the direction of Mata- moras, " showing that every thing is right in that quarter." " If the enemy oppose my march," he pro- ceeds to say, "in whatever force, I shall fight him." The enemy did oppose his march, and he fought him skilfully, with al)out one-third of his numbers. Neither the determination nor the act was prompted by any want of due respect for a gallant foe ; while he was well aware of the personal superiority of his own sol- diers. Whether a similar feeling of respect animated his antagonists may be judged by the fact that they had brought with them to the field five hundred women to be employed in pillaging and in stripping the dead. An impassable pond separated the combatants, and confined their efforts principally to a play of artillery. Night closed the combat, and the soldier slept upon his arms. As the general slumbered on the naked ground, moonlight his lamp, the ccntiiu^l's triNid his lullaby — he was awakened with an incjuiry Nsliethcr the teams should be harnessed. He answered, *• the men have had a hard day's work — let iIkmu slcc^p ;" and resting his head upon its cold pillow, and his limbs upon their " llinty and steel conch,'"' he set tliem an example in the soundness of liis slumbers, in \\lii(Ii, upon all occasions, they wvrr ready to coulidt' as a proof of entire security, and to profit bv it. At dav- 24 break again a desire was expressed to him that they should fall back rather than face once more an enemy so numerous, now probably reinforced. After listen- ing to the advice of a large council, he substituted his own judgment for that of the many, and took again the onward course to victory.* In the orders of the 7th May, he had enjoined upon the battalions of in- fantry that their main dependence must be on the bayonet ; and had given, as he said, to the light bat- teries a " fair chance" at Palo Alto. He now ordered a charge of cavalry and infantry soon after the armies became engaged, and brought into use every descrip- tion of arms. They all emulated each other in skill and vigor, and rivalled each other in nmtual support and contribution to success. He might well receive the applause addressed to the leader of the Grecian forces before the w alls of Troy : — '< Great commander ! Nerve and bone of Greece ! Heart of our numbers : soul and only spirit In whom the tempers and the minds of all Should be shut up!" * On the field of Resaca, when the battle was evidently won, the general remarked to an oflkcr, — "Suppose I had taken the advice of those who did not wish me to advance, where would we be now ? I knew this result would occur," »Scc. " I was confident they could not bring an army to defeat the gallant little band I commanded." 25 The confidence of the enemy, derived from skill and numerical strength, may be inferred from the condition of their commander's camp, which strangely contrasted with the simple arrangements of the American leader. His preparations, like those, indeed, of all of the nine generals who had rank and commands on the occa- sion, seemed as if formed for an excursion of plea- sure rather than a field of battle. Papers, valuables, costly plate, all w-ere there, as was thought, beyond the reach of danger. A captive general oflicer declared on the following day, that if he had had a treasure with him of any amount, he would have regarded it as safe as if it were in the city of Mexico. Enterprises of all kinds are supposed to derive im- portant influences from their outset and early occur- rences. It has, therefore, been considered that the whole complexion of the Mexican war was imbued with the brilliant and with the sombre hues derived from its first battles. To the hosts of one nation they proved a pillar of light ; to those of the other a cloud of darkness. They taught each to feel its relative capacity. They broke in pieces the talisman of con- fidence with which one party was aruud, and they placed a charmed sword of victory in the li.ind of the other. They served to create a principle of faith, which is powerful in all tliiiiLis. In its iiifiisiiMi into armies it is strong enough to turn the llanks ol niunn- 26 tains. They served, too, in gloomy retrospect, as a pall of despondency, that hung upon the doomed for- tunes of the vanquished. They taught both to disre- gard the ordinary estimates on which the fate of armies is supposed to rest. Numbers became neu- tralised as an item of calculation, and position was almost paralyzed as a basis of support. Defective resources grew into abundant supplies in the bivouac of the accustomed victors ; while plentiful stores melted away, as measures of strength, in the strong fortress of those who believed that they were to be defeated. The word fail was struck from the vocabu- lary of the invading troops. If at any time they had been in reality, according to repeated threaten- ings, overwhelmed with numbers or cut to pieces, vic- tory would scarcely had been recognized on standards to which it had become a stranger, or defeat acknow- ledged by those who believed it to be impossible. An imputed mastery, which went through the whole war, belongs to these early successes and the lasting feel- ing produced by them. It detracts nothing from the merits of that great captain who, with the certainty of science and the intuition of military genius, and in the full blaze of valor and renown, conducted another column over lofty ramparts and frowning battlements to the last great accomplishment of the lawful end of war. Each contributed his full measure to the mighty 27 work, and tlic trophies of the one were hailed by tlic other with patriotic pride, as attributes of his own unenvied glory. Yet it cannot be disguised that the first victories were pledges of many more. Unbounded gratitude and praise are due to that daring and sagacious firm- ness, which, in unaided self-dependence, took at its flood the tide to fortune. On each of several occa- sions military men would have opposed, for they did oppose, what they believed to be a more than doubt- ful hazard ; and if not triumphant, ^^ hat the world would have condemned as full of rashness. These were occasions when the promptings of genius must prevail over the suggestions of prudence, even at a risk which less vigorous minds might shrink from, and reason in the abstract might condemn. Between the boldest measures and utter ruin, was the only choice. Reflect upon the consequences that must have arisen from an opposite determination, induced, as it mi«dit have been, on one occasion, — the most brilliant of them all— by advice as authentic, as it was believed by many to bo sound. Had one (Xx^^y loss ol lii>roic blood filled the swelling h(>art of llio brave soldier, he would luivo fallen back, justified by rule and by coun- cils of A\ar, to his intrcMulnncnts. Ihit his inmioiial name would have been forfeited; torrents of blood would lui\e iloued ni the \ alley of Mexico; hopes noNs 28 extinguished for ever would have aroused the wliole population of the enemy to new exertions; and the proud flag \vhich floats in honor upon every sea, would have become an object of loathing and scorn. Responsibility again and again fell upon him alone. Again and again it was fearlessly met and faithfully discharged, and a nation pays the well-earned tribute of its gratitude. From the moment that flagrant war was about to put aside the uncertain condition in Avhich the respect- ive frontiers stood, and all that remained, was to carry it on eflectually, the commanding general recom- mended, as he was prepared to exercise, the utmost vigor ; and advised that the enemy's country should be made its theatre. A city of great strength, well fortified and full of troops, was the key to an exten- sive region, and it must be taken. A well established principle requires for the assailants, in such cases, a disparity of three to one. Monterey was attacked by not much more than half the number of its garrison. " It was believed by the Mexicans to be impregnable." It " had the reputation for tlie greatest strength of any town in the country." "Against small arms it was itself a fortification from one end to the other." Such is the language of an eye witness and a sharer in the exploit. He testifies, besides, that the general, after the close of the battle, when he had laid aside 29 his arms, "divided the Jittle comforts he possessed among the wounded, and sent even the presents of fruit which he received from the inhabitants of tlie country, to be distributed at the liospitals." With hke feehngs he sent supplies of all kinds to the wounded and diseased Mexicans, abandoned by their own chief at Encarnacion. A series of untoward circumstances about this time occurred, which were well calculated to try how far an equanimity that was proof against all the contin- gencies of battle, would stand the test of complaint and opposition, where nothing was expected but appro- bation and support. After a gallant defence, Monterey capitulated. Within the scope of instructions pre- viously received, was the power, if occasion should require, holding out the hope of peace, to conclude an armistice.* A favorable opportunity for the exercise of this power was here presented. A farther effusion of blood on both sides could be prevented. The prin- cipal loss of life must necessarily be sustained hv troops A\ho, while determined to succeed, were unco- vered to fire from embrasures and parapets. The claims of humanity were heard amidst the siiouts of * General Scott's oflicial letter, Washington, Hend-qiiartcrs of the army, June I'J, 1S4G. Repeated in a letter, dated " Ilead-qnartcrs of the army, VV'ashington, June 1'), 184G." 4 30 victory. Feelings of gratitude would be excited in the bosoms of the coni^uered without abating a tittle of the advantages of success. Escape was practicable to those who w^ere permitted to withdraw, and the possession of them as prisoners would have been em- barrassing and burdensome. The just pride of the victors would be gratified by augmented glory re- flected from an award of merit to their antagonists. It was no military necessity that induced liberal terms. To infuse some drops of conciliation into the bitter cup of disaster which they had been made to drink nearly to the dregs, was consistent with a policy which proposed to conquer peace. An armistice was therefore asreed to, of which the terms had been ar- ranged by those who were most competent to judge. It did not meet with the concurrence of the depart- ment, and within eleven days of the time fixed for its close, it was declared inoperative.* Another check, not less keenly felt by the General, mingled with alleged interferences with his command, consisted of a sharp rebuke from the Government, * The " orders" of 27th September arc thus expressed : "Superior to us in numbers, strongly fortified, and with an immense prepon- derance of artillery, ihcy have yet been driven from every point, until forced to sue for terms of capitulation. Such terms have been granted as were considered due to the gallant defence of the town, and to the liberal policy of our own Government/' 31 growing out of the publication, by a military corre- spondent, of a private letter, not intended for the j)ress. The characteristic answer given to this measure of disapproval must not be overlooked. It conveyed the frank acknowledgment of the writer that to any ex- pression of disapprobation coming with the high authority of the President, he was bound, by duty and by respect for his high office, patiently to submit; but lest silence should be construed into a tacit admission of the grounds and conclusions set forth, he deemed it a duty to himself to speak plainly in reply. He did not admit that the letter was obnoxious to the objec- tions that had been urged. He firmly maintained that, although since the capitulation of Monterey, the con- fidence of the department had been gradually with- drawn, and his own consideration and usefulness cor- respondingly diminished, he had sought faithfully to serve the country by carrying out the wishes and in- structions of the executive. It was on this occasion that he used tlic plirasc N\lii(li has been often (juotcd: "I ask no favor, and I shrink from no responsibility.'' lie concludes in terms of (". In I'lorida he fearlessly denounced conduct thai lie (Icciiicd unwDrtiiy, at the ininuiicnt peril, not only of i)oi)ulaiity, hut of his commission, which was lor a loni: time assailed. In Mexico he had tli(> moral finniiess to speak the triitli of all, when the suggestion of it might have 36 been death to prospects the most bright that a citizen of the repubhc can enjoy. He was desirous of the good will and support of all good men ; but he re- garded neither popular nor executive favor, if either must be purchased by the omission of a duty. This vital spring of all his actions — this keen sense of duty, alacrity in its performance, and a stern purpose never to turn aside from it — marked every military despatch, and accompanied every daily march; and it found ready compliance with its promptings when great oc- casions called it into exercise. It appeared in strict subordination to conmiand as long as command was given. It infused active exertion into every move- ment, and inspired intrepid boldness in preparing to obey the orders of the government, regardless of diffi- culties and dangers ; and when the hour of battle came, nothing could stay its onward course; " Not fato, allegiance, or the hand of Mars Tlircat''ning, with fiery truncheon, his retire." It was rapid as the summer lightning, and terrible as the winter storm. Can eulogy dip its pencil in any richer colours? Cod forbid that greatness should be determined by the number of victims wantonly sacrified to ambition, or by the depths in which selfishness has waded through blood ! Were such the rule, a single for- 37 tunate encounter, where rival monarchs have l)roiiirlit their battalions to the field, might confer immortality. In such a one, a ruthless conqueror boasted that he had made sixty thousand prisoners, taken sixty-tive standards, three fortresses, and more than twenty generals. By the same measure of greatness, if dis- aster and defeat are of sufficient magnitude, they should make a hero. As when out of four hundred thousand soldiers who marched into the Russian ter- ritory, one thousand infantry and horsemen, under arms, returned at the end of five months, from those " pale and frozen deserts." Glory is not asccrfaincd by the degree of fertility which the soil may have derived by being fattened by the bodies of the slain. Little do warriors know to what uses their Avholesale butcheries may be applied. jMillions of bushels of human bones, gathered from the plains of Lcipsic, of Austerhtz and Waterloo, have been sent to England, and there ground to dust and sold, for manure. Let it be remembered that \\\r most monioral)!i' iiiilii;ir\ exploit on record, was the retreat of "the ten tlnni- sand." Our o^\n annals contain notliini: hut the deeds of small bodies of nun. iVoiii ihiiikcr llill to New Orleans. Washington did not siirnali/e Imuself on extensiv*^ fields, or at the head of 'j^vcnt arnnes. His leL:it»iis w(M"e n(jt more lunnerous than iho.-e ol (uiu'ial 38 Taylor. If any among ourselves, after more than half a century has given opportunity to place the true stamp upon his memory, are disposed to ques- tion his claims to greatness, let them listen to a tribute, of late years, paid to it by a foreign pen. After passing in review, the names of mighty men of ancient and of modern times, the author continues thus: "How grateful the relief which the friend of mankind, the lover of virtue, experiences, when turn- ing from the contemplation of such a character, his eye rests upon the greatest man of our own, or of any age ; — the only one upon whom an ei)ithet so thoughtlessly lavished by men, to foster the crimes of their worst enemies, may be innocently and justly bestowed ! In Washington, we truly behold a mar- vellous contrast to almost every one of the endow- ments and the vices which we have been contem- plating, and which are so well fitted to excite a min- gled admiration and sorrow, and abhorrence." "It will he the duty of the Historian and the Sage, in all ages, to omit no occasion of conuncmorating this illustrious man ; and until time shall be no more, will a test of the progress which our race has made, in wisdom and virtue, be derived from the veneration paid to the immortal name of Washington." This exalted praise is cited not to jn'ovc the merits of the Father of his Country, or the estimation in 39 which they arc held abroad, or to add a leaf to the chaplet of the iiniiicdiate object of our eulogy, by claiming for hiui additional titles of wisdom and virtue, because of his known estimate of the majestic qualities, which were his study and ddiuht, and his deep veneration for that " immortal name." Let it serve as not unwelcome testimony of the value ol true greatness, and of the sterling ingredients of which it is composed. If he alone be great, who is at the head of myriads of armed men, then Xerxes was a hero, and Leonidas was none. Yet were the chronicler of human events to select from the whole field of history and tradition, one exploit that, above all others, stands forth in proof of greatness, shining with the gathered bright- ness of nearly five-and-twenty centuries, and hal- lowed by the universal applause of Pagan and Chris- tian times, he would point to the conduct of the Spartan commander, at the straits of 'J'lieniiopyhe. Ill the place selected for that incinoriihlt' conilict, some resemblance is supposed to l)i' loiind to the position taken by Geiun-al Taylor, for his last battle in Mexico. Both were \\iscly cho.-cii lor the op'i-.i- tioiis of :i smiill body against disproporlioncd iiiiiii- bers. Both were orciipicMl by incii j)rip;i!r(l to con- (|U('r or to (lit', or the N.irioiis I'catiircs ol n-stiii- blaiic(; l)ctw(M'ii these two riMnark;ible occasions, tlir 40 spots on which a lieroic stand was made, are not, per- haps, the most striking. For certain purposes, the mili- tary positions were not dissimilar, and for all purposes, there was wisdom in the choice of each.* Coinci- dences may be traced in some particulars, besides, that otherwise m ould stand unmated and alone on the broad surface of time. A farther comparison may not be without its interest. Vast numbers on the heroic side were not an ingredient in the glory of either combat. All of the Grecian troops under Leonidas, amounted to Jive thousand two hundred. According to one historian, they were but four thou- sand. Of these, the Spartan band, devoted victims to the sublime laws of Lacedajmon, consisted of three hundred. General Taylor, by more precise returns, carried with him into action, four thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine, officers and men. Of the hostile forces, Persian or Mexican, the numerical strength in the ancient battle, is described as much * " I determined," says General Taylor in Iiis letter to General G. W. Butler, March 2, 1847, "to occupy a strong position between two spurs of a mountain, with a narrow valley between them, where, at one point, the road is so narrow as to permit the passage of only one icagon at a time." Herodotus, noATMXiA. Z. 337, describes the particular spot at Thermopyhe, in precisely corresponding terms ; " t'oiraj u^o^itoi ysir^." 41 greater tlian in the modern; but in a military ^iew, both would be regarded, and were so proclaimed, as overwhelming. When the Ephori of Sparta enquired of their patriotic commander, what object he had in view, he answered in the characteristic phrase of the Ame- rican Captain — "our duty." His associates in mili- tary command, were for retiring from the strait and falling back upon the isthmus. Leonidas rejected their advice and advanced, as did our general, to what he justly regarded as a defensible position, with multiplied disadvantages to the enemy. The Persian monarch, surrounded by his submis- sive millions, sent before the battle, a summons to the Spartan chief, for the surrender of his arms. " Come and take them," was the laconic answer. In like manner, the Mexican Dictator, as his troops rolled onward like a flood, with confidence and numbers, not lest assured, demanded a surrender at discretion, threatening to cut to pieces the little army that stood in his way. A reply, scarcely less laconic, declined acceding to the nxjuest. Leonidas went to his post, pr(>pan>(l to (Ii(>. Ge- neral Taylor wrote, on the (>ve of the battle, •' this may be the last comnniincatiou nou will receive from me." Ilis determination was avowed, " to die raflun- than suflbr the flag of his eountrv to be disi^raced," — 42 " the chances being," as he declared, " ten to one that he should not be a livino- man at the scttinjT of the sun." Resemblances, such as these, in events which have occurred at periods remote from each other, once, probably, suggested a theory that has not been with- out its supporters, of a Platonic year. It was sup- posed that, after the lapse of thirty-six thousand years, stars and constellations, by revolving ecjui- noxes, would re-assume the same places in the hea- vens; and in moral conformity to this plienomenon of nature, that after the same number of revolutions of the sun, the whole course of human events should be renewed, and men and things modified, perhaps, in names and places, should return to their first con- dition, and re-enact their earlier doings. It is certain that human nature is, at all times, so much the same, that causes and effects succeed in similar progression. Hence history is a mirror scarcely less reflective of the future than the past. Prediction finds in expe- rience its most unerring guide ; and the arrogance of Xerxes and the heroism of Leonidas, are reflected at Buena Vista, in the same crimson hue which dyed the soil at the pass of Thermopyla\ It was on that occasion that Dieneccs immortalized himself, upon being told that the Barbarian arrows would obscure the light of the sun, by his remark, that it would be a 43 convenience, for they sliould then fi«^lit m the shade. General Taylor, in one of the engagements of the late war, was reminded, by a gallant attendant, tiiat the bullets were Hying so thickly about him, that it was proper he should change his place. "We will go nearer," said the General, " and they ^^ ill pass over our heads.'" The dilference consisted in this, that the one remark was made, no doubt, bravely, at a moment of entire security, and at a dis- tance from the threatened event, and the other, when death was on the m ing, in a thousand terrific forms, and the air seemed charged with its fatal messengers. It was at Buena Vista, that the same tongue, when the dying and disabled were conveyed to the rear, and untold foes, in front, were advancing under four-and-twenty generals, uttered, in answer to a bleeding, gallant friend — another ever memorable phrase — uttered it in no vain boast ; but when the impending moment threatened an immediate practical fuliilment. "There are my NNoniidcd. I sli;ill iicmt pass them alive." It had bcconu! a (liil\ ilicii, to perish, and the willing viclim placed liim.-cir upon the altar of his country. Men are not "ods. Althouiih occasionallv ixiftcd with properties aboNc the Ht.iiKhrd of their race ;in estimate can be formed oiiK b\ ( ompariiin- them \\ilh one another. 'I'lie acti\e and warlike Me\ic;in duel- 44 tain took various opportunities to express himself in language scarcely less sublime. In a proclamation of 27th of January, 1S47, his motto is boldly given out, — " to conquer or to die." An oath was registered before the Eternal, and prescribed to his followers, not to rest an instant until they should completely wipe away the vain-glorious foreigner. " No terms with him," was the cry ; " nothing for us but heroism and grandeur." On another occasion he prepares for the public eye this self-immolating pledge ; — " My duty is to sacrifice myself, and I well know how to fulfil it. Perhaps the American hosts may proudly tread the imperial city of Azteca. I will never witness such an opprobrium, for I am determined, firsts to die Jight- ing.'''' Yet the imperial city was trodden by invaders' feet, and the foreigner remained triiunphant on the soil ; — and the Mexican chieftain lived more than once by flight, leaving behind him the lofty record of his valor and his duty, for the amusement of his pursuers. It was among the peculiarities of General Taylor that his sayings were adapted to the occasion, and called forth by it. Always sententious, and sometimes sublime, they were never untimely or vain-glorious. Were they pledges or promises ? They were sure to be redeemed. Were they retaliatory or defensive? They were precise, firm, and dignified. Were they solemn and self-sacrificing? They were exalted by 1.") the sublimity of surrounding danger and inii)cnding death. The irreatness -vve are desirous of doMictiiii!" was not the perfection of strategdic skill, for it had been inured to warfare chiclly with a ^Mld and savage foe, less disciplined and drilled, but not less subtle, wary, bold, and dangerous, than civilized enemies. It was not in the usual sense of the terms, a knowledge of the world, for it had been exercised among frontier settlements of hardy pioneers, or beyond tiicir borders. It was, nevertheless, a knowledge that penetrated deeply into the characters of men. It knew, at once, whom to confide in, and whom to distrust, and it sel- dom found its confidence misplaced, or reUance for especial purpose or performance, disappointed. It was not profound science or elegant literature; for practi- cal vigor, activity, and exposure, employment and duty, filled up the measure of its time. Yet all the oflicial papers are marked with a combined phrase and spirit, they display language and thought together so well adapted to each other, so straight forward and so clear, thai the despatches from the army ol occu- pation, and llicy arc (vxtrcnicly uunicroiis, may be re- garded as spcciiiHMis of masterly st\lc and composi- tion, challenging a comparison \\\\\\ uritings (.f any similar character. Not an idea or a nnohI is ..nutted, or is supertluous. A reader perceives, at a glance, the G 46 perfect sense, and never turns aside to criticise, or even to think of tlie terms in which it is conveyed. It is native eloquence, M'ithout the dress of ornament. Caesar did not write with more precision, or Napoleon with more effect. Whatever estimate may be placed abroad or at home upon the exploits, or whatever may be the difficulty of discovering the share which their principal actor bore in them, all agree in the excellence of the descriptions, which reconcile transparent truth with studied reserve, and the boldest actions with un- affected diffidence. The excellent person whom we delight to honor w^as distinguished for a forethought which did not per- mit surprise, and provided for contingencies of every occasion ; or, as the event proved, knew how to over- come them. He had a courage always on the alert, and always in the front of danger, yet never excited, and rarely without especial advantage. It served in battle to infuse confidence into the inexperienced, and inspire the disciplined with emulation. In camp, it was his practice to make his home in the most exposed place. Inquiry for head-quarters was answered by pointing to the advanced pickets. His kindness and good-will would have become a woman's heart, and he seemed ingeniously to seek excuses for their exer- cise. " Do not shoot the deserters," said he ; " the worst pimishment you can inflict is to send them back 47 to the Mexican army."* A spirit so gifted witli the grace of lowliness, that nothing honorable was deemed by it too humble, possessed, as his familiar acquaint- ances attest, for its peculiar attribute, hatred and scorn for every thing mean in men and actions. His justice was exact, except when it w as warped, by be- nevolence, on the side of mercy. He indulged no pre- judices, either against improvements in the art of which he was the practical expounder, or against indivi- duals ; and he never was accused of partiality towards corps or officers. He studied the comfort and advan- tage of all alike, giving always his most earnest care to the sick and wounded, whether of his own forces or of the enemy who fell into his hands. With the Mexicans, who dreaded his encounter in the field, he enjoyed, not only respect, but esteem and popularity.t He had a self-reliance that never faltered, cither in promptness of action or accomplishment of pur[)0sc, and he forgot the praise that belonged to himself, or * Throughout the campaign, no man under him paiil, with life, the penalty of martial law, alth(Uigl) llicro may have been such as deserved it. t VVhcn some poor Ranchcro would be brought bofurc the iJenoral, on a march, ex[)ccling to be hung if he did not make important re- velations about tlie enemy's forces, he would he astonishtvl at the inijuiry, "how many bushels of corn to the acre are raised in those parts?" 48 bestowed it upon others. A temperance in all things, that was almost apostolic, did not exclude the practice of a plain and unpretending hospitality. A little bower, formed of leaves, in front of the General's tent, for he never consented to avail himself of any less humble roof, was his hall of audience and the resort of his officers ; and his frugal table supplied to every guest a plate and cheerful welcome. He was a lover of peace for its own sake, as well as for the pursuits it brou'Tht alonjT with it, while he had all the faculties which war requires, and passed his life in its associa- tions. In a business conversation, not long before his death, he said, that during forty years of military duty, he had never disobeyed an order, and he car- ried almost to excess the expectation of implicit obe- dience to orders in all who were connected with the service. This distinguished example instructs us what quali- ties are harmonious, since they have been happily united in his person. May we not believe that all true greatness is compatible with simplicity, amiableness, and modesty ? After the battle of Salamis the reward of victory was withheld from all competitors, because each of them, before the altar of Neptune, selfishly inscribed his own name as foremost among the de- serving. If external appearances are proofs, in addition to many internal marks of modesty, General Taylor was 49 the least ostentatious of men. lie dispensed with es- corts, guards, and sentinels, the usual attendants upon officers of his rank. lie insisted rigidly upon points of discipline, but he desired to spare his men, who were always sufficiently occupied in laborious duty, the fatigue of reviews, show drills and parades, and he shrunk instinctively in his own person from mere ceremony. It may not he without interest in draw- ing this part of his portrait to remark, that he seldom wore uniform himself, or required it in others. For occasions that demanded articles of ceremonial dress, he was provided with them, and when respect for those he was to meet made it proper, he would put thom on. In the routine of camp life, and on a march, his garb was the plainest in the army. Although he never affected to set an example in any thing, there w as a corrective of all tendencies to excess among the young, and unreflecting, in his never-failing frugality, absti- nence, economy, and moderation, as there was induce- ment to other virtues in his exposure, haidiluxHl, endurance, patience, promptilu(lr. These were innate (pialities of a well-const ructed nature. Artificial ones he r.inly dcsind to cultivate. He would blush and turn llu- (-(.infi-.-alioii when allu- sion was made to his own sor\icrs. Attn- tlic battles of the 8th and !)tli of May, a ddciiation fn^m the Legislature of Louisiana canuj to present luni a \ote 50 of thanks and a sword. A speech and some further demonstration were expected. The General waited in embarrassment for the unwelcome moment, and as- sured a friend, upon his honor, that he would prefer fifThtinij the battles over, to goini!; throujrh with the ceremony. If it be considered diflicult to resemble, by any effort, some of the properties with Avhich he was en- dowed by a bountiful nature, it might not be unwise, at least to adopt in practice, the universal principle of his actions. The course of duty, varied by individual circumstances, lies straight and plain before us all. An example, which invites every one to })ursue it with unvarying zeal, may be imitated without presumption, and with faculties that are denied to none. From an early period of the campaign, marks of official respect were extended, less fitting to his merits than to the habits of the republic. Thanks of Con- gress, medals, swords, and expressions of applause from state and municipal authorities, followed each other in quick and complimentary succession, together with promotion to the highest recognized military rank, at first by brevet, and afterwards by com- mission. Before the month of October, 1847, although no formal peace was reached, the war was substantially ended. A series of victories in the march of one 51 column had been echoed by more numerous victories in the march of the other. After a course of brilhant triumphs at Vera Cruz, Ccrro Gordo, Contreras, San Antonio, Churubusco, the Mohnos del Rey, Cliapultc- pec, and the gates of Belen and San Cosme, the Na- tional Palace of Mexico had become the head-quarters of an American army. The last of opposing armies, « once so formidable in numbers, appointments, artil- lery, &c.," was represented in the despatch of the General-in-chief as " twenty odd thousand men, wlio have disbanded themselves in despair." Nothing else was left to them. The government itself was " ^^ ith- out resources. No army, no arsenals, no magazines, and but little revenue, external or internal." Thirteen of their generals prisoners, of whom three had been Presidents ; colors, standards, twenty thousand small arms, and immense stores of munitions of war, were in the hands of the conquerors ! It was more than doubtful whether the Mexican nation coveted any other peace. Its greatest security for property and life was gained from strangers and enemies. Both of the Ainrriciiii (\.iiiiiiaii(l(M< h.ul declined the suggestion of siihsistiiiu: tlu^r armies on the people of the country, and tin y coiitiiiucd to i)ay the highest prices for every thiiiLT that was coiisuiucd. An authentic appeal, from «itizens ol \\vA\ staiuhiiLS at one time reached the city of Wa.-liiiigtoii, entreating 52 tliat our troops might not he withdrawn, to leave the better inhabitants at the mercy of the disorderly. Such was the condition of affairs when General Taylor asked and obtained " a respite from duty." It was given witli a cliccrful acknowledgment, by the department, " of the very arduous and distinguished services rendered in the important command assigned" to him; and as cheerfully did he offer to "receive orders for the field," if his services should be deemed necessary. A warmer welcome waited his return — a welcome from the people. Formal nomination and triumph- ant election followed. He was called to the Su})reme Executive Chair, by no mere party vote, and in the face of his own declared wishes. He resembled that heroic Emperor, wlio, accustomed to command and gifted for a ruler, reluctantly put on the purple, and warned the Roman citizens against their choice. Soon came a joyous inauguration, and all was hope. No want of harmony obscured the brightness of the auspicious day. If the foremost, in the spirit-stirring scene, was the laureled Victor, then first before the gaze of that delighted multitude, as he swore to defend the Constitution — the second was the chief magistrate whose term had closed, with a patriotic pride in the wisdom of our Institutions, ministering, gracefully, to the tramjuil gladness of the ceremony. 53 A new career was now opened. Wisdom in council must succeed to vigour in arms — the lidd was exchanged for the cabinet. Yet the same ^ u- tues which had been conspicuous in one situation, were adapted in different degrees of relative promi- nence to the other. A self-dependence less absolute, upon the stores of experience and peculiar faculties of a single leading mind, would be the necessary result of a new position, and of infinite variety of subordi- nate detail. The constitution, too, while it leaves the weight of responsibility and the exercise of power with the Executive Head, looks to official assistance from separate departments, from whose incumbents, opinions may be required " upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices ;" opinions, of course, designed in greater or less extent for practical influence and utility. He would be unwise, with the largest personal experience, who should not be open to advice, thus sanctioned, when the fate of nations may hang upon the issue. How fiir the moasurcs of the late administration originated with its (ontrolling Chief Magistrate, none of us h;ive a right to »Mi(}uire. It was not his tendency to be aflectcd In fear, and ho was never known to shrink from rc-poiisilnlity. Time is too fresh and opinion too iiimiatiirc to per- mit, if it were in i)lace, on this occasion, a critical 54 review of the public events of the sixteen fruitful months which preceded our lamented loss. The effect of such as were fulfilled, and the influence of those which had not reached their accomplislunent, are rich proofs of wisdom, and love of country. Searching enquiries were promptly directed into the condition of territorial possessions, recently acquired, and yet comparatively unknown. Information was collected, under the auspices of the Executive, for the use of any and all the departments of the govern- ment; and exact knowledge was sought concerning the somewhat novel and always intricate subject of titles to land. Needful assurances were given, to tranquilize an uncertain population, of the benefits of protection and civil government, and for frus- tratino; schemes of alienation bv fraud or force. Commercial and i^olitical intelli sleep of ages by th(^ spirit of Liherty, that stHMued to breathe over the fae(> of I'lirope. made (»ne iiohle cObrt to burst its chains asunder, and failed oiiI\ when imj)crial |)0wers combined to rnei them anew. 56 called forth the warmest sympathy. Preparations were formed to hail the auspicious era of freedom in that congenial clime, the moment it should become compatible with a rightful observance of neutrality. Heroism struggled in vain, and Hungary fell back into the arms of Despotism, and the desire and the movement to welcome another name among the free governments of the earth, were reluctantly withdrawn, only when all was over; when the resemblance be- came complete to the signal efforts and the signal failure of a neighboring people, half a century before, at whose downfall, " Hope, for a season, bade the world farewell, And Freedom shrick'd — as Kosciusko fell." Neither last nor least, in the many and wise at- tempts to promote the true glory and durable good of the Republic, was the approach to immediate and friendly intercourse with the republic of Switzerland. Overtures were for the first time made, and gratefully received and reciprocated ; for close connection with that heroic race and historic land, on whose classic rocks and lofty mountains, the shade of Tell keeps w^atch over the liberties of his countrymen. Such were some of the magnificent designs which filled the mind of the late President, while looking beyond the mere centre of the Union. His deepest 57 sensibilities were engaged in parental care over tlie immediate harmony and happiness of his own native land. Under these bright skies, alone, can an excess of all that gives zest to life, produce restlessness and discontent, from mere satiety. He was prepared, with all the vigor of a patriot heart, to put down disunion. His loyalty was to his country — its whole peoj)le — their sovereignty, and liberty, and laws. He knew no higher public duty, than firm resistance to encroach- ments on the nation's riijhts. He had read of strife and consequent calamity among disjointed mem- bers of the same political family ; — he had laid to heart the wise lessons of the sublime farewill of Washington ; — he had led a life of entire devotion to the Union — and that Union, in its purest interests, he was determined to maintain. To the last ebbing of his sands of life, he would have stood a buhs ark against anarchy ; and his heroic actions and uncon- taminated thoughts were consecrated to the end, to duty, and his country. " Though perils did Abound, as tliick as thought could make them, and Appear in forms more horriil, yet liis ditv, — As dotli a rock against tlic chiding Hood, — Would tiie a|)proach nftho wild river break, And stand unshaken." LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 011 897 569 8