Party Over Section: The Rough and Ready Presidential Campaign of 1848 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History & Theory, American Government, 19th Century, United States, Campaigns & Elections, Political Science, Political Process, Executive Branch, History
ISBN: 9780700616404
Google: lPMMAQAAMAAJ
Goodreads: 6296736
Publisher: University Press of Kansas
Published: 2009-01-15T11:59:23+00:00

“TAYLOR, THIS SECOND WASHINGTON”

Whig leaders began their campaign by following the arguments of Taylor’s original supporters that he was their greatest asset because of his stature in the public view as a proven leader and someone unmarked by what they argued were the destructive vicissitudes of partisan politics—the proverbial Washington outsider. They quickly brought up how he had demonstrated his noble qualities to his country as the head of the U.S. Army in northern Mexico, winning widespread acclaim for his accomplishments. Since then, he had added to his luster and his attractiveness to all Americans. The Whig leaders continued to believe and argue, therefore, that with him as their candidate they had a good chance of winning some Democrats to their side. The war, one of their editors wrote, had “relaxed the strictness of adhesion to old party lines. . . . The bonds of mere partisanship had been loosened.” Whether that was wishful thinking, Whigs certainly believed as they opened fire on the Democrats that they would benefit from this new political possibility.9

To capitalize on the opportunity this supposed loosening of traditional political bonds presented, the Whigs reverted to a tactic they had employed in the past: the antipartisan argument. That is, they assailed the excessive power of political parties and their insistence on unquestioning loyalty to them as a major defect in the political system. It was time for a major shift in understanding and behavior. They kept returning to the argument that Taylor was above the narrow perspectives, shams, and connivances of sectarian partisan warfare. He had demonstrated that he was not a politician but rather an independent leader free of the restraints “ultra” partisanship imposed on lesser men. He was committed to the welfare of all Americans, not only those who belonged to the party that had made him its candidate, and he would not overstep his constitutional powers as he carried out his policies. The Whigs had “nominated a man who makes one pledge, the only pledge a president should make—the only pledge Washington would make—to administer the government according to the Constitution.” Party leaders particularly liked and readily adopted the comparison of their candidate with the premier founding father and greatest hero in U.S. history. “Taylor, this second Washington [who had been critical of partisan political divisions and organized factions in his Farewell Address], would bring the Government back to the purer principles and better policy of the first.”10

According to the Whigs, Taylor’s attributes at all levels were manifest and superior to the usual run of partisan candidates. One Whig pamphlet writer laid it out in Sketch of the Life of General Zachary Taylor, the People’s Candidate for the Presidency. Published not inadvertently on July 4, 1848, the pamphlet spent a great deal of space describing the illustriousness of Taylor’s military career and his many talents as a leader, particularly when facing the Mexican Army, despite of the efforts of the Polk administration “to destroy . . . [him] in the estimation of the country” regardless of his great victories and exemplary service.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.