Nov 04, 2010 - Sale 2228

Sale 2228 - Lot 139

Unsold
Estimate: $ 8,000 - $ 12,000
"THE PEOPLE . . . BROUGHT ME BEFORE THE COUNTRY FOR THE HIGHEST OFFICE" TAYLOR, ZACHARY. Autograph Letter Signed, "Z. Taylor," to "Baily Payton" [Balie Peyton] ("My dear Sir"), retained draft, denying a statement printed in a PA newspaper that Taylor would resign the contest for president if Clay were to become a candidate, stating that he felt compelled to run and would nevertheless prefer that someone else become president, and encouraging Peyton to let others read the letter but not to publish it unless necessary. 3 1/2 pages, 4to, written on a single folded sheet; marked bleed-through overall, minor scattered foxing, short separations at folds, some chipping at outer edge of first leaf with minor loss to text. Baton Rouge, 20 May 1848
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"[T]he statement of a Mr. Harvey on the subject of the contents of a letter written by me to Mr. Clay [:]. . . . [I]n the event of [Clay's] being a candidate for the Presidency at the coming election I would withdraw from the canvass . . . . My correspondence with Mr. Clay was a private one, & as I never expected it would be made public, for any object of a public character, I kept no copy of it; but I am confident I never stated I would withdraw in the contingency stated, or any other; at any rate I certainly never intend to do so; at the same time it is quite likely I did say in said letter what I have often written & said to others, which sentiments were then & are still entertained, that I would greatly prefer seeing him & many others occupying the White House to doing so myself; at the same time I did not then believe, nor do I so now, that he Mr. Clay could be elected if he was the only Whig candidate in the field; . . . [T]he . . . communication from [Clay] . . . dated on the 4th, ulto., . . . entered at large on matters connected with the next Presidential election particularly as to who would be the most available candidate among the Whigs; it . . . came to the conclusion that his chances of success was [sic] much better than those of any one else belonging to the party at any rate to mine, which is quite probable; taking his letter all in all it might be considered by many a most extraordinary production; I however replied to it in the most courteous terms, stating frankly as they occurred all the circumstances which brought me before the country as a candidate for the office in question . . . . I considered myself to some extent in the hands of the people, a portion of whom at least had brought me before the country for the highest office known to our laws, without my consent or any agency in the matter, & they alone could drop me, which they . . . ought to do in the event of their being able to fix on a more available candidate or individual, one better qualified to serve the country, & could they succeed in electing him, it would be no cause of disappointment or mortification to me . . . ."