117

Election of Harrison: "A revolution . . . brought about by the force of reason through the ballot box without a drop of blood having been spilled"

Zachary Taylor

Autograph Letter Signed, "Z. Taylor," to Adjutant General Roger Jones,

comparing the importance of the successful campaign [of William Henry Harrison for president] to that of the military victories at Saratoga and Yorktown [during the American Revolution], complaining of the degeneration of integrity in government during previous dozen years, singling out the "Sub Treasury" [independent treasury proposed by Democrats] as an illustration of the consequences, approving those who are expected to enter the cabinet of the new administration, relishing the anticipated sinking into oblivion of the "Kitchen Cabinet" [Van Buren's influential advisors lacking appointments or elected offices], listing his preferences for who should become Secretary of War, hoping for a reform of the military that would retire older officers incapable of conducting their duties and restoring the "good old System" established by General Washington, speculating that a war with Great Britain is likely, characterizing the upcoming inauguration of Harrison as a triumph of reason over power, comparing the election's importance to that of America's independence from Great Britain, and explaining that he cannot attend the inauguration without giving the impression of seeking some advantage from the new administration. 4 pages, 4to, written on a folded sheet, address panel on separate sheet addressed in holograph; small holes at fold intersections with minor loss to text, short closed separations at folds expertly repaired with tissue, faint bleedthrough throughout, few minor scattered contemporary smudges.

Baton Rouge, LA, 10 February 1841.

  • Notes: ". . . [T]here are but few if a single individual in the whole land, who rejoices more sincerely in spirit & in truth than I do, at the recent result of our most glorious political campaign, which I consider fully as important to the country as was the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga, & that of Cornwallis at Yorktown at the time those great & important achievements took place. I do not expect to be benefited an iota by the change, & altho' not in the habit of desponding in times of difficulty & danger be they ever so great, yet I should have despaired of the commonwealth had Mr. Van Buren been reelected; For in that case when we take into consideration the great deterioration of morals during the last twelve years, & a total disregard of honesty of every description during the same period, on the part of a majority of the office holders, even among those filling the highest places, with the aid of the Sub Treasury which appears to me, has placed the revenue of the country pretty much at the disposal of the chief magistrate of the nation, would have enabled the present incumbent, to appoint his successor which there is no doubt he would have done; The powers prescribe[d] by the Constitution & Laws in regard to elections, might have been observed, but the substance would have been lost sight of; which state of things would have continued until restored if at all, to their original purity by the [s]word, neither the hope of honors or reward of any kind, or real or imaginary griefs has had the slightest effect in bringing my mind to this conclusion, it has been caused by acts committed almost daily by those in power, which I consider alike disgraceful to the country, as well as boding no good either to the purity, or permanency of our institutions. . . .
    "There could not be better selections made than the individuals named by you, as likely to form in part the cabinet of president Harrison, besides possessing the first order of talents, they are men of sterling inte[g]rity, & above committing any act incompatible with their high stations, they are in fact ‘honest, capable & will be found faithful to the Constitution,' as well as being in reality what it was intended they should be, the legal & proper advisers of the President, & not his creatures, which they continue about the chief magistrate, nothing more will be heard of that miserable set who have contributed largely to degrade the executive, & the cha[ra]cter of the nation, the Kitchen Cabinet, they will sink into oblivion. Had the app[ointmen]t of the War minister been left to me, Mr. [John] Bell is the individual I should have fixed on; ever since the success of Gen'l Harrison was known, I had made up my mind that he, or the distinguished Senator from N. York Gen'l Talmedge [Nathaniel P. Tallmadge], would be called to that station. . . . Before much good can be effected, a reorganization must be brought about, or a war with Great Britain, which there appears to be a strong possibility ere long will take place, as in either case it would enable the dep't to get clear of such officers who from age, bodily infirmities, or want of inclination were either unable or unwilling to perform their appropriate duties, which would embrace about one fourth now in service; Besides restoring to the good old System adopted & pursued by the father of his country, Gen'l Washington, when President & continued by two at least of his successors, of changing frequently the stations of corps & individual officers, in such a way as to prevent their forming local attachments, or becoming identified with political parties, which has in some instances recently been the case in the States of Arkansas, & Missouri. Whoever may be the War Minis[ter] must necessarily consult & advise with the officers of the army on various subjects, particularly as to details, & much will depend on his successful management of the dep't . . . .
    "There are but few events which could afford me more real gratification than meeting you & other of my friends in Washington on the fourth of March next to witness the inauguration of President Harrison, which event I look upon as a triumph of principle over power; A revolution next in importance to the country, to that of achieving by our ancestors our separation & independence from England, brought about by the force of reason through the ballot box without a drop of blood having been spilled, or a riot of a serious character taken place throughout the whole country in consequence of the same. Had I however paid a visit to the city at that time my motives in doing so would have by many been misconstrued, supposing or pretending to do so, it was for the purpose of conciliating the new administration, & to importune them for some situation of profit or ease, or something that might be construed into a sin[e]cure, in which they would have been greatly mistaken. . . . The extent of my wishes are for the success of the new administration, so far as the prosperity of the country is concerned, & the preservation of our political institutions in their purity, I should have been delighted to have witness[ed] the flight of the Kitchen Cabinet from the White House, & truly & sincerely hope they, or any like them will ever again be able to make a location in, or even near it. I must content myself with rejoicing with you on that day on acc't of this great & important event, at this place, which I shall most heartily do, altho', separated from you many hundred miles. . . ."

    On March 4, 1841, William Henry Harrison was inaugurated, becoming the 9th president of the United States; one month later, Harrison died after suffering from a fever that recent speculation suggests was caused by typhoid. Zachary Taylor and Harrison formed a mutual respect beginning in 1811 when Taylor, who became commander of Fort Knox, served under Harrison, who was governor of the Indiana Territory.
  • Condition:
    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

April 9, 2026 12:00 PM EDT
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000