en the respective friends
of Webster and Clay, but they were all doomed to disappointment.
The Northern delegates to the Whig National Convention might have
nominated either Webster, Clay, Scott, or Corwin, as they had a
majority of fifty-six over the delegates from the Southern States,
and cast twenty-nine votes more than was necessary to choose a
candidate. But they refused to unite on any one, and on the fourth
ballot sixty-nine of them voted with the Southern Whigs and secured
the nomination of Zachary Taylor. While the friends of Mr. Clay
made a desperate rally in his behalf, knowing that it was his last
chance, some of those who had smarted under the lash which he
wielded so unsparingly in the Senate rejoiced over his defeat.
"Thank Providence!" exclaimed ex-Senator Archer, of Virginia, "we
have got rid of the old tyrant at last."

As the Whig National Convention had adjourned without passing a
single declaration of the party's principles, General Taylor's
letter of acceptance was awaited with intense interest. It was
believed that he would outline some policy which would be accepted
and which would unite the Whig party. A month elapsed, and no
letter of acceptance was received by Governor Morehead, who had
presided over the Convention, but the Postmaster at Baton Rouge,
where General Taylor lived, addressed the Postmaster-General a
letter, saying that with the report for the current quarter from
that office, two bundles of letters were forwarded for the Dead-
Letter Office, they having been declined on account of the non-
payment of the postage by the senders. It was in the ten-cent and
non-prepayment time. Of the forty-eight letters thus forwarded to
the Dead-Letter Office, the Baton Rouge Postmaster said a majority
were addressed to General Taylor, who had declined to pay the
postage on them and take them out of the office, because his mail
expenses had become burdensome. The General had since become aware
that some of the letters were of importance, and asked for their
return. In due course, the letters were sent back to Baton Rouge,
and among them was Governor Morehead's letter notifying the General
of the action of the Philadelphia Convention.

General Taylor's letter of acceptance was thus dated a month and
five days after the letter of notification had been written. It
was "short and sweet." He expressed his thanks for the nomination,
said he did not seek it, and that he were elected President