[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Page 28363]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           225TH BIRTHDAY OF FORMER PRESIDENT ZACHARY TAYLOR

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 225th 
anniversary of the birth of MG Zachary Taylor, a Virginia native son 
and the 12th President of the United States of America.
  Best remembered as a distinguished military hero, Zachary Taylor was 
known as a resourceful, steadfast, modest and compassionate commander 
who fought many successful battles, earning from his soldiers and 
countrymen the affectionate nickname ``Old Rough and Ready.''
  Zachary Taylor's personal popularity increased as his national 
prominence spread. General Taylor defeated Henry Clay, Winfield Scott 
and Daniel Webster for the Whig Party Presidential nomination. Although 
he had not sought office, Zachary Taylor was elected the 12th President 
of the United States.
  Slavery was the driving issue of the campaign and the primary 
challenge of Zachary Taylor's brief Presidency. In his inaugural 
address, Zachary Taylor promised that the preservation of the Union 
would be his first obligation. He was determined to find a solution to 
end slavery even though he was a southerner and a slave holder. Zachary 
Taylor urged settlers in New Mexico and California to bypass the 
territorial stage and draft constitutions for statehood. As Southern 
Democrats called for a secession convention, Zachary Taylor reacted 
with a bristling statement that he would hang anyone who tried to 
disrupt the Union by force or by conspiracy, setting the stage for the 
Compromise of 1850.
  During his 15 months in office, Zachary Taylor also created the 
Department of the Interior and signed a treaty with Great Britain 
guaranteeing a neutral canal connecting North and South America.
  After laying the cornerstone of the Washington Monument on July 4, 
1850, Zachary Taylor fell ill and passed away. An unprecedented 100,000 
people lined the funeral route to see the hero laid at rest.
  On November 24, 2009, representatives of local, State and Federal 
Government will gather to honor one of Orange County's most famous 
native sons. First Day Issue Zachary Taylor Dollar coins will be given 
to county schoolchildren. Please join me in commemorating the life of 
Zachary Taylor and the courage and efforts during his term of office to 
bring a peaceful end to slavery in the United States.

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