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Letter from Zachary Taylor to Col. A. M. Mitchell, Feb. 12, 1848.

BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 12, 1848,

MY DEAR COLONEL: — Your very kind communication, and the accompanying newspaper have duly reached me.

In reply to the closing remarks of your letter, I have no hesitation in stating, as I have stated on former occasions, that I am a Whig, though not an ultra one; and that I have no desire to conceal this fact from any portion of the people of the United States. I deem it but candid, however, to add, that if the Whig party desire, at the next presidential election, to cast their votes for me, they must do it on their own responsibility, and without any pledges from me.

Should I be elected to that office, I should deem it to be my duty, and should most certainly claim a the right, to look to the Constitution and the high interests of our common country, and not to the principles of a party for my rules of action.

With my sincerest thanks for your expressions of friendship, and my best wishes for your success through life, I remain, very truly,
Your friend and obedient servant,
Z. TAYLOR.

Col. A. M. Mitchell, Cincinnati, Ohio.