The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-24 00:00:00

THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE,
(From the New York _Herald, Nov. 30.)
We learn from various sources that this important
document is now nearly perfected. Of course, no
one beyond the chief magistrate himself, not even his
constitutional advisers, has seen or heard the con-
tents of it ; yet we can guess a good deal of what
they are, for Mr. Polk is not a man whose past life
has not given us many materials from which we may
calculate, by his previous conduct, what he might do
thereafter.

This message will, beyond doubt, be the most im-
portant paper of the kind which has emanated from
the American Government for the last halt century.

It comprehends the history of a year that may be
called the turning point, not of one century, but of
twenty—the turning point of a new age in the New
World. Since last December all the great battles
have been fought in Mexico, from that of Buena
Vista to the capital, and now the American arms are
in quiet possession of the whole of that great re-
public. The President, of course, will sketch
briefly those wonderful campaigns, mixing his grate-
ful feelings to the Almighty for these victories with
lamentation at the loss of life at which they have
been purchased. Like Cromwell, our worthy and
pious President will fight and pray in the same sen-
tence. But the details of those brilliant deeds, sur-

passing anything that has taken place since the great
wars of Napoleon, will be reserved for the glowing
pen of Mr. Marcy, the Secretary of War.
Now, of Mr. Marcy we have a very high opinion
as a writer, though not so high as a warrior. He can
easily demolish half a dozen generals in correspond-
ence, as Gen. Scott had reason to know in the famous
"soup" epistles, and as it is probable he may here-
after have reason to know, should a recent correspond-
ence between the department and the Commander-in-
Chief be given to the world by order of Congress.
Mr. Marcy's report of the military operations of the
last year will be written with great fervour and elo-
quence. It will do credit to his talent, and will place
before the American people, and the world beyond
the Atlantic, a history of a series of deeds that cannot
be outstripped, it they can be paralleled, in the records
of the world. The President will, no doubt, pro-
_ _ _

pose to the country a temporary possession of Mexico,
the prosecution of the war against all opposition,
although he will at every step, and in every
sentence, state his willingness to make peace and
form a treaty, that treaty being the Rio Grande for a
boundary, with New Mexico and California for an
indemnity. It is very easy to propose to make a
treaty with Mexico, when that country has no Go-
vernment to form a treaty with, or any likelihood of
having one for years to come, if ever. Yet the Presi-
dent will not recommend annexation, but will plant
himself on the general ground of indemnity for the
past, and security for the future, which may mean
much or little, according to the contingencies of com-

ing years.
The report of the State Department, containing
all the correspondence between Mr. Trist and the
Mexican statesmen, will probably be briefly given in
the message. The material facts of these negotia-
tions have been laid before the world already, and

• _
publication in a connected shape will not tend
to enlighten us much as to the prospects of the

future.
One of the most important branches of the mes-
sage, and of the reports of the departments, will be
that in reference to the Treasury. The Treasury
Department of the United States is now a monstrous
power, and requires a monstrous deal of talent to
conduct it with energy, decision, skill, and success.
As the country now stands, we have a population of
nearly 40,000,000 of people, embracing the United
States and Mexico—the latter being under the con-
troul of the American Government, and forming the
basis of our Treasury and financial system hereafter.
So far as revenue is concerned, Mexico, in the tem-

porary occupation of the United States, is just the
same to our Government as the United States, and
belongs as much to the departments of our Govern-
ment. Those extensive countries now under the
action of one Government at Washington, comprise
the richest grain country, the richest cotton country,
and the richest specie country in the world, embrac-
ing a territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and
from the great lakes of the north to the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec. Nothing can prevent New York, the
metropolis of this country, from being, therefore, the
commercial metropolis of the whole world, and that
in a short time.
It is probable, from the genius and talent here-
tofore displayed by Mr. Walker, that his report will

embrace comprehensive and enlarged views, corre,
sponding with the position of the country, and that
he may startle the world with original views and
fresn conceptions, springing from the present position
of affairs. If he were to give us a succinct commer-
cial and financial history of the United States from
1790 to this time, embracing all the tariffs and
changes—the incidents growing out of the national
debt and its extinguishment—the probable financial
means of the country, as at present existing, we
should not be surprised to see the capacity of this
country to pay the interest of a debt equal to five
hundred millions of dollars with greater ease than it
paid an interest of five per cent. stock of twenty mil-
lions twenty years ago. It is probable, however, that
the debt, now estimated at 45 millions, will not be
permitted under the management of the present Se-
cretary of the Treasury, to go beyond that, or about
50 millions. The riches, and commerce, and wealth
of Mexico will be well able to pay for its occupation,
and even to give a surplus over the requirements of
an army of 50,000 men there. If the old Mexican
factions could keep up armies of 50,000 to 60,000 for
twenty years, with such ignorance of commercial
affairs as they have always manifested, how much
more easy would it be for the American Government
to make them pay simply the expenses of thirty or
forty thousand, under a better administration of
affairs, and a more encouraging arrangement of the
tariff ?
Some of these views will no doubt be embodied in
the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, or in
the message of Mr. Polk. On one point, however,
we have no doubt the President will take care to
praise strongly in his message, and that is the Post-
office department. He will, no doubt, endorse Cave
Johnson, the head of that department, with all his
stultification, his impotence, and incapacity in that
branch of the public service. Dlr. Polk and Cave
Johnson are from the same state; they have been
colleagues in Congress together ; they have a congru-
ity of mind, are of the same intellectual rank, and,
perhaps, like Tyler and Botts, have slept in the same
bed. There, therefore, exists a strong sympathy
between them in certain points of management and
business. But all the endorsements of the President's
message will not convince the people of this eountry
that the present general derangement of the mails,
both foreign and domestic, has not been occasioned
by the Postmaster-General.
Yet there is one thing ip his favour. It will be
seen by the letter of our Washington correspondent
that Mr. Cave Johnson has adopted the suggestions
which appeared a few weeks since in a letter from the
same correspondent on the reformation of the present
Post-office system. Recommendations in accordance
with those suggestions will be made in his annual
report. We do not despair of making a radical cure
of Cave Johnson yet. His case was a very bad one
when we undertook it ; but we have succeeded with
some quite as difficult. We hope to see him yet ask-
ing permission of Congress to make contracts with
the lightning.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks to the message,
it will be a great and powerful document; and Mr.
Polk, although not a man of extraordinary talent, or
great magnificence of mind, or much comprehensive-
ness of character, still is placed in a position of great-
ness and splendour that must reflect something of its
character on himself. He has an opportunity, by a
simple statement of the great events of the past year,
to produce an impression on the age, and on Europe,
such as has not been felt for centuries ; and we trust
and hope, for the reputation of the country, that he
will do so, and that he will look over his message
again and again, and particularly that he will read it
quietly to himself, after having heard Divine service
next Sunday, and see if it would not be as well to
leave out any endorsement of Cave Johnson that it
may contain. _

VENVILLATION ON A CHEAP AND SIMPLE PLAN.—
A correspondent of the Builder says, I have often thought
how easily all new-built dwelling-houses might be ven-
tilated, were the necessity of it more felt by those en-
gaged in building occupations. The plan I would
suggest is, to carry up in the brick or stone work of
the chimney-breast of each room, a common earthern
pipe of about 1 or 2 inches diameter, commencing it
above the fireplace, in any position, so as to be within
42 inches of the flue of such fireplace. Into each of
these pipes, on a level with the joist above the ceiling, I
would introduce one made of zinc or tin, continuing the
same along the joist to a funnel in the centre of the
room. The earthern pipes from each room, on working
up the chimney stack, might be brought together
between the flues and carried to the top with them. It
will be evident these will become heated sufficient to
cause a current and draw off the foul air from the rooms.
The additional width required to the chimney for the
purpose would be but of trifling cost compared with the
benefit derived. The earthern pipes also can be ob-
tained at about one penny per foot run, as those made
for agricultural purposes will answer as well as more
expensive ones.
PARISH OF ST. ANNE, LIMELIOUSE.—Yesterday
forenoon a vestry meeting of the parishioners of St.
Anne's, Limehouse, was held in the Town-hall, Church
lane, to make a rate for the relief of the poor, and also
to receive the report of a committee appointed by the
preceding vestry, to draw up a memorial to the Metro-
politan Commissioners of Sewers, on the defective drain-
age of the parish generally ; and the nuisance :com-
plained of with .reference to the sewer which empties
itself into the Limekiln Dock in particular. Mr. John
Rugg. senior churchwarden, in the chair. Mr. William
r, jun., vtstr) clerk, read the memorial. After a
protracted discussion the memorial was referred back to
the committee, to make some verbal alterations. The
vestry then separated.