The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-21 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN DILEMMA.

According to the Washington correspondent of the
Notion the anxiety of the American President to keep the
peace between the Executive and the Senate, has not
been successful. A quarrel broke out during the
two weeks' December session, and the Senate has
shewn a worse temper than ever before. The quarrel
has originated with the Attorney-General, Judge Hoar,
who has expressed in language more forcible than civil
his opinion of political jobs and jobbers. His official ap-
pointments have often been made in defiance of senators,
members, and local representatives. Naturally those
who were less rigid in their principles disliked him
extremely, and accuse him of having acquired too
great an influence over the President and his Cabinet.
Lately the Attorney General sent to the Senate a list of
nine circuit judges, several of whom were displeasing to
Senators. Judge Woodruff, in particular, occupied a
place which certain Senators wished Judge Hall to have.
Those nominations were referred to the Judiciary Com
mittee, together with that of Judge Hoar himself, as
Associate Justice. The Committee requested the
President to publish all papers which in any way
concerned the candidates, implying at the same time that
ib expected to find evidence of serious mistakes on the part
of the President and his chief legal adviser. The Presi-
sident refused to accede to the request until it was
modified, but in order to conciliate the Senate,
nominated Mr. Stanton to the Supreme Bench
before any vacancy actually existed, so that the
Judge's predecessor still sitting on the Bench
,has
atttmled his State funeral. The Senate was not, however,
to be pacified, and the Judiciary Committee reported
unfavourably on Judge Hoar. The committee consists of
seven members, only one of whom supported the Attorney-
General. The object of the malcontents is not only to
prevent Judge Hoar from rising to the bench, but
tO drive him from the Cabinet. The position of the
President is, therefore, a very awkward one, and is thus
stated by the Nation :—" If the President compels Judge
Hoar to remain in the Cabinet, he practically slaps the
Senate in the face, and accepts the war it has declared.
If he permits Judge Hoar to retire, he sets, perhaps, the
most dangerous precedent which it is in his power to csta-
blish—a precedent which is of itself a revolution in the
American form of government."

CUBAN" AFFAIRS.

A Cuban steamer, with part of the Hornet's crew
on board, has been seized by the authorities
in consequence of the intimation of the Spanish Consul at
Charleston that she intended to violate the neutrality laws.
The passengers and crew were mostly Cubans. Among there
were a son of General Cespedes, and Colonel Ryan, 6e
Cuban filibuster. They all declared they had no inten-
tion of making any aggressive movements. From
Havana, the sixth of January, it is reported
that a body of insurgents is moving towards
the Eastern Department, and that simultaneoudy
with this advance some well-armed bodies were sent to
the centre of the Cinca Villas district. The supposed ob-
!ect of this expedition is to destroy the sugar-cane fields.
The woods in the neighbourhood of Puerto Principe halm
been cut down, thus depriving the insurgents of a place
for attack.