The New York herald., 1845-03-29

craving OF one of the most interesting scenes in
the new comedy successful at the Park, with
portraits OF Miss Ellis, Mr.. Chippendale, and Mr..
Crisp. Price only Ct cents
Mr.. POIlx's Administration-its Prospects
r0 and Probable Destiny.
The new administration is nearly month old.
President Polk has chosen his cabinet, and made
a considerable number of appointments. All the
hustle and tumult of the Inauguration week has
subsided, and only the more desperate of the men.
dicants cry aloud in the streets of Washington
So, then, now that the administration has been en-
rirely organized and has fairly commenced It's
career, the natural and universal inquiry Is, what
are its prospects! How is it likely to end What
is the character. what the complexion, and what
the good or evil fortune, which circumstances and
events are likely to Infiict upon it?
In specializing the probable destiny of the pre-
sent administration, come assistance, IN forming
rational cenjectures, may be derived from review
OF the history OF the two administrations which
Immediately preceded it. Mr.. Van Buren COM
menced his term of Office with very fattering pros
poets of marked success. But the sky very early
become clouded. 1t was soon apparent that the
administration was in the hands of cliqiH-or
rather the fag-end of clique. If an administration
clique be strong enough, and direct its movements
with consummate prudence, boldness and sagacity,
it is all very well. Like the rod of the prophet,
that swallowed up all the rods Of the magi, it may
eat up and digest at its leisure the smaller fry but
ifts powers OF devouring and assimilation be weak
IT must per necessity knock under, and itself add
one to the number of victims. So it was with the
Van Buren, clique. Formidable rivals quickly
sprung forth into active and formidable vigor, and
aided besides by favorable changes In the popular
gale, the regular opposition party, the whgs taking
up a man Of great personal popularity, swept the
country like tornado, and dismissed Mr.. Van
Buren, to eternal retirement.
Mr.. Tyler's administration, on the other hand,
presented rather singular anomaly 1t embodied,
from first to last. greater amount of talent than
was perhaps ever enlisted in the service of any for
mer administration. With Webster as the master
spirit Of its beginning, and Calhoun of its close the
administration Of MIR. Tyler, far as regarded its
foreign policy, was eminenlly vigorous, popular,
and successful. But yet, in all that related TO
its domestic influence and power, it was almost
contemplate. And yet there was a period
when even MIR. Tyler might have laid, broad
and deep, the foundations Of an administration
party that would have resisted the assaults of very
opponent. The folly, weakness, and ering judg-
ment which produced the signal failure of that ad-
ministratlon to obtain a commanding position, are,
however, too fresh in the public recollection, to re-
quire now any more particular reference.
Keeping before US this retrospective view, let us
now look at the position of the administration at
present in power. Mr.. Polk came into the White
House under peculiar circumstances. He was Sc
lected not exactly on account Of his personal cha.
racter or associations but because he the
negative qualification of not being the representa-
tive OF any particular clique-a qualification which
the condition OF the democratic party rendered OF
paramount Importance and value. He was also
presented to the people as a pledged candidate
bound to adopt and carry out prescribed issues and
principles. And thus by common consent of the
contendipg factions, he received their united sup
port, and under his flag the democratic party de-
feated Henry Clay But the elements of dis
turbance and division in the ranks of the party that
elected Mr.. Polk, were not expelled, they were
only quieted for time. His election was hardly
secured, when the contending factions were quar-.
relling and squabbling and intriguing with, if pos
sble, greater bitterness and activity than ever.
Already the manifestations of discomfort
and hostility are threatening in the extreme.
pressed relative to the manner in which Mr..
Polk is distributing the spoils. He is denounced
for not making removals, and he is charged with
discovering unjust favoritism in bestowing appoint
ments-with giving Offices only to his relatives
and personal friends, instead of supplying, with
profuse and bountfu hand, the cravings of the old
clig0s
Thus, in the allimportant business of distributing
the spoils, the new administration begins to meet
discomfort and opposition. But then, again, we
are to recoect that the Texas question is still un-
settled-that the party that elected Mr.. Polk are
divided on it-that the North and South can never
agree on the terms on which Texas is to be admit.
ted into the Union. Here is indeed a prolific
source of disquiet, trouble, confusion, hostility and
failure to the administration. There, then, lie
the tariff question On this, also, the North and
South are divided. Whatever course the admins.
tration may adopt with regard to the tariff. it
cannot expect unanimity of support from its
own party. But besides all this, we have
yet to enumerate that political element OF
discord and disunion, the struggle for the "suc-
cession." The various cliqms-the Calhoun clique,
and the Cass Clique, and the Benton clique, and the
Johnson clique, and the Buchanan Clique, and the
Dallas clique, are all in the feld-all opposed to
each other-all unscrupulous-al selfsh-all bitter
and all resolutely bent in accomplishing their Sc
veral schemes, be the consequences what they
may. Every one of these eliques will be organiz-
ing in the next Congress- and the propable prospect
is that the administration will find itself in mi.
nority in the House.
Such then is the prospect before Mr.. Polk and
his Cabinet. II is certainly not remarkably cheer
ing. There are clouds and blackness, and distant
muttering thunder, and ominous flashes in the
darkening heavens. How the new administration
may carry itself through the tempest it is difficult
to ioretell. But that it has tenpestuous time be-
fore it, every body can see, and we confess that
the present would seem to indicate that lens be-
fore the next four years have been added to the
worlds age, this administration may be in a con-
dtion as shattered, poweress and forlorn, as that
OF poor, despised, buried Mr. TYLER