The New York herald., 1846-03-28

WASHINGTON, March e, l6t6.
The state of Affairs here continues to be full Of
embarrassment and trouble in fact the confusion
every hour increases. The recent Message has
been the principal topic OF conversation during the
last few days The remarks made on this docu-
ment are amusing philosophical cutting, sarcastic,
and OF all kinds. That paper seems to please no
party-or any section of party-unless it be the
high tariff men, who are perfectly willing to vote
for any degree OF appropriations, short of war. in
the name OF treaty-as a good reason to continue
the present high tariff. On the day this Message
was read in the Senate, no one seemed to under
stand il perfectly. A Senator went round and made
enquiry Of dozen OF his colleagues or half dozen
Of administration men-and each of them replied. in
substance, that he did not understand its deyeop-
ments-that II left public affairs more confused than
ever Itseems that the recommendation in this Mes
sage were all privately before the committees and
have been partially acted upon before this document
made Its appearance. In fact from the commence
ment OF tho session up to this time, the confidential
trends OF the President, in the committees, have
been making active preparations, in combination
with the departments Tor the increase of the naval
and military forces of the co.ltry equal TO an ex
pend,ture Of $40 ,O00OOO by the secret estimates
These movements have been conducted with great
secrecy in the departments, and are now Being
brought out IN daylight bv the importantly OF the
ultra Oregon men, In order to get from the Presi.
dent some document which would indicate ,ls, he
had feeiing favorable to their views. This s
iound IN the recent message but even this mes-
sage. peases no section OF the party at all unless il
be the ultra tariff men.
IN fact, things have looked worse since this mes
sage has been delivered, and particularly, in conse-
qu-nce OF Its leaking ont relative to he cheracter
OF the communications referred by the President
and which were communicated secretly to the COM
mittees OF the Senate month ago. It now appears
tina. me estimates from the bureaus OF the navy and
war departments, on which the reports of the two
Secretaries were founded, amounted to forty millions
OF dollars, $50 900 O00) il not more and embraced
the proposition TO construct forty steam vessels of
war, ana to employ 200 Misslssipp steamboat men,
IN order to meet the contingencies Of the country.
In the present condition OF our foreign relations
with England and Mexico. These cstirnates OF the
bureaus have been Withdrawn from the committees.
and VIII not be made public. The reports of the
earies founded these estimates have been or
dered 10 he printed, and We learn will soon be made
public. II seems that the President sanctioned all
these proceedings, and thus far.it is believed that il
was unanown 10 Congress and the committees Of
the Senate. These prparatioas have been going on
tor months during the progrr of the debate in the
Senate, and while many OF the administration Sena-
tors were preparing the public mind for peace and
TOR the rst time are now brought out, in reply to
Mr. Daytons resolution, in the recent message, and
certainly these facts give darker hue to our for
eign affairs. than any had anticipated. These mat
congressional circles, and have created a great
deal OF alarm on the present position Of our foreign
affairs. an and Will from this day forward, command
s ne atienfiIn ~ nj OF tie cGgn What may be the re-
niIy looms very strongly ahead.
. From the complexion of things here very much
iear-and am sorry forit for Mr.. Polk an amia-
BILE man--that the administration has CONNIE need
lts downward career-lost its moral influence
based lts principles of action on narrow scale of
human sympathy-and that it will end In imbeci.
y, unless some new vigor be infused into il. II
seems worse, in point OF dissentions among its pro-
tessed frlsnds, than any of the preceding admins.
traions, and has exhibited weakness in its organic
powers greater than that which has characterized
tne aomlnisratlons OF any party since the iron pre-
sidency Of General Jackson The tactics and sys.
tenn thus tar appear TO have been moulded on the
same principles which have characterised the ad-
ministrations OF Van Buren and Tyer-mere expe-
olency, without relying upon great national i'm
pulses or sentiments-mere dependence upon indi-
viduals, without placing q full reliance on mighty
moral Influences. How different from the bold,
mastery, vigorous. common sense, that character
issd the administration of General Jackson, which
possessed 90 much sublimity, so much energy, 30
much hrmness, so much patriotism Yet Mr.. Polk
Is good. amlable, honest and upright man but he
wants to do too much work in detail himself.
De, .. means mean. well and acts according to his
best i!ghn but he does not, am afraid. pos
sess those higher impulses or elements Of human
intellect, which can manage a great-mighty-
mpuissvewsneIgeucLand sr original people. Jackson
"so 49,. HsSA IVA ouCL pCOplc-J0Ck9OQ was the
man who never relied upon this individual or that
Individual. When he made movement he went
direct from his own heart to the hearts OF the masses
OF the people. The cabinet Of Mr.. Polk 10, az might
DC expected. They mean weil-they work hard
and they are admirable AZ heads Of departments.
All that they want the higher order OF spirit in the
White House, which can communicate, with the
rapidlty OF lightn,ng, between the impulses Of the
national mind and their impulses, hike the electric
wires OF heavenb0rn instlnct-ss instantaneous and
sudden IN action as lightning itself
With these views Mr. Folks administration is
to to, De viewed with great deal of commlseration.
mat has Its errors, the result Of one years expe
rence has established beyond a doubt He has not
only our foreign aHiirs precipitated into state of
ntanzlement aad difficulty, both with England and
eMexlco, put we also behold the whole body Of the
'rieads VI this administration broken up into con-
endlng factlons-dlvlded on questions of impor-
ance IN the foreign policy of the govemment-so
hat all union henceorth seems to be sough, for in
,ua ae. 'ne error. OF the administration are its
which has been constructed, and the tactics which
hus far have regulated it's action it cannot reasona
oiy, IN the midst ef such momentous movements,
get along with better or higher success than IT has
Our relations with England are undoubtedly in
very awkward and unfortunate position, end
there 10 not any likelihood OF their getting be tier
Tor some time TO come. Whatever the President
means to DO, Is as uncertain and az unsettled as
ever and this uncertainty increases the conviction
that the whole OF the Oregon question now rests
Tor solution with the intentions and wishes of the
british government II that government chooses
TO stand sti! and say nothing, the alternative Is in
evita6ie: Mr. Polk cannot resume the negotatio
and yet ne has walked up spirit on the Oregon con-
t!oversy IN the country, and that spirit will 20 on
step oy step until the whole country is involved in
2 terrible conflict, between the Issues involved in
the comparative claims OF tho country to 49 or 81
~, leading to war, revolution, and thousand dis
asters.
Ia the present state Of things in Congress, with
the increase that Is now proposed in the army and
navy, IN order to meet the exigencies of the Mexi-
can frontier, and the contingencies with England,
me tarf and all other measures must fall sll born
20 the ground. An increase OF the annual expenses,
involved 10 the augmentation Of the navy and army,
WIN furnish the best argument in the world t. the
tarli men to prevent oil change on that subject and
continue the present law indefinitely. In lact, we
are ycry much like a large vessel, possessing
capital equpments, drifting on a lee shore IN
consequence Of the simplicity, honesty, bat inca