The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-16
LATHST IN1'ELLIGElil
BY THE MAILS.


Mr.. BuehInam and the Fifty Four Forty Men
IN Connection with the Oregon IIeaty-The De-
spatches to the Msriean Minister of Foreign Af-
fairs-Falss alarm Of Sickness in the Squadron
New Grade IN the Napy-Masters IN the Line of
Promotion.
The President will have good deal OF difficult
ty in his selection OF minister to England Its
matter deeply to be regretted that Mr.. McLane
feels himself compelled to resign, as could not
have had better representative ut the English
Court.
have said the President will have considera-
BILE difficulty in making selection of substitute,
not that there are not many men eminently fitted
fer the mission by their talents, patriotism and
experience; but few statesmen can be found DOS
sessed of such private fortune as will enable
them TO spend nine or ten thousand dollars year
over and above their salary, out of their own pri-
vate income. The mission to England is no sine
cure. II entails on the incumbent tosome and
laborious duty every day in the year. and obliyes
him, as have before stated to spend nine or ten
thousand dollars beyond his salary. No man
even in moderate circumstances, can undertake
the English mission without the prospect of ruin
If he hold it for any length of time He receives
a salary of nine thousand dollars and he is obliged
to spend nearly twenty thousand. The ministers
to France and to Russia are similarly situated
They are obliged to spend double the amount of
their salary. No poor man can undertake either
The minister to Madrid can live comfortably on
his salary; and if he is economical, he can live on
less. The minister TO Brazil can save something
out of his salary. Now it is surprising that the
salaries Of the ministers to the different courts
should have so long remained equal Our minis
ter to England is obliged to spend four times as
much as our minister TO Brazil, and still both re-
ceive an equal salary-nine thousand dollars
But it is really too bad that we should often
fail of having the fttest men to represent us
at the two most important courts in the
world--London and Paris--solely because we
do not allow our ministers TO either court a
salary that he live upon. The matter
resolves itself to this. In democratic country
We fix the salaries Of our ministers to the two most
important courts in the world, so low, that no
be, or though he may be the very ittest person to
represent us, can accept the office. This has
been brought before the notice of Congress, and
Congress has refused to furnish a remedy. Some
of tn, mobocrats, full of zeal for the pre- servaton
of the peoples money, cannot be brought to nm
derstand that a minister cannot live in London on
nine thousand year. Contrast this beggary pc
nuriousness with the way England and France
pay their ministers. The British minister near
this government receives twenty-five thousand
dollars ayear-and a minister can easily live
at Washington on ten thousand dollars a-year as
at London on three times the amount. Even our
secretaries OF legation must either have private
fortune to live upon, or they must be dependent
on the minister for their support A secretary of
thousand dollars. He is obliged to spend five
thousand.
Mr. King, our Minister to France, is also about
to return home. He will arrive here either next
month or the month after. His resignation will
be universally regretted No minister of the Uni
ted States ever represented his country at the
French court, who deserves more of his fellow
citizens than Nj. King. His house was always
open to his countrYmen, and his hrmness and
dignity have challenged the respect not only Of the
diplomatic corps residing in Paris. but OF the
tire French court. 1t will be difficult to fill his
place.
In one of my former letters showed, from the
correspondence of Mr.. Buchanan, the President,
and Mr.. McLane, in relation to the Oregon ques-
ton, that Mr.. Buchanan was perfectly consistent
all through, and that both he and the resident
were much ffty-four forty men up to the hour
OF signing the treaty, (and indeed they up 10
this hour) as they were last December. When
Mr.. Buchanan entered on his duties as Secretary
OF State, he found not only that every administra-
ton that had taken cognzance Of the Oregon ques-
tod hitherto, had treated with the British Govern
ment as if that government had rights in Oregon,
but the negotiation that was pending when he
came into office, was based on the same adms-
sion. The President had no option but to make
a proposition similar to that which had been so
often made by his predecessors That offer was
rejected, and at once withdrawn--the President
declaring an unquestionabIe right to the whole
territory. That declaration was adhered to
throughout the negotiation that terminated in the
present treaty, both by Mr. Buchanan and the
tracts from their correspondence. But it is the
most quizzical thing imaginable, that the 81 40 Sc
majors entertain luminosity against Mr. Buchanan;
whereas, the treaty was not brought about by
him, but by their own body. To be sure, he
might have advised the President, and the Presl-
dent might have rejected the treaty, alter its
acceptance was advised by three-fourths of the
Senate. But such an act would have been very
hazardous assumption of esponsbhty-responsi-
bility that even General Jackson, with all his
nerve and force of character, declined to assume
In the matter which was referred to the arbitration
of the King of the Netherlands, he took the adj
vice of the Senate, contrary to his own predsposed
determination, although instead Of three fourths
there was a bare majority of one. Now the fifty
four. forty Senators must accuse Mr.. Buchanan
and Mr.. Polk OF one of two hngs-disngenuous-
ness want of nerve. If they accuse them
of disingenuousness, then their letters and
dispatches to prove that up to the hour OF sending
the English proJet to the Senate, they adhered to
the declaration contained in the Presidents mes
sage of December last, and that they were fify-
four-forty men, to use homey phrase, sup to
the hub" If they accuse them of want of nerve
in not rejecting the proposition, even after being
advised to acceptit by three-fourths Of the Senate,
then there IS the example OF Jackson, having CIV
en- up his own opinion, and adopted that OF the
Senate, although he was advised by majority
of but one, and that too, in matter of the utmost
gravity and importance. The fifty-four-forty Sc
majors, i should have said some oil them, would have
opposed Mr.. Buchanans nomination to the judge
ship, solely on this account have reason to be-
lieve however, that Mr.. Buchanan would have
been confirmed understand, that not near so
many wing Senators as ! at first supposed, would
have voted against him, and few of the fiityfour-
forty men. Several weeks before all that noise
was made about his nomination, he had given up
the idea of leaving the cabinet, l firmly believe
from patriotic motives, and weighty considera-
tons of public duty.
Talking of Mr.. Buchanan, have to inform you
that advices have been received to-day from Pen
sacola, that the dispatches Of the Secretary of
State for Commodore Conner, and for the Mex-
Minister for foreign affairs, had been sent out
in a cutter Immediately after they reached Pensa-
cola. They are doubtless in the proper hands ere
this time.
The linton OF last night, publishes letter from
Havana, stating that the Raritan frgate had sail
ed for Pensacola, with three hundred men sick Of
yellow fever and scurvy You will not be at all
surprised to learn that there is not the slightest
foundation for this report. The Raritan has been