Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-06-11
Correspondence Of the N. Y. Commercial
Advertiser.
WASHINGTON, April, 1S47.


Correspondence Of the N. Y. Commercial
Advertiser.
WASHINGTON, April, 1Si7.
As the present Cabinet is soon to pass away
and be as though it were not, it may not be
amss to take some notice of its members before
they sink into utter oblivion. First comes
James X. Polk, elected to the Presidential chair
by one of those strong and sudden eddies in the
stream of things, which can neither be foreseen
nor accounted for. He was respectable member
of the House. and hy rcasgQ e strong party de-
voton. or for want OF better Timber, placed
in the Speakers chair, in the occupation of
which he exhibited strong partialitcs for his
own party. His injustice to the Wings rendered
him unpopular Unlike the generous minded
Davis, who received lately unanimous vote of
thanks. moved too by the Wings, for his dignity
and impartially in the performance of the duties
of the chair. he was thanked by his partizans
alone. and if not sc,fTr.t.- AL detcstcd, was
thoroughly dsliked by the Wings. He needed
expansion of mind lie was Inadequate to the
conception of the noble. II, could not be man
of catholic feeling. lie mstook doggedness for
firmness. His countcnance still maintains that
hard and unmalcable expression, which is the
true index of his mind. lie seems self possess
sed, shows anger if toucheJin the right spot.
One of the most obviou deficiencies of Mr..
Polk is a want of sagact. No far reaching
views were ever entertained by him. Witness
this war, which will resutin the overthrow of
him and his party. Thest victories will hurt
the Mexicans, but they will ruin him. Mr. p.
cannot tread in the footstewof Andrew the first,
any more than Mr.. Van Mren could, though
his partizans ridiculously call him Young
Hickory" 1t wants the pecil of Prentiss, that
liogarth Of eloquencc, to deineate the attempt,
as he did to perfection on tn floor of Congress-
in the case of Mr.. Van Burn. We seemed to
see the IS straddlc" of the FIX TO reach the foot
steps of the lion. An eqnaly inferior but less
astute animal essays the saie mpossibility.
For his Cabinet Mr.. Polk as, first. Mr.. Buch-
anan, a geutecl bachelor, blnd in manners, but
as much devoted to democrcy now, as he was
formerly to federalism. lIenow probably fills
his last office. BY this timelc must surrender
all hopes of the Presidency lie had, believe,
acquircda character for integity as well as for
talent. but tn, fraud commttd by him and his
friends at the time of the elccon of Pcnnsylva-
mia. touching the views of thd'rcsd.ntial can
dilate on the subject of the riff has wrought
him great injury, perhaps marcd his prospects
for life. In vain did he aspirto the Supreme
bench. 1t was too late. His star eliminated
some time since. Its real as veil as apparent
progress is toward the horizon.
In the Treasury we have that little, fragile,
spluttcring, earnest, hghkeyedr Secretary, Mr..
Walker, who is endeavoring t. make the most
Of his short reign over the dollars and cents. and
{ possible imprint some mar, OF distinction on
his foo,path lie has lean and Sickly body,
encasng mind of much ACTIVITY, and of un-
questionable ambition. and looks as anxously as
any step higher. His hair. once dark is be,
coming grey and thin, ahd aIryy Seary'ng ana
wearing himself out witS The caes OF business,
he will retire to private lite.
Mr. Marcy. who fills the Wa Department Is
well known in your state. II has had trou-
blcsome and anxious time of It. and is greatly
indebted to the Wing generals, Scott and Taylor,
for relieving hi. mind by their successes. The
JOY of the relief at the receion of the news
from Vera Cruz was so great hat the Admin.
stration' had the flags flying ,m the dones OF
the Capitol. It i, SAID that MI Marcy has not
been SO proscriptivc here As mtht have been eX-
pected from his "spoils" speecA How very tar
single sentence of INNS speech may
20. and vet come back upon hin be echoed ana
re.echoed, and echoed again the NINA gets
sick of it, Mr.. W. is said bydis friends not 10
believe in the doctrine allegeC against h'nl' nor
even to have intended to assert It, but ratncr 10
have ascribcd it TO the opposite party why
then, has he not publicly conradlcted II NO
doubt he is ashamed of it. MnfulIy to confess
it is another thing. ~
Next comes the well fed S'utherner John !.
Mason. who so comfortably 'kpped out OF the
TYLER into the Polk dynasty. lie is a good ma
tured man. who attends to his own business I,
lame and equity, whether hsfs!itarily or from
80 generous living or both DO not undertake
to say, but his countcnancc, when Is o! course
public, incnes to the rubtund. inns name,
Mason, like that of Lee, is al over Virginia ana
has pushed itself into every department OF puoilc
as well as of private life. There were Judge
Mason of the District Court, and Gen: Nlasoii'
who was killed in a musket duel by McCarty'
now lying sick and helpless at Leesburg' watcl,
ed over and waited on by lovely. ana Devoted
wife, who could never be aienated. There were
the white Lees and the black Lees, as they were
called, indicating their compilations oil dlsposl-
tons. or both. 4 son of Lee, the commander OF
the Legion in the Revolutionary war, lsan Of
ticcr in the navy, and is with the squadron at
Vera Cruz
Lastly, we have the tall and unganly Cave
Johnson a rood. strong dark eye, however, he
claimants eHIy and now dong fSSSAT Ct pSS'
the most Office system uncomfortable to the peo
ple. IIeis a Democrat dyed in the wool,
and happy will be the day when he shall be sent
| home.
IA urea, cons,itutionalist he-who affects UNI
dor Tho torn REGULATIONS to make laws for the
Post Office Department. The signs are plar
enough that the dirge of this Cabinet will soor
RequieSca in pace.