The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-01-03
Affairs In COngress-Proceedings-
Of the Session.

OF the Session.
The first month OF this session has passed, and
not the first movement has been made towards
providing ways and means to carry on the war,
either by making loans or by increasing the
sources OF revenue. There are but two short
months left of the present term, and whatever
measures are necessary to carry on the govern
ment during the whole OF the year 1877, must be
perfected and adopted between this and the 4th
ofMarch next. There is a vast deal of business
to do in the next eight weeks if the party in power
wish to avoid extra session. We have had
enough ofextra sessions within the past ten years.
Both parties have had such taste will, we
trust, deprive them of an appetite, for all time.
II is therefore, for the interest of both parties
drive ahead business rapidly as possible, so
that the country may be relieved from the excite-
ment ofpotical contests at the seat OF government
for the full time provided by the constitution.
The most important measures called for are
such as the position of our foreign affairs point
out Congress should at once adopt the most
extensive means of preparation and of action.
We are losing much valuable time, and unless
more vigorous measures resorted to, the sickly
season will be upon us and suspension of opera
tons on the Gulf coast will be the result.
Congress must furnish the funds. 1t is not suf-
fcent Ia point out the way, and authorize the Sc
cretary Of the Treasury to raise money, bit 1t
must be prepared TO obtain supplies at all risks
and at all sacrifices: and for tins reason, it highly
necessary that immediate measures should be
adopted 10 rePlenish the treasury, SO that we may
provide against any and every contingency; SO
that if one plan fails, there will be an opportunity
to perfect and pass another. It particularly ne
cessary that the executive part of the government
should have the counsel and advice of the repre-
sentative part, in time of war, and although the
constitution does not provide for any extension OF
this session. there IS yet time TO place the country
proper position to sustain itself during the
recess of Congress, without embarrassing the diff
ierent branches OF the executive department.
There is no justice in throwing the RESPONSE
bility, or, we might say, odium of the financial
difficulties with which the treasury Of the ceun-
try is surrounded, upon the Secretary of that
bureau The Secretary merely carries out the
measures Congress marks out He has nothing
but the credit Of the government to work upon,
and if that fails, it remains for Congress to give
him other materials, if it has any at command.
We have very little faith in the financial abili-
ties of the members of Congress, generally.
There is any quantity of theoretical knowledge
concentrated at the seat of government, but
when you to the practical part of it, there is
more real genius in Wall street, than in both
houses OF Congress. We can dig out of almost
any cellar in Wall street more Chancellors of the
Exchequer, more Chairmen of Finance Commit
tees, and greater number of practical financiers
than in any other part of the Union.
The Secretary of the Treasury sent to this city
for aid in drawing up, and in perfecting his ad va
loren tariff, and we would advise him to try the
same experiment in regard to the public finances
Let the Secretary send an agent into Wall street,
any day about II o'clock, to pick out about do
zen of the leading financiers who congregate
there about that hour, and request their atten-
dance at Washington. and we will guaranty Gf he
will take their advice,) a better system OF finance
than Congress can give him. These Wall street
financers will not only tell him how to raise mo-
ney, but some of them will pat their hands in
their pockets and lend the government all it
wants This we call practical fnanciering
MEXICAN GENERALs-WHo IS URREA Mot the
least important items in the recent news from
Mexico, are those which relate to the distribution
and organization OF the Mexican army. That
army numbers forty-one thousand men, Of whom
twenty-five thousand are with Santa Anna, in
the city Of San Luis de Potos, eight thousand in
the fertile vale of San Francisco, and like num-
Der at lula, a town distant from San Luis eighty
miles, and from Tampico one hundred and
twenty. OF the eight thousand men at lula, two
thousand five hundred have been formed into a
corps oil. observation, and the command thereof
given to General Jose Manuel Urea.
Very few military adventures have experienced
greater vicissitude of fortune, than this Urea
He is native OF the department of Sonora ST.
naloa-and during the war Of independence,
fought in the ranks OF the patriots at the age OF
twenty. 1t is SAID he defeated, at that early
age, body of Spanish troops, under cir
cumstances highly creditable to himself
When Santa Anna invaded Texas, in 1886, he
gave to Urea the command Of brigade and
throughout the campaign, Urea conducted him.
self to the perfect satisfaction OF his chief, but
scarcely to that of the friends of hunanity-for il
was he who presided at the execution of the pri.
soners taken at Goliad. Execution did we call it
1t was murder; and as foul as man
perpetrated, or God avenged. Yet we will dc
Urea the Justice to say that, in conversation he
often regrets the share he had in the massacre Of
the Texans. though he endeavors to exculpate
himself in this manner: "What, under the cir
cumstances, could do? My orders to shoot the
prisoners were explicit and peremptory; and YOU
know that it is soldiers duty to obey TIE orders
of his superior-not to question their propriety."
This Urea spent the eighteen months that sue
ceeded the battle of San Jacinto, in comparative
obscurity. Soon after that battle, he received
from the President, Bustamente, the COVER
norship Of Sonora Sinaloa. But the gov
eminent of remote district of Mexico - a
district almost beyond the confines of civil
zation "a and the population of which is moi
one-half of that Of the city of New York-coud
not satisfy the ambitious and active minded
Urea So in 1888, he pronounced" for federal
ism, and commenced war with the central 60
venment, which lasted tour years. During thai
period Urea must have fought twenty or thirty