The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-03-18
PHILADKLPHIA, March II, 1913
Opiaioxs Of the Nsw Cab'~st Among the br"g
Tf r:o~,.. a.. pb,ln1pizjii1


MY DEAR H.:-This Is my third letter within
two or three weeks; and though both the former
remain unanswered, ! write now, because my
mind clamors for something 10 do, and because !
wish to saw word or two supplemental to what sand
before on the subject of the cabinet, about which,
seems, wrote prematurely, as it has since been
modified. Abbott Lawrence declines place; Ewing
takes the post of Secretary Of the Homo Depart
ment; Reverdy Johnson is Attorney General, and
Colamer Postmaster. am not acquainted with
the provisions of the bill constituting the Home
Department, and, therefore, say nothing Of the
fitness OF Ewing for that place. Ewing have
always considered an honest man, but heavy, dull
one, without brllliancy, originality, or qulckness
Slow and ultimately sure, pcrhaps-no, positively,
rather behind the active wants OF the day johnson
know personally, but not very Intimately He has
the reputation OF great ability as lawyer, and OF
boundless and thOughtless benevOlence OF heart
He, too, Is a prosy man, without sprghtllness or
genius, but no slave either to party or the stereO-
type notions OF party dogmatists. He offended the
bigots OF his party by his course on several ques-
tiOns whilst the Senate, particularly on the war
question with Mexico. Though dull speaker,
you will remember that he made an elaborate
speech on the war, IN which he took patriotic
grounds. like him. He IS patriotic, indepen-
dent and enllg htened, and will take manly stand.
Collamer know not To me he is even unknown
by reputation.
From all know of the men composing it,
Meredith Is, by Tar, the abest man OF the cabinet.
His acquisitions are universal, and always ready
at his command, for practical application. What
he knows not he can acquire at a glance, as II
were, by intuition In this respect ne Is Won
dertul man, far above any man we have mere. If
he is deficient at all, 1t may be that he lacks the
power OF continued application to one thing, and is
indlspOsed to make preparat for the exhibition
OF any subject, deliberately, from its first principles
to Its ultimate results, and that with mistaken
confidence IN his power, which never torsakes
HIM, he may depend too much upon 1t to meet
emergencies as they arse. If this be 80, It may
prevent an application OF his immense power,
aided as It is by his gilt of insight from laying
down and establishing vast financial system,
freed from the defects and Obscartles OF the pre-
sent, and adapted to the wants OF our country and
to Its augmented and augmentlng relations with |
the whole world In one respect, he is the very
opposite Of Walker the late secretary; for Walkers
whole force lay IN his faculty OF protracted appll-
cation to one things whereas Meredith owes every |
thing to ntultlve faculty Of universal insight.
subject but passes before his mind, and it ID at
once seized made its own, and, it were, fused |
into 1t. Meredith Is man OF no pretenslons or
assumptions; has an ofthand, familiar manner; |
accustomed to appear at the bar here with the |
m!ehtiest OF cases, and arguing them with power
UNPARALLELED, without even note. Instlnctvely |
commanding little respect tor ability, those who |
know him not have but little reverence tor his |
power II is not until there Is necessity Tor It's
display that you perceive 1t, and then you are
taken by surprise. know no man IN the country |
who unites the same momentum OF mind with the
same de xterlty. He Is a man, however, having
no heart sympathies. His heart Is IN his under |
standing, and probably (though familiar to all |
alike, friends and oes) Is without capacity tortrue
He Is, under an exterior OF great SIM
plclty, as cunning as a fox. No man can catch |
him mapping, or Outwit him practically. In this
respect he lar surpasses honest ohm Davis who,
sly practical cunning, has not many superiors.
This latter tact may be news you, but 1t Is never
theless a fact.
f,ro I'D
for the place. He is man greatly overrated--a
technical lawyer, fettered by old rules and ancient
lore, made up by seltpretenslons to greatness,
rOw-hearted, with narrow mind, but educatabe
and highly educated within Its range; selfish as
Mammon, with one useful merit Only-never-tirin
industry; but an industry ever firmly pursuing self
lsh end. II Binney serves another, 1t Is awaysfor
some benefit to himself. Hence the sentiment OF
true patriotism Is foreign to his nature, and he
has no fitness for public place-for man to be
wholesome public. agent must have a large soul,
thoroughly penetrated with genuine benevo- |
lence, possess an ample snare OF benehcence-
must, word, love TO do good, the attribute of
the great Ruler, everywhere 30 slgnally seen In |
the laws that govern his universe
JOSIAH Randall was the candidate of the Phlla-
delphia whig clique, par excellence. He was
urged on TAYLOR because It was known that he
would have served his partlZan friends, who were |
serving him-the men who certified him In order
that he might certify them, according to the old |
system, against which Taylor promises war. The |
most emphatic organ of the clique here, Is the
Da,iy Netcs Not one word has 1t said In favor of
Meredith On the Sd OF March you will see, If
you look at the paper OF that date, and It's Wash
ington letters, that it was connected with the
party that sought to drive Meredith out OF the
cabinet, to make room for Randall. And now
you will see its indirect attacks on Taylor. Look
at the letters OF It's Washington CORE sp0ndent in
yesterdays paper. You will see the side slaps at
the President himself
The clique has lts representative in the cabinet
In the person OF Clayton, to whom they sing eter-
data tnrt dan
cy and they seek to use him, and he them. In the
summer time, when he Is at home, they are at his
house, In Delaware, every week or two, Teasing
Oh his vlands, and mellOwlng themselves over his
wines. The Swiss Conrad, whose pea by turns
has served every faction and every cause, and the
slippery Jesuitical McMlchael OF the North Ame
rican, and that set, are all OF the same party.
Clayton is mere partizan-little or nothing else
with the faculties that make up the one.slded adj
vocate, plausible and seeming fair, but with no
grand truth-ovlng and truth-seeklng principle,
and, wlthal, sly, under the appearance OF open
hearted irankness. Meredith, however, whom
Clayton's friends hate, tOr no reason other than
that they cannot use hlm,) can outwlt him, and
play with him, skiliully too, 1t he please, that
the dupe will never know that he Is duped; tor
Meredith Is In all things giant compared with
him, but, for man with so large share OF direct
power, too much disposed to act indirectly. Clay
ton and the Clique have mentioned, are Clay's
friends, and represent the Clay interests. Mere
dlth is Websters trend-a man OF Infinite re.
sources anu Pretean tact, and is more than match
for them all. He,you will remember, withdrew
from the fret Pennsylvania wing convention that
nominated Harrison for President, because 1t
would not nominate Webster; and he refused, on
that avowed ground, to participate in Its proceed
ings, and was appointed by Webster, when Secre-
taTy of State, United States District Attorney for
this district Meredith will serve Taylor and the
country faithfully, (or fidelity to trust OF
his chief characterstics) and the man in the
cabinet, should there be such one, who attempts
to trip him, will probably himself get fall, and be
laughed at for his pains.
have devoted large share at this letterto
Meredith and to Clayton, because the former is
man new to the country and to you, and man Of
great power, genius, and Acquisitions, and because
think the latter Ohough universally praised by
his party is not properly estimated. Besides, it
Is well enough to give you glance INTO the secrets