The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-07-19

General Cass and his Accouchcurs.
The long letter which Gen. Cass has written TO
Washington, on politics in general, and Webb and
Greeley in particular, is extraordinary and
queer one TO be produced on such OCCASION
and to come from such a man, in the present juno
fure of political matters.
Mr.. Webb, of this city 1--WE don't call him
Colonel, for he never was a colonel of the regular
army, after being disappointed in getting mis-.
sion to Spain Berlin, consoed himself by taking
trip to the Upper Lakes, for the purpose of look
ing after speculations in trout. or something else
in that great region. On his way to those lakes,
he stops fe~v days in Detroit, visits zen. Cass,
the defeated candidate of the ocofocos at the last
election, dimes with hun, drinks few glasses of
wine, talks with great huency, and listens to
equally fluent talk from the General, on all the
topics OF the day, and, imme diately afterwards,
sits down and writes an account of this gossip,
mixed up with the wine and the walnuts, for pub
LEGATION in the racy columns Of the Courier 8. En-
guirer. On this, Master Fourier Greeley makes
very sober and philosophical comments, endeavor-
ing to show from this after dinner version of the
opinions Of General Cass, compared with some
former letters Of his, that the distinguished ex-
candidate of the locofocos is a very inconsistent
politician, very insincere man, and almost
double-faced as some of the distinguished states
men OF New York, such Martin Van Barren or
w. III. Seward. To correct those aspersons
his character, General Cass, IN his cool moments,
deems 1t necessary TO come out in long and te
dious letter, endeavoring to show the consistency
of his Political notions in all times past, and the
errors, both in narrative and inference, which had
been made by his visiter, Webb and his comnen-
tator, Greeley.
Il 4 ~,
mltted-to give any consequence at all to the
after dinner recolectons of an editor who thought
more Of the disappointment which he received at
Washington than of any political opinions or any
consistent notions with regard to public questions
in any quarter whatever. II Mr.. Webb deemed it
necessary to pick up the political ideas OF General
Cass, while the latter was entertaining him at
dinner in Detroit he should at least have abstained
10 a certain extent from taking too much wine, in
order that he could recoect those ideas correctly
and report them with accuracy through his
columns to the world at large. But we rather
think that this system of dining with distin-
gulshed politician, picking up his notions, and
incorporating them TO the world, is not exactly
the thing, although in the confusion of mind which
disappointment in obtaining a foreign mission may
create, such things may sometimes be expected,
therefore a valid excuse.
At all events, If il were werth the trouble OF eS-
PLANTATION at all, General Cass has now done it
cffeciually, and must have satisfied every person
that his political opinions heretofore, and at the
present time, are consistent and certainly, in
comparison with the opinions of other political
men, more consistent than those Of many others
who make a greater noise in the world. On the
.,I
never known General Csss TO entertain any other
opinions than those which he has now enumerated.
As to the matter fthe wilmo, proviso, he stands |
IN precisely the same attitude which he has here
tofore occupied, and what is more singular STILL 1t
is exactly the same as that which Mr.. Benton
holds IN Missouri, notwithstanding all the n.ise
that has been made about his coming out in favor
of the non.extension OF slavery to the new ter
ritories.
But all those issues are becoming old and stale.
II General Cass remains on the platform which he
has skeched in his last letter, he will soon be left
behind and be lost sight Of in all future political
movements Throughout the free States Of this
republic, the question Of slavery, looking to the
ultimate abolition, is beginning TO be preached,
discussed and talked Of by all factions, and by some
OF the leading men of the day. In this State Mr.
Van Buren, and the barnburners are gradually
coming out and taking the same ground which
Garrison and the other anti-slavery agtaters in
New England have held for some year. past
Senator Seward and his d,q~ have for some time
past occupied strong anti-slavery ground, looking
the same direction and are only waiting for an
opportunity to make another distinct step in adj
vance. In Kentucky and Missouri, species Of
che same agitation and the same general subject is
now under way. Henry Clay and Bowieknife
Clay Kentucky, are also engaged IN the same
matter that which occupies in different, shape
The attention Of Mr.. Benton in Missouri
In short, the political men Of the free States IN
order to accomplish partial triumphs in their Sc
yoral localities, are stimulating, exciting and
rousing up the antislAvcry feeling among all
ranks and all claeses in this republic feeling
and a movement, which will ultimately crush,
destroy and snnihiate the Southern States throw.
ing them into tho same condition a. that which
now desolates the British West Indies, or Grim
sons the beautiful region of Hayti. The public
mind in this part Of the country is losing ts prac
teal character, and becoming more and more IA
natical every day ON The subject Of slavery and
the social institutions Of the South. Unprincplsd.
ambitious, reckless, mercenary, and grasping men,
in order TO accomplish their local purposes are
driving onward ia this career, and ali those mode
rate counsels, end practical compromises and
wise forbearances, which marked the history and
character Of the great men Of the revolution. anl
the statesmen who Immediately succeeded them,
are now being given 70 the winds, and a new code
Of political finaticIsm about to De issued, thatw
cad ia nothing butt we have sand before, the de-
ISOLATION and destruction Of the South. The name
and last writings of Thomas Jefferson are press-