The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-09-27

claim, and secured the exclusive use Of informa-
ton which was the property of the whole public.
The North Amertcs~, however, had a priority Of
title to the details Of this dispute with NJ Poussin
Mr.. Clayton had invested $50 900 in the establish
ment, and IL was the part of a man OF business to
promote its prosperity The Secretary of State,
then, in giving the intelligence to Mr.. Harvey,
secured three.fold object-of pay to his agents,
liberal putting of HIMSELF and some little security
for the thirty thousand dollars.
We denounce the transaction as degrading to
the State Department. The offers made to one
party, and the disposal of the facts on a specua-
ton to another, prove the determination Of Mr..
Clayton to make the most of the records of his
department In awaiting himself of this infor-
nation, for the purposes of advancing his own pri
vate interests, in giving it to a newspaper at
Philadelphia, and in Withholding it from others,
to which they had equal right, as the
common property of the whole nation, Mr.
Clayton has openly committed his official cha
racter to the charge OF trading upon his official
correspondence. But the manner in which the
facts of this French case were introduced to the
public, is the most obnoxious feature in the bust
ness. 1t was calculated, if not intended, to ex-
cite a commercial panic-to disturb exchanges. and
to arrest our commercial enterprises at home and
abroad-when, upon the publication of the cores
pondence ITSELF it appeared that the clamor for
was all moonshlne, and without the fimsest
shadow of a foundation The facts had been fall
slfed through the agent OF the Secretary of State,
as the correspondent of the North american. But
the frog, in attempting to puff himself up to the
dimensions of an OK, collapsed, and go exploded
this attempt to puff up the Secretary Of State to the
proportions of great minister. The elamor and
the panic in the newspapers, were intended to hide
the other bunders Of Mr. Clayton in our foreign
relations And they were numesous enough.
First, we had the policy of universal peace de-
elared-peace with the world we were, IN fact, to
have the millenium-the lion and the lamb were to
lie down together, and Kings and Presidents were
TO sleep under the same blanket. Peace and neu-
trality with all the world was the card. In few
months, in following up these extravagant ideas OF
peace and neutrality, the cabinet had compromised
the character of this republic, and had dampened
the ardent hopes of republicans all over Europe.
1t is only necessary refer to the correspondence
on the war steamer-to the indifference Of the
cabinet toward the people of Rome-to their
abandonment Of Hungary to her fate, with.
out a word Of remonstrance and, worse than
all, to their unnecessary and unauthorized inter-
ference against the supposed movement to revolu-
tionize Cuba from the slavery of Spain. In all
these things the cabinet discovered that their po-
Icy had been feeble, discredItabe, and unpopular
In their anxiety to escape to up their blum
ders they seize upon the most shallow pretext, for
a cry Of war; A quarrel is attempted with France,
q dispute is opened with Great Britain, and diff
culties are Matched up with other nations, and all
to disguise the precious blunders Of the peace po
hey. Matters are thus brought to pretty pass.
Without any real cause for war, the disputes, and
quarrels, and rumors Of war, IN which the cabinet
are involved, calculated to injure our commerce
over the whole world-to unsettle our prosperous
commercial relations, and to weaken the faith Of
the government and the credit of the States.
1t is great pity that Mr.. Clayton is a creditor
for $50, 0OO to the North american, and candi-
date for the Presidency in 1852. He may recover
his debt and enter the White House on the same
day but that day is not yet fixed on the calendar
of the future. Beer, pufIery and prayer, however.
will work wonders.