New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-07-19
MIR. Webster i'm the Cabinet.

They tell us from Washington it is settled
that Mr.. Webster goes into the Cabinet, tax
ing once more the post of Secretary of State.
We could wish different arrangement had
been made, and we believe such was also Mr..
Webster's desire. lie has nothing to gain
in position nor reputation bydischarging ably
the duties Of that post, while pecuniarily he
must lose by it. 1t is about the worst paid
Office under the Government, and Mr.. Web
ster is reputed poor without being frugal
There is no sense in paying $4,000 per an
mum alike to all the Heads of Departments.
A Secretary Of State must entertain the
crowd Of Representatives Of Foreign Pow
era at Washington--mustd do it often and LAS
\ the world goes) sumptuously. The success
full discharge of bis duties may often depend
on the plentitude Of his hospitality and the
richness of his viands. There ought to be
$1,000 deducted from the salary of each of
the other Heads of Departments and added
to that of the State. Or $1,000 might be
taken from the Presidents and added to that
of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs. We
doubt whether there is any Government of
Europe whose salaries are so badly appor-
toned as ours. We pay too much in sal
aries, but distribute it heedleSsly. There is
no sense in paying $4,000 alike to our En-
bassadors to London, Paris, Madrid, Next
90 and Rio Janeiro, but we do it. There is
no sense in paying a Collector. or District |
Attorney as much as a Secretary of State
And yet, as we always equalize by putting
up, almost never by cutting down, we don't
care about any movement for change.
But to return to Mr.. Webster. Some
object to his going into the Cabinet because
he has not done the fair thing of late con-
corning Slavery in the Territories. On the
contrary, we shall be glad to see him there
on that account. Nobody has more 6orcibly
argued that the Wilmot Proviso Though it
once was my thunder has become totally
unnecessary-a useless abstraction-an idle
'resnactment of the laws of God' No man
has more efficiently argued that Slavery, in
the absence of any express legal restriction,
would not, because it could not, be planted in
any of the New Territories not surrendered
to Texas. This, we trust, is partly true,
but not to the extent affirmed by Mr.. Web
ster. But his assurances are on record; he
is to 60 down to pOsterity as prophetic
Statesman or deceiving renegade as they
shall be justified or dishonored. He is Just
the man to be in the Cabinet as this crisis.
His all is at stake on the preservation of the
Territories to Freedom. If Slavery should
.contrive to appropriate them while he held
the post of Premier, what cavern would be
dark enough to hide him from the indigna-
ton of those he had so fatally deceived?
But again: his appointment is the
very thing for our Southern brethren
They have taken him to their hearts this
session, and the honeymoon is not yet over.
They are now VIGOROUSLY eager for his re-
call TO the State Department, and Will loud
" applaud the choice. When the ComHro-
mise shall fail-as We judge that it IS to
10 fail, from the symptoms of weakness
and irresolution manifested by its support
era in the Senate-the issue with Texas
can no longer be evaded. She will (if she
shall not have previously done it, attempt
TO clutch New-MexicO by force, and the
President will be compelled to resist. What
Mr.. Webster's course viii be, must be, no
one who knows his history can doubt He