The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-12

lcoRRrsPosDEscE OF THE REPUBLIC. /

MAY IL, 1000.
Learning that allosons in the portion of my
letter of yesterday referring the appointment of
Colonel Meriwether to New Mexico have been
conceived to convey a slur upon Kentuc kians, L
hasten to say that such not my purpose, and
to express sincere regret al having thus uninten-
tionaiIy caused any gentleman from that State to
feel aggrieved, in the hurry in which / am neces-
sarily compelled to prepare these letters for the
press. The bearing of those gentlemen from Ken
lucky, who have been among us since the 4th of
March last, has been eminently correct, as can
with pleasure testify from personal observation
The public are surmising wonderful things be
cause the Administration are reported for so long
time to be engaged in selecting the programme
OF representatives Of the United States abroad of
all grades The wonder arises principally from
the prevalent ignorance of the importance, deli.
cacy, and difficulty of the task. MANY around
me seem to be impressed with the idea that this
duty may be properly discharged by dividing out
the foreign missions for the most part among the
intimate personal friends Of the Executive and the
members OF his Council on the deyish-cIever
fellow principle. Consequently, it is Just now no
uncommon thing to hear it said that this or that
WINDY gentleman is surely to get this full mission
or that capital chargeshp, because of his late per.
sonal intimacy with the President or Secretary A.
or secretary h. Never were more erroneous cal
culatlons made than in thus fancying that in the
present necessities of this Government abroad,
and of "the party at home, any such childish
considerations will be for moment entertained in
any such connection. 1t is clearly ascertained that
the Administration are sensible of the importance
of the prevalence of greater degree Of energy,
sagacity, attainments, and caution in our foreign
ministers at this time than before within the
last thirty-fve years California has, as though
by magic, made us a dangerous commercial rival
OF Britain throughout the world, having given our
commercial men ample means of, in turn, giving
ample play to their truly American go-aheadative-
ness. The Administration therefore clearly fore
see that the recent impetus which has been given
to our commercial progressiveness cannot fail to be
met with redoubled efforts the part of all the old
governments to check us everywhere. On the part
of England, because, as before intimated, her com
ercial downfall must date from the hour ia which
we seriously commence to compete with her in the
markets of the world. And the part Of the other
powers, because they too shrewd not to realize
that the rapid spread of our commerce is synony.
NOUS with the equally rapid spread of the princi-
plies with reference TO the rights of the citizen
and the man which have had most TO do in max
ing Us so powerful, happy. and wealthy in ost1ort
ume-ln day, as 1t were, when estimating by the
lifetime of nations. There never was more up
propitious moment than the present for seeking
the commercial favor Of the reactory governments
which the commercial necessities of our people
render just now SO peculiarly important to US
They Ohe reactory governmental stand one and
all over popular volcanoes scarcely beyond the
reach Of the lighted match of American ideas, at
any moment they may permit those ideas to be
carried about with impunity their dangerous
A.
clever fellows for American representatives. abroad
will be so exceedingly inefficient for desirable
ends, and SO entirely out of place. that neither the
President nor any member of the Cabinet dreams
of permitting personal considerations to weigh a
feather in guiding their Judgment as to the pro.
prety of appointing this or that aspirant for such
positions.
The condition of 'the party" too, is really
such to compel them, even if not so Inclined To
turn deaf ear to tales of former personal reJa.
lions urged as arguments in favor of the appoint.
ment OF aspirants for such places Powerful. as
"the party" has not before been since the days of
Andrew Jackson, the reunion making it 60 DOW
erful was In great part one Of expediency leaving
each wing not yet 30 freed from the tramme]s of
it's peculiar views or isms, that they NAV not
be resumed ere half the next session of Congress
expires, If those who have greatest weight in shap.
ing the policy of the different branches of the par
ty do not lind 1t to their interest TO make the re.
union permanent In such condition of thinrs
you may rely on il that member of the present
Government of the United States is so deficient in
sa gacity to dream of failing to use all of the
foreign department patronage to the end of con.
solidating "the party" where that can possibly be
done without doing injustice to the public service
No other branch OF the parona ge of the Executive
afjrding 1.-THE of the opportunities for preserving
harmony among the harmonious, he who dreams
that an atom of the political strength which rests
in utterly ignoring personal considerations in
making these particular appointments, practically
reasons that we have children, not men, CONNIE
tent to make their mark on the history of the
times, at the head of the Government We will
get their foreign department programme in due
time; when shall be much surprised if the adrot-
ness of the coast" from beginning to end, will
not satisfactorily account for the length of time
devoted to its arrangement. By-the-bye, Gov
ernor Tom Seymour, of Connecticut, is not
an applicant for a foreign mission, either in
person or through frends-nor has he been at
any time; so those calculating on seeing his name
in the list soon to appear in the Washington
Union, will be disappointed, probably.
There is more trouble about appointments for in.
terror New York. The selections of Mr.. Diokie
for the Buffalo post office and Mr. Talcott for the
collecorship at Oswego, being reviewed in
cabinet council. Mr.. Benuy is here, working hard,
have reason to believe to have Talcott's set aside
and his own name substituted in place of it, Yet
have little notion that he will succeed for two sp-
parently sufficient reasons, viz: lst Because in
making the appointments for interior New York,
the Character, Claims and political effect of the
lection of every gentleman taken, were canvassed
with far more severity than ever before used
in ta- work of getting the right men for such
places This seems to me to preclude the poesi-
bility that any sound objections can subsequently,
be urged. And, in the next place. because "the
State for the interior of New York is necessarily
a sort of card-house-it being next to impossible
to char ge any one element going to make up the
whole, without bringing about general tumble
down.
hear that the Hon. Mr. Savage of Tennessee
has bagged couple of route (maiI) agencies for
two of his constituents, Messrs John w Ford and
Thomas J. Ursery. They are to do duty on the
Chattanooga and Nashville railroad
To-day the prospect of the appointm Mt of Breyet
Colonel Mansfield, of the Engineer Corps, to the
vacant Inspector Generalship lie considered next.
Colonel NJ is understood not to be n applicant for
the position. He ia Democrat and was orief-