The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-23
The chrmpions or the Cabinet.

dent journals throughout the country are char
acterzing the acts OF the administration in the
language they deserve. The period Of proba-
tion-indulgently extended far beyond its natu-
raj limits-is in fact. now past, and we can see
al a glance how thoroughly bad the whole course
81 the present Cabinet has been. From the first
appointment of free sellers to domestic Offices,
and The nomination of French socialists and
Jew clerks to our foreign missions, to the last
administrative proceeding in Marcy's depart
ment-hs treatment Of poor Gibson-and Mr..
Guthrie's compulsory dismissal of Collector
Bronson-all has been uniformly, consistently
bad Honestly, we cannot discover, in the
whole official catalogue, one single redeeming
feature Those members Of the Cabinet who
have not doae wrong, have done nothing; those
who have done anything have done wrong.
Cushings letter TO Lester, Dayiss speeches in
New York and at Newark Guthries letter to
Bronson, Campbell's Post Olice despatch, and
above all. Marcy 5 foreign correspondence and
his unbridled nepotism in the division Of the
spells, are all harmonious parts Of disgraceful
though homogeneous whole; and as we said,
the independent press are now beginning to see
it everywhere to tell the truth at last.
A contrast between the course pursued by
these journals and that Of the administration
organs throws a world of light on the true
merits Of the points in discussion. In the for
mer, so far as we have been enabled to judge,
the various official acts Of government have
been canvassed, whore they deserved it, with
marked severity. ButEo Independent Journal
has assailed Marcy's private life, or attacked
Cushing's domestic character. or abused Guth-
RE as an individual, or turned aside from
broad questions Of principle TO indulge in per-
sonslites against members of the Cabinet. They
have been charged openly with their faults; but
none OF their assailants have condescended to
impute motives or insinuate mean reasons for
the acts complained Of Rightly understanding
that the people of this country, sitting in judg-
ment on the administration, would not listen to
irrelevant testimony, or be swayed by evidence
foreign to the great issue, the independent
press has strictly confined itself within the
scope Of this issue, and has not at this moment,
to blush for single ungenerous imputation, a
ton Of the proprietes of polite discussion.
Strange to say, there is not one Of the govern
ment papers Of whom the direct converse OF this
proposition is not true. To begin with the
Uaion-its attack upon the correspondent of
the London Times is fresh in everybody's mem
DRY. This writer had spoken i'll of the govern
ment--showed how unpopular it had become
prophesied the revival of the Van Burenites
&c. The Union did not try 10 refute these pro-
positions, but abused one Mr. Lester-attacked
him for his youth, assailed him for his manhood,
abused him as private individual called him
names for his conduct, many years before, in an
official station talked Of his characteristic eff
frontery," his "disgraceful abuse Of trust" his
disgusting and infamous misconduct"-and
finally wound up with groan for 9 a whip Of
scorpions, to lash the traitor naked through the
world" Very conclusive, certainly!
In like manner when this journal exposed the
traitorous designs Of the Cabinet and their OBJ
yious consequences, what was the reply-cchoed
and re-echoed throughout the press that Mr..
Cushing leads Not that we did the government
wrong, but that Mr.. Bennett had applied for a
mission to France. Not that our facts were I'M
true but that he was !. base and malignant
Not that our differences could be questioned, but
that lie wes a man constantly abused Not that
Marcy, Cushing and Davis were good men, but
that he, Mr.. Bennett, was called bad one by
his enemies and his rivals in business. All this.
and more of the same order has filed the gov
eminent organs for weeks. Hear the Cincin-
natl Enquirer establish the virtues Of the
administration, by styling Mr.. Bennett a per
son who disregards the decencies and proprie-
ties Of life,' man destitute of shame as Of
character" skilled in defamation and false
hood, !" "bold in rascality and yenal effrontery,r
&c, &c. Hark to the Richmond Enquirer
one so well known for the fairness Of its course,
the moderation Of its language, and the calm
logic Of its reasoning bark to its unanswera-
bic evidence Of the moral and political worth
Of the Cabinet in the following phrases: Ben
nett was ready to plunge into this abyss of
inamy" (mcaning thereby the defence of the
Union against the free soilers) -he had the
audacity to aspire"--he 'lay in pit'--he was
"like an outcast devil" The President shrank
"spurned with the foot > &C., &c. Our readers
NAV possibly he more successful than we have
been, in endeav oring to elicit any meaning from
these singular and highly fguratiye expressions
Tor our part,we confess that, like vast number
Of other attacks, they seem to US TO be mere
meaningless twaddle, just such stuff as has been
launched at the head Of every man whom genius
or fortune has raised above the level of his fell
lows. The government editors have margin
left yet ere they equal in savage malignty the
assailants Of Thomas Jefferson or General jack
son in this country; Wellington or Peel in Eng
land; Louis Philippe or Napoleon in France.
They must study their originals afresh, and dip
their pen anew in gall.
We only allude to them to show how pain
fully consistent the administration is in its poll
ey. 1t was observed Of certain king, that if