The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-05
Cur Washington Correspondence.

no and the East indies by sailing West
Cur Washington Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, May !, 1854.
The Real Position If the Acknowledgement ,chdt Mey
think Of Themselves
To of Washington II is really impossible to ap
preciate the profound obscurty which the admins
tration per Sc has fallen. Never before during
citing session of Congress and when events of the great
est moment TRANSPORTING in every portion Of the civil
lied world, the administrative Of govern
ment reduced to absolute cypher at preseat With
the exception of members of Congress- claim agents
boring at tie different departments, and here and there
green democrat astray from the country, who goes
stare at the President the White House and its appurte
might WELL for all practical affairs be removed
beyond the Rocky Mountains. The government has not
force of character strength ideas sufficient either to
originate important measures to resist abuses An
intense and sagnant inanty has settled upon the whole
Wsst End parayzDg and destructive than the ogs
that rise from the shores of the Potomac From the
first moment of its organization the members of the go
vernment have employed the whole of their energies
defending their position and trying preserve their
own regulations. Like a company Of coons and
'possums who have stumbled into possession of a
beaver dam their whole time is engaged in
petty and absurd measures to proong their occupancy
snug and comfortable a home-unmndful of those
middle Of the great stream which else, at the first
freshet, will sweep all away.
Az to General Pierce himself his state Of mind may be
characterized helpless compound of dsmay and de-
lection He feels keenly his want Of strength and de-
termination to carry out the right even had he the poll
one Of those amable, well meaning men, so excellent in
the private walks Of e and dangerous the welfare
of nations when entrusted with political power. The
generally received ideas about the influence over
him by certain individuals greatly exaggerated His
nature is Of putty the last hand that presses it OBJ
own In
their stead He is beach of sand from granite State
upon which every succeeding writes its brief history
to be washeu away by its follower He has long since
given up the hope Of signalling his administration by
any act redounding to his personal fame and sits
councils schemes and projects Of his advisers Mr. For
ney who cunningy allows the public to magnify his in
perquisites valuable is very seldom with the
President, and Is in no particular favor with any
member Of the Cabinet His principal eoadstors are the
government advertising and its industrious gossip and
twadele, they say has begun TO Pay pretty we'll The
confidence in it. Forney who, If not owner is at
least dictator Of its general course, is also the
trolling editor of the Union But neither Of these papers
nor any other paper, either in Washington or else
where speaks the sentiments OF the administration In
isolated itself from the Of public opinion,
from the pervadng activity Of the times as illustrated
japanese or Chinese empire suddenly to tho
midst of Anglo-Amercan civilization and rubbing its
eyes and praying to its wooden gods in CONSERVATION at
rushing by. Not member OF the administration has
any idea Of the press nor what II Is accomplishing ia
the present age. Mr. Cushing who is called by his few
admirers, picked along the shore after the great Tyler
wreck the ''master spirit of the administration is, in
that position, as feeble child to grasp the difficulties
by which he is surrounded. He is OF talent,
doubtless, and is calculated to exert strong
personal influence his friends But minister
he is deficient in every essential quail icaon. He has
neither apprehension He guide ignorant
Of the path in which he has attempted to conduct the
benghted Travellers liable at every moment himself to
be n
His fate is inevitable for his selfconce blinds him to
his true position and ne really imagnes he Is sailing
filing with water and already begins to reel and stagger
with the throes Of sinking
possesses any sembance of individuality force. But
he is in his doage and it would be absurd dignity his
obstnacy and self will with the of power Satu-
rated with the old exploded ideas mbibed Mr. Van
Buren,, he ngercr the after the school is
up snd the master c & relic Of sy
sent generation His political is long since ended
and his public life does not contain throb OF vitality
While the people arc struggling their shoulders in pity
for his mbecity, he fondly magines that he is laying
vast schemes and playing an immense game for the
the debis Of PIERCE Cushing, Forney Co., what
next?
As to Messrs Guthrie Davis Campbell and the rest,
there really not enough Of their present position
make a paragraph. They go through the routine if
their duties and twice thrice week the exqui-
site farce along with the others of grand Cabinet
consultation upon nothing What mighty questions
are discussed there' What comes Of it alR Has any
on the whole, it appears me- from what your paper
tells meofuour Board Of Aldermen and Councilmen that
the administration Of the general government and that
Of the commercial metropolis, are very nearly on
They exhibit the same unmistakabe symptoms Of polt
cal arophy, marked by the presence of wide spread
and eating corruption which points 10 death the only
relief. You have in New York advantage over the
country your patient viii die and be decently buried
out OF sight in few months, while the other
tnue to exhaust forbearance and poute the
Nux voMIcA.
An END TO SPECULATION or THE FART OF THE
CNTTD STATES n1 AGENTs The Secretary OF the
Interior is sending out through the heads OF the diff
fernt bureaus Of his department the folio wing circular
addressed TO each Of the army Of agents
his authority 1t efeetualiy closes the door to their fa
tnre use OF the public funds in the hands Of Of hcm
except as directed by the laws Of the department -
"An arrangene ut having been made by the Treasury
Department under which the Assistant Treasurers
United States TT the various leading commercial ponts
throughout the country become dcposare Of the pub
lie funds the dsbursing agents connected with this de-
Iartnent hereby instructed 10 avail them Of
facilities thus afforded, az far practicable, By deposit
ing with those officers such funds not wanted for
immediate use, aud drawing the same from time time,
as they may be required
"Tis arrangement has been made for the accommoda.
ton and security OF disbursing officers In view of the
heavy responsibility resting upon them under the prov
sions contained In the sixteenth section act 9th
august 1916 as found on page es Statutes at large
volume ., to which, in all its details attention is spe
ciay drccted and II s therefore, expected that the in
strucons above given will be strictly compiled with and
that hereafter no dsbursng agent Of this department
will draw draft check person other than
the officer with whom his funds herein directed to be
kept
PAY OF PosTMAsrERs.-The first assistant Post
master General has written letter, In which he says
postmascrs allowed cent the delivery each
free letter except such TO themselves They
not allowed any commissions, however for the delivery
Of printed matter made free BY the of members Of
Congress.