The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-22

iss DspI smaey-Anosher Interesting Chap
ter.
We publish to-day, in the despatch Of one OF
our epecial correspon lents at Washing on. an
other very curious, very remarkable AMI highly
instructive and suggestive chapter Of the secret
history Of the Pierce Cabinet, and Of the canses
which have brought about the peculiar Euro
pean diplomacy which has contribul ed 80
much to the disparas ement Of our government
abroad and the disgrace of this administration
at home. We submit this chapter to the diges-
ton of the tinkering administration politicians
Of both houses of Congress for their special
benefit, and to our readers Of all Iarties for
their edifcation.
The Cabinet organ at Washin q on has been
very industrious in its efforts 10 delude the
country with the idea that the Cabinet is a unit
that Gen. Pierce is the Pfesident-that his
ministers are his subordinates, who emulate
each other in their generous rivalry of obeying
his Wishes and rejecting his sentiments in all
their acts; and that the domestic and. foreign
policy of Gen. Pierce has been going on,
and continues to 60, like clockwork, in its
harmony and regularity. The people have
disclosures which have been made through our
columns, within the last few weeks, betray
a condition of mutiny in the administration
camp, and such bitter and contemplate in
trigues, jealousies and prejudices among the
leading members Of the Cabinet and their
Kitchen Cabinet and diplomatic affiliations, as
cannot have failed to startle even John Coch-
rane and his confidential clique of Tammany
Hall.
1t now appears that Marcy has had vast
deal more trouble in managing Soule and his
diplomatic confr<res than any body could have
imagined. We have no doubt that those Madrid
duels brought our premier at once to the de-
termination of superseding Soule as quickly as
possible. We have given something Of the sub
sequent instructions sent out to Soule, and
have shown how he disregarded them in put
ting them into his breeches pocket. But one
important fact we have omitted lately to in
clude in the general account, which is essential
to connect the historical thread of Soule's late
diplomatic adventures. When, in pursuance of
his first instructions, evidently construed, per-
haps,) Soule had given the Spanish Cabinet
twelve hours time for an answer to his ultima
tum, and when he had received his answer in .
fat negative, there was an end, thus far, to
the business. Fresh instructions were then
sent out to recommence negotiations
upon more conciliatory footing, which,
as we have said, Soule pocketed. We
have also shown, heretofore, that he was
go indignant at this sudden change in the
Cuban policy of the Secretary of State, that he
was about to come home and expose him and
his temporizing instructions to the whole
country. But mark what follows.
Here comes in our connecting link in this
business. Our readers will remember that
several months ago it was announced by all the |
newspaper correspondents at Washington that |
the government had determined upon sending |
q special commission to Spain to assist Soule |
in his negotiations. The names Of the gentle !
men selected for this extraordinary duty were
also very widely announced as Gov. Cobb, of |
Georgia, and ex-Vice President Dallas, of |
Pennsylvania. Now we can perceive that this |
commission was the work Of Marcy, resulting |
from the Sebellion Of Soule. Marcy doubtless |
expected and desired Soule to throw up his |
Office, upon information Of the actual appoint
ment of these assistant diplomats But Mr..
Pierce was not prepared for this violent out
break with tie iim~rY stuo Frencbman. He is
daneA. .oSs ;,An wh. .. excited, and migo. wv
mischief He was allowed, therefore, to hear
first Of the project Of two assistant diplomats
at Madrid; and hearing Of it, he made it
easus beli with the administration.
And this is the explanation Of the Ostend
conference. This was the compromise agreed
upon between Marcy, Pierce and Soule. 10
lieu of Gen. Cobb and Mr.. Dallas as his two as
sistants, our French Minister to Spain had the
benefit of the wisdom and experience ofMessrs. !
Buchanan and Mason and, to avoid suspicion, |
they met him, not at Asdrid, not ct Paris, not |
at London, but hundreds of miles away, at the |
quiet but strongly fortified little city Of o. |
tend in Belgium. Meeting there, this confer
ence could not excite any suspicious at Madrid
that Cuba was at the bottom Of it; and possibly
but for the imprudent conduct of Dudley Mann,
Sickles and Sanders, and Soule himself, even
Louis Napoleon might have continued igno-
rant to this day Of the subject and the business
of the convention.
We may probably hear some thing Of the ul-
timatum OF this conference with the news of
the re-opening Of the negotiations at Madrid,
or with the intelligence of another dsre-up be-
tween our French Minister and the Spanish
Cabinet. At all events the link connecting the
departure of Soul& from Madrid with the o.
tend convention is now supplied. Marcy has
been beaten in his own game, and Cushing and
JEFF. Davis have headed him. But who
expects Cuba from this administration? The
idea is absurd. No wonder that the foreign
diplomacy Of the administration has every
where resulted SO disastrously to the President,
with such wranglings as those which have
marked the jealous intrigues between the men,