The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-25

South, and that when the time comes, Its tone
viii be changed. All the Northern organs and
Office holders in the North are opposed to the
bill. The EUe~ing Post, the Albany .atlas,
the Buffalo Republic, vie with each other in
the fury of their attacks upon it. At Albany,
the followers of Van Buren, combined with the
supporters of William II. Seward to carry re.
solutions protesting against it. In Tammany
Hall, sufficient influence has been exercised by
men who are known to be hand and glove with
the administration. to prevent the adoption of
any thing like frank endorsation of the mea-
sure. The Collector of this Port, the nominee
of Mr.. Marcy, and the especial favorite of the
Cabinet bestows all his patronage on a Seward
organ that is decidedly hostile to the bill.
When these facts are coupled with the free soil
aud anti-slavery antecedents of Pierce, Marcy,
and Cushing. with the fraud by means of which
the President was nominated and elected with his
subsequent treachery to his friends, no one can
have any confidence in the good faith of the
administration, or believe that, ia the hour Of
need, they will really give substantial aid to the
Nebraska measure
THE PR1vATEERs AT THE AsToR House,
There is class Of small newspapers in this coun-
try, of by brid origin and questionable political
sympathies, that endeavors to struggle into no
toriety by arts that no well principled Journal
1T would stoop to employ The organs of
foreign cliques and foreign governments, alien
alike to the spirit of our institutions and our
people, they may be regarded as literary exot-
ics which can never strike firm root ia the
American soil. Unable to grapple with the
great political questions that occupy the atten-
ton of our community, they generally take
ground on side issues Of little real Importance,
or seek to attract attention by crying "wolf"
when no ground for apprehension exists Dis
coverers of mares nests and chroniclers of
small beer, they not only start the chase, but
they hunt it to death If it was not their in
terest to be credulous we should look upon
them as fools, for they exhibit the strongest
characteristic of folly by wilful perseverance
in error. To reason with or endeavor to con-
vince minds like these would be only SO much
time thrown away, for they are tickled into
ecstacies by anything like serious notice, and
become only the more obstinately confirmed in
their decisions.
An amusing instance Of this selfimportant
and exaggerating tendency has been afforded
in the attempt made by the Courier des Etats
Unis to raise controversy in support Of the
statement, which it published few days since,
with respect to the supposed secret objects of
the three Russian officers who have been sent
over to this country to superintend the con-
struction Of the line of battle ship ordered by
the Emperor of Mr.. Webb. Connecting the
arrival of these gentlemen with the re-
production IF the correspondence of Mr..
Gaillardet Of o rumor originated in the
English journals, that it was in contemplation
to fit out Russian privateers in our ports, our
sagacious contemporary at once jumped to the
conclusion that the project was in actual pro-
cess Of execution, and that we were on the eve
of being embroiled with the Western Powers.
Had spent bombshell fallen amongst us it
could not have created greayer CONSERVATION
than did this important revelation. 1t was OF
course followed by decline in public securi-
ties, and an immediate rise in the Courrier's
circulation. Three additional copies of the pa,
per were Immediately sold on the strength of
it, and since then continual interchange of
telegraphic communications has been ex-
changed between the Foreign Office and Mr.
Lasalle
The startling announcement published by
the Courier has it appears, not only thrown
the Foreign Office into confusion, but it has
also disturbed the domestic relations Of one of
our principal hotels. At the Astor House,
where the Russian officers were staying, the
whole order of things in that well regulated
establishment is upset, all foreigners being
looked upon with suspicion, and treated by the
ladies as-privateers. Although the gentlemen
in question have left on visit to the Ports
mouth navy yard, it is difficult to calm the
susceptibilities that have been aroused by the
report that they are still inmates of the house.
One hears nothing on every side but inquiries
as to which is Mr.. Grumwald and which Mr..
Sockoloff? So much for attempting to sail
under false colors.
MARTIN VAN buren, TURNING CArHoLrc-A
New MOVE FOR THE PREsIDENcY-We take the
following paragraph from the Freemans Jour
nal. 1t is an extract from letter written by
a well known Catholic gentleman OF this city,"
dated Rome, Jan. IL, 1854. Read =
Ahw evenings since attended iot &c At the residen
OF Mr. Cass, our Charge dAsirss rhs party pursly
American, ard givsn ss . compinen to ex President
vsu Bursp, Who Bss been rescns 10 Roms for tins
Ancrg the quests faces thai reoognEs ID Avng
ArneT.cE. an toll that the ex-Prsteat Is To-
quirirg earnestly into the Catholic rslg,p Hs
had t-veiAl nerences with CAl dnAi Wstman, who Is
slso here end is net unlikely that Mr. Van Bussn may
became convert