The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-11-29

OHcIcu lOI b0ipmcut W duu AlCA neo ~
lish ports, in general way, ruled quite firm, aud
with an upward tendency in rates. Sterling ex.
change closed dull at 109
The Administration and Our Foreign At
fairs-Thc Meeting OF Congress.
The two houses of Congress will re- assemble
at Washington on Monday next. The arrival
there, in the meantime, Of Mr.. Piatt, Secretary
of our Legation at Paris, with official dispatches
from several Of our ministers abroad, throws q
fresh interest upon the subject of our delicate
diplomatic relations with the Western Powers
of Europe, in connection with the line Of policy
which the President may recommend in his
annual message. Fafa
We presume there is nothing new in the
dispatches which Mr.. Piatt may have laid be-
fore the Cabinet from Messrs. Buchanan,
Mason, Soule and Be mont. We doubt not
that from our European correspondents and
exchanges, all the ma erial facts Of these off
cial papers have already been published. But
as the government only acts upon official infor-
nation, and as these dispatches doubtless
cover the official statements of all the recent
diplomatic transactions of our London, Paris,
Hague and Madrid ministers including the
congress at Ostcnd, the visit of Mr. Piatt
to Washington, at this juncture, may be
considered as the transfer of all these
proceedings to the official consideration
of the President in his message. This is
conclusive, from the fact that the foreign branch
of the message has been kept open, awaiting
advices from Europe, while all that pertains to
our domestic concerns is ready for the printer.
The question then recurs, what line of policy
will the President pursue! Complicated and
delicate as are our relations with France and
Spain, he may give US peace or war-peace
through moderate andconciliatory counsels, and
war without any very laborious or violent
efforts to accomplish it. In fact, it will be
easier to plunge headlong or stumble into war,
than to steer calmly through the reefs and
rocks and shoals among which our administra-
ton is foundcring. We know the real difficult
ties between Buchanan and Marcy The lat
ter, in separating the fishery and reciprocity
questions from the settlement of the knotty
affairs of Central America, has not only in
vaded the field of labor assigned to Buchanan,
but has, III cutting of the Mosquito question,
rendered its separate adjustment embarrassing
and rather humiliating to our Minister at Lon.
don. Having nothing else to do, therefor Q, Mr..
Buchanan has very naturally looked for employ
mept across the Channel; and has found it
in the congress at Ostend, and in the affairs Of
Soule and Louis Napoleon and France and
Spain. The principal documents brought over
by Mr.. Piatt, we have reason, also, to believe,
relate to this extra diplomatic congress at Os
tend and the programme which was there
adopted touching our complex international
relations upon the Cuba question. And that it
is come short and decisive policy may be in
ferred from the assurances which we have re-
ceived from London and Paris that it will
"give u the island of Cuba in less than six
months" U
Our readers have been fully informed of the
doings Of Soule and the young American mem
bers Of our European legations, in conjunction
with the Continental Revolutionary refugees In
London We have substantially established
these points, that the designs Of the refugees
are involved in the belligerent policy upon the
Cuba question as dictated by Soule at Osteud
that the refugees count upon the adoption Of
this policy at Washington, and war between
France and Spain against the United States;
ard that they will seize the occasion of such q
war for bringing into immediate action their
schedule Of projected Continental revolutions
from France TO Hungary.
Tn dnuht 81 nsc svoI
sche me of universal wars and revolutions, Mr.
Soule has returned to Madrid simultaneously
with the arrival of Mr.. Patt at Washington
The former has returned to carry out his pro-
gramme Of an instantaneous sale of Cuba or a
rupture, while the latter is in confidence with
the President and his Cabinet upon the i'm.
portant question of the adoption or rejection Of
the Ostend policy in the message to Congress.
What will the President do? The most mo.
mentous issues in the worlds history hang up
on this little question. How stand his Cabinet!
We know the position ofMArey. He is opposed
to Soule and the policy Of his league with the
refugees. They are aware of it. They have
accordingly taken steps TO supplant Marcy.
We are promised accordingly change in the
Cabinet, and the substitution Of Cushing for
Marcy. How stands Cushing? War to the
knife Cuba at once, and Mexico as fast as pos
sible, peace or war. Ever since his miraculous
escape from that ditch at Matamoras the voice
of Cushing has been for war. He is . Boston
man, with Texas principles. JEFF Davis the
Secretary Of war, is with him. War is his ele
ment, and Cuba the end Of his ambition. These
two men are powerful with the President The
report Of the projected changes in the Cabinet
proves it.
Still there is hope for Marcy. The ques
ton has come home upon Pierce for peace OF
war. He is timid-he is feeble---he is undo
cided. He would not betray Soule and his
confederates. He would like to get Cuba " il
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