The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-06

ptdTu. Sut b1Iltu IkOm ILLS port On the 10Th ulC
for Rio Janeiro, under command Of Lieut.. Com
| j. H. Rowan.
| Congress-Rumors or an Extra SessIon-Our
Foreign RELATIONSHIPS. SOule-Spain-Ras -
sin.
1t appears from our special advices from
Washington of this morning, that they are there
discussing the expediency and the probabilities
Of q speedy call of an extra session of Con-
gress, in view Of the pressing exigencies of our
foreign affairs. Our correspondent, in this con-
nection, reports that members of the new Con-
gress are holding over to await the issue at the
White House. We understand that it will be
really necessary to have an extra session Of the
Senate to reconfirm the schedule of our consuls
abroad, whose official existence under the new
law will expire in July. This may be the extra
session talked of, but there is also plausible
occasion for an extra Legislative session Of both
houses, and upon this point passing word or
two may not be out of place with our readers.
PROFESSIONALLY, our relations with Spain
have been brought to most unsatisfactory and
alarming crisis; and the long congressional
| interregnum of nine months before us, promises
nothing but continued bad luck from the I'M
| aided efforts of our demoralzed and paralyzed
administration Congress have adjourned,
without either advice or encouragement to the
Executive upon his foreign policy in any quar-
ter of the world. They have declined giving
him the desired discretionary fund Of ten mil
lions of dollars. They have done nothing upon
our relations with Spain and Cuba, except to
call for the Ostend correspondence in one
House, and to confirm Mr.. Dodge to Madrid in
the other.
An administration thus left adrift, with its TO-
reign and domestic troubles accommodating upon
its hands, and with the wars of popular re-
volution swelling up against it on every side,
cannot fail to perceive the necessity of some
desperate stroke Of policy to keep itself upon
the surface for the remnant of its four years
probation. In this view, having been aban-
doned and deserted by Congress of his orig-
nal partisans Mr.. Pierce may possibly feel that
he could not lose much, and might gain some
thing, by throwing himself boldly upon the
magnanimty of the new opposition Congress,
on the principle that open enemies may be
more safely trusted than treacherous friends.
groundwork for these rumors of a projected ex.
ira session of both houses but we doubt the
courage Of Mr.. Pierce though he may have
the desire, to call it. Moreover, the call is to
depend upon certain indefinitely foreshadowed
contingencies, which we may possibly escape
Perhaps the most important feature Of the
present diplomatic programme Of the ad-
ruspf. fratt fc fhn ,al e..
listing between it and the Emperor of Russia
This "happy accord appears to have been very
much strengthened by the late friendly letter
received by President Pierce from the Gear,
ard through the good offices of Mr.. Senator
Douglas, between the Cabinet and the Russian
embassy at Washington. Some three years
since Mr.. Douglas made the tour OF Russia, and
his recollections of the Gar have left the re-
markable sagacity and comprehensive political
views of Nicholas deeply impressed upon his
mind. The knowledge of the Emperor of the
| power, resources and manifest destiny" of the
United States and OF his friendly policy to.
/ wards US, have left, indeed. the same impress
sion upon Judge Douglas as upon Mr.. Buchanan
| to w.t. that the Car thoroughly understands
our power and our policy in reference to
France and England, and that, in this view, the
friendship of Russia is worth maintaining.
In conjunction with Lord Clarendon's close
! alliance of the Western Powers, especially in
regard to Cuba, these friendly relations be-
tween Russia and the United States are very
significant. We have the question of peace or
war with France and England in our own
hands. A suspension for single year Of our
supplies of cotton and California gold to Egg
land and France, and of our imports in exchange
from those countries would sap the foundations
| OF their commerce. manufactures, finances
and credit systems, and bring upon Louis
| Napoleon and the English aristocracy n GER
tain and speedy revolution, in merciless re-ac-
ton from the masses of the French and Eng
lish people driven TO starvation. The United
States, on the other hand, have within them
selves all the elements for the mercantile ex.
changes for which We are apparently dependent
upon England and France. A total SUSPENSION
of our commerce with them, would be TO as hut
temporary Inconvenience, while to the other
side II wouId be iraught with disasters and ruin.
In this view of the subject, 1t is possible our
administration may be now indulgipg. In con-
pecton with the Cuba question. Possibly Mr..
Fierce, in our impteguabIe commercial bulwark
OF cotton bags, may feel bold enough 10 demand
prompt settlement from Spain OF our ont.
standing accounts against her, in the teeth Of
her French and English protectors. The ten
millions for the possible contin sency OF rup.
ture, may have been asked in this estimate of
our positive balance Of power against England
and France. 1t is, also perfectly consistent in
this calculation, to suppose tina, both the United