The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-16


have quieted the fears of Marcy in consenting
to the warlike programme for the 3Oth Of
June. Who knows?
The Condition of Our Repablic- vlddling
While Rome Is Burning.
Our readers cannot have forgotten that me-
morable incident in history which illustrated
the utter heartlessness OF q Roman Emperor,
who amused himself with an instrument Of
music while the houses of his people were in
fame s. and their household gods were irreve-
means solitary example of the heartlessness
and cruelty Of princes and rulers, or of the
selfshness and want OF sympathy they so gene
rally display towards those over whom they
bear sway. When, on the contrary, we find
that historical rarity, good and wise go
vernon Of men, we revere his memory, we stu
dy bic character, we immortalize his name.
Yet the greater number Of the grea. have
welded power with but little virtue or grace,
and civilization which has submitted to volun-
tary and constant subsection for the sake of or
der and security, has reaped but tears and sor-
row from the unworthy masters it has ooeyed.
Nor can we latter ourselves that our own
republican institutions impst much greater
purity to our public men, or always animate
them with virtue in the discharge Of their pub
lie duties. 1t ia melancholy fact that we
have no monopoly of integrity in our own
country, if we Judge from the management Of
its affairs. If we wish to know the true cause
OF the advocacy of q public law, we have too
often to look under the table Of the commit
tees who may have it in charge. There we
shall lind some sordd politician, who lies perdu,
waiting for q contract or Q snug place. the
real object Of the scheme by which legislation
is to be bamboozled Is q foreign town bonn
baIded and set on fire? Some miserable stock
jobbing speculator has befuddled the admins.
tration with his quodlibets and auidli5ets into
becoming the promoters of his high pressure
schemes of sudden wealth and mushroom re-
sponsibility.
II warlike message comes laundering
along from Washington, driving our mer-
chants to their wits end, we hold it to the fire,
and there, the invisible ink becoming visible,
we perceive it's real meaning, and that it is all
fam, mere fetch to operate upon some
Sixth ward, or the foreign policemen Of New
York, at an approaching election!
1t would at times seem as if every public act
Of every public man in this country originates
in some concealed and contemplate motive;
and it is this state of decadence into which
public honor seems falling. which gives such
bitterness to the denunciations which now and
then the Independent preas is compelled to
utter
We almost begin to think that here, as in the
time Of Walpole in England, there is price
at which every politician may be bought.
Otherwise we could not be subject to the con-
tinual disorders and misfortunes which cloud
light and the most certain knowledge.
Beyond all question, our national affairs were
never in q more entangled condition than now.
We are informed on good authority that we
have been recently grossly insulted by q
French Minister, in the persons of the Military
Commission sent out by our government for an
official examination into the operations Of the
Crimea. The American officers, it is asserted,
were rudely refused . modest request to visit
the works about Paris, and were hidden s'Good-
bye till the first gun shot was fred"
This is straw in appearance, but if true,
which we very much doubt, it indicates the
current as correctly as ship riding at her
anchor.
But we have news, also, that large division
Of English gunboats are to amuse themselves
off our coast in the course of few weeks.
English muskets, no longer wanted in Turkey,
can be had at 95 6s each by Costa RIGA; and an
American steamer, the Orizaba, is effectually
captured on her arrival at San Juan by the
boats Of an English frigate assuming the inso-
lence and the manners of Japan, who row
around her and threaten her with violence.
Spain has refused to apologize for firing
into one of our steamers off Havana and our
means of communication with California by
sea are endangered, if not destroyed.
Our negotiations on all these subjects are
unfnished, and likely to be. We are clearly
in the right in every poeiiss but somehow or
other we come to no eoasl~ions whatever.
Why is all this? Why il every patriotic and
honest American heart grieved at this misera-
BILE aspect Of our foreign relations?
Who are these fddlers that are amusing
themselves at our expense The answer is
plain enough. They are the men who, to use
famous saying of De Witt Clinton, are con-
tinually "purring and housing over petty
schemes of political advancement" They are
the President-making, Cabinet seeking, Fo-
reign-N ission-hunting demagogues, who would
sacrifice The honor and interest Of their coun-
try in moment, n they could succeed in ad-
vancing themselves. 1t is the local politicians
of the States, having each an electoral
vote in his pocket, who are gaping and
thirsting for Office and ready for .
trade. It is the worse than fools who
.a,,ld rather rule in Pandemnninnn than