The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-03-20
Bucfr5NkNsIJ CABINET. : !.

Il
The intelligent and discreet Washington
correspondents Of the Richmond Wing gives
the following review or President Buchanan's
Cabinet:
The Cabinet,as il Is, is a curious conglom-
Grafton. First. there isold General Cass, up
wards OF seventy wears old, an oificr h"lder
from the day he was twenty-one, with few
brief intervals only--nnd distinguished by no
feeling, or sentiment in common with the
Southern Democracy, or indeed Southern
men Of any party. As for his capacity TO ill
credltably the position Ia which he has been
appointed, it NAV well be doubted. Lord
John Russell (who ought to know once
said in the British Parliament thai Gen. Cass
knew no more about international law than
the manin the muon-and This declaration
of Lord John Russell is, suspect, the bot
tom OF much of Gen. Cass' traditional hostil
ny to the Britt b Government. His reputa.
lion as n diplomatist has been made prnri.
pally BY the periodical delivery in the Sen
! ate of long, verbose, and unintelligible
speeches, touching our foreign relations
These have been printed and paradeG all over
the country, and, on the principle of omne
ignotumpro nragnifco, The mass of the PEG
pie have given him the credit of being an ac-
complished dplomatisl. Ii will probably ap.
pear, before the close of his term of ser.
vice, how much Of truth there il in this pop.
ular opinion OF his diplomatic abilities.
The Secretary Of the Treasury, Howell
Cobb, is a man Of fair abilities, and fine per-
sona characier. A few years ago he rem
dcred himself obnoxious To the mass of the
Southern Democracy by his advocacy of the
compromise tneasures. as against the seces
sion, disunion and fllibustering policy of the
extremes of ibe, Southern school. Accor.
dinghy, we may look out f,r n blast of in
dignation sat his appointment, from the
Charleston Mercury. New Orleans Delta,
and other organs of the disnnioniss of the
South. Cobb IL n man Of compromises and
expedents-and his installation ms Cabinet
officer will he the signal gun of the Com
mrncement Of u virulent opposition To Bnch-
anan's administration in the Southern States.
The Secretary of the Navy, Isaac Toucey,
of Connecticut may be quoted, in the Ian
guage Of the cotton market, rs being "!rom
fair to mddling" He was Secretary of War
for time under Polk, and is one Of those
men who have never done anything either
good or bad. As n Senator, he has been re.
markable only for making speeches on every
question that came up. without advancing n
single original or striking idea in discussion.
He has the mert-if merit it my be called
-of having been a consistent Democrat all
his life, following blndlv in the wake of his
party, and moved abont like purpri by men
Of greater will and more unbnshing nudnc
iiy. He is n man OF immense wealth; and,
like Cass, cings TO Office with tenacily that
knows no abatement.
Elk Governor Floyd, the Secretary Of War,
is of course well known in Virginia. For
further particulars inquire Of Gizzard foot
Floyd's abilities cannui be disputed; and his |
adm nistration of the War Department will
be able, vigorous and energetic.
Ofthe Others Brown, 7 hompson md Black,
perhaps the least said the soonest mended-
They nre of about the same cal hre rs Nc. |
CIeland and Campbell of the present Cab
met.
Taking the Cabinet rs n whole, it will not
favorably compare, in point of administrative
ability, or character for craftsmanship, with
the Cabinet of President Pierce. II appears
ut once rs n combination of broken down
politicians and men of negative qualities.