The true Democrat., 1857-04-14

pointed General Lewis CaSs, ot Michigan, to | Secretary of State--that is, Minister of For | eign Affairs and chief of the cabinet. There was a time when such an act would have been received in England a most serious demsn stration. General Cass is as we'll kno xn to Us by reputation as one of oRr own polticians.- From the time beyond the memory of most of us he has been in English eyes the representa- rive of the great western democracy, with all it's preiudices and aumosities. The General is said to be seventv-five years old, and during the term of his political life, he has been a minister at home, a representative III Europe and for number of years Senator from the State of Michigan. But whether at bureau in Washington. at the levee at the TullerieS or amid the clear!ngs of his western home, he has ever been the vehement dtnouncer ot Eng land, her ambition, her hatred of liberty, her designs to thwart the development and disturb the peace of the United States. The lie ot General Cass has been nearly contemporaneouS with the acknowledged independence of hls country; he remembers America thnly popu- lated and a second rate power; tue struggle of 1872 found him young man; the long war oi abuse between tory England and the touchy young democracy of America Is still fresh III his recoiections; and, like many man ot strong feelings and deeply rooted preju1ices, he has carried the traditions of one age into anoth- CT, which has little in common with 1t. In the series of disputes regarding the Maine bonnda- rv, Oregon and Texas the voice of Gen. Cass was ever violent, aud his prophecies of inevl- table war went near to cause thelr tGIhlment. At that time there existed kind of interna- tional soreness, which seems now to have pas sed away. Scarcely copy of any opposition paper in Paris was published without tlrade
 
 against the "perhdious Albion" and the Ame- rican press was not behind hand m accusations and invectives. Ireland was mad with misery and sedition; Canada was just becoming tran quillzed after a long fever ot dlscontent. Con- sequently General Cass and his speeches excit- ed no little curiosity. He was supposed to eX- press the feelings Of the majority of his coun- trymen, and to indicate the likelihood of new alliance of France and America against the mother country. But those days have passed away. The British Empire has seen discon- tent and disorder vanish from its bounds. All important points of difference between England and the United States have been settled; the communications between the two nations have increased so wonderfully as to make them for all commercial purposes single country bet ter feeling has come into existence, founded on a clearer understanding of each others circum- stances and institutions OurreationS with our nearest European nei Jhhor are of the most cor dial kind. The speeches of Gen. Ca,s and his school have therefore lost most of their impor- tance. We feel that much of such language Is mere popular oratory; much of It the prompt ihgs of restless and suspicious temper. The warlike tone s, we believe, not oue to which any large section of politicians in any country now responds, and those who still adopt 1t run the chance of being looked upon as crotchetty or antiluated.
 Yet, as Gen. Cass Is known throughout the world for his Auglophob.a, and known for It. tie else, it may be thought that Mir. Buchanan, in selecting hlm for the highest office next to his own, does not give hopes of an alministra- ton friendly to this country. On this point we can hardly pronounce all opinion. It would certainly seem that the new President Is de,i- rous to naugurate very national and inde- pendent policy in respect to American affairs, or, at least, to have the credit of the intention. But there are we believe, domestic reasons for the Presidents choice, with which foreign re- Ittious have nothing to do. Mr. Buchanan re. presents the double democracy of the north and south, and both these have to be concillated. The south, which has for years openly preacht <. the doctrines of notification and separation, wished to force on the President a man repre-. T. 'n preference to his own choice, Mr. Howell Cobb, politician well spoken of for ability ant mod ration, but too conservative and too ilttle disposed to espouse restless and violent l policy to meet the aI proval of the southern disuuion-ts. The President did not wish to 1 give up NIT. Cobb, and was determined not to nave Mr. Walker, but he was equally unwi- ! ling to commence his career by offending large | part of his supporters He has, therefore, con- ! ierrei the office on General Cass. a man popu- lT with the democracy of both sections, but tpo experienced and too patriotic to give any encouragement to exclusively southern. views. NIT. Cobh, we arc told, Is appojhted Secretary ot the Treasury, with the intention that he shall succeed General Cdss as Secretary oi State. General Ca>s Is ot an age when the du. ties of office are likely 10 be felt as a heavy burden, and it is anticipated that when the cabluet has been brou Int into working order. and the demands of party gratited, he will leave his post for the retirement of private fife. The internal policy to which the Presi- dent has given his adhesion by this double ap- poiutment IS that which the late Daniel Web ster established by the measure of 1850. Both Genera. CASs and Mir. Cobb are staunch parti- sans ot the slavery com promise of that year- II hey will sernly reprobate any tendency iu the south to set up the standard of di>uuior, or tc place their own interests above those of the whole republic, while, on the other hand. they will give no encouragement to the ab0l tionists and will oppose any attempt to limit the nun Der of slave States. Thus MT. Buchanan hopes to satisfy the desires of his compile, party, and gain for his administration q popu larIty to which his predecessor could not at tain.
 Such is the explanation given by those wh, d0 not see, or do not wish to see. in the ap poihtment of Gen. Cass an act of hostility |, this country. We believe there is much trutl In 1t, simply because in the present state O our relations any attempt to kinde discord be tween the two nations would only damage it. author. MT. Buchahan is too we'll experienced a politician, and too well acquainted with th
 country,.to bring voluntarily on his own hea, trouble and difficulty by gratutous challenge Alter all, ministerial human nature is the sam, all over the world. We find at home that ever, government Is obliged to follow pretty mucl the same course of policy: the conservativ, coniesSes that the time has come for change
 the radical that circumstances do not admit O sweeping reform; and the result is a brett, even rate of progress founded on compromis St ana open to the charge of what is called incon Sistehcv. So we suspect it will be found a
 Washington. Mir. Buchanan will limit the an piicatlon of the theory promulgated at Ostend Glen. Cass will discover that the British 20
 verament, with which he will at opce enterint, correspondence, is not a mere grasping heart
 less deSPotiSm. At the age of seventy ever the most iervid spirit is somewhat disposed t, tranquility, and we can we'll imagine that afte having made war speeches to two generation ot his countrymen, the new Secretary of Stat
 Will settle down into a sufficiently peaceful an, reasonable man of busiuess
 Perhaps we shall be unsuSpected of wishin: 10 make the best of a bad business, but we can
 not refrain from saying, that in dealing with democratic community like the United States It may, perhaps, be as well to treat throu q ministers who have reputation for stron, national and anti English spirit II is onit,