The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-01

The Year ls5s-The Successes and Draw
backs Of Mr.. Buchnnan's Administration.
One of our Seward contemporaries of this city
coolly says that 'the characteristic of our pre-
sent federal administration appears to be imbe-
cility;' that except in the matter of collecting
taxes making loans spending money, and run
ming the nation into debt, the federal govern
ment. in the hands of Cass and Buchanan, has
fallen into state of suspended animation that
everything undertaken by Mr.. Buchanan has
proved failure Thus much for the general
charges. The specifications which follow are the
failure of the administration to 'force slave
State constitution upon the Territory of Kansas"
the failure to defeat the reelection of Mr. Doug
las TO the Senate: the failure of 'the procama-
tons of the President " and of the feeble efforts
of the federal officers to stop the lbusters the
failure to prevent the revival Of the African
slave trade in the South. and The failure to pun
ish, arrest or discover the guilty parties.
Against these loose and fippant indictments
let us bring few facts TO bear. This day twelve
months ago the administration was saddled with
various troublesome legacies entailed upon it
through the ''imbecilites'' of Fillmore and
Pierce including the Kansas ENHANCEMENT, the
Mormon rebellion the Central American i'm
broglio. and the Walker ilibusters. Next, the
administration was confronted by ma
iority in Congress practically reduced to
q minority from the treacherous and de-
moralizing schemes of Presidential leaders
and cliques within the party camp. And
yet NC suppose it will be conceded by the
most INSCRIPTIONS opposition agitators that the
Kansas difficulty is practically settled against
| the institution Of slavery; that the Mormons
have been reduced to submission; that the az
fairs Of Central America, internal and interna-
tional, have been brought into good shape for
an early, definite and comprehensive settlement;
that the Walker flibusters, notwithstanding their
repeated efforts to reenter the territory and re-
assume the government Of Nicaragua. have been
arrested and defeated in every attempt by the
careful precautionary proceedings Of the admins
tration: and that while the African slave traders
were duly admonished of the unmistakablc laws Of
the United States. Of which the President is the
responsible executor, every available effort un
der the laws, has been made to punish the of
vi tut ptbtu TiaN' Nhip SCHO, anu u
discover and to bring to trial the offending par
ties, if there be any, Of the mysterious zach,
Wandercr.
These things, then are among the achieve
ments and proceedings Of Mr.. Buchanan's adj
ministration during the past year. They pre-
sent a record of lie, energy and activity, in
stead of betraying any evidences of "imbecity'
or suspended animation" Nor does the calcn
dar Of the practical work Of this administration
stop here. II has accomplished something posi-
tive and satisfactory upon that vexed, neve
ending and still beginning British issue-th
right of search. 1t has achieved much in Tn
pacifcation Of the turbulent Indian tribes. from
| Dacotab to Texas, and from Oregon to New
| Mexico it has established several highly
useful overland mail lines from the Missis
sippi river TO the Pacific Ocean, which hav'
greatly contributed TO establish the feast
bility Of Pacific railroad: and wllil
the administration has also largely extended tb
range of our commercial operations in China
Japan and elsewhere, in the Eastern hemisphere
ii has adopted method of active diplomacy will