The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-01-06
Mr.. Buchanan ana His Cabinet.

i places al full rates.
Mr.. Buchanan and His Cabinet.
Nothing that has occurred in the history of
the government Of these United States is better
calculated to shake the faith Of the political
economist in our republican institutions than
| the recent events and disclosures at Washington
ofextensive and deepseaied demoralizations,
corruptions and treacheries in the Cabinet.
They comprehend the robbery of the Treasury,
the ruin of its credit and the overthrow of the
government; and not, as ii would appear,
through the mere recklessness of dishonest
agents, but through deliberate revolutionary
conspiracy. With such revelations before us,
we cease to be incredulous concerning the dark
intrgues Of the old Venetian oligarchy, or the
bloody instructions Of the Borgias; for we are
prepared to believe in any enormties Of Of
fetal treachery and crime, when convinced
that they involve traitors and plots in the high
places of our government to overthrow it, and
to drench this fair land in the blood Of sweep
ing civil war.
With the disruption Of the Democratic Con-
4 vention at Charleston last spring, the election
| Of the republican Presidential ticket became
moral certainty. 1t is known, too, that the
leaders Of the secession movement in the South
conspired to break up the democracy,
in order to create convenient excuse
for 'precipitating the cotton States into revo-
luton" 1t is known that Messrs Cobb,
| Thompson and F1oyd-members at the time of
| Mr.. Bnchanan's Cabinet-activeIy co-operated
with the seccssionists in this initiative step to
| disunion-the disruption of the democratic par
| ty. 1t is no longer doubted that in this way
these aforesaid individuals, as officers Of the
government Of the United States, sworn to sup
port the constitution and while living upon the
| federal Treasury, have done good service to
the conspirators engaged in the work of de-
stroyng the government, the Union, and the
peace Of the country.
Mr. Cobb, the late Secretary Of the Treasury,
| while engaged in the important business Of
making a loan in behalf of the government,
betrayed, if we are not mistaken, his faith
lessness in this city, in preaching secession and
| disunion. His work in the Cabinet as dis
unionist, was accomplished only when he had
reduced the Treasury to bankruptcy, and then
he left it only to 60 more directly into the bust
ness of revolution. Mr.. Thompson, as Secre-
| tary Of the Interior, leaves Washington
in the capacity also, of disunion am
bassador from Mississippi to North Ca
rolina. and returns to his office to be
informed that frauds have been discovered in
his department to an amount somewhere be-
tween eight hundred thousand and three mil
lions of dollars. His virtuous indignation calls
for an immediate inquiry into the business; and
l ng i'm ic ha ft,raa
ems to resign his place unless the President
shall abandon his purpose of protecting the
government property at Charleston.
This is cool; but we have a cooler specimen
of Official modesty in the late Secretary of War,
Mr.. Floyd. Morally convicted of extensive
jobs in fort sites, army transportation contracts,
| and things Of that sort, he watches for his OPP
| portunity. He finds IL in the movement Of
Major anderson from Fort Moulrie to Fort
Su,nter-a movement which every patriotic
| man must commend. but which j. SO very dis
tasteful TO the Secretary of War that unless re-
bukcd and countermanded he will throw up
his commission. The President says very we'll,
and Mr.. Floyd leaves his department as an
offended patriot, although to rs he appears
very proper subject for Congressional COM
mittce.
Mr.. Buchanan is generous and kind hearted
man, and from his social intercourse with these
aforesaid members Of his Cabinet. he was, no
doubt. disposed to trust them and believe
them even against the evidences Of his own
senses. They deceived him, however, even
in their professions Of personal regard-they
betrayed him in every way. Otherwise, we
dare say, Secretary Cobb would have been dis
missed three years ago; Floyd about the same
time. and Thompson the moment be was sus-
pected as aiding and abetting the conspirators
plotting the destruction of the government.
This new man, Mr.. Thomas, advanced TO the
place Of Cobb in the Treasury, appears to be
patriot Of the same school-pocketing the
emoluments Of the government as an officer
while filing the other character of a sympa-
thizcr with its enemies. He should not have
been retained in the Cabinet another hour
after presuming TO dictate TO the President the
terms upon which he would continue to serve
him. II is the duty of every officer Of the
federal government TO serve il with an undi-
vided loyalty. No man can serve two mas
ters:' no Cabinet officer can serve the govern
ment Of the United States and the independent
nationality Of South Carolina at the same time.
We have indicated our specifications against
the parties concerned. Had they been looked
after in season with rigid justice. Mr.. Buchanan
would have had no divided counsels in his
Cabinet at this crisis: no discoveries of
treachery, no disclosures Of thousands aud mil
lions OF funds lost through frauds and spolia-
tons in the Executive departments no warn
ngs Of the march OF an armed mob upon the
city Of Washington no dark hints Of revou-
uonery assassins, and none Of his present
Cabinet embarrassments in the execution Of
his offcial duties He has commended himself