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Affairs at Washington:
The important questions now pending in Congress seem almost to be lost sight of in the all absorbing and important one, of who shall be the next President? Whilst we find the admirers of Mr. Clay warmly pressing his claims, the friends of Gen. Taylor are equally zealous in laying the ground work for his election. Of these two personages, we have but little doubt the Whigs will fix upon the latter as their choice, and with no bad prospects too, of final success. That the hero of Buena Vista is popular, the demonstrations that are now being made in his favor throughout the country attests the fact. Nor would we be surprised should he receive the nomination, to find the "line policy" party, giving him the whole of their influence.
The most prominent man among the Democrats for the Presidency, seems to be Mr. Cass. But who will receive the nomination, is difficult now to foresee. The issue will doubtless be made between those who are for the vigorous prosecution of the war, and the entire conquest of Mexico; and those who are in favor of withdrawing the army, or the line policy. These at least are our impressions from the present aspect of things in the political world; and the following remarks of a Washington Correspondent of the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, a Whig paper, confirms us in our notions;
"Much has been done and said of late here and elsewhere to bring about a distinct issue between the Administration and Whig parties on the subject of the Mexican war.
The Whigs, I think, are becoming prepared to unite upon the policy of a withdrawal to a line of defence and boundary, and to such a line as will give us Upper California. This is, in other words, the Calhoun plan, On the other hand, the Administration party--the whole Democratic party--go for conquest and annexation."