The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-11-05

The New Era" is dissatisfied with this
statement says that il defes all the OWNERS
and augnrs in the world, To predict from this,
whether Vera Crnz is or is not tobe attacked by
The naval force ot the country, whether San Juan
d'Ulloa is to fall by that arm of the national ne.
fence. or moi" 1t urges tina, the editor has +" re-.
peatedly protested against the MYSTERY and 81.
lence which have yelled the designs of our 90.
vernment, and their proposed nudes Of action. as
anti republican, and savoring of despotism |: and
we have not seen ANYTHING in tho development
which should induce us TO change our opinion -
IL contends that il is this mystery, which has
given rise to all E" the empty and shallow rumors
that are bred. and the speculations that are
thrown out in the whig newspapers about the pro-
qress of the war, and which, g would be para
lyzed. or never he permitted to appear, if an open.
frank, and generous confidence in The people was
exhibited, who, we feel assured, from extensive
observation, would warrant and defend the policy
OF This war with Mexico, and would rejoice Ia
see II prosecuted with a vigor that would crush
instantly every hone of uur enemy and the world.
Of a possibility Of failure ON our part"
Can the " New Era, be serious in taking these
positions2 We ask il with all The respect we
feel for its editor. He ought To know that the
present administration has mo desire TO mystify its
acts, or la withhold any light from the people
which their true interests may require To be dis
seminated. He must also do us the Justice To ad-
nit that no journal in Washington has ever taken
more pains To collect official information from all
departments of the government, and scatter il
among The people, SO anxiouslv and as far as we
properly could. than the " Union" has dome
But dies not the New Era" see. at once, that
a certain state of our foreign relations, and espe-
cialiy a period of war; requires much prudence,
and imposes much caution that the movements
OF our armies and sqnadruns ought not always TO
be promulgated until they have been accomplish.
ed THAT If you mean Ia strike a blow al the
enemy, you must not 90 To The house tops and ap.
prize him of your intentions 2-that he would be
the first to thank as well as ridicnle Won for your
candor 2-that what he is most DESTROYS TO know
is. at what point You mean TO strike at him, that
he may prepare himself To parry and defeat your
blows 1t would be. indeed, a new mode of car.
rying on the war, utterly unknown to ancient
and modern times-to democratic states as well
as TO mona rchies-to proclaim your plans of a
campaign by The sound of the trumpet for several
weeks before we are prepared 10 execute them
Santa Anna would indeed, be obliged to us, il we
were tn tell him. On such a day we shall strike
at Tampico-on such another we shall attack
Vera CrGz-we snail advance upon your capital
by such and such a road-we mean to take no ad-
vantage of you-and therefore he you well pre-
pared TO oppose u.s." But The whole thing is too
amusing for serious refniation. We see as we'll
as the New Era" the numerous fables which
me wing presses are throwing into circulation
sometimes 10 fill their idle cnlumns-sometimes
to indulge the prurient curiosity of their readers
and sometimes to thwart the plans of the adj
ministraiion itself, and advise the enemy Of its
We are sometimes amused, tho, at
the ridiculous speculations which they form about
The plan of the campaign, Such as the scheme,
which was recently put forth in a very g~ossiping
paper of New York, and which we are surprised
to see copied into a very respectable journal of a
| AatrhL.r.-- "a. d.. =,
see, that if the administration were TO throw off
all mystery and reserve, and save the federal
press all The trouble of guessing, these presses
would only change their batteries They would
he the first to criticise the movement before
hand, and abuse its authors. and impede lis prepa-
rallons, and defeat its success2 But we have
met the complaints Of the " New Era loo much
at length, and nothing bat the respect which we
feel for that paper could have induced us to treat
its position so gravely.