Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-02-11
GEN. TAYLOR,s LETTER.

The Executive of the United States has. at
last, noticed the letter of this gallant officer, but
the notice taken of it is in 80 contemplate
manner, as to merit the scorn Of all. Since the
publication of this unwecome letter TO Mr. Polk.
the General Regulations Of the Army have been
examined TO see if the record did not afford some
pretext for taking the pens out of the hands of
our officers. Their mouths, too, are to be closed
in much the same manner as Mr.. Polk hoped TO
stop free discussion by the press, by calling the
plain truth "treason."
After much search, the following general or
der was found and is now given TO the public
through the government paper:--
ARMY GENERAL ORDER.
GrNrnA, WAR DEPARTMENT.,
No. g ADJT GENERALS OFFICE,
Washington, JAN 80 lS47.
The following Regulation has been received
from the War Department:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, January %, 1872.
The President Of the United States directs
that paragraph $50 of the General Regulations
for the Army, established on the lst of March.
1925, and not included among those published
January 25, 1871, be now republished, and thst
its observance as part of the General Reoula-
tons be strictly enjoned upon the Army.
By order of the President,
w. L. MARCY, Secretary of War.
Tie following is the paragraph of the General
Regulations for the Army established on the LIST
OF March, 1925, referred to above:
$3.50 Private letters or reports relative to mill
itary marches and operations are frequently mis-.
chlevous in design, and always disnraccfui 10 the
army. They are therefore strictly forbidden !:
and any officer found guilty of making such re-
port for publication, without special permission,
or of placing the writing beyond his control, SO
1t finds its way to the press within one month af
ter the termination of the campaign to which it
relates, shall be dismissed from, the service"
BY order: w. G. FREEMAN,
Assistant Adjutant General.
The Intelligcncer, in noticing this order, says,
with much FORGET
"We are among those who have been slow to
believe, though it has been frequently charged
that luminosity was cherished BY the Administra-
ton towards Gen. Taylor, because we could not
conceive any motives even of party policy, for
such hostility against citizen who has unoues-
tionably rendered distinguished service to his
country, and entrenched himself thereby safely
in the public esteem. But it cannot be doubted,
considering the regency of the fact of the pub
LEGATION Of the letter of Gen. TAYLOR, that the
General Order published in our columns TODAY
has direct reference TO that officer.
SHOW many hundreds of unofficial letters from
officers of the army, of every grade, up to that
OF Gen. Taylor, have been published, all over
the country, within the last year, without calling
forth any rebuke from the Executive So far
from 1t, have not many such letters been publish
ed without lisp of dsapprobation in the news
paper IN this city which is the recognized organ
of the Government; published not only without
any expression Of dissatisfaction, but, on the con-
trary, with high commentators? As late as in
that paper OF yesterday morning, we find precise
~ such letter from an officer of Gen. Woods
command We do not say that the Regulation
which has thus been walked up from sleep of
more than twenty yearS-whlch had BEEN in
fact, dlsused SO long as TO become obsolete-may
not be In itself, as general rule, proper one.
But we do say that it has not been heretofore
considered as an order to be strictly observed ;
in proof OF which, many instances can be re.
menbered, in which it has not been regarded.
nor has the departure from il been visited with
any reProof, much less with such public rebuke
as that conveyed in the revival and republication.
obviously with that intent, of the Regulation of
1925.
"The efsct besides, of the promulgation of
the order, at the present particular moment, is
that of er post fncto legislaiion proceeding
directly agrinst the spirit of liberty, and SO rec
oghized by the organic law of the Republic"
This attempt lsays the N. Y. Express) to gag
the people will not succeed. The Union is quite
sure the hearts Of all the people are in this war,
and it is no less certain that they are determined
10 talk the whole matter over in spite of the cry
of "treason," or the publication of "Army Or
ders." These idle attempts to stile public opin-
ion only strengthen it for they show an incna
ton on the part Of the President and his advisers
to cover up some dlsagreeablo facts but they
will out, and that soon.