Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-02-06
GENERAL TAYLoRs LETTER.

The government paper of Saturday night denies
that the revival at this moment, and in obvious re-
ference to General TAYLOR of an obsolete regulation
of the War Department, is in the nature of eT post
facfo legislation. But the official editor does not
deny that its publication at this time intended
as public censure and rebuke of General TAYLOR
for what! Not for publishing the letter in ques-
tionfor he does not appear to have had any agency
in its publication: but for the offence Of writing
letter to old friend, on subjects of the deepest
interest his friend, his country, and himself An
atrocous crime, certainly! And as TO the publica-
ton itself: there is nothing in this erIer In lis
whole length and breadth, that could half as " au-
thoritatively or officially develop the plans of the
campaign to the knowledge of the enemy" as the
publication by the Government itself of letters from
the same General TAYLOR, undoubtedly intended to
be private communications to the War Department,
the substance and most of the particulars of which
have been ostentatousy given to the public by the
Government editor himself lately as on the 18th
and 10Th of last month (January.) The first of
these publications copied at the time into this paper
was a much more formal, authentic and g Of
fcial' development of the plans Of the campaign
than any thing to be found in General Taylor's
lately published private letter. For example, the
letter of General TAYLOR, addressed to the Adjutant
General of the Army, lin effect to the Secretary of
War; and published in the Union" of the 18th
of January, begins thus: cas- | expect to march
: in few days for Victoria, | consider the pre-
: sent proper occasion to explain somewhat
Z in detail the dispositions which hare been
made, and which are contemplated, for the occu-
patton and defence Of this frontier" &c. &c.
What a miserable afectation is it not, after thus
publishing to the world General TAYLoR's conf
dental communications, for the government paper
now to make parade OF its sensbility to the " in
discretion" Of such publications
The government editor further says, in reply to
this paper that " it is idle to say that the General
Order just issued has been asleep and obsolete for
twenty years." But is it NOT true that it has
slept for twenty years Show US an instance in
which, among the many which have occurred with
in this time, this Order has ever been enforced.
II was devised on the LIST March, 1925, says the
government paper twas in its fullest force, then,
if it ever had any, during the whole of the Florida
war, ten years after that date. Does the memory Of
the government editor suggest to him no one Of
the many in which private letters were writ
ten by officers engaged in that war; of character
even less proper for publication than that of Gen.
Taylor which is in question between us II not,
his predecessor in the editorial chair could inform
him of all the particulars of at least one such case
being private letter to a resident of this city from
a General Officer, and which was placed in the
hands Of the President Gen. JAcKsoN) by him who
received it, and by the President made the ground
Of action, in relation to very important matter con-
nected with that war. A hundred such facts might
be cited to show the obsoleteness Of this regulation.
Thus obsolete, it cannot be doubted that its revival
at this moment is tantamount to establishing new
regulation with an er post facfo effect the object
Of the revival and republication beng--so plainly
visible that no one can shut his eyes to ito act
with the force of public reprimand upon man
10 whom the Administration, even more than the
country generally, is under debt Of impayable .
obligation.
LIVES losr on THE OHIo.-The Cincinnati Atlas mem