The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1847-02-20
General TayIor,s LIE 20.

General Taylor's lie Ter.
In our remarks, yesterday, on the LAT Of
zen iayiors letter, we observed that II War
| Department had been much more ipdiI H., In
the publication of an official despatch ii much
later date, and containing information more
sa'uaoie 10 'ne enemy = tie mail had snce
brought US the Washington papers. and Ie6nd
'ne same view is taken OF it by the ydthonal
l"semsf"eer, and the following portion 81 it's
remarks, with the Uaion's comments i Il we
, tale from the latter paper:
"Ihe lntelligencer of this morning aksmpts
to justify the publication of Gen. Taylts re-
cent letter, by the example of the Uroi Tie
lntelligencer makes its point us folio, $
i sand as to the publication itself, tIere is
nothing in this letter, in its whole lenpb and
breadth, that could half as sauthortotllv or
officially develop the plans of the campd to
the knowledge Of the enemy, as the pELca-
ton, by the government itself, of letterEtrom
the same General Taylor, undoubtedly idtend-
ed to be private communications to thdWar
Department, the substance and most III the
particulars of which have been ostentatiously
given to the public by the government, lditor
himself, as lately as on the 18th and Ssh Of
last month, Ganuary) The first of thesepub-
LEGATIONS, COPIED at the time into this paper)
was much more formal, authentic and off
cial' development of the plans of the cam
Paign than anything to be found in General
Tayloi's lately published private letters
"of course 1t is quite absurd in the Intelli-
gencer to refer to the ohcial despatch of Gen.
Taylor, which we published as being "a private
communication to the War Departp,ent.,--
oficial dispatches are exactly the reverse Of
private communications always q They are
public documents, and they are only whaeld
from publicity in view of the exigences oiithe
public service; and Of these the governmgdt il
the judge. But the Intelligencer Is quits his
taken in supPosiDg that the despatch of den.
Tay lor, as published by us, made any ihdis-
Greet revelations OF the plan of the campaign,
orof theaiuture movements of the army. A
reference to that despatch, as published by us,
will show that we carefully strucs out the pas
sages containing illusions to the future move
ments of the array, except those movements
whic, had already taken place before we an
uounced them as being in contemplationn
We really 40 not exactly comprehend the
tenor of the jJnion's reason as to "officlal des-
patches.''
We agree with the rumor that it is notsa
private communication to the War Depart.
ment," but though an "oliicial one," does that
Justify its publication when it contains sectet
and confidential information, the knowledge
OF which would be of advantage to the enemy
and injurious to us-and is it only censuraAe
10 make such publications when conveyed
through private letters, to personal friends Y
The only inference we can draw from the o.
marks of the Union is, that it was all right aid
proper for MIR. Marcy to publish an official d's-a
patch containing important and con6dental
Information; but utterly wrong and highly ca-
'urable for General Gaines to do so from a nj
Vate letter.
But what, in the uame of all that is wondd-
ul, are we to understand by the Unon sayrg,
we carefully struck out the passages cont
ng illusions to the future movements of q
lrmy, except those movements which had Il
eady taken place before zoe announced thea
IS being in contemplation" Has Mr.. Ritch
lccess to the confidential despatches of OH
commanding generals! Are these important
documents sent to him, and he allowed to exe,r
use his discretion as to which is to be publish
ID and which withheld! Is he the acting Sec.
etary of War, and Mr.. Marcy, the nOmina
me? by what authority doeshe thus have tn,
ontrol on such subjects;an exercise powet
Vhere SO much sound judgment and discretion
re necessary, in both of which he appears SO
a'nentably deficient!
On former occasion, Mr.. Marcy acknowlI
dyed, that though he had received an imports
n despatch from Gen. Kearney, he had not
cad it, until twelve or fifteen days after its
sceipt, and we suppose therefore, he now
ends these dispatches to be perused by Mr..
.itchie, with authority to select, such portions
5 he may think advisable for publicatiOn!!-,
July our public affairs are managed in the
lost approved and scientific manner, and one Z
ELL calculated to command the confidence and
'sPeet Of the people!-N O. Bullctia-