The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-12-28

This last nterrogaory brings 10 what we have last
ly say of the most serious feature Of the publications
OF the Evening Post" being the random imputatons
which has upon this occasion wanionly east upon the
INTEGRITY and Independence OF the press, We quote oil
this character the following sentences:
"y the passage OF such resolution the houses OF Con-
gress viii expose themselves to tho charge OF having br6d
the two most Influential journals az the OF government
into their ,eice and when it is considered thar the nres-
ent organ OF The government has not u is
be, injustice that tho opinions of the puest and
tlo frnest of them would be seriously tried by lempa
and lately proposed TO be adopted in the House OF Rep
resentatlves y
ITSELF we have word or two TO say in behalf OF the other
journal referred to- in whose reputation nobody well
| feel deeper interest Than we
We should like to know what there is the history
of the National laeigencer, OF its politics assocIa
tons, 10 justify the snpposiilon that ITS opinions upon
public affairs could be bought or suborned by pecunary
temptations OF any amount, much less by sum small
n comparison with the cost OF carrying on ITS bnsiness)
as any imaginable amount OF profit which could accrue
from engagement to report and publish the debates OF
or both houses OF Congress-
- Very sensible are we how far presume upon
the indulgence of readers in bringing before them
anything which chiefly concerns the relations OF this pa
per To the press and 10 the public. 1t is seldom that we
thus in'rude But the provocaon on this occasion has
been greater than flesh and blood could bear If in The
preceding remarks have treated they deserve the
gross injustice and Misrepresentation of the Evening
Post alone, IT not because have been unobservant
insensble TO similar aspersons from where
might have expected more candid well honest
constructions. We have our reasons for not including
them by name in reply But il must be sufficiently
obvious TO all who read what we have written that il
applies alike to all journals that have placed themselves
in the same unenvmble predicanFent as the " Post"
In reading the proof sheets of the foregoing coll
umns, perceive that we have omitted to notice the
gunen that the publication of debates in Congress of
no sort of value, beng to repeat the language OF the
Post windy nonsense"
That debates might at times be wiser and more to the
purpose than they are in Congress- everybody knows,
but many will doubt whether conforming them to what
these journals lovethe ,sms OF all sorts would render
them either more RATIONAL useful or elegant Since the
time when the Gaus of Brennus put the Roman Senate
the sword representative assemblies have ceased to be
composed of only sages and heroes II they were nva-
raby WISE they would 10 reflect their constituents
As TO the value OF their dlscourses how is il to be
ured by the country until the country them in
PRINT Or IS everything to be settled by the standard OF
AT all events the speeches in Congress those of the
men who stand for The collective wisdom of the people.
and necessarily just wise and useful as the people
choose 10 have Wise or foolish the laws and policy of
the land can be but mperecty understood without their
publication. # the speeches are, many OF them, bad
then they need improving but what so likely to deter
men from making bad speeches the faithfully and i'm
medatey putting those speeches before the country'
POSTSCRIPT.
Since the preceding article set in type ION Friday
last) have received the Evening Post of the 2lst
instant, which we find yet another assault upon the
proposed plan OF reporting the debates OF Congress,
couched in the following language
'The Washington Globe which has lately been revived
not a. pn paper but as soG1 Of
ample reportsampe, confess, beyond capacity
compass their entire Perusaof the proceedings OF the
ION looking over the columns of the new journal our
in the House Of REPRESENTATIVES,, and lately renewed ty
another member TO engage one or two journals tho
and shallow debates OF House of Repre-
senalives, is greatly increased.
Gan that possibly be OF any use and than
aa o Il r sssr n nnv Eem N co hs Nv
10 ia md yyh ch
fore beget the temptation TO make long and dse
the Globe and other ounas il anything more minute
wanted by the people, should have had it already
the neviiabe law Of trade, be supplied Mr. WinhIops
proposal publish what nobody wants. and what
nobody would read" ts
First requesting the reader to correct an unaccountabIe
bhnder BY which the name Of Mr. Wmthrop is above
used instead Of that OF Mr.. Astmun, his attention par
cuarly invited to what the post, in this its third
as they printed in the Washington Globe' Its
previous ARTICLES beng especially aimed at the Inei-
gcncer and Union, filled with bitter and malignant de-
Euncation, describing absurd and useless, mpo
sltion upon the country, and a pundering OF the
a and every p6e wndy s Its 6 oSf
uttered" &c Those denunciations OF the POST
were all made under the apprehension Of con-
tract being authorized by the House OF Represent
aives for the full and prompt publication OF the pro-
ceedngs of that House in the lntegencer and Union.
Now however, another press and other propretors and
editors, the objects Of the Posfs" thoughts and
10! it discovers, and does not hesitate to publish to the
world, how excellent and ample the reports of
the congressional proceedings including both those of
the Senate and the House, they appear that paper
They complmented in the most handsome terms, and
in and style that should admit OF no doubt of
The posts estimate of their value Gas record of
iemporaneous political history" &c They represent
ed TO be sample" and yet they ExCELLENT," con-
tanning, of course, ''tiresome and shallow debates "
they comprise 'a that can possibly be OF any use, and
are than any report could be which is paid
for according its LENGTH and which would therefore
beget the temptation TO make 1t as long and dlfuse
possible" In short these reports are exactly what they
any DEMAND for" that "nothing minute is wanted
By the people" This certainly praise to be proud of,
| il sincere and that it is and sincere bound
believe from the unreserved and unequvoca terms in
which it is expressed
Now what have TO say TO the reader, to enable him
properly 10 Judge of the ridiculous position which the
Post" has placed itself IN regard to this matter, Is, that
the reports of congressional proceedings thus highly
by that paper are, so lar as the Senate IS
concerned, H reports. az FIRST published in the
National ntegencer under contract with the Senate.
and thence transferred bodily 10 the columns of the
washington Globe the day succeeding our own
publication of them The House reports also the full
reports of that body prepared by the reporters for the
Congressional Globe, and for the report and pubIca-
ton of which the popretors OF the Cong ressonal Globe
by existing contract with the House Of
Representatives for the short OF Congress- such
the present SESSION. e,gtf thousand dollars being
fully twice much would have been payable to either
of the other Washington papers for the service had
the resolution OF the honorable member from Massacbu
setis been adopted
So that, though the debates published in the Glober
he MI