Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-02
Thestolen Megaare.

The editor of the New Orleans Gre cent (who
was for many years connected with the press in
Washington, and therefore knows how official doc
ments are rrinted,) has all article on the subject OF
certain papers in New York and Boston having
been furnished with copies of the Presidents Mes
sage in advance of it's delivery 10 Congress, and
thus explains how it is first printed in Washington
which his perfect acquaintance with how it is done
enables him 10 state:
IL the first place, the message cannot be di-
vulged from the Cabinet i-selG unless either BY
the President, or one Of the seven Minister'S or
the Presidents private secretary. Ftom the latter
it goes in manuscript into the hands of the official
printer. He is placed under oath not to divulge or
permit 10 be divulged what he has thus received
in confidence. From him it passes to a foreman
and select set of compoSitors, known TO be per-
fecty sober aud trustworthy all these besides. act
under oath. But, further the foreman himself
receives every copy of the message as las as is
printed. He is obliged 10 account for every copyj
so is every one VITO handles the document. In
short it is the official printers power and 1t IS
his duty prevent any disclosure. Outside OF his
Office, there can be none, for all packages sent 10
postmaster for delivery are under seal, and cannot
be opened except at aSpecitled time anu before OIL
| fetal witnesses. Thus any delinquency occur.
ring could almost infaliby be traced, anu punished
as felony and perjury; besides that If the cul
prit were printer, he would forever forfeit all
| employment-for such is the code OF the printers
| all over the United States.
| From our knowledge of such things, we can as
XIII. The pnbIiC, that on an investigation (Which
will now haze to he set on fUoD the guilty parties,
in this case, will prove not to De printers. The
difficulty Of avoiding detection, the severity oil the
| nenaIties incurred, the good character which a
printer must have in order to be employed on conf
| Dental work, and the consequent inadeGuacy Of
such temptation as could lie held out, are all qua
rantees for the good faith OF the workmen-who,
besides is, by his very pursuit ITSELF especially
LING fla
ais oil this sort OF obligation. None but the most
worthless are without them; and they could not
break such trusts, because they would not be put
upon them. We vindlcate, then, without hesIta-
ton, the printers OF W Shington-gencrally very
reputable body OF people-irom all suspicion in
this disgraceiul business.
The Crescent does only simple justice to the
printers Of Washington, in thus vindlcating them
from the suspicion Of being parties TO such an act
as it justly cheracterzes "disgraceful bust
ness" Their whole history frees them from such
an imputntlon, and places them above sus-
piclon.
But somebody is guilty that is certain. The
: Washington Unon-not perhaps fully considering
what it about to say; rather it may be, pla-
] cling confidence where it was not deserved-de-
nounced the act by which the copies of the mes
| sage were furnished to the papers in Boston and
New York, as the result of "the(t' or "bribery.''
Mem. 1t did not then know, of course, that the
New Hampshire Patriot, published in PGesijen
PieIce's town, and his special personal organ
had also copy supplied TO ii the favored presses
in New York and Boston had, or it would no
have been so indignant in tie of terms to stig
mutize the act
f Still, as we say, somebody's guilty; and as thu
innocent should be relieved from suspicion-w,
take it fer granted that the President and also thu
members ofthe Cabinet are innocent-the UniCr
S ought to stimulate the President to make such in
S veSrgatons would expose the guilty TO the cen
sure which the theft o: bribery committed deserves
S Its remaining silent is significant and excuses, /
1t dues not warrant the suspicion that is gen
erAIIy held, that somebody guilty that the oicia
0 organ Slrinks from exposlng-BaH Pat