New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-01-06
PUBLIC SECRECY.

There are some things which we Of the
model republic" do inimitably, and which,
therefore, others especially they who are
neither models nor republics--had better not
attempt to initiate We have just now before us
suddenly displayed, by the London Quarterly
Review, to copy some Of the new pecularities of
our public methods.
That renowned iournal-onee no great friend
of ours--seems all at once to have become one
of our most rabid admirers, and even to do what
over enamored people will do- mistake every
blemish for a beauty. Talking Of the secrecy
in which statesmen and politicians have hereto
fore thought it absolutely necessary to envelope
negotiations while pending, itsays:
We must put an end to this dishonest, nonsensica
trihng, il it really be not something Foreign
affairs must henceforth BIO the domain Of all and be eS
posed great degree parliament and the public view
There is magic in diplomacy that it must be made
mystery Of like the worship of Bona Dea. Henceforth
instead Of appointing dandes and noodles to carry
negotiations we should appoint do the Americans and
Of the continental nations men who have distin-
guhed themselves lawyers or scholars or apas Or as
great merchants f
Now really, if the editor of the Quarterly be
not a great wag, he is great green-horn
of public business. Nothing could well be more
absurd or boyish than to fancy that public
affairs cam at all times and ON all subjects, dis
pense with secrecy. It is often the very life of
the most important transactions. All prudent
men use it, in their private affairs, as usually
almost indispensable: how comes it that public
concerns should never find need of it In war,
let your adversary be admitted into oil your
plans and in what operation will you ever sue
onol 5,. I,r1o Inv unu
might as well talk of improving the game of
chess, by compelling the adversaries to disclose
to each other, at every move, its object Until
the Millennium shall eome---and Of that we can
really see no immediate prospect--men are GER
tain, both as individuals and as nations, to have
much counsel of their own to keep. They who
can afford te tell all they are doing must not
only be amazingly honest, but will have to con
fine themselves to such undertakings alone as
are to be opposed by people equally angelieal.
All this kind Of pirate, one may at times hear,
in that mighty school, the o. States Congress,
where one may get, according as his taste goes,
so much sense or SO much folly. There have
we often listened to the inyectiyes of demagogues
against the concealment of anything under our
Government. The two noisest of such were
Roaring Bill Allen of Ohio, and his less empty
but less honest colleague, Tappan the abolition
list. As to Allen, he was justly reputed to utter
nonsense in yaster quantity and with more
prodigeous vehemence than ever did man before.
We have laughed to see the fellow believing, in
the Senate, against its holding secret sessions
treaties or nominations, iphen ace kne,c that he
apas fresh from secret caucus Of his party
He understood the advantages of secresy for
party operations, well enough; but was per-
fectly willing that the country should, in mat
ters thousand times more momentous,
- Wear its heart upon its sleeve,
For DAVIS to peck at t---
As for the other great denouncer of secrecy,
Mr. Sentor Tappan, it is enough to say that he
was SO ardent an opponent Of diplomatic and
senatorian secrecy that (ns everybody knows,
he once stole treaty that was pending before
the Senate in Confidential Session, sold it tt
the New York Herald, and when the fact be
came fixed upon him beyond denial, had The
effrontry to stand up in the Senate and defeht
his breach of duty and faith as prompted onl,
by the sternest patriotism!
Not only, then, are these new theories Q
blabbing and stealing by no means clever i
themselves, but of a personal origin that by n
means sheds honor upon them. If the Quar-
terly would have its countrymen initiate us
as in some things it might be well to dove ca
assure them that, in the first place, they ar
wrong in their idea that our diplomacy ha
adopted any such principle of publicity a
home; for though our Department of Foreig
Relations be, like all the others, a very leak
concern, still it at least processes to be discreet
In what it says Of our personal Of diplo
macy, the Quarterly must certainly be laugh
ing at us, very cruelty It surely knows enor
1nously little about the body of ENJOYS whicl
We have, for many years, been accustomed t
send abroad. At London and Paris alone-bt
cause points at which no Administration dare
entirely to sacrifice our national interests ar
character-haye we maintained, with some I'm
formity, respectable legations. Yet to Il
former, in Gen. Jaekson's time, we sent TIL
mere jack daw in peacock plumes, Mr.. Andre
Stevenson; and to the latter an ambassad'
was deputed, We won't say how long ago, wi
did not know word Of the language and WI