New-York daily tribune., 1861-09-13
THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA.
Special Correspondence OF The London Times.
60 A..

wAsasGroN, Aug. l6, 1861.
There are two kinds of news which military men
can learn from newspapers-that which is CLEANED by
analysis Of the contents the value Of which depends
OF the material and the skill Of the OPERATOR and d.
rect intelligence the worth Of which is 10 proportion
to its correctness. To tell General that work is
we'll built IL like acqusintiBg lin that Troy was
strong. TO tell him that such a regiment is in such
place trivial as il seems, may be of Immense 10
m il ne knows how the divisions ard brgades Of his
enemy are composed. tort differs from AN eathwork
~ much M iron plated TigAte from the TROJAN hore.
But in its way the horse may be made the ruin Of
Troy. III / were to state that fort contained
many guns, and that they bore on such and such
points, L might lead my military friend into
there WAS ditch with ~ feet Of water in
il outside. II the petition of the magiznts
indicated to an investing force, twonld be worth much
more than the knowledge OF the cabers OF the guns,
which are soon ascertained by tangible proofs There
are hundreds of points of this kind which ignorance
requires to he informed to worth and uselessness.
Ii Is necessary to say so because an outcry has come
from the South, hear against me for communicating
10 tho enemy. e., the North-intelligence which
was enabled TO acquire in my capacity as a neutral.
Now let me say, that though / was a neutral was
the special correspondent OF newspaper published
long way off, and that | distinctly stated to every
officer whose command visited on both sides that
was going to publish so much Of what l saw as ap-
Feared TO likely TO interest tue readers OF the
Journal represented. went so far TO say 10 more
than one Mind what | write will come back in
month or six weeks" saw everything, but was
far from Publishing everything. did more than could
have beea expected from me- for did not enter upon
details which would have been far injurious
TO the Southerpers than the general statements L
made in reference TO the condition and position of their
men and batteries When set out 70 visit the South
from Washington h0stilities had not commenced but
felt they were coming and il appeared 10 desirable
10 visit the South before the hot weather physically set
in and above ALL before the hotter weather. politically,
which apprehended, came upon me- IL was obvious
that with the coasts blockaded aud mails cut off, it
would have been of little for your correspondent TO
have been in the South unless be had adopted the in
genous exredent of the OF one OF your
ootemporares and published his etters local paper
before he sent them TO London. made my tour IN the
South as u neutral, but those who met me VIII do me
the Justice to admi, that / never concealed my opin
ions or simulated those which did not feel as my let
tors nfterward could have shown. | may claim for my
self the credit OF having spoken boldly and openly TO
all than once or twice to the disturbance OF
the agreeable social which held with men who
were socially all could wish, and who's Kindness and
courtesy-nay, more, whose actual friendship shall
always remember And all that time l was under
going the eavago censure Of the Northern papers be-
cause / went TO the South at all, and saw with my
own ewes what they could not see and did not take all
their myths as gospel Yerysoon after arrived at
Washington [ was invited 10 the house OF Cabinet |
Minister when l met very energetic otcer OF the |
naval department, who asked me point biahk, In |
what state are their works at Memphis and Kan |
dolph 3n | replied " j cannot answer you Sir l /
visited the works as "a neutral and as the correspond
an, nf neutral newspaper in foreign country, / |
have communicated all think proper 10 state on the |
,nbiectU Now, at that very moment my letter was
ON IN way TO The Times but, though made use of |
considerable detail in describing Gen. Pillow work.
\ abstained from much which was learnt in conf |
denee inst AZ / refrained in the very same letter
from stating many matters relating TO Cairo. For |
instance Gen. Pillow told ne in confidence he |
lad ordered n chain cable from New-0reans TO
stretch across the Mississippi to bring up
any steamers under bis batteries, and possibly to sink
them but rs / did not the cable did not think it
night to mention the circumstance any more than i |
did Mr. Benjanin's views to tie law Of blockade,
Mr.. Jefferson Dayiss private remarks, the little
matters which made known to the man. and not TO
the newspaper correspondent. Now, 1t must be re-
that all wrote to England from the South
was new; it was intelligence no Northern papers
could give il was notorious that intended to send
il to England At that time direct intelligence flooded
the land with Ii, ht from the North and any could
learn how many regiments had arrived at Washing |
tou how many guns had been put in position in the
field as clearly as he knew what Mrs. Lincoln said
when she was buying Of china in New-York, or |
of what pattern the said set was. For all the Amen-
can world preserved unbroken silence as to what
saw in the South; till my letters came back no one
knew what had seen
III any man living can prove that before left New
York Ihad expressed anything but wonder at the apa-
thy and calm which existed there when my visit took
place or that before 1 visited the South or when |
was there ever said word in appreciation of Slavery,
or expressed any opinion either side Ia opposition TO
that which appears rather a record Of impressions
than m an opinion from day TO day as passed through
the county then submit 70 the necessary loss OF the