Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-06

superVlSOrsnlp OF the press, that stuulously
conceals the truth from the public, and mag
mites every event Of The war into a Victory
The people are beginning to see through this
base deception practised upon them, and the
New York PostImakes the Leesburg battle
the occasion of unwilling this military cen
sorship, and of 'tietting the cat out of the
bag" in the following beautiful manner. The
criticism is as severe as it is well-timed, and
tells Mr.. Lincoln plainly that the ''truth is
Che best policy, and that ssno Government
was ever known to profit in the long run by /.
falseheod." The PoS says:
We have never known any nan Govern
ment, or nation, to profit in The long run by
falsehood. A temporary, advantage may
sometimes be gained by artsuily shaping the
reports of an important occurrence according
20 our wishes, but no real and permanent
goodsf Governments, it lie true, both in d.
zplomacy and war, are often under the neces-
Fsity OF Reeplng proceedings secret for q time.
lest premature disclosure of them should
prepare the enemy to couuteract them, or
otherwise interfere with their proper execu-
ton. In the case of the naval expedition. for
Instance, which we all know to have been fiji.
ted out at several Northern ports for hostile
operations on the rebel coast, IL is perfectly
right and proper that the amount of the force
and Its destination should not be Hveaied.--
No one eensures, therefore, but rather ap-
plauds the reticence of the authorities in re-
gard to the nature, objects and means of this
enterprise.
r But to hide your purposes until such a
time as it shall be judicious to make them
known, is different thing from a wilful mis-
representation of it. The one is an act of
prudence, but the other crime. When Ma
poleon Bonaparte kept to himself his plans
of campaigns or the details OF his intended
movements, he was perfectly justifiable, not
only by the laws of war but by moral law;
but when he caused bulletins to be published
claiming successes that be never won, for
sake of their effect on the opinions of Paris,
he simply lied In the former case he did
what all bis skilful generals are accustomed,
and in fact, compelled, to do; but in the lat
ter case he disgraced himself by deceit
which may have procured him q transient
success, but must in the end have destroyed
confidence in his word. For, when decep-
| ton is, once exposed, we forever afterwards
distrust the author of it, SO that he is not be-
lieved when it s highly important that he
should be believed.
We are led to the statement of these obVi-
GUS principles because fear lest the agents of
our oton Government, aohieh haze. assumed some
thing of superpisorslip IF the press should fall
into the bad practices Of the despotic governments
| of Europe. Take the late battle of Leesburg
! for an example. 1t was given out, at first,
as q slight skirmish, in which we had suffered
q brief repulse, which was afterwards re-
trieved by gaining a very decided advantage
/ OF position. Col. Baker, however, one of our
| most gallant officers, was admitted to be kill
| ed, and the rebels were not said to We re-
tired, yet the details of the engagement avere not
| published. Our special correspondent at WASH
ingtou telegraphed US that he a0as not alLosced
10 send The particulars, which were reserved for
| the Associated Press Agent. : When the dis
| pacth OF The latter came We were merely in
| formed that the encounter had been ''seri-
| GUS, that our right wing was repulsed with
| considerable loss, ;" but that General Stone
| held the position, and would soon be rein
forced by Gen. Banks, aud that Leesburg
was certainly ours. This was cheering in
] spite of the sacrifices by which the position
| was won. .H a.-l-s -. -sz3 ..r.l-.7E q. -a-
| This morning we have ANOTHER story; the
| Journals are filled, not only with the reports
| of the Associated Press, supervised by the
| Government, but with multitude of special
reports. What do they concur in showing:
Why, that this boosted battle at Edwards
ferry was only a repetition on larger
| scale of the battle of Great Bethel. In 9th
er words, there has been another stupendous
blunder. We have been taught that the last
| trap in which an experienced military man
| would allow himself to be caught was an i'm
lspassable river in his rear, and a superior en-
envy in 'front.' Any Intelligent tyro, who
7 has read the history of a campaign, would
know better than that, and yet it was precise
| ly such an error which cur officers on the
| Upper Potomac have committed. "One
thousand missing" is the heart-rending re-
| suit, made more sensible and discouraging
by the loss OF one of the best and bravest
souls in the army. Our actual loss in men
it is likely will prove much less, but our &C.
tual loss in character will be much greater
than is represented by the numerical report
Some time since, when fears were entertain
ed that the rebels would cross the Potomac AT
a point where it was left weakly guarded, they
1 were quickly dispelled by the somewhat in
dignant reply that Gen. Mcclellan desired
nothing 80 much, and that be arranged his
| plans especially with view to such an i'm
prudent step. Now, his own officers have
completed that biunder in q more aggravated
4 form, because the river was then fordable,
while it is now fifteen feet deep. If the rebel
| General had written a request to our officer
in the following shape, how would it have
been answered?
"To the Federal Commanders:
| "The Potomac at Edwards Ferry is now
4 fifteen feet deep. Will you be so obiiging as
| to send over three or four thousand of your
best troops. with one smooth-bOre gun. so as
to put the river In your rear? EVANS. - o.
"P. S.-We know that although you have
forests growing all around you, you have not
constructed any boats or RATS, and that yon
have no means of transportation but two or
three mud scows. We will not, how ever, in-
1 terfere with your passage until it is entirely
| effected"
Our officers might have seen through such
disguise, and perhaps taken the hint to
| provide RATS that would bear the weight of
4 cannon, and suffice to convey either way
more than fifty men in an hour. But, not
having special monition. they did not fore
see the result, aud rushed blindfold into Gala
nifty. s@!i.sssDS -.s3iv sSiaF@ 10 esi-i@-5
Having met defeat, it was the duty of
the Government 10 acknowledge it in all its
fullness. Panic rumors it was bound TO sup
press, but the truth we have a right to know.
All officers, whether civil or military, are the
servants of the people, and the people re-
quire a complete knowledge of their doings
In order to judge how they have discharged
their trusts. The people are The masters of
| their own affairs and demand the facts. If
| these are disastrous, it is an insult to them to
assume that they are not strong enough to
look their actual condition in the face. They
have made up their minds to go through with
this war, cost what ii may. and no events
adverse or propitious, will change their de-
| termination. '~-s-S- 81
As is, in the way the reports of this af-
i n n ! v al1.-