Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-05-16
Correspondent of the Daily Times.
An Austrian DespOtlsm at NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Press.

| WASHINGTON, April p, 1861.-The telegraph wire
continues III operation between here and New York
but the system of espionage and censorship established
by the secessonlsts at Baltimore, and emudted by the
WGr department here, render it practically of little val
ue to the press. stupidity i-judged proceeding
than the censorship of the press as is exercised here
at present by the Government could scarcely be devised
and if persisted in, it will surely reap rich crop OF
public contempt for all who have any responsibility in
the matter. There military movements which il
they leak out from their proper repositories ought to
be suppressed and that would be cheeruy assented to
by any sensible editor or correspondent who has the
slightest regard for the public interest. Scarce dav
passes that your correspondent does not refrain from the
use OF such material voluntarily but when the Secre-
tary OF War undertakes by himself or his agents TO sun
press reflections upon the ADMINISTRATION of the gov
eminent by himself and his associates he is guilty. OF
conduct which the depo of France or Russia may ven
ture with Impunity but which England would not toe-
rate and which the people of America VIII visit with
sternest condemnation The weakness of this proceed
ing is only equaed by its audacty-ior the
correspondents will find other means of getting
their missves to their destination and the attempt
to suppress them will result only in DELAYING their
publication for day two If structures upon public
pocy are to be suppressed because not agreeable to the
Administration, we may expect the same rule to be ap
Piled to structures upon contracts let through political
brokers' or notorious obbymen, aUhose gerry names are
StencH an uae nostTs OF honorable men, and thus we
might have Cobb and Floyd, and Toucey reproduced
IN the new Administration, without the poor pri-
ylege of calling public attention the facts and en-
deavoring to effect needed reforms.
Until to-day we were permitted to have our dis
patches after revisa and to know ayat had been stric
en- out by the Censor but the War Department ap-
pears to be ashamed to shoulder its responsibility IN
the premises by letting know hat it eliminates, and
has issued an order prohibiting from seeing cur dis
patches at all after the eliminations are made The
only possible purpose in this can be that of rendering
unable to TELL when dispatches are missing whether we
are indebted to the secessonsts to their
al copylss for the mutilations for it is apparent at
glance that with little trouble can keep copies of
all that is filed at the telegraph office for transmission
In the meantime let hope thai Mr.. Cameron will dis
aVow responsibility for the stupidity conducted censor
ship thus far and provide by which it can be
conducted with more of the dignity and Judgment be-
fitting great government, and less of the despicabe
paltriness that betokens weakness and imbeciity.
AS cannot tell how much of our dispatches fled to-
day were permitted to reach you propose to repro.
duce them as far as I can, with additions.