New-York daily tribune., 1861-06-11

Whht desperate Way VIC oioen "'o '"'
fact; solid warke fact; fact involving ray, ten
thousand men, and much blooi; fact OF cannon, an
slaughter, and troops in geat bodies led by ao-
complished chieftains. Thee are such facts. We
know that they exist. Whether fully matured, or YET
unripe we may not determine but either IN the se"c
or in the blossom we confident that they surround
u.s. and 40 we must always sand alert, lest tie fint
drop and we not know of it. Naturally the necessary
eagernessleads sometimes to drary blunders. vison
of "A wholesc me- robust fact iniames the hunter sfaIcy
and he rasEs at the object onl TO find that an unsnI-
stautial phantom has begue, him. Or, perlaIs he
gathers some sbrunken and barren fact within bs
clutch, and 10th TO lose his alor, vaiuly strives to
dress itnto deceptive form Of dignity and annchesia NJ
sound and whole Even if his saguine hopes are SAT
isfed, and he falls upon fact truly gorgeous and
heroic in aspect and dimosions, it is al
ways prone to slip away BEIGE its CAPTURE har
avaed him anything; and If, b lucky and unusual
chance he shackes it, harnesses tito the retd,st c'r-
rent of lightning and sends spanning sonorousy be-
fore the world-lo! il changes COR ike cbamel' on
the moment it comes to public liglI What was willie
il changed TO black; blue aud red re mingled and The
news-gaherer alone is left in an INVISIBLE but painful
green. And yet how upright the n~sgatherer! How
pure in purpose-how noble in iIenilonl Is II hlr
fault if events turn upon Themselves in few hours
that what was truth to-day become fiction to-noro~,
and what was palpable probability this morning Ie-
cedes into dim doubtfuness to-ightl However
honest his designs, destiny, sted by few
colonels, s stll liable to upst them. How
often, after having created a rport of stirring
magnitude, founded upon securet Investigations
does he not find that like Frankensin, he has tun ed
loose monster that he cannot cntrol, and which
may long pursue him with bitter nockeryl 'Tis
wise father that knows his chile and courageous
correspondent that dares acknowledge all bis own
"items. VIII you please to pity tie poor correspor-
dent Indeed his office is by means destitute OF
hardships If he could only catch his ads it would
not be 20 bad The motto of every tru,-Learted cor
respondent is: :" first catch your fact, hen cook it -
and am sure that if tie first condition ould only he
fulfilled, the public would have little calf> to complain
of the style of serving. But it is an o get fact
nowadays. The military circle at or Alexandria
headquarters for example, is one of the mot channg
in the world but let question of fact be Iropounded
any evening and il falls like bomb, shatTlng conf
dence, and casting gloom over the company which
time has TO struggle long TO clear away. laa inclined
TO think that some of the gallant dlcers take
a grim delight in occasional defections fom
accuracy and yet in matters where ecresy Is not
eDioned they strive to set night. And aite--
ward, when newspapers which never wee iniailIoe'
show little errors for which themselves half re-
sponsble, these good officers join in sarcastic chorus
agant the follies of the press and wondG what the
use can be Of all these blunderng correspondents. One
gentleman not long ago, in complete authority here,
declared with mir OF sincere conviction that, If hi-
Will were law, journalists should not be suffered 10
pervade the camps NJ all wonder if thisOiicer, who
is a brave man. and TO distinguish husef in tlis
az he has in other campaigns would really Ike TO have
his next brilliant charge or daring maieuver left
unnotced by the men who may chance TO b' the heris
of Il national fame.
A slight aggrayaton TO the difficulty Of getting facts,
il the mporsiblty Of using the best Of ten, after
they are got II fragrant fact reveals itelf and II
promptly plucked, fate ynonymn for The command
ing ofoerl-decrees that it must be ohelshed IN re
cret. Its sweetness must be wasted on te confined
and secluded air Of Alexandria. The censorship is so
guarded that have arrived at good negative mean.
Of proving the sOundnesa or unsOundnose Of our oon
clusions on any given point II our colonel, WHO Ia
always thoroughly oblging and hens II by no rrsrc
tons, excepting those he feels bound to put in way
if he passes Of good glowing facts 10 the
telegraph with smiling cheerfuness, We instantly
know there is something wrong about it, and
are sure we have been msnforHed. IT. on
the other hand the fact is really genuine piece Of
important information, it doesn't get passed. So there
we are liable to be transfxed by two equally ugly
horns Of dilemma. Ii s Of no writing elaborate
accounts Of what doesn't occur, and won't occur and II
il not permitted to write any account at all fwbat does
and will. SO we have 10 work with strategic prudence
We study the countenanco in command while our dis
patches are scrutnized. II it is shaded with doubt
we are half in dread half in delight for we think
efforts have led usthe right way this time butare afraid
we have let out too much truth. II modification is
suggested we are consumed with rapture for then
know we are be permitted to tell at least half Of
what we have learned and that all we do tell will be
accurate for had it been quite wrong, why should the
colonel have troubled himself TO hint at notifications
Thus although the great movement which some Of
Ms declared impending early this week, did not take
place. We were nevertheless right in predicting it. IL
pas to have taken place. 1t had been arranged. 1t
bad even been ordered. The day had been fixed But
Il hope it may be whispered without reproach--the
rebel force at Manassas found TO be too largo for
us, them The expedition had to be delayed. believe
that deficiencies to be repaired and the attack ia
on the stocks again. waiting for favo able tide " DO
launched And this is the way in which facts some
times belle u.s. and overthrow u.s. and yitae our repu.
tation for invulnerabe accuracy when we really have
q natural right to expect better things Of them.
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