New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-14
prcxLLOCK JOURNALIsm.

Won meet why he takes that journal, when he
knows it to BE- utterly devoid Of principle,
honesty, patriotism or deeency, he will almost
certainly answer-"I take it for early news
He has listened TO its Growing aud blowing
over its achievements in early news-getting till
he has been bullied into the belief that there
must be something in them; and its occasional
assumptions of confidential relations with courts
and cabinets, and OF important information
thence derived have lent cOoring of truth to
this pretense. How it achieves those successes
is now revealed. Mr.. Henri Wikof 10 admitted
TO some sort of back stairs intimacy with GER
tain underngs at the White House, and thereby
obtains premature glimpse Of the Presidents
Message, and thereupon telegraphed to Tie
Herald a synopsis of its contents, in advance OF
its delivery TO Congress. Congress, not relish
ing this sort of enterprise. hauled Mr..
Wikoff over the Goals, and on his refusing to
tell how he obtained access to the Message,
shut him up to afford HIM time for recollection.
Reflection must convince any one OF tho i'm
propriety ard probable mischief of such prema'
ture publicity of important documents. The
President may sec fit, on the very eve OF
sending q Message to Congress, to cancel Or
remodel that portion of it which bears on onr
relations with some foreign power; and, II tho
substance of what be originally inserted IS
already known, the change may cause him
serious embarrassment aud modification. II,
for example, he bad frat inserted IN the rough
draft of his Message an intlmation that Mason
and Slidell were not 10 bs surrendered to Eu-
gland. and had aiterward concluded to omit
all ullusion to the subject, tho fact that his
original paragraph was already substantially
public, would prove q serious annoyance and
fetter. The public should know nothing Of the
contents Of such document until the Clerk
commences its reading 10 the House OF Repre-.
sentatiyes.
SO with regard to the cleaning OF informa-
ton from the several Executive Departments
Whenever the time has arrived at which such
information may properly be made public, 1t is
not merely proper but imperative that such
publicity should BIO not special and partial. but
open and general. Whenever the Secretary oi
State, OF War, or of the Navy, has Information
in his department which may properly be made
public. he should cause It to DO transcribed,
and either posted on bulletin accessible to
all or drpo ted at sone desk accessible at all
hours TO the representatives Of the press, with
ont favor or distinction. No newsgathcror
should be permitted to disturb q Minister Of
State with inquiries for news, and any re porter
who undertake. to obtain special advantages
by promises of support or threats Of opposition
on the part OF the journal whore~th he Is
connected should be made acquainted with
boot Leather and outdoors ia the lowest posi-
bic number of seconds.
1t is certain that we r,ve row a Secretary
Of War on whom wheeling and bullying are
alike wasted. A fuls0me compliment aud n
screed of abuse are alike disrcgarded BY HIN.
May We not hope thet not aloe IA MS de-
partment but in all, the rule "a low to be
frml, fixed that no journal is to bo favored or
,liehted in the dispensaton OF inteiii gence, bat
that whatever is ready for publication is to be
placed promptly aud fully within the reach
of all
Tho Heads OF Departments and the leaders
OF our armies have only to indicate to any cor.
respondent Of The TRIBUNE that any move
ment of troops or other news is not set read,
! for publication, and if q word IL thereafter
! transm. tied concerning that matter until toe
INJUNCTION is removed, We will make short
work with the trausgressor. True, wo have
no belief that any movement has ever been
neutralized or frustrated by any premature
publicity through our columns and We cannot
but SEQ that tho Generals who pretend to have
suffered most by such indiscreet revelations are
those who never make any movements. except
! in retreat. But no natter our correspond
ents with the several armies aud expeditions
aro ~ DO governed implicitly by tho wishes Of
those in command Of such srmios or eIpe-
dltions, 50 far 40 prospective military or naval
movements are concerned. Aud We beg the
public to note that the only instances in which
We nave misled our readers with regard TO the
results Of Military moyements-in the cases OF
the Bull Run and Balls Bluff disasters-our
errors were caused by the Military censorship
of the telegraph, whereby the truth was sup
pressed and fslsehoOd transmitted instead.
TnE SITUATION IN MEXICO.
The situation III Mexico, as may be seen by the