, 1862-04-21
ARMY CORRESPONDENCE

The incidents and details Of his note
book are to be. transferred shortly to
permanent pages when the historian
shall set about shaping the records OF this
war. It was very easy and perhaps natu~
ra1 for the unthinlzing reader to nod ap-
proyingly at paragraph that from this or
that important news centre, military post,
or fortress, the luckless reporters had been
sent home, and it was entirely natural that
officers, like some Of those who have
been most iberally accredited with this
kind OF daring, should single out for ex-
c1usion from among their commands the
"chie]s among EN- talin notes. for in the
case oftoo many Of them there WAS moth
ing to print, the reading whereof would
delight headquarters OF the people.
We do not refer to the matter here to
say aught that il written before the restric-
ton was removed would have seemed like
murmuring a+ what evidently the War De
partment considered necessary order.
Ne have right to rejoice that wiser coun-
sels have prevailed, and cannot persuade
ourselves that our satisfaction will not
be shared by the people at large. We are
GLAD that a better understanding prevails
as to the relation Of the loyal press to this
war, and that there is better appreciation
Of the rebel sources Of information than that
which secs in every news boys package
just go many solid columns Of matter COZ
traband Of war. The fact is, the rebels
have throughout the war had vastly better
sources Of information than the Northern
press, wholly unrestrained, could have ren-
CereG Themselves and though not paper
had been allowed to be issued in the entire
North, we fear these other news channels
would have remained 10 them. At Wash
iDgcn what was the call for rebels to wait
TO see in print a garbled or faint shadowing-
forth Of important news, when the same
news was known almost as soon within
the rebel lines as ut the White House,
Who the couriers have been, what
carrier pigeons the rebel sympa-
thizcrs have employed has never
BEEN publicly indicated, yet suspicion has
fastened upon men and families high in
position and near the Republican throne
When they were SO well served from first
SOURCES, what call for JEFF Davis and his
friends to look to the press at distance?
Or take Cairo as it has been during the
months when the rebel lines lay near OUT
Own. When rebel spies had the run of our
camps, dined and lodged at the St. Charles.
and fer1ied themselves over the river in
fk1t1s to their friends, what occasion had
the rebels at Columbus and points below
10 deptnd on floating bottles containing
the st. Louis and Chicago papers, according
to the pet narrative Of correspondents,
pushed for material for their letters?
we do not deny that large
amount Of information is manifestly con-
traband; but there is large share Of
news which has been pronounced Of this
character, that it is absurd to believe the
rebels viii ever seek from the Northern
press. For instance, had New York OF
Philadelphia paper, q few weeks since, an
nounced that q feet Of one hundred
transports, loaded to the guards with Nc
Clellan's army, was steaming down the Po-
tomac from Alexandria, the suppression OF
she paper publishing such news would
have been IS speedy as the transmission OF
the order by telegraph So had any North.
ern paper few weeks ago given list o1
the Federal feet aud number Of steamers
moving Gen. Grants army up the Tennes.
sec river, the punishment Of the venture.
some shect would have been condisn. And
yet what occasion have the rebels to loos
further for This identical information tha,
their own spies conveniently posted along
the banks, as these fleets respeclivel,
steamed towards the Chesapeake or t.
Pi'tsburg Landing,
We call these two instance: to show how
futile any restriction upon the loyal pres:
is to keep such information from The reb
els, all it could do would be to concea
these facts from the people Of the Northern
States. And this latter is about all thes.
orders have accomplished. They have q
lar as they have been efttctual shut OF
from knowledge Of the events and Incl
dents Of the war the very men with whom
such information was aafc, and yet hay,
interposed no barrier to the rebel leader:
obtaining all the intelligence they desired
We are glad that wiser counsels have pre-
vailed in the change noted. The people
will be The better satisfied With the labor
OF experienced correspondents gatherin:
up and sitting the news fresh from til,
theatres Of exciting events. 1t will kee,
alive and guide the sympathies betwee1
the people and the army. It will be sa]
utary check on commanders and furnish
medium through which they will be mad
strictly responsible for their acts, w1.hou
the power to gloss over blunders like tha
OF Pitssbu.E. General Grants and Geners
sherman's late reports Of the recent battl
must have convinced al who read Their
that it was well that to other hands was t
be entrusted Tie details and causes Of Ii
fatal Sunday, and the bloody Monday b
which it was retrieved.