New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-02-13

] lLstlI 10 DO IciuOuiUCiCu iVi is' e|AiiNio S']"'
ing. so we fear that the army on the Potomac
will hand itself down to bad Immortality for
its alacrity in lying At least if we may
fudge of what we do not know by what we
do, the suppression Of the truth in relation to
that portion of it under the command OF Gen..
Stone has long been reduced to system, to
the utter confusion of the public mind, if not
of the public interest. The apparent purpose
seems to have been simply to shield Gen.
Stone; but whether this was the sole purpose,
or whether it was part of a supposed neediul
system, we do not perhaps never SHALL know.
But this reflection, at any rate, ia due to 1t
it has been as useless as it was easy, lying
being, according to the proverb, the easiest OF
all things. Notwithstanding all that has been
done 10 screen Gen. Stone, he is, perhaps, oil
the safer to-day in Fort Lafayette, than ii the
truth had been known about him months ago.
Permitted IMMUNITY in wrong doing is very
often mistaken mercy, and it may have been
so in this case.
| II is three months and half since the
battle of Balls Bluff. We had heard of Col.
Stone tkfore that time, chiefly as severe
censor of Photographic dispatches, and as a far
more bitter enemy Of newspaper correspondents
than of the rebels; but he had before that time
attained to but little public notorlety. The
full history of that battle has yet to be written
but the prima tacie evidence against Gen.
Stone, in regard TO it, is that the actual facts
were first concealed and then misrcpresented'
TO cover up his mistakes-if nothing worse
IL was acknowledged that there had been
/ fight; it was presumed that troops from sever
al cities and sections Of the North were en-
gagged in it: the anxiety IN many hundred
homes was intense; the public suspense as to
how great reverse had again beiallen our
arms was painful. But neither was fully re-
lieved for days. There was, in the first place,
systematic suppression Of the news, and only
so much was allowed to 90 forward by tele-
graph az served merely to cover up the truth.
No Intelligence was permitted to reach the
public at first except through some member OF
Mcclellan staff, and this WAS found to be in
serious disagreement with more direct state
ments that afterSard reached us. Nor were
matters mended when Gen. Mcclellan visited
the Upper Potomac. In the same dispatch
from reporters, whose sole purpose, OF course,
was 10 give authentic news, came statement
from an aid of Gen. McCleilan's showing some
most striking discrepancies. The evident de-
sign 10 hide the fact Of disaster aud death
could be only accounted for on the suppostion
81. a raspnpaihitv eomaubpre that
needed concealment. When, several days afler
ward, one of our correspondents went from
Washington to get on the spot some authentic
information, so carefully had its transmission
been guarded that even at Edwards's Ferry,
only three miles from Balls Bluff, he could
learn nothing that could be relied on. And
yet the troops at Edwards's Ferry, three reg-
ments strong, all that day of battle, rested on
their arms, on the Virginia side of the river
within three quarters of an hours march Of
the spot where Baker fell, within hearing OF
the firing that sent SO many brave fellows TO
death, and could not move for want OF orders !!
But so persistent was the suppression of the
truth, and the peryersion of it, through all
lHOHc uhlHf tuab tu' IubhN ma, ENftl J'h btth
set right as to the real facts in regard to the
bsttle-the butchery, rather-ot Balls Bluff.
But the recent attempt to serve Gen. Stone
by resortng again TO concealing the truth was
as futile as it seems foolish That n General
Officer in command could be- arrested for trea.
son, and the fact concealed from the public is
almost impossible and il is not easy to see
what motive there could be in attempting TO
hide it. /, is only to be accounted for as an
obedience TO confirmed habit, for we know
that the method begun three and half months
ago TO prevent anything rejecting upon Gen.
Stone from gong over the wires has been ever
since persisted in. One would think that there
must be a standing General Order in regard to
Stone, when reading this account of the abor-
tive attempt Of the correspondent of The TINES
to telegraph the news OF nis arrest TO this city
on Sunday:
'Your spcndent prepared dispatch last evening ia
regard to Stones arrest ad banded in the Telegraph OF
lice about ock At later hour fearing that the Govern
Censor would suppress. Tor IL pon. to suppre
everything peculiar interest that wish to seu inauir,
made, aud the fact learned tLat it suppressed by or
der Your correspondent went Immediately to the Score
ay Of State to obtain leave send IT, Mr. Seward did no
any improperly in its going and had senced tho tel
egsrh the suhect-iudeol he did even know tina
Stone arrested Application next made a, Gen
MoCellans headquarters aud the fact learned that al
order gone sent from that office not TO let ans a..
patch be announcing She srrrs, An efo-, was mad
TO see Gen Mcclellan. lie sick In bed with tw,
phycians ~ hi' tide and not IN condition to consd
c such matters hwas ascerancd however that Adj Gen