Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1862-05-02
From ,bs New York T,ass, Apr.l2s1

THE WAR DEPARTMENT AND THE PRESS.
Our Washington correspondent gives fresh
aud highly characteristic illustration OF the
mode III whch the Secretary Of War exercises
bis functions rs military consor. On Sunday
last, the President, accompanied BY Secretaries
Chase and Stanton, visited Aqua Creek, with
a view 10 scquainting themselves with the state
OF things oi tha. im portsnt point possibly, SO
AZ 20 decide upon the propricty OF General
Mcdowell prosecuting his advance. Our cor
respondent, thinking no OWL uf this necessary
Journey, carried bis statement CT the fact, SIS in
duty bcucd, 10 ths telegraph office, md lef. it
for transmission 10 the Times Tho despatch
was never sent; but through another agency
thcso sas sen. brie! report, in which. regard.
less Of truth, th3 visit was transferred to Sat.
urdsy, snt the supposed od!um OF Sunday
.i'a7oi escaped 8: ;hc cost oi sn official lie.
For the public TO understand the vcXatious
despot;sm exercised by the War Department
since Mr.. Stau,on became its ch!ef, and the
patience will. which the press has submitted
to ts caprice, chapter still unwritten, but
the materials OF which are preserved, will
have 10 be printed one Of these days. The en-
tire machinery OF the code invented for French
journalism under the Imperial regime, has
5ccn imported and applied to the American
press. Warnings are given in the solemn
phraseoiogy Of Il police officer Superlnten'
dents oI police appear III the rooms of the
editor to Tesd him formal notice that any an
neuncement OF n military character discovered
in his paper, will consign him st once to Fort
Lafayette sGd expose his establishment to
tonG.caton The most trivial reference to
paien: t:ojeciilr the sailing OF gunboat, or
tho departure oi 4 ire engine from the city on
a MISSION, military, naval or civic-refsrencas
TOO insignificant to attract the notice OF the
person exercising editorial rvision-never
Isis 70 attract that cf the nquisitive Secretary
and to Incur his consure and msnaca.
CORRESPONDENTS SAINT with the several divi-
slons Of IL" army are sui ccted TO a similar
rule ol terror. They are caught, and, az if
they were traitors. compelled 70 take the oath
OF allegiance, ana 10 sign parole, oblging
thcui to refrain trcln seniing in their letters,
aDticpat,ons OF movements, or in describing
past transactions; from giving the names Of
ificers, tho rcgi,ne1is, The DIVISIONS. or corps
d'ar7aee engaged in any action, or the compar
alive number upon either side--r restrictions
which, the reader will observe. renders cores.
pondence utterly worthless. Bot even this is
not enough The letters, public and private,
pf these reporters, ara taken from the Post
cttice. end after pe;usal, aro destroyed or des
pitched. at toe option OF persons wholly de-
VOID OF discretion, and oI course freq from
responsibility.
An establishment like the New York
'Times" is obhgea to maintain an army OF
mounted and pcked men to attend and report
the movements Of the National forces ltoan
only do SO st an enormous peeuDiary cost,
and the cxsction Of much endurance and cour-
age from the CORES pondent. These sscrifcrs
it has been the bus:noss-apparently the