The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-10
Truth Versus the New York Tribune-A
Now Delintti OF Treason,

Truth Versus the New York TriDune-A
Now Definition Of Treason.
On Wednesday mprnng last the HERALD
4 published the rebel accounts OF the at
tack upon the blockadng feet oil Charleston
harbor. These accounts were transmitted TO
the Richmond papers by the Southern Asso-
Gated Press, and were transferred to our col
umns just sany other news would have been. On
Thursday morning the Tribune and all the other
daily papers of this city copied the news from the
HERALD, without, of course, giving us the slight
est credit for our enterprise. We have become
! so accustomed TO this routine of obtaining news
| in advance of our contemporaries and having it
| stolen from us without word Of acknowiedg-
ment that we should not have noticed this par
| ticular case had not the editor Of the IriJlm;
charged in a leading article yesterday that the
news as published by us was false; that we had
committed an act Of treason by printing it, and
that we are continually guilty of such traitorous
| proceedings.
Inregard to the truth Of the news we have only
to say that it is corroborated by the official report
| just received from Commodore Dupont and his
! officers, and the reports Of our special cores
pondents at Port Royal, all Of which we publish
| this morning. Indeed, II we make the proper
allowances for the natural prejudices OF the
| narrators and for the confusion which attended
the attack in dense fog, we shall find that the
| rebel and Union accounts agree in almost
| every particular. The rebels reported that
| they had sunk the Mercedita. Commodore Du-
pont says that the Mercedita surrendered after
the rebels had blown hole in her side four or
| five feet square, and that her officers and crew
| were paroled. Was this "a wicked lie, y "a will
| full Misrepresentation ?" The rebels reported
that Captain Tucker Thought" he had sunk
| another Union vessel. Commodore Dupont
says that the keystone State was struck by ten
shells, the most Of them striking below the water
! line; that she was set on fire. disabled and req
dered poweress that one-fourth of her crew were
| killed and wounded, and that she was finally
lowed away by the Memphis. Was this "a wicked
lis," "a wilful Misrepresentation The rebels
reported that four Union gunboats were set
on fire. Commodore Dupont says that the Key
stone State was fired, and that three other YES
sels---the Augusta, Quaker City and Memphis
were struck. Was this "a wicked lie,'' "a will
| full MISREPRESENTATION The rebels reported
that the Union feet was driven out Of sight
and the blockade raised, but that The block
aiding fleet returned the next day. The Union ac-
count explains this by stating that "during the
daytime our blockading feet arc not particular
as to keeping to the station and on the day Of
| this assault most Of the vessels sailed toward
the Keystone State, to ascertain her condition
| and whether she wanted any assistance This
may account for their apparent absence at the
time of the visit Of the foreign consuls. as NEIL
toned by the rebel papers. sour vessels, as
usual. resumed their positions at dark" Was
this "a wicked lie,' "a wilful misrepresenta-
tions' The rebels reported that the foreign
consuls had sailed down the harbor, found
no Union fleet, and joined with Beauregard in
declaring the blockade ut an end. Whether
| this be true or not we shall learn before long,
and are content to wait. As Beauregard pub
lished his proclamation, however, it is very
| likely that he wrote it. Thus item by item we
have shown that the Union and rebel statements
in regard to this affair substantially agree, and
that the rebels did not exsggerate the effects of
their attack as greatly as is their custom,
| although, what with the fog and their bad habit
of classifying matters, the Confedcrates rather
| overcolored the details of the raid.
We forget, however, that, after tacity admit
| ting that We sre not responsible for the truth
Of what we copy from the Richmond papers,
| the Tribune finds fault with our headings of
this news and our editorial commenting upon
it. Now, in our headings We said that the news
was exciting and Important and we ask
the Tribune whether il was not 80. We also
called the attack "a bold and dashing raid of
the rebel gunboats." Was il not 'bold' and
"dashing?' Commodore Dupont says it was a
'rad," and the Tribune, when il stole our news
the next day, called it "a foray upon the
blockading feet" The other headings were,
| rs every journalist knows mere synopsis of
the news. Is the distinction between "raid''
and "foray' any more important than that
between twcedledum and tweededee? Aud is
II reasonable TO lise one of these terms in pre-
ference TO the other? All but il was deeply
and virulently sreasouable1 4yint the news
and have 81 editorial 'dpshsft But then the
Tribune is as guilty as the HERALD; for, having
stolen our news the Tribune published it Uerbatia
et lterdtip,, and had editorial about IL twice
as long as our own in which it 'assumcd" the
news 10 be true and Benuregards proclamation
to be genuine. Was it reasonable TO say
on Wednesday what il was not reasonable to
say on Thursday? l. Wednesday to take rank
with Friday as black day. Ii not in what
does our treason consist? Simply in always
obtaining and publishing news in advance Of
the Tribune. Gay, the partner Of poor Gree
ley, drew up the indictment against us when
he wrote, "1he HERALD is constantly ahead, and
we are obliged to copy from it." 'If that be
treason, make the most Of it," The public like
it, We rejoice in it. We intend to repeat il
to-day, tomorrow, and so on dd h.tinitum, If
enterprise be treason, We are the greatest and