Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-06-04
"ET TU BRUTE !"
"The Inellgencers humOr il grave than gay. III
jokes little too severe and practical"
t4 m. t UashisgtOs Chronicle cf May 18th

"Ths Integsncer's humor is more grave than gay II
Jokes are little too severe and practical"
I#s.lss4. .sr vashiastos Chronicle ef May 18Th.
Our readers have been apprized, by the casua
and incidental references made TO it in our columns
from time to time, that there exists in this city
paper under the name Of the Morning Chronicle
1t was established by its proprietor and editor fol
the avOwed purpose Of giving to the Administers
ton, in all its departments and 10 all its measures
an "unquestioning support" and down to its
issue Of yesterday it has faithfully fulfilled, ac
oording to the best Of its knowledge and ability
the function performed in the days Of the Roman
Empire by ths class whom history has handed
down under the not very fragrant title of assenta-
torres 1t has been the axiom Of the Chronicle that
this Administration, I" in all its departments and
in all its measures" is the best possible of Ad-
ministrations that al men in civil military CON-
mand--so long, Of course, as they may be retained
by the appointing power-are the best possible in
cumbents Of place and that all men removed
from Office are henceforward smitten with de-
merit Of the most obvious and incurable nature
If any thing be done by the constituted suthori-
way and at the best possible time. If any thing
be left undone it has been equally accepted the
mark Of infallible wisdom, and only the more con-
fdingly because to unofficial minds the wisdom
may have been inscrutabe. In short, the Chroni-
Gle, We supposed, had found what Jerome Patu-
rot, the hero Of the French fiction, had ardently
but yainly pursued in his "search for the Abso-
lutte and the best possible Of Republics"
So long as our youthful contemporary confined
itself to daily projections the thesis that what
ever is (oficially) is right" we had no occasion to
do more than admire the wonderful patience with
which, reduced as it was to play on organ of
SO few stops, it stood up under the monotony of
its own music We confess to have always had
a sympathy for the laborious grinders of the
hurdy y-gurdies who perambulate our streets, turn
ing the dolorous crank with one hand and holding
frisky Jocko in leading strings with the other,
doomed all the while to lend an ear to their own
mechanic melody. But we think their labor must
be lightsome and merry compared with that of
those called to endure the fatigues Of official jour-
nalism, and who, like Polonius in the play, look
ing through the eyes Of some of6ce-bearing Ham
let, must see yon Aeecy cloud assume now the
shape Of camel, now of weasels back, and now
Of something very like whale.
We do not greatly wonder, therefore, that our
neighbor has found the safety of unquestioning
support" greater than he could bear. Having al
ready noticed the "deplorable detection of the
Philadephia Press from the rule of duty prescribed
- ~, Al IL 81 Al
called to lament the ominous wavering Of the lat
ter journal, which in its issue Of yesterday has
tualy had the audacity to declare that "nobody
has ever pretended that the President has not
committed mistakes" Committed mistakes -
What mistakes" we should like to know, has the
President ever committed, that a journal pledged
to his " unquestioning support must needs make
such an admission? We have never before seen in
the columns of our neighbor the suspicion of any
shortcomings on the part Of Mr.. Lincoln, or Of
any body else charged with "high and responsible
duties ut this crisis and submit that it is hardly
less than gratuitous calumny to make such charge
in the absence Of any specifications to sustain it.
And, then, how can journal which avowedly sup
ports the Administration without "question" ar
rive at the conclusion that any mistakes" have
been committed? Only those who have the spirit
Of inquiry are entitled to form judgments on this
difficult point The Chronicle should not exercise
itself in such high matters.
But, as if it was not enough TO bring this accu-
sation against the President, the Chronicle Of yes
terdsy proceeds to say that there are two journals
in the land--the New York World and the Ma
tional Intelligencer- unlike the two unani-
nous journals that profess never to question where
they always approve, seem to take wicked delight
in exposing the weakness-if we may so call it,
Of the public servants, and in holding up daily
pictures TO the rebels Of fancied corruption and
aggerated imbecility." " The weakness of the pub.
lie servants Well may the Chronicle meekly
add, with bated breath, az ge may so call a. =
when daring to insinuate that there is any thing
like weakness" in our "publio servants''-in I
Stanton, q Halleck, or Hooker, all men Of wal
and Of might, If there be any thing in the force o
eulogy daily applied with forty goose-quill powc
in the pages Of that paper. We imagine the con
sternation with which our "public servants' mus
have read this fling at their capabilities th
more stinging for being incidentally bestowed s,
the surgeon sometimes conoeals his lancet in tn
sponge, and drives the cruel steel to the quick Will