Weekly national intelligencer., 1863-03-12
A WORD WITH OUR READERS.

The publicity which it has become the questionable ha-
bit of the press to give to private well public
Germs places under the necessity of brief reference
to matter which would willingly have avoided for we
are not in the habit Of paradng private ere and our
regular readers we'll that seldom trouble them
with our personal affairs.
The correspondent of popular Northern Journal how
ever has thought proper to MENTION among other items Of
news that the Hon Secretary of War had withdrawn from
the National integeneer the publication of the advertise
ments If his Department and had directed the heads Of
the various Bureaus under his control to withhold any fur
her publications from that paper We had previously been
officially informed of this step the part of the Hon Sec
retay but one he had the uuquestonabe power to
take, and we should certainly have thought of
making it the subject of complaint comment if the
publicity given to it had imposed the necessity of
informing readers that the decision of the Hon Secre-
tary should not deprive them Of the advantage Of sill
seeing in columns all official advertisements usual,
although their publication gratutous. This will be sim
ply in conformity with custom previous similar
tons; for, although have never deemed such small
prescriptions of sufficient dignity for complaint or ami
madversion, this not the first time that it has been
misfortune to fall under the ban of official dispeasure To
60 further back in history than the last Adminstra
ton, had the honor Of similar mark Of consideration
from the Hon Secretarys distinguished predecessor in the
war department., l1On selI-re
spect imposed then the silence that it would have
done now but for the well intended ocousness Of another
journal.
What has drawn upon our paper the present mark
of Departmental disayOr unable to say unless
were for the Hon. Secretary reason which
would be unworthy of statesman who has himself always
used the privilege of public discussion with the freedom
that his right and the courtesy that became him. If
insubmitng to readers from time to time, it
duty journalists to do, views of public affairs in
this dread crsis Of the country have been obliged
sonay to dissent from the prudence expedency of
of the of the Hon Secretary of War; have done
with the decorum due both to his personal and official
character and to Of propriety. Sudousy
avoiding all acous cavDg and desiring for him the fullest
succefsn his arduOus task would any time rather
praised than blamed and it is quite possible that could
have OWNED the which directed important
mens might have estimated their sdom differently
but in official proceedings, having to through glass
dmly if not darkly could only from what we
knew. Thus much for eucdation, not for Defence for
have learned in heightened experience rather too
much Of official intolerance (and thank God great deal
too Of noble political toerance to waste time in seeking
out the moving f any official prescription towards
ourselves official favor towards others 1t ia enough
for to know that have the approval of wise and
good without distinction of party, and if the support
received from portion of country has bsen
impaired at frat by advocacy Of the Union and lat
terly destroyed by this wicked, csuseess and bloody
rebellion, yet too old n habits of selfrespect
seek any compensation for hese Losses in the thrift
that follows fawnBg We have survived the prescription
Of the War Department under former Administrations
and hope under this to avoid the communication
which, from old instincts well recent grudges the
Hon Secretary may at present "wish"