Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-05-22
The success Of our Cause

Requires that the people should be informed
of all victories and of all reverses. If disas-
ter at any time befalls our arms let the people
know it, and prepare for the future. We can
notapprove the policy Of fmisrepresenting facts
Honesty is the best policy. For the week last
past, the people of the loyal States have been
kept in feverish state of excitement over the
intelligence from the army of the East. Men
have left their ploughs, their counting-rooms,
their forges and their looms, and hurriedly
rallied to the medium Of news-the printing
press, only to become the more excited and
feverish. Somebody, who, we know not, at
the other end of the wires, has been doing
the tallest kind of LYING for a week past, at
least. Whether the military censorship over
the press is still maintained at Washington
or not we are not advised. To the extent Of
keeping secret the plans and purposes of our
armies and of the Government towards the
rebellion, we hope that censorship may con-
tinue, but no farther. Beyond this it can be
fruitful only of much harm. On Saturday
night the people were startled in their mid
night slumbers with the cheering intelligence
that the ''old flag waved in triumph over the
halls of the Confederate pirates-that Hook
er's army had recrossed the Rappahannock.
Since then we have been repeatedly assured
that Lee was in full retreat, and Hooker
pursuing, when in truth and verify neither
has abandoned the position occupied after
our retreat. Yes, we mesn retreat, not dis
astrous perhaps, but retreat from an op-
posing force, nevertheless. Why send these
falsehoods all over the countrys Have those
in authority no confidence in the peoples If
a censorship exists at Washington, why not
suppress reports whose tendency is to weaken
public confidence, and paralyze our arms
Let the rulers be assured that the people are
fully alive to the tremendous issue of the
hour, and desire continued and uninterrupted
success to our arms. Let them also be as
sured that the people are nevertheless pre-
pared to accept the fortunes Of war, and to
hear of reverses. Let there be no effort to
conceal the truth, when those reverses come.
If we are temporarily defeated, the people
would know when to prepare for greater
sacrifice and struggle. The loyal masses are
everywhere prepared to continue this war un-
til its grand purpose be accomplished.
When the news reached our city that
Hooker's army had retreated, we heard but
one sentiment from the loyal people of the
county, and that, ''let conscription come, bet
ter now than later; hope the President will
call one million men to arms" That senti-
ment everywhere prevails. Then let not our
cause suffer from concealment of truth. Let
not the power of the Government be weaken
ed by the weakening of our confidence. Let
there be clean breast made of all reverses,
and determined upon suppressing the rebel
lion, restoring the States to their unity and
maintaining the supremacy Of the Constitu-
ton, the people with unfaltering courage and
fresh enthusiasm, will rally to the call of an
imperiled country. Give US the truth, and
the people will give the material for earnest
and successful war. The success of our
cause demands it.