Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-19
A Shifting Accusation

Soma DAYS agO cur ely was gi4ddtasd by busy ru.
mos Of grail ying results in q Orgs. The despa'c es
On which these reports rested we're either private or
press desPAehes Such as they we're, the press here
was desired 10 refrain from their publication from pru.
dental reasons The ChcsIs connected With the War
parlmsut at She tine steadily declared that they
rad not been adv ssd OF the alleged neWs
Alter awhile the public became impatient, and some
basan 10 lecture the War Departments for Withholding
tbs m asing tdrgS Which, despite the denial they a.
LACED 10 be within its knowledge. IL transpred in
feI diva hoseyer that the intelligence sent North by
Sberm,n vas incompatible with the reports over which
Ne had been privately u1uriatng. Instead Of holding
the Wa spzItment Vilaca.eo-n0t for It's previous
ccncealnsnts for it had concealed nothing but TO- It's
caution and seeurscy-;hs very persons who complain.
ed of ts alleged cerce, nov conpsn that il has do
ceysd the people with false hopes l. theIe any tuoh
thing As eAndor Justice left among men. Whatever
imp0Fsa. errors mlJ have come to u, or gained cir
cualon here the War Department lot in the least
responsible o. the very charge OF conoesmeot alleged
sEsus. il in tie first instance sufficiently
iHsL Of AoEday.
Bat suppose the facts instead Of being a. the Ssat-
vel imsznes, had been abou as follows: Say that on
or about the llth nss telegram for this paper was
received at the Css IN Richmond and instead of be-
log delivered 70 vs. was delivered 10 the War Ose, We
being ef entirely igROIaat o. i9 arrival and intercept
ton The telegram may have represented thA. Hood
tas railroad from Big SSAniy to Kiogstou had been
asutsry 6es.royed"-tbas SeSars corps had captured
Altoona "rh four tho sd prisoners together with
on immense quantity Of material of Uar,"-tbAt our
psksts we're "Hithin ore mile Of Atlanta and either
killed or captured every Ysnkee Who Venursd GU side
the main Works"-tha. Sherman was cut CT from his
main army and Thomas in ommAnd, that 'the evacu
alton Of Atlanta Is looked for every d,y"-and that the
enemy had no horses mules "wi,h uheh TO haul arti
l.TJ or eOumssary stores." Nov suppose the Wsr d.
pAFtmsnt thinking this portant to bs given
ID the public Withou VeTi6eaoD had vishhsld Il from
tbs Wig by what right We do not know but had per-
med Il to leak oul that the War Department was In
possession Of such infOrmaiOn-W uld not the pablo
have conc uded naturally and reasonably, thA. the in
tez,ncs was authentic ard official and that s publieA-
hOo was suppressed from prudential rsa'Ons'
Dropping hypothesis, assert thai 'to the best Of
our knoulsdge, and b<lief" the fae.s precisely
Guch as here SET forth. We therefore dissent from
the e1srlpAtOFy coac,usion Of me SsH.isI that "hs
War Department s not in tue least responsible" and
slVgs thA; it Its action, in insrecpsDg neWtpI-
Per telegram, and not keeping s contents Secret that
nsed the pFes5 and the public and deceived the poo
ps with iss ho2ea" IL bad permitted ths news 10
be published Il would have beea known to be rot d
eA and would have been accepted with the dis.rust
which long experiences has taught the public to attach to
all merely tesgrsphie reports. II determining to cup
pEsss or suspend il, tho Department had kept silent
AbOa. Il then ths public Weuli have known nothing
about II, and would hsVs escaped being deceived.
Tas matter l. nOs Of nusA importance. only We Go
roI Zee that Il Gl0rds ground for compliment 10 tie