Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-02-25
NEWSPAPER ORGANS.
comments.

NEWSPAPER ORGANS.
In the month of September last, as we learn
from the second volume of the Diplomatic Core
spondence of Mr.. Secretary SEWARD, the capital
of France was agitated and the monetary opera
tons of the Partisan bourse disturbed by variety
of rumors The report that the Emperor had &C
knewledged the Southern Confederacy became
general, and fall in the public funds occurred,
greater than has been known in SO brief space OF
time for some years. 1t was said that Mr.. Slidell
had made cession to the Emperor CT Texas
and part of Louisiana as a consideration for the
acknowledgment Interrogated on the subject by
our Minister, Mr.. Dayton, the French Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, NJ. Drouyn de Lhuys, at once
said that the report was wholly groundless. He
added that " within the last twenty-four hours =
series of false reports had been put in circulation
upon this and upon other subjects. He could not
understand for what object, but they were certain
y intended for no friendly purpose towards US.
He said he had given orders to Comte Treilhard,
director of the press in the Ministry of the Int
rior, to contradict such reports, and if possible,
trace out and punish the authors of them; that
there had been conspiracy to spread false news"
Accordingly, public notice, signed BY the Pre-
feet of Police and the Minister of Finance, was put
up at the bourse denying the truth of the several
reports in circulation. This it would seem quiet
ed the excitement.
At the same time other rumors were put in cir
cuIation calculated to disturb the good relations
existing between France and the United States,
by imputng to the latter unfounded designs against
the former 1t was said, for instance, that the
United States had protested against the action OF
the French Government in Mexico had sent its
feet to Vera Cruz; and made treaty offensive
and defensive with Russia. Happily these rumors
| made no impression on the mind of M. Drouyn de
Lhuys, VINO ascrbed them to paternity common
with that which had invented supposittious policy
| for the French Government. But Mr. Seward took
advantage Of the occasion put the French Govern
ment on its guard against any appfehensons spring
ing from the speculations.o the political press in
the United States by distinctly stating that the
Administration of President Lincoln had no news
paper organ" through which it allowed its plane
and purposes to transpre in either an authentic OF
an unauthentic shape To this effect he wrote az
follows, under date Of last October 9Th:
al may, perhaps not Improperly improve this occasion
By saying that tie Executive Government 81 this country
has organ in the press Its views and sentiments IL
regard France to all other countries can be known
always by the language OF "a, diplomatic representatives
for il nsructs them mDutey and drscis them 10 SPEAK
always frankly and sincerely The Emperor mas az &C
knOwledged organ in tho press Its utterances, II IN
friendly equvoca necessarily produce dstrust among
the American people When they see ~ the columns o.
the M0neur OpinoBs 1erOgatOry OF themselves AID cal
cuated to give satisfaction and encouragement to their
enemies it necessarily, but doubtless enormously as
sumed that they inspired Several such publications
have recently appeared there and is not remembered
thai ne utsssnce in the spirit Of the friendship Of old
France b. aeu made by that paper since unhappy
Controversy EXPOSED 70 the argues Of our domestic
enemies in foreign countries ,
al have thus laid bare living and fruitful root Of zeal
ouses between France and the United States. We do
not claim that France shaI be friend We do not in
st that she shall judge favorsby or kind
y On the other hand il need not be said that unavor
able judgments and unknd sentiments invariably produce
ultimate alienation.
There was no act of the present Administration
on its accession to Office which inspired US with
more hope in the good sense it would bring to the
conduct Of affairs than its reputation Of newspaper
"organism" at the seat of government. Since
this custom was first instituted we have never
known an Administration that was not, sooner
or later, compromised by the character and
quality Of the journal which occupied the official
relation of Presidential interpreter II even in
France the columns of the Moniteur, paper pub
lishcd in the exclusive interest Of the Government
are, as we learn from Mr.. Seward, sometimes made
the vehicle Of opinions that arouse suspicious be-
cause all its opinions are necessarily but sometimes
enormously ascrbed to official inspiration, what
would not be the danger in country like ours,
where the Government press is without " direc-
tor" and subsequently speaks in the native dialect
of its avowed conductorsy
| The War Department has decided that any volunteer
who has been or may be accepted into the service and
who serves faithfully his two years Continuous service
i in IN he Cd hy he I,I,