The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1866-05-30
Revealing Private correspondence
OrCOnycrsatiOn.

OrCOnvcrSatiOn.
Americans, says the New York Com.
mercial AdrertiScr, arc undoubtedly
open, to some extent, to. the charge
sometimes made By foreigners, ofregnrd.
Ing too lightly private correspondence
or. conversations. Facts. communicated
orally or by letter, under on implied
secrecy, arc ufiorward, by reason Of an
alienation perhaps, given to tho public,
and 'bruitcd about in political circles.
PUBLIC men, associnting together 10 the
.nmo partly; on" falling 'out"%do~ hot
scruplo to avail themselves Of every
means for damaging one anothcrs char
actcr..
1t can not be denied that some Of our
journnls, which have exhibited an entire
absence of honor, ns well as morbid
pleasure, in laying bare to the world
facts and circumstances Of private pa.
turc, have had material influence in
lowering the standard of public senti.
mcnt in this respect. The fact, however,
that partisan journals Of shameless
character and no sclf-respect orc guilty
Of disrcputable acts Of this kind, affords
no prctcnsc for politicians pursuing q
similar course. .... ..'-.
Now that my policy" promise, to
alicnatc, 10 some extent, political friends
who hayc hitherto been on intimate
terms and acted with harmony in the
lines of the Union party, thore will un'
doubtediy be- strong temptations to re-
veal private matters, and make an crposc
of this or that character. a proper
self.rcspect and keen sense Of honor
will, however, restrain those heretofore
friends from thus violating private con.
Gdencc. Though laboring under great
proyocaiion, the President would have
acted with more wisdom had ho not
made public Mr.. Dana's begging letter,
in Which the NcwYork Col!ectorship was
solicited. True, tho communication was
very damaging to the author, and yet
every ono on pcrusing it must have felt
that its publication was violation Of
priyato confidence. That Mr.. Daua him.
self SO regards it is shown by the bitter
and even savage tone which has ever
since characterized the Chicago RcpnJ.
licon. ..... ... 80.
With all his political sins Of omission
ami commission, ex. President Pierce is
cut titlcd to the credit Of having exhibit
cd at all times nice sense Of honor ia
matters Of this kind. For example, {
prominent Journals. Of SewYork, which
began the Piercc.Scott campaign by ar
dcntly supporting tho former, suddenly
vcered about and continued to abuse
him most violently up to tho last mo.
mcut of the election. All this time DIR
Pierce, had in his possession q private
letter written by tho journalistin qucs'
ton, which was most damaging to bis
character, and would, had publicity beer
given to it., havO completely neutral
lied the influence Of the LITTER, assuming
,ha, hc had any. Political friends, who
we're aware of the contents Of. this COM
muuicution, pcrsistently urged upon Mr.
Pierce the importance Of publishing it,
in order to arrest the torrent Of abuse
daily dischargcdrat him. But he a.
pcrsistcntly refused to do 80, affirming
that no circumstance of q political char
actcr could justify violation Of privacy
And 90 to this day tho letter in question
has not been published.
De Tocqusvills exhibited n sense 0
honor in matters Of this kind which pol
iticiaus and journalists Of to-day woul'
do we'll 10 initiate. On visiting thi
country for the purpose Of studying th'
genius Of our institutions, he came il
contact with eminent minds ofall parties
and had lengthy conversations will
them. On returning to Franco, he pub
lished in lis volume on "Dcnsocrac:
in .lmcricn" tho conclusions he ha'
arrived at from these numerous cor1er
sat;ons, but never yielded to the tcmpta
ton of giving publicity to tho partlc
with whom these interviews had bccl
held. On tho contrary. he said: "Al
these conGdentia communications 'wer'
recorded by me as / received them, bu
they niW ncrer so&boyoud my portfolio
I pmj;r 10. ,seuken iho effect Of my state
mrnis. rather than to add my name 1
the list Of travellers who repay by mortl
fica.ion and embarrassment the geocrou
hospitality they havc received"