The New York herald., 1866-12-30


cannot prosper without the sunlight Of . re-
stored country. The fanatics who would fain |
rule tho destinies Of the nation in this hour |
of expectancy make our hearts sick with |
deferred hope. Union means peace, happi-
ness, prosperity and brotherhood. Those who |
hinder these results are the enemies Of union. |
Let them stand aside. srsr
Telegraph CenpanIes- Private Telesraas
sacreds
The Congressional Committee, who ara ct |
present engaged in investigating the facts con
nected with the New Orleans riots, recently
made demand upon the superintendent Of
the New Orleans Telegraph line, rs we are in.
formed on good authority, that be should do.
liver NJ for their inspection oil the 2espatches,
public or private, that were sent over The
wires about the period of tho troubles In that
city, and upon his refusal to conform to their
requirement gave orders for his arrest This
action Of tho ccmmittes suggests the question,
how far are the public protected In the trsnsmis-
sion Of private dispatches over the telegraph
wiresi by law Of this State enacted In
1850, 1t is made q misdemean0r, punishable
with not more than three months imprison-
ment or five hundred dollars fine for operators
or others connected with telegraph companies
to disclose or use any matter contained In
dispatches entrusted to them for transmission.
There is not, we believe, any Low Of the
United States making similar provisions.
The Post Office regulations are, how
ever, strict In reference to the inviolability
of private correspondence By the United
States law Of 1925, to be found in Brightly's
Digest page 217, section 81, It is made an.
offence for any person to open letters or "pry
into another's secrets Or busin.ssss" as contained
in letters entrusted to the mails, punishable
With fine of not more than five hundred
dollars and Imprisonment for not exceeding
States imposes fine Of not more than three
hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more
than six months, or both, upon any employe Of
the Post Office Department who shall wlfully
delay or detain or open any letter entrusted
to the Department for delivery. II has been
proposed to put the telegraph lines throughout
the Union under control Of the goverpmep.
as part and parcel Of the Post Office Depart
ment, and to subject them to the same rules
and regulations. There are many coo.
siderations In favor Of such policy. and
one of its principal recommendations is
that it Would place private dispatches
upon precisely the eSme footing as private let.
ters. Al present there Is ne safeguard against
the dishonesty Of the employees Of the telegraph
companies. The law Of this State Is in0psra.
tive the moment the despatch entrusted to the
wires gets beyond the borders OF the State, and
the merchant who sends an important message
to New Orleans or any other poin. outside
Of New York is subject to the proba-
bilty of the information he transmits beins
used for the profit Of others before his mes
sage reaches its destination. The press IL
peculiarly liable to suffer from the dishonest
practices Of the telegraph companies, and Il
has become almost impossible to guard against
the dishonesty Of the employees Of the several
lines The matter has already been under the
consideration Of Congress, aud II is to be
hoped that IL the government does not decide
in favor Of taking possession Of the telegraph
lines, as part OF the Post Onlce Department.
some stringent law will be passed which may
insure the invioability Of private dispatches.
MISREPRESENTATION OF wHAr THE PRESIDENT
SAYS ON PUBLIC MArrsRs.-H appears from our
Washington dispatches that many OF the state
menis which have been made about the Presi
dent having said this, that and the other with re
gard 10 the constitutional amendment aud other
public matters are antrue or very much dis. |
torted. A great many persons seek an inter- |
view with the President for no other purpose |
than TO hear his opinions, and some 10 give |
themselves notoriety, by publishing afterwards
either what he really says or by misrepreseul- !
ing his language for party purposes. Il Is |
possible, too. that his hearers may sometimes |
misunderstood him. One Of the last cases In |
which bis language has not been understood,
or was wilfally misrepresentcd. according to
the Information we have received from Wash
ington, is that Of the statement published in a
Charleston paper relative TO what he said to |
Mr.. Weatherby. Of South Carolina. The same
may be remarked with regard TO what Is
said 10 have transpired at . reported interview
with the Hon. Mr.. Egglestou. As these re-
ported conversations represent the President |
to have expressed opinions on the policy OF the
South rejecting or adopting the constitutional
amendment. and on other highly important
matters. be naturally desires tbot no false i'm
pressions should 90 abroad. He properly
says that hls message to Congress and other
public declarations are before the country;
that these express his views. aud that he has
not expressed and cannot express any other
opinions 10 individuals In . private mauner
upon national stfairs. This is natural aud
reasonable explanation Of the matter. We
are bound, therefore. to take the statement OF
the President hefora ihnaA of nrixnte and irre-