New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-06
BIDDING For nIsnREnIT.

, is its greatest duty for it occupies th
$ position Of public informer, paid by ii
: patronage to discover all that the peopl
f desire to know. AS to the conclusions t
be drawn from any truthful relation c
facts, there are matters that newspaper
may disagree about with perfect honest
and propriety, but they may not distor
or discolor the facts themselves, for thi
is to provide a false foundation for tn
; opinions and decisions of mankind. N
intelligent man can be satisfied with tn
newspaper that perverts his judgment b,
misinforming him in regard to essential
upon which his judgment is founded, 10
it leads him to commit acts that subse
quent and better information will surely
make him repent of. As, for illustration
the press should be as particularly &C
curate in all things as it is in regard tc
finance and commerce, where, though the
commentators disagree about results,
they never misstate facts. Cotton circu-
lars are exact in regard to their state
ments, but they differ very widely in their
predictions, which is allowable, since
correspondents are furnished with the
facts to form their own conclusions, if
they are not satisfied with those of their
factors. A house that sends, out false in
formation is sure to lose the confidence of
its patrons.
This exactitUde in matters of fact should
prevail in all reputable newspapers, not
only because it is right in morality, but
because it is to the interest of the press to
| be accounted as honest and reliable. The
misrepresentation Of to-day is sure to
bring discredit whenever its dupes realize
that they have been cheated in matter
wherein they deposited their faith No
matter if a man succeeds through the mis-
statements Of his party organ, when he
finds that he acted upon false relation Of
facts, he will thenceforth hesitate about
believing the oracle that deceived his intel
ligence once.
Yesterday the Picayeae attacked General
Grant upon three counts in a labored
political indictment addressed to the peo-
pie who are now trying the candidates for
the presidency. IF these counts could be
sustained the country would be justified
in concluding that the President is very
liable to eensure at the hands of his con-
stituents. But if they are not true what
effect should the assertidG of such mis-
statements have upon the paper that puts
them forth. What ought to be said of a
coffee merchant who would write to his
friends that there were half a million bags
OF coffee in market when there were barely
a hundred thousand =? The answer to this
question would satisfy justice in regard to
what should be said Of the paper which
misinforms its readers first, |
that General Grant sent the army of the |
United States to Hayti, captured the
country, and threatened its principal
officer with death because he objected;
secondly, that General Grant sent a
vessel 20 convey his sor to
Europe uaaer the tutelage of the general
Of the American Armies; and, &hirdly, that
ne took thirty thousand dollars from the
public treasury to build stable for his
horses, without authority of law. Neither
me Of these statements is correct,
md the paper that put them forth
,ither knows that they are incorrect
II it is too badly informed to serve any
5ood purpose as a public instructor. Gen
raj Grant never sent the army of the
United States to Hayti, he never landed
ny military forces on the island, nor did
lie threaten to shoot its President The
aptain of an American man 0f-war at
interfered to prevent the
Iaytien government from attacking San
Domingo while that country was under
ur protection. And for this he was sub :
9cted to a new set of orders requiring
i'm to be more reserved in his conduct =
oward the authorities of Hayti. Is itnot
that the facts are totally at va
ance with the statements of the Ptcag1lpe.
hen the sending of a naval vessel to Z
urope with the Presidents son is a ira
7stie of the truth in regard to that mat
r. General Sherman was granted leave
absence to visit Europe, and Lieutenant 5
rant obtained leave to accompany him L.
member Of his staff, We do not APP S
rove of the transaction, but it is not nee
8ary to misstate it to provoke antipathy.
Thirdly-The stable was built out of the
fund on the recommendation 5
the committee appointed to direct the O
lbic grounds and buildings. Does not a.
is relation of facts put different face G.
ION all the counts presented by the b
.cayuae2 And if that paper can get it's n
nsent to misIead the public in the way h
has done in these three particulars, upon h
e suggestion that coffee merchant CT
,uld lose the confidence Of his customers &C
deceiving them in an important mat tt
:, what should be its fate? Does it not al
l to be discredited? st
a FINANCIAL SUGGESTION. in
- A.