New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-04-20
Audacity of n Reporter.

When the Duke of Wellington was Prime
Minister. one of the morning newspapers
gave the programme of a very important
government proceeding about to be adopted.
| II startled all parties and created an i'm.
! mense sensation among the Tories. for that
| political party had received no information
| that the Cabinet intended any such move:
| nay, the majority of the Cabinet Ministers
| themselves were equally in the dark; and
| yet the announcement was true. The
! Duke was full of wrath at the pre-.
mature display of his plans. and equal.
| ly full of surprise, seeing that those
| plans had not been committed to paper.
| The clue to the mystery was after a time
obtained. The Duke Of Wellington was
rather deaf during the second half of his
| life. and las is usually the case under such
| circumstances adopted a somewhat loud
| tone in CONVEX satiOn. One even n, after
| stirring debate in the House Of Lords. the
| Duke walked home arm in arm with an
| other peer. d trusted member of his party.
! but not a member of the government. In
| the course of conversation he gave the out
| line Of a scheme which he had Determined
| TO pu. into effect, but of which he had said
nothing to his colleagues in the Cabinet. A
penny liner happened to be outside the
| House of Lords. He caught some words
from the lips of the loud-talking Duke, saw
! at once that they bore an important rela-
ton 10 the existing politics Of the day. and
resolved to attempt neat thing IN the way
of business.
Laying aside honor an; deIicacy az
troublesome companions, he followed the
two peers at q cautious distance. and picked
up the loud words as they fell upon lis ear.
The night was dark. the tread of lis steps
WAS made light for the occasion. and he es
capped detection during a long portion of
the Dukes walk 90 Aspley House. Return
iEg 20 his lodgings. the elmer" got up an
account Of the mOment0us policy intended
hv the noble Duke at the head OF his
maiesty's government, written in the proper
newspaper etyle. Knowing that none of
the papers would place trust in any flimsy
from elmer if sent in the usual way.
on subject so peculiarly special and mo-
mentOus as this, he adopted another plan.
Mr.. Black, editor of the KoapinY Chronicle.
had that day given 'leader" OF his own,
in which the Duke was severely handled
for refusing TO make known his plans in
the House of Lords. The elmer went to
Mr.. Black. handed him the article ne had
prepared. and. on being pressed. candidIy
avowed the maneuver he had adopted.
The temptation was too great to be re-
sisted: Mr.. Black accepted the diners"
article. paid for it handsomely. aud inserted
it next morning as a dOuble!eadeG article.
The effect was immense.
The conductors OF the other papers were
surprised and yexed at being thus fore.
stalled by the Mor1GiHg Chronicle: the Wings
were elated al the disclosures thus made
the Tories were mortified at having been
thus kept in the dark by the ministers nt
their choice; the Dukes colleagues in the
Cahinet We're something more than mOr.iief
at having been deemed equally unworthy
of ms trust: and the c!ubs discussed the
affair day after day. Many influential mem.
bers of Parliament called upon william
Clements. principal proprietor of the Horn.
ing CarOIGcie. and asked Him To sell then:
"in confidence" hn~ the information was
obtained: but until the article produced its
full effect in relation to the party politics OF
the day. Mr.. Black would uet tell his own
employer The history of the secret As the
Duke had MOI committed his plan ~ paper.
ni.n had communicated it orally oniy TO his
i!i""d. ;!e peer. his sUSpI'.uGs .,,htti ia
th"' quarter and much nnpi"a4.snfn"s- ss.-
suffice. uEtii the zeal truth or3..". ,.:.