The Censorship

Mr. Wilson of Iowa has made a report from the Judiciary committee, upon the censorship of the press.  It speaks of the Censor as almost entirely destitute of all the requirements for the discharge of his delicate duties, ignorant of public affairs, and frequently going even beyond his instructions, which went too far in that they empowered him to deal with dispatches relating to civil as well as military matters.

Mr. Wilson has given a history of the censorship from the dark days of April, when it was the Secretary of the Treasury’s prerogative, to the time of its transference through the Secretary of War to the Secretary of State, and after the assumption of the Present Secretary of war, to that of the War Department again.  He shows how, under Seward’s regime, it was perverted from its original intent; how stock jobbing dispatch – one from Bull Run Russell – got over the wires, while their use was debarred to correspondents of loyal journals, as in the case of the Trent affair decision; and now an extract from the President’s Message was telegraphed to the New York Herald, while dispatches touching the message to other journals were suppressed.  The report recommends the passage of a resolution indicating the sense of congress that the supervisorship be strictly confined to such intelligence concerning projected naval or military movements as is likely to give aid and comfort to the enemy, unless the Government require to take exclusive possession of the wires, then to act strictly under the authority of law.  The Committee express surprise that the order modifying Stanton’s first order was not signed by Stanton instead of Sanford, and find no fault with the present censorship since confined, so far as known to the Committee on Military Matters.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, March 29, 1862, p. 1

From Washington

WASHINGTON, March 27.

The Senate to-day confirmed the nomination of Lewis S. Ely, of California as Consul at Acapulco.

The bill reported by Senator Pearce to-day, from the committee on finance, provides that the authority given to the Secretary of the Treasury to refund and remit the duties and imposts on all arms imported into the United States by or for the account of any State, shall extend only to arms for which orders or contracts were made prior to January 1^st 1862, provided the Secretary shall have satisfactory proof exhibited to him that the arms were actually purchased in a foreign country for the account of a State, and the price paid for the same was only the first cost and the usual customary exchanges attending the purchase of the same, inclusive of duty.

The attempts that are made to connect the present supervision of the telegraph with the censorship lately reported upon by a committee of Congress, renders it proper to state that the censorship of the telegraph was abolished by the Secretary of War on taking military possession of the telegraph, and a military supervision of the telegraph throughout the U. S. substituted.  The duty of the supervisors is to prevent the transmission, by telegraph, of information concerning, late present or contemplated movements of the armies of the U. S., and all other information which is of a military character, that ought to be concealed.  From the political or private affairs, the telegraph is as completely unrestricted as it was before the commencement of the war.

Hon. Emmerson Etheridge has written a letter from Nashville, stating that W. H. Polk, brother of the late President Polk, is in Nashville, and that W. H. Stokes is shortly expected.  Both are strong Unionists, and will co-operate with Gov. Johnson in putting the State government into operation.

The following dispatch was received from Cherry Stone via Fortress Monroe this p.m.  There was a reconnoisance this evening to Big Bethel, which was occupied by 1,500 rebels, who fled at our approach.  We now occupy the place.

The surgeons of the regiments engaged at Winchester have not reported the list of killed as yet.  It will be forwarded as soon as received.

Eight wagon loads of the enemy’s dead were carried into Strasburg Monday.

It is believed that the enemy’s killed and wounded amounted to 1,000.

Tribune’s Dispatch

WASHINGTON, March 27.

The enemy have at last entirely abandoned Aquia Creek, carrying with them artillery and stores, and there is no rebel force now between the river and Fredericksburg.  In that town there are but few soldiers, the main body being posted about a mile and a half beyond.

Col. Crittenden of Indiana was nominated as Brig. Gen. to-day.

Times’ Special

A smoke on Tuesday in the direction of Warrenton indicated the destruction of property, which always attends the enforced retreat of the rebel army.  Their disastrous attack on Winchester has provoked a blow from which they are recoiling.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, March 29, 1862, p. 2

Special to New York Papers

NEW YORK, April 16 – Specials state that the object of the French Minister’s visit to Richmond is to assert the right of French merchants to large quantities of tobacco in the hands of the rebels.

{Tribune’s Dispatch}

WASHINGTON, April 16. – The Finance Committee of the Senate have done nothing respecting the tax bill. At their session yesterday and to-day they occupied all the time that was left them by the numerous committees providing the exemption of this and that interest from taxation. Senators say that the bill will go to the House within a week after it comes from the committee.

The rumor is general that Secretary Stanton has resigned in consequence of difference of opinion between him and the president touching the movements of troops.

Every day new barbarities perpetrated by the rebels come to light. This week two soldiers who had straggled from the ranks on the march from Manassas to Callets were found, it is reported on creditable authority, by the roadside with their throats cut form ear to ear.

The form bill is promised speedily from the Ways and Means committee.

Intercepted letters from Fredericksburg state that the rebel force at and near that place number nearly 20,000. They are in constant motion.

{Herald’s Dispatch}

There are strong indications of important changes in the Cabinet within a few days.

Congress has at least begun to take notice of the censorship exercised over the press. There are indications that it will speedily be abolished or modified.

- Published in the Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, April 19, 1862