NEWS FROM WASHINGTON: The Inquiry into the Censorship of the Press; Report of the House Judiciary Committee (3/21/1862)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 3/21/1862

[Homer_J_Simpson]

WASHINGTON, Thursday, March 20.

The House Committee on Judiciary, in their report made to-day, examine at large into the censorship of the Press. While they say that from want of qualification or proper discrimination on the part of the Censor has sprung much of the complaint made by the Press, they remark that the censorship seems to have been without any clearly-defined limits, after the departure from the general agreement between Gen. MCCLELLAN and the representatives of the Press. The Committee give numerous examples to show that dispatches of a harmless nature have been excluded from transmission. No adequate measure seems to have been adopted to prevent the transmission of what the Censor denominated "contraband" intelligence through the telegraph offices at Baltimore, Philadelphia, New-York, and other important points, while information on almost every subject was excluded from the wires in this city. The representatives of the Press who have testified before the Committee have manifested no disposition to complain of the suppression of dispatches of a military character which could in any manner be tortured into disclosures of information to the enemy, and might in the slightest degree embarrass the Government. They have uniformly expressed themselves as willing to submit to the rules established by the Government between them and Gen. MCCLELLAN. The correspondents generally seem to have the same understanding of the rule by which the Censor determined what may and what may not be sent over the wires to their respective papers. Very few dispatches reflecting on members of the Cabinet or other civil officers, were found among those suppressed by the Censor.

The witnesses examined by the Committee explain this by stating that they seldom prepared such dispatches, as they understood they would not be permitted to send them over the wires.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1861-1865: Seminar and Discussion Forum
The American Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: May 2025.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

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To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4048255/posts

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

News from Washington: The Inquiry into the Censorship of the Press – 2-3
News from the Lower Potomac: The Evacuation of the Aquia Creek Batteries – 3
Victory in Eastern Kentucky: The Rebels Driven from Pound Gap by Gen. Garfield – 4
News from Fortress Monroe: Capture of W.L. Yancey, Disguised as a Sailor – 4
The Fight at Island Ten: The Rebel Batteries Not Yet Reduced – 4-5
The Battle of Valverde: Additional Particulars – 5
News from the Gulf: Sailing of the Mortar Fleet from Key West to Ship Island – 5-6
Editorial: The Fight on the Mississippi – 6
The New Southern Department-Work for Generals Hunter and Benham – 6
Editorial: Our New Iron-Clad Navy-Suggestions and Cautions – 6-7
Editorial: Yancey as the Ancient Mariner – 7
Editorial: The Counter-Revolution in Tennessee – 7-8

[Ancesthntr]

We need another such inquiry, starting on 1/2/2023.