The Arkansas advocate., 1835-10-02
Post 06ice Department,
22d aueust., 1885.
To SAMUEL L. GoUvERNEUR. Esq.

To SAMUEL l.. GoUyERNEUR, Esq.
 Postmaster at New York,
 Sir: Your letter of tke lIth inst. pur. porting to accompany a letter from tho American Anti Slavery Society, and a reso. lution adopted by them, came duly to hand, but without the documents alluded to- Seeing them published in the newspapers, however, proceed to reply without waiting to receive them officially.
 Ii was right to propose 10 the anti-slaveY society voluntarily 10 desist from attempting to send their publications into the southern states by public mails; and their refusal 10 do so, after they were aPprized that the en- tire mails were put in jeopardy by them, IS but another evidence of the fatuity of the counsels by which they are directed.
 After mature consideration of the subject, and seeking the best advice within my reach, 1 am confirmed in the opinion that the Post master General has no legal authority, by any order or regulation Of his department to exclude from the mails any species o newspapers magazines or pamphlets. Such a power vested in the Head of this Depart ment, would be fearfully dangerous, and has been properly withheld. Any order or letter of mine directing or officially saction' ing the step you have taken, would, there fore, be utterly powerIess and void, and would not, in the slightest degree, relieve you from its responsibility.
 But to prevent any mistake in your mind, or Tn that of the abolitionists, or of the pub lie, Tn relation 10 my position, and view, have no hesitation in saying, that l am de- tered from giving an order 10 exclude tho whole series of abolition publications from the southern mails only by want of legal power; and that if l were situated as you are, would do as you have done.
 Postmasters may lawfully know in all cases the contents of newspapers, because the law expressly provides that they shall be so put up that they may be readily eS amined and if they know those contents 10 be calculated and designed 10 produce, and Ii delivered will certainly produce the com mission of the most aggravated crimes upon : the property and persons of their fellow clS zens, 1t cannot be doubted that 1t IS then 1NfJ AO oStafii tltCtis II Hot pNCh " them over to the civil authorities. me Postmaster General has no legal poWer@, prescribe any rule for the government O E Postmasters in such cases, nor has he ess' attempted to do so. They act in each case upon their own responsibility, and Ii iet improperly detain or use papers sent to lnss office for transmission or delivery, 1t IS ~ their peril and on their heads falls the pup' ishment.
 If 1t be justiGable to detain papers pass ing through the mail, for the purpose ol p. venting or punishing isolated crimes asaas individuals, how much more important hJ that this responsibility should be assuu,. ,' to prevent insurreetions and save coin'ns mites If in time of war. PostnlasSs, should detect the letter of an enemy or spl spd passing through the mail; which if 1t feasu, ss its destination, would expose his eouas, ..,s. 10 invasion and her armies to destfuc"'; ought he not to arrest t? Yet, wne'0 lis legal power to do so2 .,;.
 From the specimen 1 have seen oi an, Slavery publications, and the concul,soI ,,soI estimony of every classs of citizens eA.ss he abolitioaists, they tend directly to ,ss. p,s luce in the soath evils and horrors su'p''