The Arkansas banner., 1845-08-27
For He Banner.

started, the views of the people have devel- oped themselves in many. parts of the State. Some l find are opposed to the measure, on the grounds of it's total impractablllty, others say, that to carry the mail on the river, would require three small Boats of flat con stfuction and ligit draft, and consequently, their power would not be sufficient to carry it in high water, and to supply that deficiency of power, would require the sum ol D or S30000, and lastly, you say Mir Editor that
 the new Post Office law requires the Post Master General to have the mail carried at the least possible expense, without regard to the mode of conveyance.
 To the first objection here presented, say that the measure Is practicable have said be- fore that in the course of my residence on the Arkansas river, I have not known less than two feet water in the channel, whereit was not obstructed, and your letter writer, from whom you have made large extracts, says. there is always twenty inches The signers to our petition all believe il practicable, or of course they would not ask the Post Master General to undertake all enterprise that would fail al the start, for 1t will be on the first of July the new contracts will go into operation, season of the year, that we generally have the lowest water. If we have two thousand signers to our petition, we have the pfacti cability proven by thatmany witnesses; this in courts of Justice would be considered good proof, and even before a matter of fact man, for such yon have told Us, and no doubt told Us true, is the Post Master Gen. eral, the fact cannot be doubted, unless our testimony Is impeaehed, upon this point. l believe there are some, who will sign paper for anything that does not oblige them to pay money; but of that class there cannot be more than one fourth. lfthen wededuet one fourth for this class still we have fifteen hun dred unimDeachable witnesses proving the same fact. Now can il be thought that an intelligent man, lover of his country, and a tax payer, would ask tue funds of the Post Office department to be squandered upon al measure that must result in a failure, and the blame rest upon his own head. No sir, there can be no doubt but that Boats of eighteen inches draught can run upon the Arkansas river ut all seasons of the year without the least difficulty; and believe that boats drawing thirty inches, with good pow CT to work through the sand, making daily trips, would keep the channel open, and run the season through without much difficulty.
 But the second reason advanced is, that the class of boats required to run here in low water, cannot for want ol power run in high water. Though there is more reason in this objection than the other l would in answer say, that the facilities of woodmg, and land ing to put out freight are so much greater i'll high water, than in low, that boat has more running time, than when the distancei shor- tened by the zigzag course of our river and generally sand bar underev every point, which boats in low water have to go round, and may pass in high water cutting off nearly one third of the distance. But admit the fact and what will be the result. There are plenty of large boats here then, any ot which can make two trips a week, and the mail once a week put into a merchant boat, completes the trips, Can this be done al a less expense than to run three small boats at low water? am sure it can. Does any one believe that the mail on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are always carried on the same boat: Mo- All boats are glad 10 get the mail. They know to get il insures them all the passeHgers, for the reason that passengers know, that to be with the mail, insufes them passage without de- lay Experience elsewhere has proven the fact, that to carry the mail in the season of high water, costs less than a corresponding length of time in low water, therefore the reason is not sufficient to prevent the offer- ing of the contract.
 
 And lastly have to answer the objections of the post office law, and must be permit ted to say, that don't like it. Butthe reason why, de not like 1t will not give for fear of trespassing upon privileges. must take things as they are and not as would have them. have sad in my rejected communi- cation, that did believe, upon the score of economy, that the government would be highly the gainer by the change of the mail from White river to the Arkansas.- No man can doubt that the commerce of the river, is sufficient 10 support three small boats, withoutany pay fromthe Govern ment, provided they could get the whole freight and passengers, ascending and de- scendng; and can it be doubted that a people. so long deprived of the mail facilities that other portions of our State less populous than our own, have enjoyed until they are looked upon as common rights, would not feel grateful to the contractors who would bring 10 them such comforts, in the shape of. mails and opportunities to travel. and the trang- portarng oi freight, at any and all seasons of the. year. Would they nol feel themselves bound in consideration thereof, to throw all their patronage and influence into the mail line, knowing that the pay was small, the diff faculties and expenses great: propose. by | way of inducement to the taking of the contracts, by some of our enlerprising river men, provided always, that the Post Master General will listen to the earnest an peal of a much injured people, and grant us the change so ardently desired, to come into an agreement, never to ship bale of cotton. or other article of freight, either export or import, upon any other than boats belonging to the contractor, and if practicable upon boats of the line, upon the condition that their charges are as low as can be afforded. or are as low as that of other boats ill the trade. if any there be-
 It may be said that am in haste-that it