The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-25
mo- rHE EDITION on rnE uNIoN.
CIrY OF LIMA, ApriI 10,

CRY or LIMA, April Is, 1886.
The new line Of English steamers commences
running between Calico and Panama this day, and
the irst boat carries between thirty and forty pas
sengers TO Panama, at $40 each. England has now
a connected steam line from Southampton, by way
OF Jamaica, &c, and across the isthmus and along
the Pacific shore, three thousand miles, TO Valpa.
raiso. She has twelve or thireen ships Of war,
and two or three large war steamers, now in the
Pacific. carving about seven hundred cannon-and
three more large steamers which can be converted
into war steamers in few days One Of these steam
ers, not belonging to the regular Inc Of packets 70
employed in taking the mail for the English squad
ron from Panama to the admiral's flag ship Ia the
shortest time possible. To all these lines the gov
eminent pays about one million and half of dol
lars annually, reseryinx the right TO convert the
ships into war steamers at pleasure. She has no
whalemen In the ocean, one or two ships perhaps
excepted, and but few more merchant ships trading
along shore Than the United States; YET such Is
the protection which the British government affords
her people and their interests in this iar-distant
section OF the globe, and such 10 her preparation 70
receive the earliest notice Of any important event,
and TO act upon IT,
The citiIena Of the United States have four hun
dred large whale ships now IN The Pacific, carrying
from twelve TO fifteen thousand seamen, which,
with their partial cargoes are worth from fifteen TO
twenty millions Of dollars; one-third Of which re-
turn annually 10 the United States, carrying with
them cargoes worth about seveniy.hye thousand
dollars each, and making total OF about ten mil.
lions OF dollars drawn from the ocean and added TO
the capital Of our country. We have also large
number Of merchant ships engaged in the coasing
trade along the Pacific shore, and between this
shore and China, most OF which return with
freights worth from one hundred and hfty to two
hundred thousand dollars, after one years absence.
Our squadron at this time consists Of the Congress
Savannah, Portsmouth, Cyane, Levant, Warren,
- Gk.-Lx h.y, ka.x ii frana t.f.r NF
hcers, and one TO two thousand seamen; and yet,
strange TO say, all these men and important inter-
ests are deprived Of a MAIL, or any means whatever
Of communicating with the United States, and their
families or correspondents, except by such con-
veyances as they may happen TO find round Cape
Horn! Twenty thousand people, twenty millions
Of property, and the whole American squadron
without mail and that, too, surrounded by the
British feet, having tcO msis month, and six large
steamers to convey the intelligence brought by them
among the British squadron.
The house of ASop * Co., Of this city, and few
others, have employed an agent at Panama, and
another at Jamaica, to pay the postage on their let
ters to the English steamers and government Of
New Granada; and by directing their correspond
ents in the United States to forward their corre-
spondence in merchant ships to Jamaica, they re-
ceive their letters from the United States in less
than sixty days, and will hereafter receive them in
littlc more than thirty, the steam-packet is but
three or four days from Jamaica to Chagres, and
but eight from Panama TO Callao and the mail will
not be much more than twenty-four hours in cross
ing the isthmus. But no letters will cross the
lsthmus, or be delivered II they do cross the
isthmus, at the Panama post Office, without such
agent to pay the expense, and forward the letters.
Hence there is no communication by that route ex-
cept for those having agents; and but few have
agents, as no man will advance hostages upon un-
ceraintes take the trouble, for nothing, oflook'
ing after a strangers business.
The practical effect then is, that the bodies ofmen
before referred to cut off from all communca-
ton from home, except round Cape Horn, Us acci-
dent may afford an opportunity; and these men, and
twenty millions Of property, and the whole Anneri-
can squadron are placed in the power Of the English
squadron, TO be captured at any moment; ana with
out a steamer upon each side Of the sthmus one in
the Atlantic and one in the Pacific, il is rot IN the
power Of the United States to communicate with
their squadron, any other American, till days af-
ter the English fleet shall have received its informa-
ZION. Now all letters and passengers are dependant
upon an English governmentline for any conveyance
by way of the isthmus; and upon the slightest app
prehension Of difficulty this line will refuse to carry
a bearer Of dispatches, as 10 the case OF Captain
Watson, an American passenger or mail bags.
The United States legations at Peru and Chill, are
cut off in the same manner from all communication
with the government of the United States and their
country. Owing to the carelessness and negligence
Of those whose duty it may be to forward despatch
es, or who may undertake il, they are generally
about year on their passage from Washington to
this city. despatch sent to Colonel Picket, June,
1874, received fifteen months afterwards, contain
ing an important paper sent for by him to Washing
ton. Enclosures to my predecessor and myself,
bearing the frank of the department, have been from
eight to eleven months on their way; some Of them
showing thatthey lay three months in the Baltimore
custom-house before they were forwarded; and mos
ofthem probably have not, and will not for months, il
nna dor NJ m haIa -ch n
from Nantucket recently informed me that during
his last voyage, Of more than three years, his wife
and family wrote him one hundred and forty letters
of which he received only fifteen; that on his return
as he cast anchor on his own shore, expecting to
meet them all, he informed that his wife had
of this immense body of whalemen and their
employers at home; of the American squadron and
legations, and the American merchants on shore.
What an idea, that the American squadron in the
Pacific should be dependant upon English steamers Of
war for their letters and dispatches from the govern
ment Of the United States when each is looking the
other in the face upon the Oregon question: ouI
navy dependant upon the British feet to give them
notice when it is time TO fight! To hight whom
Why, those giving them the information; and our
whalemen dependant upon the same source tor 10,
formation, when it is time for them to run 70 AVOID
the same English feet. A steamer can run from
Baltimore to Chagres in eight to ten days, being less
crossing the isthmus; and another steamer transmit
the same mail to Callao in eight days more, making
nineteen days from Baltimore to Lima, or any Other
place of like distance with which il may be impor
ant to communicate. Coal can be had on this shore
from four to FIVE dollars ton; and ship propelled
by steam or sails would be preferable on this coast
1t is believed that steem-packet from Baltimore tc
Chagres would be good property, the government
paying reasonable sum for the transmission OF the
mail. ..s, .t .. .' ...s ~. 81, So -
The large American houses upon this coast, ! am
informed, have each annually paid about two thou
sand dollars postage, for communications by way o.
the isthmus, and the large English houses consider
ably more part Of whose correspondence is with
the United States. Passengers pay to the steamers
about two hundred dollars from this city to Jamaica
Believing that statement OF these facts might be
interesting to the government and people of the
United States, take the liberty Of forwarding this
communication for publication in your valuable
journal
With much respect, am your obedient servant
ALBERT GALLATlN JEWETT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE UNION
WAsHiNeroN, D. C., May %, 1886.
S,,, Ero,o tho interest won have 40 fully manifest