The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-29
THE UNION.

periods been prohibited and in great prevented
the burden flung the treasury would have been three
fold, the institution have been entirely abandoned.
10 permit private expresses to carry the States where
tmay be profitable and abandon to entire desttuon the
est-or subject their citizens to much larger cost for
postage special and private conveyances, than they
pay, whether betrayed by the government out of the
treasury or by ndivlduaswould be very burlensome
and oppressive change regions and very unwse
looking to the whole Union. These last places want
mail Intercourse public matters with the seat of gov
eminent, and enutled 10 IT much popuous
places To equaze then, the advantages and the bur
dens the aid OF laws and general regulations against
private expresses Is Indispensable As further proof of
hls IT was found necessary both in England and France,
to restrain them, early the first part of the
eenth century.
But there is another paramount object in the mail es-
adjustment, as used IN this country, which would be
wholly defeated by the allowance of private expresses;
or the burdens of the community at large and of the
government, would be.greay enhanced 1t is the
portaton to all and in all regions, of newspapers, period
reals and pamphlets Observation-Disclosures, political
terary-and especially public documents, giving
count, TO free people, OF the official doings of their pub
lie servants This is done by the post Office estah
shment, in exion with the carriage of leersfor
nothing IN many cases, and IN others Tor trhe,
compared with the bulk and weight of the matter thus
carried and distributed But if it done by private
expresses in conneXon with letters, the cost of the lat
ter would be much increased beyond the present legal
rates. Or if this matter paid for 10 those expresses in
ratio with letters according to their bulk and weight,
the community would be taxed many millions more for
the service than they are by the government
The advantage in having this other maabe matter,
cacuabe in community able 10 read and write and
oyng the blessed freedom and right of private Judgment
IN all things, and especially OF examining and deciding
for themselves in affairs OF religion well govern
ment. One two particulars will illustrate this very
strongly The weight OF the letters carried is, relation
10 other matter about 1900 lbs TO IL sos lbsthe other
matter being thus more than wentyfold the heaviest but
paying only about one fifth OF the postage Because
1884, for instance the letter postage exceeded three mil
hons OF dollars, while that on other matter only
about half million. Much is said OF the greater
pense here OF carrying letters in the mail now prl
vate expresses and even the penny postage England
bat full answer to this that the mail is carried here
SIX times the distance is in Eng land yearly and beside
hat pubic documents, periodicals., newspapers religious
and literary. no less than political, carried here for
lizzie, and often nohlng-all exchange papers between
editors entirely free, all public documents, all news
papers to individuals Tor thirty miles from the place OF
their publication, and the rest Il, rate greatly below let
ers If the other maabe matter paid letters, pro-
portion to their weight, and as many were carried
now, the sum paid for it would exceed sixty millions OF
dollars which Is virtually given done Tor almost
nothing by the public mail in connexion with letters. In
other words, II the community now pay year hall
million for carrying their letters the public mail
than they would by express in thckly settled places they
gain the carriage of the free, for trihe Indeed,
the citizens would have to pay much more for letters
remote and hinly settled districts; and all visited would
have TO pay nearly hysiX millions of dollars for
the transportation OF newspapers and periodicals. and
documents than Is now paid in the public mail The
Postmaster General computes that nine enhs of the
weight of the mails pay in this way not one-ninth
OF the expense. 1t Is for this reason before remarked
that if private expresses carried all the newspapers pc
rodicals, and public Documents which the mails now
carry and with no additional pay, they could not proba
bly,, afford to carry letters lower than the present public
rates, II low This strongly illustrated by another
fact 1t is the high postage letters and newspapers BY
vessels at sea- not subject to the legal rates Those in
stead OF the five and ten cents for letters often,
on water two to five times those rates; and though the
patronage great, especially in the steamers the
muny is not yet there blessed by penny postage even
letters much less newspapers and public documents at
the same penny, or Tree.
This important consideration as to the transportation
by mail, with letters, OF much in bulk and weight in
newspapers, periodicals. and public documents by the
public mails, either free for so little is general
hrely overlooked IN the examination OF this subject
But tins circulation OF such variety oil knowledge
cheapy and far and wide, Of the great pcculi
arihes OF our form of government. 1t is prominent
characteristic of our age and country 1t tends to pre-
serve public liberty, by early and ul information to
the manner in which the government is administered it
serves, In timely admoaitons TO check abuses it helps
to improve public morals, and dfuse quickly every
blessing OF higher commerce, agriculture and mannfac
lures, as well as OF literature and Christianity. What
then, is more appropriate to be protected by public
guards, and encroachmens II punished by public pen
alhes' We thus securing to the community not
merely the regular and safe conveyance of letters alone
whether on business to 'speed the soft intercourse
iron soul TO soul but the carriage free at far less
expense than any private express intelligence OF every
kind--iool Tor the public mind, views, helps,
new discoveries or inventions, new principles, re-
forms--n short, new improvements IN everything that
strengthens or adorns society.
or late, the transmission OF information by the electro
magnetic telegraph instead of the mails has engrossed
most OF public attention, it converts the mighty agents
of magnetism and electricity, beside railroads and steam
to such practical and useful purposes, in addition TO what
existed before the adoption of the constitution But this
Is chiefly important as to letters and brief items of news
and not as to long articles and documents All of these
consideratons-not only the mighty power in steam,
which has for years exhibited in our mails the tr
umphs OF modern chemistry and modern machinery, the
great attributes and opponents of the nineteenth century,
but the subsection OF still mghtcr and unknown agen-
cles 10 mans use, in the Lightning and in magnetism
show and more the indispensable necessity and
convenience OF making the whole tributary to public
venence and public economy, transmitting inforna
tons and, in short, not TO allow private experiments in
these respects to override the welfare and wants of the
whole community.
Recoect, too that by executing the laws on these sub
jecs, deprive of the private right of carrying
his own letters or newspapers by his carrier We
interfere not with his business or interests carried
for himself and on his own account We only say, as
the constitution says that when he resorts to public mat
ters connected with others and their rights and interests
he must conform to public regulations, made for the
| venlence and safety of all
| Thus, as 10 war; no carry ii public
matter but the government and those under its authority
So to revenue Tor the government collect il
but the government or those it empowers do this So
as to Legislation: no one modify repeal, any
than he can make laws, except those TO whom the
public have specially delegated such power
Again, we interfere not with commerce, or the bust
ness OF common carriers, by land water in mercha
disc, produce business. The carrying of letters is
county and, from public considerations, before referred
to- can be safely regularly, Systematically, and
cheapy, Tor the whole community when made mat
ter of public authority by public regulation The system
as organized by government, being TO accommodate the
remoes village the Missouri and Penobscot no less
general laws and rules like those for its safety regu
larty, and efficiency Ii needs central administration