Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1847-12-16


into war steamers. and the right reserved to
take them for public use, will add greatly to
the efficiency and ST. ength OF this description !
of our naval force. To the steamers thus |
authorized under contracts made by the Sc /
Rotary of the Navy. should be added five J
other sc mers authorized under contracts
made in pursuance of law by the Postmaster
General, max ng an addition, in lhe whole, cfI
eighteen war St. amers. subject to be taken
for public use. AS further cont, acs for the
transportation of the mail to foreign countries /,
may be authorized by Congress, this number,
may he enlarged nd. fia,tely
The enlightened pelicy by which rapid
communic aioE tn the various distant parts
of tie globe is established. by the means of
American built sea steamers. would find All
ample rev; ri in the inc rease Of our com
merce, and in making our country and its
,c>ources more favorably known abroad; but
tie nat onal advantage is still greater, of hav
ing cur naval officers made familiar with
stem navigation. and Of having the privilege
of taking the ships already equipped for i'm
metlia'e service at moments notice; and
will be cheaply purchased by the compensa
ton to he paid for The transportation Of the
mail in them over and above the hostages re-
ceiv ID.
A Just national pride, no le IS than our COM
mercal interests, would seem to favor the
policy of augmentlng the number OF this de
scri1tion of vessels They can be built in
our country cheaper and in greater numbers
than in AIRY other in the world.
l refer you to the accompanying report OF
the Postmaster General for detailed and
satisfactory account of the condition and oper>
ations of that department during the past
year. 1t is gratifying to find that, within SO
short period after the reduction in the rates
Of postage, and notwithstanding the great in
crease Of mail service, the revenue received
for the year will be sufficient to .lefray all the
expenses, and that no further aid will be re
CURED from the treasury for that purpose.
The first of the American mail steamers
authorized by the act of the third of March,
was completed and entered upon the service
on the first of June last, and is now ON her
third voyage to Bremen and other intermedl-
ate pots. The other vessels authorized un
der the provisions of that act are in course OF
construction, and will be put upon the line
been made for the transportation Of the mail
in a steamer from Charleston to Havana.
A reciprocal and satisfactory postal arrange.
ment has been made by the Postmaster Cen
eral with the authorities Of Bremen, and no
d fficulty is unprecedented in making similar
arrangements with all other Powers with
which we may have communications by mail
steamers, except with Great Britain.
On the arrival of the first Of the Amer lean
steamers, bound TO Bremen, at Southampton,
il, the month Of June last, the British post
office directed the collection of discrimina
ting pos'ages on all letters ard other maiIable
matter, which she took out TO Great Britain,
or which went into the British post Office on
their way to France and other parts Of Eu.
rope. The effect Of the order of the British
post Office is to subject all letters and other
matter transported by American steamers to
double postage. one postage having been
previously paid on them to the United States.
while letters transported in British steamers
are subject to pay but single postage. This
measure was adopted with the avowed object
Of protecting the British line OF mail steamers
now running between Boston and Liverpool.
and, if permitted to continue must speedily
put an end to the transportation OF
all letters and other matters by American
steamers. and give to British steamers mo-
nopoly Of she business. just and fair re.
ciprocity is all that we desire, and on this we
must insist. BY our laws no such discrimina
ton is made against British steamers bring ing
letters into our ports but all letters arriving
in the United States are subject to the same
rate of postage, whether brought in British
or American vessels l refer you to the re>
port of the Postmaster General for a full
statement of the facts of the case, and of the
steps taken by him to correct this inequality.
He has exerted all the power conferred up
on him by the existing laws.
The minister of the United States at Lon
don has br ought the subject to the attention
of the British government, and is now engag-
ed in negotiations for the purpose Of adjust
ing reciprocal postal arrangements. which shall
be equally just to both countries Should he
fail in concluding such arrangements, and
should Great Britain insist on enforcing the
unequal and unjust measure she has adopted,
it will become necessary to confer additional
power on the Postmaster General, in order to
enable him to meet the emergency and to
put our own steamers on an equal footing
with British steamers engaged in transport
ing the mail between the two countries;
and recommend that such powers be con-
ferred.
In view of the existing state OF our country,
trust it may not be inappropriate, in closing
this communication. to call to mind the words
of wisdom and admonition Of the first and
most illustrous of my predecessors. in his
farewell address to his countrymen.
That greatest and best Of men, who served
his country SO long and loved it SO much,
foresaw with SERIOUS concern" the danger
to our Union ''of cha.acterizing parties by
scrimna,ion-n northern and
southern, atlantic and ,cestern-whence de-
signing men may entleavor to excite a belief
that there IS a real difference of local inter
ests and views,'' and warned his countrymen
against it.
So deep and solemn was his conviction Of
the Importance Of the Union and of preser-
wing harmony between its different parts, that
he declared to his countrymen in that address,
ait is Of so infinite moment that you should
estimate the immense value of your
national Union to your collective and inaivid-
ual happiness; that you should cherish cor.
dial, habitnal. and immovsb!e attachment to
it; accusioming yourselves to think and speak
of it, as a palladium of your political safety
and prosperity. watching for lis preservation
with jealous a 'xiety; .discountenancng what
ever may suggest even suspicion that it can
in any event be abandoned, and Indignantly
trowning upon the first ..awning Of every at
tempt to ALLEVIATE any portion of our country
from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties
which now link together the various parts"
After the lapse of half century; these ad-
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