The North-Carolina standard., 1849-03-07
.NuMBER 748

shape OF duties Hut sir, this as but one of many
of the evidences that we have fallen upon evil times.
The old plantation States have parted with their broad
domain-new States have comein the family; and,
with anything but delicacy they tauHt and reproac
; the mothers from whom they have sprung. Shall
the claims of those States who do not pay INTO the
post office amount sufficient to defray alf the ex-
penses of the transportation of the mail within and
through them be disregaTded and the actual facilities
be limited to the actual receipts Should this be
the case you would see Immediately an awful fall
ing off where now the most is received. The business
1 and the commerce would cease with the means of
communication, and the first agonizing cry would be
from those who. now boast that they pay all the
| postage.
No, SIR trust that no gentleman is willing to
curtaIl the luxury well as the conyenences of the
most extended mail facilities to our whole people,
None, hope, will deny to the most retired of our
people the PeasuEeof COMMUNICATION with their fell
ewnen, that intercourse of heart and feeling WkicE
makes one family and one people, ] desire to see
! every hamlet and cottage in our country within.a
few mies>of post Office, where letters and papers
and periodicals may preyent by their kindly fniu-
ence, feeling of isolation and individuality and
whilst the power of steam is speeding the progress
of communication, that all, from the Atlantic to the
Paclfcshores, may enjoy the benefits equal terms
That the city and the country press aordng choice
according to the fancy of their readers, may each in
the line of their respective enterprise, have free and
open field for competition.
There is another portion Of the amendment which
cannot approve. Tal6de to the abuse of the frank
ing privilege. This sir, is not privilege but bur
den, to the members of Congress. I speak for my
constituents, and not for myself The duties imposed
on representative by this right extremely oner-
Gus and InconVenient, butt SIR equally important to
our constituents. The means of communication be-
tween us and them should not be taxed with postage
All Of them, from the most enlightened to the hume
blest have right to know what we are doing The
political history of the country is learned in great
measure from the documents and speeches sent them
by the members of Congress and if We find the duty
too severe, there is usually no difficulty in finding
some competent person in each district who will
undertake the task could not, for their sakes, con-
sent to this provision. They are the ax-payers and
are entitled to receive back a portion Of wHat4hey
pay Their letters business must be directed to
their representatives, and the tax Of postage forhe
letter or the reply is manifestly wrong. .-T3-:5
There can be greater mistake thah that it ought
to be fundamental principle in our management OF
this department. that it should at all events support
ltseff-be seif-suPpoftng institution. AS web might
we require the navy to support itself by piracy, or
the army by punder by taxation, or the
claimants and parties to the suits. Neither arm of
our Government is of more importance than the Post
OHce-theabsence ofneither would be more painful
~ felt AS well might it be demanded of TO serve
without compensation. No, sir I am not ain advo-
cate of such proposition II am for cheap postage
not such rapid ridical reduction as world endar~
ger the success of the experiment but pru ent and
gradual reduction, which would by it's resources aid
much IN the support of the department, and let the
treasury come to the aid of system, which, like the
light of the sun, should shine equally on ALL i
The time Is. rapidly coming when the lowest rate
OF postage viii be more than sufficient to deffaH all
the expenses; when the'news from markets and tid-
ings from absent friends shall radiate from the Tna5
netc wires every obscure post route and every po
ton of our country. From San Francisco to New
9ork-from the Rio Grande TO the St. Lawrence, the
puSatons Of commercial cities shall be sensiblY and
almost instantaneousy felt in every portion Of the
Contederaey. The gentleman from Massachusetts
was himself compelled to recommend an expedient
for the hedranklng prvllege-the furnishing of stamps
by the Government. This sir. is not as economical,
and is more complicated than the present mode of
franklng, and could wise add to the actual rev
enue of the department. prefer the present mode
agree with the gentleman from Georgia, Mr.. CobbI
in Eeprobang the doctrine that the receipt of revenue
from the post Office at certain points indicates any
right to claim that the amount ought to be credited
as evidence of right increase such facilities. to
those in that region, that the saflness of amount
collected IN other States any evidence that thew do
not contribute their full share TO the money raised
The plantation States the plnndered producers,
and the commercial correspondence is towards the
points of commercial destination. It comes out of
though nomnaly paid by the merchant factor.
Sir, the Post Office Department is for the use of
all the people fal the Sates-for their convenience
and notas tax-gatherer. / will not enlarge on its
benefits OF sindspeHsable necessity, as the gente-
man from Massachusetts Mr.. Palfrey1 has, with
peculiar felicity, illustrated both of those propositions.
From 1t the people receive of immediate profit
and advantage than from any other disbursement of
the public moneys. 1t does not indeed run in such
a stream OF public bounty as. that which is poured
out upon officials and faverites, but falling every
where like the dew, it is, like the dew, welcome and
have submitted these remarks, in order that nv
position may be understood. lam for the reduction
OF letter postage, and the continuation of the frank
ing privilege Fam for the REIMBURSEMENT of the pos
tage on all newspapers for the space of thirty miles
around their office of publication; and am in favor
OF this regulation, because desire that the country
should be kept from being. subsidized by the cities
for going into it by degrees and submitting the
matter to the results ofe4perence from year to year.
till we shall have reached that point which will be
md IN he
equal. 4as.l -
Z .ORFGINAL WRrfERs. A man who can saw thinos;
as no eneese can say them, who possesses the charm
of perfectly original and characteristic style, and
expresses himself in9=the uHhackneye& coinage of
his own brain, IS secure of readers. "A fresh stye,
is more than new subject. There are minds of
such infinite staeness that all they touch takes that
complexion. iFhey start their career like the
Gbeonites, with old shoes and clouted on their feet
and dry provisions for the way Itmatters not how
new the topic, with them it is old we seem I'd have
heard it all before and are, already weary. In ssay
contrast with these dull journeyers are others TO-