American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-09-05
For the American Telegraph.


MECHANISM, No. XXI--BY JOSIAH HoLBRooK.
Illustrations Of Nature and Art, produced by
the machinery of muscle, mind, and soul, in
young Americans, and distributed and exchanged
among each other by the machinery, Of the
American Post Office, might furnish our whole
country with continued and increasing floods of
the light Of science, and of the generous i'm
pulses of noble spirits Perhaps q grander,
more republican, or more popular measure,
could not be adopted by our Government than
to make each Of the eighteen thousand post
Offices in our country concentrating and ra-
dating point of scientific light, and each post
master a radiating agent of such light. The
simple thought presents the magniicence of
power for the highest possible object" GIVING
LIGHT" Of all the machinery of our national
Government, no part nor indeed all parts, could
render service to all the interests of every citi
zen in any measure equal to such service by
the post office. As it would promote directly
and intimately the intellectual, social, moral,
and business interests of every American citi
zen, it would of course be more truly and uni
versally popular than any measure which has
been or which can be proposed. Let the citi-
zens of any town, village, or neighborhood ac-
commodated at q given post office, have the
question put to them, I" Would you like to have
your, postmaster authorized by law to receive
and distribute among you, from young hands
and generous hearts, in New York, Washing
ton, or any other place, specimens showing
their intelligence, skill, and improvement, illus
trating at the same time principles of science
applied to human pursuits, especially the two
great pursuits of human beings-Agriculture
and Mechanism ~ Yes would be the answer
from every voice. Not one "No'' could be
raised through the whole length and breadth of
our land. t.-.... ..aa.s... ..... .r...
Its power g to increase and diffuse knowledge
among men" would be greater than a thousand
Smithsonian Institutions. Indeed, by making
the Smithsonian Institution, now in judicious
and successful operation, the national centre of
concentration and radiation of light thus uni
yersally diffused, the power of its operations
might be increased thousand-fold.
A "cent-an-ounce" system of postage max
ing the mail common carrier" would meet
the whole case 1t would also relieve the post
Office of the heavy mass Of confusion, of innu-
merable hair-splittings, Of distinctions without
q difference, now beyond the comprehension or
! the skill Of any human being, imposing upon
postmasters duties burdensome and impossible
and annoying to all whom they seek to accom-
modate. ..a.. ~. aa###ua ...t
In addition to the promotion of the greatly
varied interests of all classes Of citizens, beyond
the whole power of our Government besides, a
for all matter safe to be carried, would yield to
the Government nm immense revenue. Let any
intelligent business man look at the American
Post Office, as o business establishment, con-
Quoted upon business principles, carrying mat
ter at that rate, and see if he can come to any
other conclusion than immense profits. Look
at facts. A cent an ounce is sixteen dollars a
hundred pounds-three hundred and twenty
dollars ton. On railroads freight is taken
from New York to Cincinnati at one dollar and
one-ffty hundred. The Government at the
rate proposed, would get sixteen dollars hun
dred, not from New York to Cincinnati merely,
but from New York to Brooklyn, simply cross
ing a river and from each Of the eighteen thou
sand post Offices to its nearest neighbor, be it
ten miles or half mile. l...4 a." a
This rate itself would be safety valve against
heavy aud unmanageable boxes and packages
While it is 80 low as to take from all other con-
veyances small packages needing no law but
that of selfnterest to secure them, il is so high
as to shut out all large ones. Sixteen dollars
for package OF n hundred pounds would not
be paid the government when an express and
other conyeyanoes would take it for one dollar,
and in many cases at tenth part of that sum.
So great would be the blessings Of such postal
provisions, and so easily procured, rs to render
meetings and memorials to ask them from the
next congress Dotn ueslruole anu proper
EXPERIMENTAL scientific paper in New
York, called 1.-THE Student" has furnished in
its pages numerous printsas exercises for draw
ing in schools and families, inviting young artists
to send by mail (postpaid) specimens Of their
work This invitation has been accepted, and
specimens sent from mostif not all the States in
the Union, under FIVE and ten-cent postage for
half ounce. Through other agencies almost in
Vulnerable drawings of animals, plants, build
ings, implements, tools, utensils, machinery,
landscapes, and nameless other objects, have
been exchanged, through the post office, by skill
full young hands, animated by generous minds,
greatly. for their, mutual improvement and re-
ciprocal kind feelings Under a cent an-ounce
system Of postage, tens would soon become
thousands, and hundreds millions, Of these
tokens ana fruits Of skill, improvement, and
patriotism in noble young Americans. tHa