The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-09-04

4 by JOSIAH oIBRooK.
Illustrations OF Nature and Art produced by the ma
chinery of muscle mind and soul in young Americans
and distributed and exchanged among each other BY the
machinery OF the American Post Ohce, might furnish
our whole country with continued and increasing floods
OF the light OF science. and OF the generous impulses OF
noble spirits Perhaps grander. more republican, OF
more popular measure could not be adopted by gov
than make each of the eighteen thousand post
Offices in country concentrating and radiang point
OF scientific light and each postmaster adating agent
OF such light The simple thought presents the magnif.
cence OF power for the highest possible object"
LIGHT" or all the machinery of our national govern
ment part, indeed all parts could render service
to all The interests OF every citizen in any equal
10 such service by the Post Oce AS it would promote
directly and intimately the Intellectual social moral and
business interests of every American citizen il would of
course be more truly and universally popular than any
measure which has been which can be proposed Let
the citizens OF any town, village, neighboIhood,
commodated al given post office. have question put
to them, Would you like to have your postmaster au
horzed by law to receive and distribute among you from
young hands and generous hearts, in New York, Wash
ngon, or any other place, specimens showing their in
tegence, SKILL and Improvement, illustrating the same
time principles OF science applied human pursuits es-
pecially the two great pursuits of human bengsAGR-
CULTURE and MECHANISM" Yes, would be the answer
from every voice Not mo" could be raised through
the whole length and breadth Of our land.
lis power "To INCREASE DIFrUsE KNOWLEDGE
AMONG MEN, would be greater than thousand Smithso.
man Institutions. Indeed, by making the Smithsonian
Institution, in judicious and successful operation.
The national centre OF concentration and radiation of light
thus universally dnsed. the power of its operations
might be increased thousand fold.
SCENT OUNCE" system of postage making the mail
a COMMON CARRIER" would meet the whole case 1t
would also relieve the post Office of the heavy mass of
confusion OF nnnmerable hair spngs, of distinctions
without difference, beyond the comprehension or
the skill OF any human being, imposing upon postmas-
duties burdensome and impossible, and annoying to
all whom they seek to accommodate.
In addition TO the promotion of the greatly varied in
erests OF all classes Of citizens, beyond the whole power
OF our government besides, GENT AN. OUNCE SYSTEM
Of postage, uniform for all matter safe be carried
would yield to the government an immense revenue Let
any intelligent business look at the American Post
Office, business establishment conducted upon bust
principles, carrying matter that rate and see If he
can to any other conclusion than immense profits
Look al facts cent ounce is sixteen dollars hun
dred pounis-hree hundred and twenty dollars ton
On railroads reigh, is taken from New York to Cncn-
natl al one dollar and fifty hundred The govern
ment at the rate proposed would get sixteen dollars
hundred, not from New York to Cincinnati merely but
from New York to Brooklyn, simply crossing river,
and from each of the eighteen thousand post offices to its
nearest neighbor. be it ten miles or half mile.
This rate itself would be safety valve against heavy
unmanageabe boxes and packages. While i, is so low
as TO take from all other cohveyances small packages
needing no law but that of sefneres, to secure them il
IS so high as to shut out all large Sixteen dollars
Tor package of hundred pounds would not be paid the
government when an express and other conveyances
would take II for dollar, and in many cases at a tenth
part OF that sum- So great would be the blessings of
such postal provisions, and easily procured to rem
der meetings and memorials to ask them from the ne
Congress both desirable and probable.
EXPERIMENTAL scientific paper in New York, called
9 The Student" has furnished in its pages numerous
prints exercises for drawing schools and families
inviting young artists 10 send by mail (pospad) spec
mems of their work. This invitation has been accepted
and specimens forwarded from if not all the States
in the Union. under five and postage for half
ounce. Through other agencies almost innumerable
drawings OF animals plants buildings, implements TOOLS
utensils machinery, landscapes and nameess other oh
ecls have been exchanged, through the post Office by
skul young hands, animated by generous minds greatly
for their mutual Improvement and reciprocal kind feel
ngs Under cent an-ounce system of postage, tens
would become thousands, and hundreds millions, OF
these tokens and fruits OF skill, improvement aud pari-
otism in noble young Americans.