The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-03-25

Nrw YoRK. March 20, 1852
Arriual Of the PGeife--Foregn Nsps.-Pstuoa against
he Mol Stsamers.-Is advocacy BY The EUsaiag Post,
&c. - a.
The Pacific has made another short passage and brings
European advces 10 the 10th OF March. The political
news is unimponant The British Parliament has ad
journed and elections going on 10 f the places OF
those members who have vacated their seats by taking
Office under the administration The French cleo
tons for members OF the legislative body have
suited in favor OF the by aggregate majority
even greater than that which confirmed the presidency OF
Louis Napoleon, but 1--WE of The opposition having been
chosen in house OF 300 We make comment upon
this state OF things but when il is borne in mind that The
correspondents OF the English press, who the
spot, and on the lookout for evidences oil governmental
interference, report that the elections carried
with perfect fairness, il would really seem as ii these
returns might be supposed 10 afford some indication OF the
state OF public sentiment in France. We have always
supposed that where suffrage free and UNIVERSAL the
vote OF the majority indicated the will OF the people.
That certainly the democratic doctrine in this country;
but there wings among OF such ultra demo
cratic propenses that they cannot permit us 10 apply the
same principle TO foreign people without calling our
orthodoxy in question There appears to be less proba
bity Of disturbance OF the tranquility OF Europe than
the last advces led to apprehend. Notes, II is said
have been despatched by the French President to all
the great powers, renewing in stronger terms the
assurances OF his pacific intentions, and announ-
cling reduction OF the French standing army
as the internal state Of France will permit. The
Swiss papers also state that the difficulties between
the French and the Swiss confederation have
been satisfactorily adjusted No Illuminating exactions
were made by the former upon the latter and the pain
full rumor that the Heyean republic 10 be sacrificed
the shrine of European despotism turns out TO be
but rumor. and groundless one at that.
In the Evening Post OF the 10th is TO be found petit
ton OF some two columns long, signed by portion OF
our merchans-few in number, though great in wealth.
asking Congress TO prohibit the carrying OF freight or
passengers in government misunderstanding the mail
steamers of this any other government. Notwth-
standing the length OF this document, all the argument
reasoning, and inducemen put forward in justification
and support OF this extraordinary request. may be
braced in lines less These steamers owing to
the advantages they enjoy incident to the carrying OF the
mails, acquire proportionaby large share OF the public
patronage lis the petitioners elaborate the sub
ect and place the injustice and hardship Of which they
complain in different points of vew and spread them over
great expanse Of paper but it all comes down TO this
in the end the mail steamers acquiring certain and
increasing share OF the business OF which we enjoyed
the monopoly before. and you must send the mails
by transient or inferior vessels, or build vessels
yourselves 10 carry them, keep them at home
anything but pay these people for carrying them,
because il enables them to build better ships, make
quicker trips and obtain proporonate share OF the
business. Now, this same principle is just as APP
plcable point of fact TO the transportation OF the IN
terna mail by railroad steamboats,, and stages, as 1t is to
that OF the foreign mail, and il carried out would throw
the whole detail Of this service upon the government,
and burden il with standing army OF men and qnan.
tty of horses and material expensive and troublesome
as the military establishment OF France or Austria.
What, after ALL does the government do for those who
carry the foreign mail than IL does for the home
tracors' II pays them al-some great deal more than
the hostages earned by them amount to- some much less
The California mail is carried by the ocean steam
profit to the government The Collins line has not
yet made its mail pay by hostages, but bids fair soon to
do So All contractors at home and abroad, who re-
ceive handsome pay for the performance OF mail service,
must have advantage over their competitors who run
upon the roues because this pay enables them to
provide better ships or boats vehicles But how this
evil if it be one, is to be remeded except by govern
ment becoming lis carrier, cannot imagine. In
principle, then, il 10 these petitioners are all
wrong But what would be the result if the principle
in this reduced to practice They have able
advocate the Evening Post and who bold enough
or rather un-American enough, TO contemplate the re-
suit OF compliance with their modest request, and 10
wish have brought about The Post is anxious that
the main prayer OF the PETITIONERS for the entire sep
araon OF the naval service OF the United States from the
commerce OF the country, should be granted" in other
words that the mail pay, which enables steam
marine TO compete, anything approaching equality.
with that OF Great Britain, should be withdrawn But
says and says very truly that the United States could not
extend the prohibition against carrying freight and pas
sengers 10 the Cunard royal mail line, the petitioners
desire II certainly could not, could il withdraw their
pay; for tha, comes from the British government So
that the action OF government II in accordance with
the prayer Of the petitioners and the advice OF the Post
would exhibit il in the attempt OF Withdrawing the slender
means with which our own and ships main
tanning desperate struggle against odds yield
ing the mastery OF the and succumbng TO the naval
superiority OF Great Britain In the attempt say
for no government would be for moment tolerated by
the people OF the United States which should persist IN
carrying such an attempt into execution How much bet
ter of would the patriotic merchants, who petition for the
abandonment Of the system which has done much for
the and the credit OF the country be, when the
freight and passenger trade had gone into the hands OF
our Powerful and enerprsing rivals the water al
together, az il inevitably would do il home competition
was withdrawn Let the ground have gained be
yiededle il once be understood that there nothing
but private capital and individual means left to connne
the struggle against the OF the British
government-and You would soon see our ports swarm
ing with their steamers. undertaking own
wharves, and leaving unemployed ships to rot in our
own docks. We might, had we the room. enlarge upon
the faacy and absurdy OF OF the points taken by
the petitioners. and maintained by the Postas the folly
Of considering mail steamers strictly government
vessels war; because the appropriation for their mail
pay goes through the naval department. and holding the
Cunard royal mail line merely private property, for
other reason that we discover except that the APP