Washington telegraph., 1854-08-16
Mail Facilities.

4
of Uncle Sans dominions. He must
think us too unimportant to be benefited
by mail facilities. and that aseacs month
old will suit us just as well as the latest.
We have, it is true, SO long endured this
state of things, that, like the bondsman
who never sighs for freedom, because he
knows not what it is, we have fallen, on
the subject of our mail grievances, into an
unmurmuring lethargy. We have put up
with the reproach of being considered an
ostt-otthe-aeay sort of people, the improve
meat of whose communication with the
great world, would cost the Department
too mach !, and by wonderful stretch of
condescension, we have been accommodated
with the means of receiving, occ casionally,
about one half the mails due us.
We have long borne this without mur-
mur and if we could be contented to re-
main as we were twenty years ago, we
would not now complain bur when we
hear of the vast and rapid improvements
at the East, and of the annihlation Of
space by the speed of the iron horse, we
rub our drowsy eyes, and waken up with a
desire to step forth from cur seclusion, and
extend the hand Of progressive fellowship
to our enterprising neighbors.
1t is very certain that we must crawl be-
fore we can walk and that we must walk
before we can run. But it is just as certain
that we have been crawling for the last
twenty years, and make but poor out at
walking yet. Then why think about run
ming before we can walk ?
We should like to have our mails brought
US by Railroad; but we have an objection
to its being done too quick If such a
change from the present craacling condi-
ton of things were effected too suddenly,
we fear our people couldn't bore it"
But we do rot expect to run when We
can scarcely walk. We do not expect to
get, very soon, our mails regularly by Rail-
road, when we have been so long in tue hab-
it of considering it a favor to get any at all.
Tutored to be deeply thankful for the small
est favors, the Department concludes that
our gratitude cannot be heightened by the
bestowal of larger ones.
We have craacled long enough, and have,
at least, grown old enough to walk erect and
look around us. We see Arkansas behind
| the rest Of the Union, and this section of
country behind the rest of the State, in the
way of mail accommodations We see thou
sands and tens of thousands of dollars ex-
pended at the North and East, in order to az
ford their citizens every possible facility in
the transportation of the mails; and we see
the Treasury bones, when our Northern
and Eastern brethren have got through
them, thrown over to the people of South
ern Arkansas. to afford them the extra
ordinary privilege of receiving mail
whenever tsco horses can pull it. and Of RI
ding in a stage whenever the roads will al
low t,co horses to pull, besides the mails, an
extra passenger. We see new routes start
ed and thousands of dollars expended upon
them, while here we have no means furnished
by Government of getting to Shreveport un-
less we take it one at time and ride behind
the mail boy.
And here, we would ask, what has become
of the petition of the citizens of Shreve-
port, and of our own, for the establishment
of a stage route between that place and this!
Has the Postmaster General put it in his
breeches pocket under the idea that his si-
| lence will discourage US from any further
attempt to rectify our mail grievances, and
force us into an acquiescenee with the pres
ent condition of things! Surely he should
not object to seeing US aoalk a little after
having craacled SO long.
A stage route from this place to shreve-
port is absolutely demanded by the wants
of the people. Shreveport is below the
Raft and hence the Importance of such COM
munication, when the river is down, between
the two places. Besides, the improvements
in the Telegraphic and Railroad lines have
reached Shreveport, and by having a stage
line to that place we would be enabled to
get sonleuehere at any time of the year. and
we would get our Southern mails quicker
and with more regularity.
We have fine country, but what avails
this so long as people cannot come and GO
at pleasure Persons visiting US with the