The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-30

which our fidelity TO the cause is to be tested2 We
so regard it and we hold that those who desert our
colors now are unworthy of the confidence OF the
democratic party.
POSTAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH NEW ORLEANS
AND SAN FRANCISCO
About the time that enthusiastic felowcitt-
zens of the South were engaged in their Olympic
games at Montgomery, Alabama another convention,
representing various railroads between Memphis and
Washington assembled at Chattanooga in Tennes-
see
Whilst the first assemblage had contented itself
with discussion of the abstract the last employed
itself with the practical and adopted the following
resolutions
ssRssosvd That in the opinion OF this convention the
great central line of railroad from New York Wash
ington city, Richmond Lynchburg, Knoxville, Chatta-
nooga Tenn and Memphis and Charleston rsiiIo q, 70
Grand Junction. and thence by the Mississippi Central
and New Orleans Jackson and great Northern railroads.
is the shortest and most practicable route for the con-
nexon of the great southern mail with the line to
California, Tehuantepec, and most respectfully
ask that tho Postmaster General give this line his
sideraon in determining the practcaby OF the scheme
.Resovd further, That pledge ourselves to coop
crate with the Post Office Department to effect OBJ
ec 10 greatly the interest of the South and West and
desirable to the whole people OF the United States
These resolutions, announcing the completion of
this Southwestern national route, were intrusted to
an able and intelligent committee one of whom
presented himself at the Post Office Department with
mail bag in his hand shown by the certificates OF
departure and arrival to have been brought from
New Orleans to Washington in the Incredible
time of four days and few hours To convince
the department that this not spasmodic and
fancy performance, after the fashion of the Ramsey
express mail route Mexico these practical
gentlemen proposed to carry the mail between the
points mentioned in the time stated for the ensuing
twelve months, and after that time to put double
daily mail to be carried between New York and
New Orleans in soventy-fve hours!
The statesman at the head of the department at
once acceded to this proposition to reduce the time
of communication between the two most important
commercial cities nearly half, and directed CON
tract for the performances of the service stipulated
1t happened in furtherance of the second object of
these praccamen, that the department had by direc
ton of the Executive time since advertised for
proposals to carry the mails from New Orleans, by
way of the isthmus of Tehuantepec to San Francisco
twice month"; and had received satisfactory prop
osition from Emile Lasere esq, Of New Orleans for
performing this service in fourteen days.
1t will be thus seen that the department has or
ganized route between New York, Nsw Orleans
and San Francisco, which will reduce the time fare,
and freights between those cities nearly one-half
will save some three thousand miles Of sea risk
place the travel and treasure almost entirely under
the protection Of our own flag transfer the cost
OF transit from an ocean monopoly for distribution
IL Il Ia
States and enable the poorest citizen to participate
ia the common treasures of California.
These extraordinary results have caused us to
make some examination into the past history of the
postal communications between the seat of federal
government and the southern cities, the benefit of
which we win give our readers as illustration of
the earlier obstacles and subsequent. progress of
mail facilities in the United States.
In December, 1884, the Hon. J. Mclean Postmas-
ter General, having been called by the Senate to
report "the most practicable post route from Wash
ington city to New Orleans stated that the mail was
carried by route 1880 miles in length occupying
twenty four days This service was tri-weekly, in
great part on horseback. After having given de-
scription of some other routes, he added
1.-THE route which the mail is transported to
Orleans although more cTcntOuS than Others
in the present condition of the roads, is the safest and
best There many distractions it, but they less
than any other Greater celebrity and safety
given to the mail this route than could be given to
it on any other to New Orleans"
Upon the authority of asurvey then recently made
by Gen. Bernard under authority Of Congress-, the
Postmaster General proceeded to give his opinion
upon the most eligible route for road. After stating
the distance between Washington and New Orleans
to be- according to astronomical admeasurement, 900
miles in a direct line, he went on to say
The northwestern part of North Carolina, through
which this line passes Ia mountainous render
deviation to the south north in constructing road
Indispensable deviation to the north avoid the
mountains will pass by by Wythe and
Abingdon in Virginia. Knoxville in Tennessee and thence
through the Tennessee Valley by Cahawba to New Or
leans in nearly straight direction This route is esti
mated at 056 miles including ten per cent for the
ton from straight line deviation to the south 80 as
to pass Salem N. c., Greenvie s. c. and Athens
Ga, would not vary than 60 miles from q direct
line
All this happened, of course, at the period in our
history when grand system of internal improve
ments by the general government the favorite
policy of stong political party.
'The route by Warrenton, Abingdon, and Knox
vile was pronounced by Cen Bernard to be the most
eligible, and, he added, "if substantial road were
made in this direction to New Orleans the mail could
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