Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-15
From the Memphis Appeal.
ufssfssippf River Mail Service.

The suggestions contained in the following
plain, sensible and practical communication,
which we cut from the Nashville Pariot are
well worthy the consideration of the Postmas-
ter General. Memphis is undoubtedly the
point on the Mississippi river from which the
principal Mississippi river mail should start.
All others north of it should converge here.
The Patriots correspondent only leaves one
branch of the subject clearly unexplained.
and that is the means of connecting with this
main route from Illinois and Missouri. How
is the great mail from st. Louis and the West
to the South to be provided for This is the
practical difficulty in the way of the Postmas-
ter General. Although direct suggestion is
not made with reference to this great difficult
ty, yet the plan recommended will virtually
obviate it. This plan is to run tri-weekly
mail boats from Nashville to Memphis. and
tri-weekly mails from Louisville to Memphis
.rhich shall ayriue at Cairo on different or alternate
days.
In this way a mail boat will touch Cairo
every day but one IN the tceek, going to and re-
turning from Memphis. The ST. Louis and
Illinois mail. which will arrive at Cairo by the
Illinois Central Railroad can be shipped daily
Oh these boats, with infinitely more regularity
than the daily mail from Cairo is now trans
ported, and the service can be performed with
less expense to the Government, because there
are III" regular PdyHg packets on all THESE
routes. little more than half the sum now
expended will increase tho eorvice of the Mem
phis and New Orleans Packet Line from that
of tri-weekly to daily line, and will enable
the Government to deliver its mails with pune.
tuality and dispatch at New Orleans The
Cairo and New Orleans line will always be a
failure, for the reasons mentioned in the com
munication to the Patriot. The Government
has packet lines, already in successful opera.
lion
stipulate for slight increase in speed, to con.
summate the great desideratum.
The Government might as well abandon
the chimerical idea of having the mails trans
ported between points, where the demands OF
commerce will not support packet lines, I'M
less it will pay larger bonus than is reasona-
bic for such service, and even then the pack
cts will not do their duty unless the Govern
ment will directly take charge of and direct
them, to prevent violations of the contract
where the interest of contractors comes in
conflict with the punctual discharge of their
duty. 1t has been shown that the line pro-
posed can be successfully carried into orera-
ton under the patronage of the Government
indeed, that experience has demonstrated ii
to be practicable, and that it will answer the
service as well, if not better, than the Cairo
line, even if the latter were in successful and
satisfactory operation. 1t is also obvious that
the SERVICE can ne more cneaply performed Dy
this route, though we are an advocate for
paying the contractors according to the char
acter of their service; and it being evident
that this will be better by the route proposed
infinitely better-we think they ought to be
equally as well paid as the old line. But
they can afford to do it cheaper, because the
freight on the new route alone pays them a
profit, and if the mail service be added to this,
twill be so much extra profit
From these considerations we are satisfied
that the Postmaster General will consult the
interests of the service by giving an earnest
consideration to the suggestions of the PATRI-
OT's correspondent, and doing all he can to
promote them Wihm has authority. We do not
know. however, how far his authority extends
over this route. We are of opinion that the
route is prescribed definitely by act of Con-
gress. In this case, it will be necessary to
apply to that body for change of route, and,
to effect this, no time should be lost 1t is a
matter of great and leading importance to
the whole Western and South Western States,
and, it strikes US, the expediency of the
change is so apparent and manifestly to the in
terest of all parties concerned, that the neces-
sary act can be easily engineered through,
without unnecessary delay, and with but tri-
fling opposition.