Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-12-16

plying any remedy, care should be TIA
ken that the people shall not be depriv-
ed of the advantages which they are
fairly entitled to receive from the Post
office Department.
The principal remedies recommended
to the consideration of Congress by the
Postmaster General are to restore the
former rate of postage upon single let
tiers to five cents; to substitute for the
ranking privilege the delivery to those
now entitled to enjoy it, of first office
stamps for their correspondence, and to
direct the department., in making con
tracts for the transportation of the mail,
to ~conine itself to the payment of the
sum necessary for this single purpose
without requiring it to be transports ted
in post coaches or carriages ofany par
ticular description. Under the prese Mt
system, the expense to the Govern
ment is greatly increased; by requiring
that the mail shall be carried in such
vehicles as will accomodate passengers.
This will be done without pay from the
department., over all roads where the
travel will renumerate the contractor.
These recommendations deserve the
grave consideration of Congress.
1 would again call your attention to
the construction of a Paoihc railrcad.-
Time and reflection have but served to
coufrm me in the truth and Justice OF
| the observation which L made, on this
subject, in my last annual message, to
| which l beg leave respectfully to refer.
1t is freely admitted that it would be in
| expcdient for this government to exercise
the power of constructing the Pacific rail-
road by its " immediate agents. Such a
policy would increase the patronage of the
Executive to 4 dangerous extent an intro
duce a system of jobbing and corruption,
which no vigilance on the part of federal Of
fcials could either prevent Or detect. This
can only he d ne by the keen eye and active
and careful Supervision of individual and pri-
vate interest. The construction of this road
ought therefore, TO be committed to compa-
mics incOrI GRATED by the States, or other
agencies. Congress might then assist them
in the work IT, grants of land or OF money,
or both, under such conditions and restEc-
lions as would secure the transportation of
troops and munitions of war free from any
charge, and that of the United States nail at
a fair and. reasonable price.
The progress of event is siace the commence
ment of your last session has shown how
soon difficulties disappear before a firm and
/ ueteTIulntIT cSOlulIOH. ~ NhNI IilIN slNh :"
road was deemed by vie and patriotic men
to be a visionary Broiect. The great distance
to be overcome and the intervening noun
tains and deserts in the way, were obstacles
which, in the opinion Of many, could not be
surmounted. Now, after the lapse of but Il
single,year, these. obstacles, it has been dis
covered, are far less formidable than they
were supposed to he, aud mail stages, with
passenS gers, now pass and repass regularly,
twice in each week, by a common Wagon road
between San Francisco, St. L uis and Mem
phis, in less than twenty five days. The ser
vice has been regularly performed as 1t was,
in former wears, between New York and this
city.
While >disc!aiming all authority to appro-
pirate money. for the construction of this
road, except that, derived from the wnr-mak-
ing power of the constitution, there are i'm
portaut collateral considerations urging us
to undertake the work as speedily as posi-
bic.
The first and most mogcntous OF these is
that such road would-bc y powerful bead of
union between the States cast and vest of
the Rocky Mountains. This is SO self evident
as to require no illRstratiun.
But again, in y commercial point of view,
I consider this the great question of the day.
With the eastern front of our Republic
stretching along the Atlantic, and its ives
tern front along the Pacific, if all the parts
should be united by a SAFE, easy. and rapid
interc COMMUNICATION, we must necessarily
c1mmnpd q very large proportion of the ;rade
both of Europe and Asia.
Oar recent treaties with China and Japan
will open those rich aud p~opulqus empires to
our commerce; and the history of the world
proves that the nation which has gained pos
session of the trade with Eastern Asia, has
always become wealthy and powerful. The
peculiar Geographical position of California
and our Pacific possessions, invites American
capital and enterprise into this fruitful held.
To reap the rich harvest, however, 1t is an
indispensable perquisite, that We shall first
have It railroad sthrouglt our temperate lati-
tude, which would not be impeded by the
frosts and SHOWS of winter, nor by the tropi-
! cal heats of summer, would attract to itself
much of the travel and trade of all nations
y passing between Europe and Asia.
On the 2lst of August last, Lieut.. ]. y,
Mafit, of the rUnited States Brig Dolphin,
capturcd 4lte Shaver, Echo, (formeriy the Put
nam, of New Orleans near Key Verde, on
the I oasti of Cuba, " nth more thanthree hun
dred African negroes on board. The prize,
under the command of Lieut.. Bradford of the
4 United States Navy. arrived ut Charleston on
i the 9th of August, when the negroes, three
hundred aid six in number, were delivered
into the custody of the United States Marshal
for the District of South Carolina. They
were first placed in Castle Pickney, and af
II forwards in Fort Sumpter, for safe keeping
and were detained there until the 18th Sep
tcniber, when the survivors, two hundred an'
seventy-ene- in number, were delivered OIL
. board the United States Steamer niagara, t
e be transported to the coast of Africa, unde
t the charge of the agent of the United States
I pursuant to the provisions of the act of tn
3D. INlrch, 1919, sin addition to the acts pre-
"A hibiting the slave trade"
Uuder the I'd section of this act, the Prcsi
] dent is 4iauthofized to make such rules, resu
lations aud arrangements as he may deer
expcdient, for the safe keeping, support an
removal beyond The limits of the Unite
States, of all such negroes, mulattoes, or pei
sons of color" captured by vessels of tn
J United States, as may be delivered to til
: marshal of tho district into which they ar
: brought; sand 10 appoint a proper person G
; persons residing upon the coast of Africa, q
, agent or agents for receiving the negroes, mi
lattoes or persons of color, delivered from o
c board vessela seized in the prosecution of til
+ slave trade by commanders of United State
c armed vessels.
o Tho question Immediately arose as to I'll
f true construction of this act. 1t is clea
from its nature, that the President was al
thorized to provide for the safe keeping. SUI
port and rom oval of these negroes up till IL
C time of their delivery to the agent on IL
coast of Africa, but no express provision w