The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-01-22
The Ai,antic Cable.
The London Times of Dec. Is, saws :

in9 Lof'uoh Times oil Dec. 10, says
Electric communication with the New
World is an object not likely to be abandoned
a year OF W since it was Joined with aeriaI
travelling and ~selfsupporting combustion ia III,
sneers OF the practical now it is at least a NOS.
slblity. A message has been SEPT to the New
ORD and an answer received within wobonr.
and a hall. Although fer the moment disap.
poinlment has produced a kind Of sluvor. vet
1t cannot be doubted that we shall soon have
an attempt TO renew the enterprise.
amer stating The advantages Of the Trinity
bay and s~hientla 'lne, and the route. adyan.
tases' aud disadvantages Of the proposed line,
by way at the African coast. the Iauaries
Cape de Nerdes and Brazil, the article con.
tinues
IL Is inr the government to decide how far it
VIII assist these schemes. Our own opinion is
soon stated. We wish Geographic eommunica-
ton all success, and shall be glad to see the
EARN enctrcled by wires, aud the ftlrthest lands
uiiisea ny IL universal scheme Of Instantaneous
correspondence But thu inauguration of this
new era we would leave eHti ely to the action
Oh private enterprise, based OH the principle, of
Tree trade. 1T a cable is wanted across sea or
slfalt, let any company, English, French or
american have fnif liberty to lay it, aud to re.
eeiVe Tue profits that arise, no national mistr,,st
should impede the action of capital invested in
such schemes OF cosmopolitan usefulness. Bnt
10 a great system Of guarantees and subsidies
we decidedly object. There is, indeed, one ex-
ceptinn. The telegraph to India is q matter
OF imperial policy. That vast and distant pro-
vince IS inhabited by millions of suspicious
and suspected Asiatics, aud at any moment no.
litlcal disturbances .liay demand the attention
OF the nome government. Not far from one
hundred thousand European troops are now ON.
ployed within its limits, a host Of civil servants
are continually requiring advice or orders. tIer,.
are continually Governors aud Generals in
oo'p' Or danger. In such a case, and on
grounds merely of public policy, the govern
liehl may without passing beyond its proper
iuhetions' guarantee a system of cnmmunica.
non. bht telegraphs TO and from everywhere
ought hot 10 be made at the responsibility of
government II sub-oceanic communication
pc feasahie, companies for the construction of
lines VIII il''d shareholders without the assist
ance "i the State. If the Communities inter.
es'eu are not confident enough in the snccess Of
a sciiasle I" take up the shares il had better he
uohtntoiel. government interference will only
create moliopoilea and hinder the deyejoumpnt
=, tne et''1te' once give a company an eX-
elusive right to telegraph the news between two
countries guarautying them "a good per %eeptape,
and we may bid farewell 10 progress in rapidi,
": accuracy and cheapnesS. We trust That
1Reilher OF the two schemes for communicative
with the New World will receive further heln
from government. The laA++4ie {! has
already had State assistance in the use If sI.ynral
s,h'ps OF war, the vaiue Of perhaps. El0ag6N +
has also ii large guaranteed jucotne Tram ,hs
governments on both sides Of the Atlan,ic 90
long as its line is in working order. Y'bis NAV
be defended on the ground Of the oripinaI,ty
ana RISK OF the undertaking but no gBarantne
the capital Of the company shonia bn
granted, The best kind of cable. the hest ,ar,
lpg-"ut machinery, and tile proper metbpsd IF
using 1t, will soon be determined. md ,bnr tLa
construction of a line will be merelvo na,tpr ,a
ordinary calculation. There will he mo- mora
reason Tor the Stale to guarantee IFS cani,,l
Than when a Lancashire cotton simmer hri,iIJ.
q new mill. by the policy of subsidies an5
guarantees we shall only raIise The pubic S "%'
nendlture, while we change the grawth Of teta.
enterprise from health aud vipnr HnE,
/ state Of hot-hoase Eeebleness.