, 1859-03-23

The breakdown Of the Whole post 81 SYST en-
to whicl, the government is welded, by the
failure Of ill appropriations for It's surt"'r, is
likely to lcat to important results. There las
been for Il long time feeling among Tie tf"i1k-
ing 1llen Of the country that the Post Vlfice
Department i'll government hands is merely an
engine Of political corruption without any com
penslting advantages 10 the welfare Of the
body polite. Its employees are more nl1mcr-
ous ami doubtless, III pnlitlcsll nl;Es, more in
fl.ential than the while Of the Army and
Navy; il is managed by the one nan-lpwcr
and always for tic asccndancy Of party, rather
than the accommodation Of the public. Tic
duties discharged by it are wholly Of an exc
cntiye character; and we arc forced to say it
lr,s never given half the satisfaction which has
been felt rs Tie result Of individual enterprise
in kindred kinds Of business which tue pack
age expresses have undertaken; and more
than nil, since the reduction Of postage to
about double the rates which Ought to be
charged for the service rendered, it llas been
constant and serious drain upon the resources
Of tic country, w1iicl, ought to be applied 10
other purposes, Setting aside all questions Of
the right aud cxpdiency Of the monopoly
claimed 1,y the governing power. in tile trans-
mission Of mail matter, VIC think it can he
established by economical rcaso'ls alone that
the question Of the propricty Of abolis1ling tic
entire postal system as 4 part Of government
co.lcern, may be properly and advantagconsly
debated. Those journalists and rcformcrs who
have heretofore declared their opposition to
tic monopoly, and who have favored the open-
ing Of the carrying tr:ldc in mill matter, to
wl.olnsocyer would undertake it will be e1l-
encouraged hy the prcscut deadlock in GOV
crlucnt arrangements. to insist upon the trial
Of tllcE theories.
II is common in political matters for the
people, wien denied REFORM to ask abolition.
IL tic matter 1lndcr consideration, they lIaye
f'r many years been urging; tllcir Representa-
tiycs 10 insist upon tic abrog:tion Of the
franking privilege. aud the curiallmcnt Of the
CAlN!l:Ia VI l''S A'cl"4lhtIAL - A"a"@! '"f7
costly and unnecessary contracts; but so little
attention las been paid to their complaints aud
yenonstrances, that the next movement will be
If Il more radical and sweeping character.
They will be apt 10 demand That tho Govern
1nent shall give up the monopoly which it has
,s1lrI'cd, and that the carrying Of letters sl,al
he placed on the same footing as the carrying Of
valu:.blcs l,y companies and corporations or
ga,lizrd for that purpose. III any event, the
failure Of the appropriations aud tho conse-
uueut difficulties by which lie Department
will lie embarrassed, will lead ill classes to
Il ,norc thorough inquiry into the exIcdicncy
Of disst!vin= the partnership now existing be-
tween Uncle Sam and the c,rryi,l: trade
Men lElvc heretofore accepted government
agency in the transmission IF their corrcspou-
dclcc and newspapers, because they were
ln'rn to tic existing condition Of things, and
have never stopped to ask themselves if there
WAS not a better way. But the cxiscnccs Of
the Department will force lis lnucll abused ems
tnlsscrs to think. When tlIcir attention is
turned to this 1natter they will he ready to
art