Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-12-12
Report OF the PostmasteT.CenersI-

othteb on the SUth OF june loOlJ was ioSbj
and that the entire number Of cases acted upon
during the same period was 1O,63s, including
appointments made by the President Of the
United States. The whole number Of appoint
meDts msdo by the Postmaster General was
9,2S5, and the number by the President during
the same period 337.
The result of successful investigation in Z, $50
cases confirms the past experience Of the de-
partment, that the failure of a letter to reach
its destination is, in the vast majority Of in
stances, the fault alone Of tho writer OF sender.
0ut Of the above 1850 valuable dead letters,
3,095 were directed to the wrong office; 467 were
impelfeotly addressed; 612 were direc.ed to
transient persons; 257 to parties who had
changed their residences; S21 were addressed to
fictitious persons or firms; SO were uncalled fer;
10 without any directions; g. 1876 were not mailed
for want Of postage stamps; 70 were missent;
and for the failure of postmasters to deliver
1873, no satisfactory reason was assigned, The
department therefore can justly be held re.
spOnsible for the non delivery Of but 212 Of
these IstteFs.
Much other valuable data is given on this
subject, and it is worthy of remark that out Of
76,769 letters, before alluded to, originating in
the loyal States, and addressed to residents of
disloyal States, 40 900 could not be returned,
either because tho signature of the writer was
Incomplete, or because the letter contained no
| clue to his residence. The experience Of the
department shows that large proportion of
| domestic letters written by educated persons,
and particularly women, are deficient in one or
| both OF these respects. 7.t
In view of these and other facts the Post
master General suggests that valuable dead
letters, when returned to their osners, should
be charged with treble the ordinary rate of
postage, comprising one rate for return trans
pOrtation to the dead letter Office, one rate for
registration there, and one rate for return
transportation to the writers or oEners.
1 v-sNh has hnr1 lad al
awaiting the ratification by Mexico, establish
/ ing q common international rate Of twenty five
| cents on letters, with other useful provisions.
The Postmaster General has accepted the
offer made in 1857 by Great Britain for re-
duction of the International rate between the
two countries on letters from twenty four to
| twelve cents, which, however, has not yet gone
into operation, as it awaits the response of the
| British Office.
The above abstract presents merely few of
the points Of the important report.
The Postmaster General gives at length his
reason for the change of contrasts for disloy-
atty. Not only was it unsafe, he say s, to iu-
trust the transportation of the mails to person
who refused or failed to recognize the sanctity
of an oatb, but TO continue payment of public
money to the enemies of the Government and
their allies was to give direct aid and comfort
to treason in arms. We could not thus permit
this branch Of Government to contribute to its
own overthrow.
The Postmaster General also gives his rea-
sons for excluding disoyal publications from
the mails. To await the results of slow judi
cial prosecution was to allow crime 10 be con-
sUmmate5, with the expectation of subsequent
punishment, instead Of preventing its accom-
plisbm.Dt by prompt and direct interference.
Of the cases presented for his action, upon the
principles which he pames, he has, by order,
excluded from the mails twelve of these trea-
stnBble publications, of which several had
been previously presented by the grand jury
ss incendiary and hostile to constitutio nal au-
thoIity.
While the Postmaster General did not claim
the authority to suppress any newspaper, how
ever dislOy al aDd reasonable its contents, the
Department could not be called upon to give
them circulation. at could not and would
not interfere with the freedom secured by Law,
but it could and did obsir1ct the Sissemin s'ioD
of that license which was without the pale Of
the constitution ard law. The mails estab
lisbed by the United States Government could
not, upon any known principles of Law or pub
lie right, be used for its destruction. As we'll
could the common carrier be legally required to
tran sport machine designed for the destruc
tion of the vehicle conveying it, or an iunkeeper
be compelled to entertain q traveller whom he
knew to be intending to commit arobbery in
his house,"
He finds these views supported by the high
authority of the late Chief Justice Story, of the
Supreme Court of the United States, whose
opinion he quotes.
This Department was also called upon to act
upon another question, alike novel and impor-
'snt Various newspapers, having more or
less influence within the sphere of their circu-
la,ioD, were represented to be, and were, in
fact, devotipg their columns to the furtherauce
of the schemes of our national enemies. These
efforts were peIsisteptly directed to the ad.
vapcement of hostile interests, to thwart the
efforts made to preserve the integrity of the
Union, and to accomplish the results of open
treason without incurriOg its judicial penalties
To await the results of slow Judicial prosecu
tion was to allow crime to be copsum mated
wi h the expectation of subsequent punish.
nept, instead of preventing its accomplish.
ment by prompt az direct interference.
The freed, m Of the press is secured by a high
constitutional sanction. But it is freedom and
not license that is guaranteed. Tits to be used
only for lawful purposes. 1t can not aim blowl
at the existence of the Government, the Con
situtiop, aud the Union, and at the same time
claim its protee ion. As we'll could the assassin
, strike bis blow at human life, at the same tim,
claiming that his victim should not commit I
breach Of the peace by a counter blow. While
therefore, this Department neither enjoyed no
! | claimed the power to suppress such treasonab
publications, but left them free to publish wha
they pleased, it could not be called upon to Civ,
8 them circulation. It could not and would no
interfere with the freedom secured by law, bu
it could and did obstruct the dissemination o
that license which was without the pale of tn
q Constitution and law. The mails established
by the United States Government could not
upon spy known principle of Law or publ
right, be used for its destruction. AS we'll coult
|. the common carrier be legally required to trans
port machine designed for the destruction o
> the vehicle conveying it, or an innkeeper b
: compelled to entertain traveller whom b
knew to be intending to commit robbery i
his house.
O fnd these views supported by the hig
+ authority of the late Justice Story of the Su
= pIeme Court of the United States. He says, il
commenting on that clause of the Constitution
q securing the freedom Of the press: ,.
"That this amendment was intended to SO
cure 10 every citizen an absolute right to speal
a OF write or print whatsoever he might please
without any responsibility, public or privat
therefor, is a supposiuOn too wild to be in
: dulged in by any rational man. This Woul
It be to allow to every citizen the right to destro
at his pleasure the reputation, the peace, th
property, and even the personal safety, o
70 every other citizen. A man might, out 0
n mere malice or revenge, accuse another of tn
most infamous crimes; might excite agains
!, him the indignation Of all his fellow citizen
l. by the most atrociOus calumnies; might dis
turb, nay, ovsIturn all his domestic peace, an
smbitter his parental sfectionsj might infiC
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