, 1862-01-23
---thc insane root
II hat faEns thn reason ,>rffnnnr

l:as brought in a bill to prevent newspapers
from tteing conveyed OIL rostUtficc roads eN-
ccrt i'll the government ,nai1s- When such
men as Mr. Co}flN lend themselves to such
nleaEu:Cs VT almost despair Of the country.
Tic ut wspapcr establishments ia our differ
e1lt cities now send off packages Of their daily
issues just when they are ready, without re-
gard TO lust-otflce hours and p0st-Otficc for
nlalitics. They send them ut hours when the
mails dn not go; they arc relieved from the
delays incident to getting them into the local
rost>otliccs, and getting them out again; they
supply the expected daily sheet to the public
in the most cheap aud expeditions manner
possible. There can be no arrangement So
prompt: efficient and satisfactory as that which
tley nov use. Thcirayeuts are in the highest
dcgrtc exact and punctual; their success and
their standing with their employers depend
upon this. Tic moment we substitute for
them the agents of the Government, We break
up tlis system Of immediate and strict re-
| sponsihility We hare delays; We have failures
oi whole editions of newspaper to reach
| their destination.
Dots anybody ask for the change which Mr..
| Colfaxs bill contcmplates: Do the new?pa-
per ottcts ask it By no means; they pro
| list agaInst it. Do the Subscribers to the diff
I ftrent journals ask it? Has Mr.. Colf:sx taken
t any pains to know whether they will be ac-
| colEl1odatci or whether they will be iuco1n-
| nlodcd by the change9 Is there on thc table
| Of the house to which he belongs :: single pc
| titlon ffom any quarter asking for il: There
is none; We take upon ourselves to say posi-
t the f;:intcst desire On tie part Ct the people
for this LEV extension Of the lost-oiHcc ,nun-
| opo1y. The present arrangements arc satls-
| factory to all who have .n interest in them.
Our Journal: by the mails. Or forcing
f1stir readers to receive them by the mails
TIT answer doubtless will be that it is to OBJ
1Hiil +. ,ehEe. Well, if revenue he the object,
| NC say 10 tie Government: impose your tax
lay upon the newspaper offices such proper
ton Of tic public burdens rs mag seem right
and Just; hut do moi enenHbcr us with your
| Erir in carrying the journals of the day 10
t:eir readers. Do not break up the free trlns.
| mission Of intelligence by insisting that nc
stall employ the awkward. clumsy. uncertain,
and d;]a1ory conveyance of the Government
mails.
II it lie intended to make the post office 4
source OF revenue, nc have already shown il
this ;ounal how that might be done. The
post Office system, as framed by Congress ant
t etltution which is in perfect harmony Will
| those # the absolute governments Of Europe
but wholly ont Of place here Sweep it away
and put in its stead something more commo
| dions for the people and better agreeing Will
| the character of our national polity- If th,
Government would issue two-ccnt stamps TO
the postage Of letters having the ordlnar!
weight, and sell them to the private expresse
for cent zach, the expresses would carry ant
deliver the letters for the remaining cent: th
| public would be better accommodated than
row is. and the Treasury would obtain tel
times the amount Of money which cam DO e2
torted under any modification of the presen
system. Mr. Colfax will find, On inquiry, thu
| this arrangement might be made with the ez
. presses, ard it is hardly necessary to repre-
Sent TO q man like him how much, By carryin!
through such 4 reform, he would deserve til
gratitude Of the country for Kidding it Of a.
odious monopoly which is standing reproac]
to our legislation.
WHY does the government seek to max
| itself the universal newspaper carrier: .Ha
il not work enough on its hands already I
there not enough to do in the departments 9
war and tic nayy and the treasury, withou
uoinE ert Of these TO furnish new matter fo
tie srulntlers : There is disposition preTa
lent, Just now, to heap upon tile go7crnnlen
! | Ill manner Of powers, }abors, duties, and RI
! | spousiblli1irs-a disposition which, if nc
: checked, will seriously impair tue p:rsoni
! freedom: which has long been our boast an
transform our system OF government into
despoti-m with republican forms,
!, Ii will be said that AIr- Colta25 bill pr
l poses to dispense, in some cases, with tt
necessity Of sending newspapers hy mail, es!
powerin9 the Postmaster General to grant
such cases license, according to his diser1
ton. If the Postmaster General Is expcctt
> to grant permission to dispense with the mai
= whenever il is more convenient to send IL
> newspapers By private hands, tue law amonn
to notl,ing. II is enacted oDly that he nls
i }he liberty to send ly mail when--xr prefer
! nd l,y private hands when it is more cow
2 I .icnt-and all we desire is to retain that lih1
ty, without recourse to aty officer Of tie Go
l. | trrment. II On the other hand. We are to
q restrained from sending journals to their res
c us by ~ Independent conveyance, whcne.
= in cur JUDI gmens that method ccomnlod41
:, the rtaaers best, then TIC proposed !:
e is unjust, ansi-reyublican, and III utssTacti
u to the 1rt. circulation Of intelligence
= Nctan OILY hope enc fate fo7 this b
II II namely, that 1t will be quietly Laid aside 4
"a | acvc1 hoard Of again.
- - ~ The Rockford Democrat says t
: Thompson & Co., the manufacturers Of N
ny,s reaper, are doing lasge business in