Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-02-27

/ Letter OF Maj. Campbell Wallace. Pres
ident of t he Il. n. 81 Ga. K. X. to POST
master General Reagan.
OFFIoE EAST TENN & Ca r. r. Co.
KNoxyIBLE, Feb. 10, 1868.
Hon JNo. II REAGAN, Postmaster General
C. s. A., Richmond, w
DEAR SIR-In view of the difficulties in
the way Of congress making appropriations
out of the Confederate Treasury for the sup
port Of the Post Office Department after
March, and aware of the great reduction of
mail facilities that must take place after
that time, in order to make that department
selfsustaining, as required by the Constitu-
ton, | suggest that it would be proper for
Congress to limit the price to be paid to
railroad companies for carrying the mails to
| fifty dollars per mile, commencing the first
Of April, and to continue until the end Of
the year and no longer.
| | am satisfied that the railroad companies
Of the Confederate States would cheerfully
acquiesce in such law rather than the peo-
pie should be restricted In their postal facil-
tiles would make the rate uniform-giv-
ing to all the roads the fifty dollars per mile,
as it is not SO much the sceigh of the mails
carried that enters into the cost Of the
transportation as it is the preparation for
the work, and that expense is about the same
per mile. to the I'd aud Sd class roads. as it
is to the first. For instance, this company,
under your classification, is receiving one
hundred and fifty dollars per mile, while
some other roads, carrying lighter mails,
but al an equal expense, receive only one
third Of that sum. do not wish to be uu-
derstood as intimating that the price now
! paid frst-class roads for mail service is too
much. On the contrary, my experience,
in many years of railroad management has
been that often would gladly have given
up the mail contract, rather than adopt
schedules which were necessary for mail fa-
cilities, when | knew that such schedules
would lose the company in local travel five
dollars for every one received from the
Government for carrying the mail.
But our Government is now in its in
fancy. This is the day Of our trial, and
from many years. intercourse with the gen.
tlemen who control the railways in the
Confederate States, do not feel that I am
hazarding much when I say that you will
fed them, without exception, acquiescing
in such law, not grudgingly, but cheer
fully. heresult to the finances of the Post
Office Department, while not bearing heav-
lily on the roads, would, according to the
figures in your report, be saving of not
less than a half million Of dollars per an
mum on your present contracts, which saw
ing will be much greater when the Confed
crate States will have reclaimed her rail-
roads and extended her mail facilities in
territory now oVerrun by the Federas
In this connection, would respectfully
suggest that you Withdraw your recom-
mendatior to increase the rate Of newspaper
postage, and the suggestion to tax printing
| establishments with postage on then. ex-
changes. canliot we'll conceive of any
one thing that would be more disastrous to
the prosperity of our young Republic than
any action of Congress lessening the facli-
ties for furnishing the people with Informal
ton, or tramm cling the operations Of those
engaged in preparing, in suitable form, that
information for the people. The press has
been everything to us in this crisis, and
should not, in my opinion, be placed along
side with the ordinary industrial pursuits of
the country. Its mission is to elevate man
Its work is with the intellect, and in pro-
portion as you foster virtuous, free press,
you build up virtuous, free people, and
make them strong to defend that freedom.
The history Of the world does not furnish
evidence that ever before has the press been
more free from personality and tendency
to Righteousness, in times of either peace Or
war; than it has been in the Confederate
States for the last two years, and never be-
fore has government been more ably and
periodically sustaieed by the press. Give
the newspaper publishers then, every need
fal facility for cheap transportation. They
have not advanced their prices in proportion
to their increased expenditures Newspa>
pcrs to circulate freely and widely must be
chcap-cheap in price cheap in postage
like salt, the consumption is in proportion
to the c2st--cheap salt creates large con-
sumption, and hogs, horses, cattle, sheep
and bacon always give uumistakabie evI-
dence of the advantages of cheap salt. So
with the mind-the man. Give communi-
ties the advantages of cheap books-cheap
misrepresentation mail facilities and you
will always reap rich rewardin good NOR
ais and a highly cultivated people-willing
to sacrifice all else than the right to govern
themselves, and herein lies the strength and
power and success Of the Confederate States
in this unnatural and terrible war
Truly your friend,
G. WALLACE