, 1866-01-26
SOUTHERN POST OFFICES.

We publish elsewhere the reports OF three
Of The agents Of the Post Office Depart
mcnt, ono for VirgInia, one for Georgia and
one for Mississippi, relative to the re-cstab-
lishmcnt Of mail facilities in the Southern
States. AS these States arc widely separated,
and fairly represent all parts Of the South.
the three reports amply set forth the condi-
tion Of eleven of the Southern States, OF all
except Kentucky and Tennessee.
One ronld suppose thst when the Govern
mcnt, which humbly carried the mails for the
rebels during the first SIX months Of the rebel
lion, and which has always cauied Southern
malls at the expense Of The Northern people,
now ncek1y applies for admission to carry
the mails for the Southern chivalry once
more, IN ofIer 50 dlEfnterested and
so Improbable to The Govern
mcnt and the Northern States, would
lie met by tie "Sou1hrons'' with glimmer-
ing sense OF the fact that such
favor Is boon to which they have
nc c.asm, and that they would
strive to recaprocatc, by q willingness To be
served, our manifestations Of desire TO serve
them. They certainly must know that The
North was never more prosperous than when
the Southern Fost-olflces were closed TO us.
They should know that four-dfths of the er-
Pcnse u u~+ryin& their nnall mails devolycs
on the North TO pay. Yrt- -t1nvuS71uur-tsv
South, the Fost-ottice Agents are coolly In
formed that il the Federal Government wants
The privilege Of carrying Southern mails 1t
must repeal the test oath which prevents
rebels from being post-maste1B, not because
there a1o none but rebels capable
Of carrying the mails, but be-
causo none others are sufficiently
popular among Southerners, TO admit Of their
holding those offices. In other words the
rebels say to the Government, If you want
postmnstc.s you must appoint only thoso we
nominate, and We nominate none but rebels.
| Gov. Humphreys, Of Mississippi, Informed the
agent that no Miseissippian, 1T to handle the
mails, could or would take the oath. The
agents for Mississippi, Georgia md Virginia,
MI report that good men enough can be
found who are not rebels, but that they are too
unpopular or afraid to take the oatll, antici-
pating rebel vengeance, should they dare to
swear they had never voluntarily supported
| the rebellion.
| So II appears that Notwithstanding the VIC
tories Of our armies, and the blood We have
shed. Inc Federal Government chooses still
( 10 be 50 weak ut tic South that it cannot pro.
tect Urionism, nor make treason odious, bu.
bows 10 treason and laaves Enlou,Em 10 The
same odinm In which It would hure stood to.
day had the south conquered! How long /.
the Federal Government to display this pusil
1animous cringing 10 rebels, 10 the betrayal
OF every duty 1t owes to Its OWL
position and to the Union men, how
ever rcrsccuted or unpopular, at ths
South. II Andrew jackson were President
be would make every Union man at tht
South popular enough to hold post ofles
without personal danger, OF be would hans
every man who disliked him. What vii
Andrew johnson do: We fear he will recon-
mend, n Secretary McCul1och has alread,
done, that Congress yield to the rebels by re
pea1ingthe oath. We fear he will renew the oil
Buchanan Peace" In which The South shal
always demand and the North always surrcn
der. We think II few colored postmas.crs
taken from among the number Of those who
hnve usually carried The mails In the name.
Of their masters, should be appointed, quite
number Of white men would be found
willing to take the oath.