Mr. Seys to Mr. Seward
Sir: I have the honor to submit to the United States government, for its consideration and action, that which appears to me, from the standpoint I now occupy, to be a necessity which the signs of the times most loudly call for—a postal convention between the United States of America and the republic of Liberia.
That this would be of immeasurable and increasing advantage to both countries I beg leave to show by calling attention to the following facts:
1. Most of the letters and papers now coming from and going to the United States from this coast go by the way of England at the enormous postage of 33 cents a single letter of half an ounce and two cents a paper. This could probably be reduced one-half by such a treaty as above.
2. A very large proportion of the exports, at high freights, of this luxuriant and prolific soil, go to England by the regular monthly British mail steamers which ply between Liverpool and the various ports from Gambia to Cameroons. These should all flow into the United States, and would, in a great measure, by such a treaty.
3. Immense amounts of English goods and wares are imported, and fill the stores of Liberia, at a cost above that which many of the said goods, if not all, could be imported from the United States. These should all be made to come from the United States.
4. The formation of a postal treaty between the United States and Liberia, necessitating a monthly line of at least four small steamers to ply between the two countries, would divert all this commerce from Great Britain to the United States; would facilitate the intercourse between the people of Liberia and the many thousands of freedmen of the United States, their own friends and relatives, who are now looking towards the land of their ancestors as their future home; and would thus in every way benefit both countries.
5. In that admirable paper, the report of the Postmaster General of the United States, this paragraph occurs:
It has always been an erroneous theory in the history of the postal service of the United States that it was established or sustained on the principle of wholly defraying its own expenses out of its own revenues; or, in other words, on the principle that it should be self-supporting. It is a great public necessity to accommodate private citizens; and it will not do to say that no mail route shall be opened or post office established until the business of the proposed route or of the proposed office shall pay all expenses.
The above will apply in an eminent degree to Liberia, whose people came from the United States, whose people have millions of brethren in the United States, and whose labors and industry can be made to subserve greatly the well-being and elevation of those friends and brethren, especially should they desire to immigrate to a republic of their own race.
6. If “Congress has wisely appropriated $500,000 per year to pay for carrying mails from San Francisco to China,” and “this money so expended will come back from the China soas in goods, and wares, and merchandise to our own markets,”* I most respectfully submit whether it would not be equally wise to appropriate $100,000 for a similar service between the United States and Liberia.
7. From statistical research it appears that 75 per centum of the postage matter conveyed in the British mail steamers from this coast go to the United States.
8. Though but comparatively a few years since that a postal treaty was [Page 327] effected between Great Britain and this republic, and a subsidy of £60,000 was commenced with, the enterprise now pays seven and a half per centum dividend.
Any instructions from the department authorizing me to confer with the government of Liberia for taking incipient steps towards a postal treaty, to be drawn up and submitted to both governments for ratification, will receive immediate and prompt attention.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
- Postmaster General.↩