Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-02-27
Respecting MAIL GUARDS.
AN OFFICIAL LETTER.
General Post Office. }
"tTtf VSt OU'CF, Z
feDruQru 10 lsIu 1

g.: February 10, 1919.
Sri had the honor 10 receive ynurs. en-.
closing resolstion OF the Senate. ms, uc,iu..
the committee on post offices and posi- roads
10 enquire INTO the exrediescy ofnnihor,Sit,
lie Post Master General TO employ ~, armed
guard for the protection of the mails nj lie
United States, on such mail routes ~ ne ma>
deem necessary"
nave, IN reply, TO state The following fact,
ana considerations, which naturally nrodnre
Two separate views OF the subjecf one OF
augmentation OF expense aud the Other an
UNCERTAINTY OF securing the mails Inv iLn
employment of armed guards
IL may not be easy to decade at what point
10 comnlennce orto terminate the employ ent
u guards and II will be Impossible for The
pecuniary receipts OF the Department 10
oefiay the eApences ON any considerable
portion ~ Tie Stage routes alone on which
stages run more than 10 900 miles per day !.
even the Stage faIe OF the guards would be
very expensive. The qualifications of such
guards should le fidelity, vigilance. and con.
rage, Tor the use ut which, the, have alvavs
demanded aud received high conn enc lion.
On the complete exercise of those amalifica-
tions would depend the Whole security of The
man, az The guard would possess a complete
power over tue mail carrier, and the mail .
ana, u Hnfathin, might effect the most exten,
sNe depredations OH its contents: and. in
proportion to the numbers employed, would
De the hazard OF their nAfaithful ~opsciratio,
against the safety of the mails. If The ,y.ten,
OF employing armed guards be once adon:ed
IL could never with safety lie abandoned sucL
abandonment would operate an iuducrmeuI 70
a..empi, SO far sthe opinion of the efficacy OF
guards might prevail with those who mighi he
disposed TO seize the mails,
III one portion oil roads only should be guard
ed' IL wonld seem that, while such were nro.
tected, the guaIdless portions we're devoted
10 the chance OF enterprise
IL is obvious, that if there should be onard
OF TWO IL would require four; Us two nu>t
sS4p at quarters while the others were on
duty and agnard of two m,cht he surprised
a rinai overcome by three, which would he hume.
actually employed. In fine, il NAV be asked
WHO is TO gnard the guards
LIE cessation OF wars in Europe and other
causes, have produced a migration te our
S't " numbers OF desperate characters, aud
others necessitOus and urged by povrr;y
Wnich, added TO profligates of our nation ,Ie
dispersed IN the community and beinC
indisposed to self support by honest meas
WIN uexter0us audacity depredate on the
property OF others public and private. TLerc
nave been (siuce the establishment Of The pos,
once Department. not more than tbree difle
REM occasions when guards have been emnIny
en Tor short time during which, the expenses
"ase peeh very great Almost every ciizen
mas AN interest ~ the safe TRANSPORTATION IF
Tie public mails is indignant at lis robbery
ana much more so, when committed by VIC
ience. Hence, the efforts ALWAYS made Ly tiIe
citizens to apprehend snch as rob the mails
rewards. ~ '
since L have been at the head of this
department, not ole instance Of a violent rob.
Dsry OF the rail has occurred, where the per
petrators nave escaped apprehension, comyic.
iinD, and punishment.
III may not be desirable IN this nation TO seq
Tue employment OF an armed physical force 10
protest the operations of civil government. TO
the distrust Ut the eiric rirfaes aud moral e1er
e'e$ OF the people unless in cases of emergency.
ava unless tho efforts of those ririues and
energies shonld fail of their prepcr conssnnn,,'
ces, and demonstrate that reliance on them
would he fIuitless and deceptive.
Respectfully, your ObedieDt servant.
Tt. c,u,<,, X. j. MElGS,J
DnnI( IL q.