Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1833-11-14
PM8 GAZETTE.
THE GENERAL POST OFFICE.

Post-offce Department for the current
ear, instead Of furnishing a large sur
plus fund over and above its expendi-
lures and disbursements, as it has done
Hor many years past, will fall far short
hi them. There is no department OF
Ifhe government in which oil the peo-
kle have a more immediate or greater
interest, than the Post. Office. No man
ban calculate the evils, vcxation, dis
Eress, and even ruin to individuals, that
must inevitably follow bad manage
knent and want ofintegrity in those to
tEhose charge this important branch of
bur government is committed. 1t is
natural, then, that all should look with
i Jealous eye to the causes Of failures,
End more especially it may be permit
he'd to the proprietors of public jour-
|nals, whose patronage is dependant
upon the certainty with which their
,Ipapers are carried to their places Of
destination, to enquire anxiously into
hhe causes Of repeated failures in mails,
band the general bad condition and in.
Efficiency Of the department. The in
fcessant complaints of patrons Cat least
[pf those who patronize opposition pa
/ pers) of the failure of mailed papers,
have turned the attention of editors to
Ehe subject;-but we consider it impos-
|sible to strangle the spirit of suspicion
nnd enquiry throughout the nation,
(which will burst forth upon the annun.
Eciation of the fact, that the revenue of
Hhe Post-office fails to meet expenses
when it is considered that,
Notwithstanding the great extension of
EInail facilities and establishment Of new
post routes. the revenue has been up to
this time uniformly increasing. The
4 administration presses, without making
an attempt to explain the cause of the
deficit, manfully defend Major Barry.
The sins of this gentleman are rather
4 of emission and commission; for until
very recently, he has not been in the
or even in Washington,
/ for several months. We have, how.
ever, not much inclination to complain
of his absence, for when he is out of
the way, things 60 on quite as smoothly
as when he is at his post.
The Baltimore Republican,, in
complaining of the cutlery against the
Post Master General, has the follow
ing:
''If snow storm filled up the roads and stop
ped the travelling of the mails, Mr.. Barry was
charged with neglect of duty; If flood washed
away the bridges and mail was missed in con-
sequence Of it, Mr.. Barry was held accountable
for il; if mail was robbed, the crime was laid
at Mr.. Barry's door; if a mail were sent IN
wrong direction by some bunder OF Post Mas
ter, Mr.. Barry was charged with the fault; If
from too slight a covering paper failed TO reach
It's place of destination, MIR. Barry was charged
with great negligence; if paper was sent TOO
late TO press, Mr.. Barry was, on account OF 1T,
condemned; and if a Post Master failed TO deli
yer letter when called for, the omission was
charged TO Mr.. Barry's account"
With due Difference, we do conceive
that many of these hypothetical charg-
es may be fairly and properly made.
If mail is robbed-if by q blunder OF
Post Master mail is sent in wrong
direction If Post Master fails to de.
liver letter, &c. &C., the Post Mas
ter General may be justly blamed
not for an occasional blunder or omis
sion, or even an occasional robbery
but for the alarming frequency of these
blunders, thefts, and other delalcation:
in duty. Under the most prosperous
administrations Of the Post-office these
things have occasionally happened, bu
every man of observation knows-Ma
jor Barry knows-aye, and the Baltl
more editor knows, that these blum
ders, robberies and defalcations, hav'
increased tenfold since the commence
ment ofthe administration of the Post
Office department by Major Barry, an
the cotemporaneous reign OF jackson
ism. How could it be otherwise! VIII
knows better than Major Barry or tn
editor of the Baltimore Republican
that all the offices of Government wer
claimed by the Jackson party as tn