The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-07-02

he'd are acting. They all playing their o1R
games, and for themselves only. They care
not whit for country, party, or friends, except
SO far as they can make them subservient to
their personal interests. They are all following
the desires of their own hearts, which are, the
flesh pots Of Egypt and they can expect TO
reach them only over the ruins of others.
Mr.. Forsyth has sagacity enough, we have no
doubt, TO his position and TO know his policy,
or, at least, TO profit by the examples around
him.
ABUSES AND ODIOUS DISCRIMINATION
IN THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Wecal upon our friends near every post Of
hce, to be vigilant in watching the movements
OF the postmasters and their deputies, the crea-
lures of the impudent and classifying Kendall /;
and to lose no time in forwarding to some member
OF Congress, information in the shape of aflida-
wits of any abuses that may be practised, either
IN the breaking of seals, OBTAINING packages, or
delivering them when not legally franked.-
Could the people know to what base devices
KENDALL and his tools resort, for the purpose of
OBTAINING communications from them, they
would, in common honesty and fairness, visit
upon the heads Of the perpetrators Of the out
RACES complained Of, their deep Indignation.
II was not enough that KENDALL succeeded in
his efforts to apply different rules of construction
of the Post Office laws, to the two houses of
Congress- The Clerk of the House and the
Secretary Of the Senate, for many years, (cer-
tainly since 1929 have ranked for members
and Senators, when requested, under precisely
the same law. KENDALL ascertained that the
Republican members, were engaged with some
spirit, in the transmission of correct political in
telligence to the people. Hence the Clerk was
interdicted the use of the frank. In the Senate,
the Federal Loco Focos being largely in the ma
jority, and sending, through the mail, cart loads
of partisan speeches and pamphlets and circu-
lars-the Secretary was permitted to frank
KENDALL and his Lieutenant, NILES, have
now established a practical discrimination in
that branch of Congress 1t is well known that
the Secretary and Vice President have been ex-
tensively employed in the use of the frank. The
Secretary, it is understood, has ranked without
distinction of party. The Vice President has
ranked freely for his friends-and it has been
supposed that he would not refuse the privilege
to political opponent. We have been disposed
to consider Col Johnson fair man. Have we
been mistaken? What are the facts? An OPP
position Senator some eight days since, inquir
ed of the Col, if he would frank some pack
ages 2 He replied that he had come to the con-
clusion to frank no package of political charac-
ter for gentlemen of either party. Well, so far
so good. Now we ask the Col. how it happens
that great number of packages, having on them
the name of H. l.. Turney, Federal Loco-foco
member of the House, and the names Of other
gentlemen, and ranked by him. are now June
30) in the document room Of the Senate, and
on their way to the Post Office? Is this spe-
cimen of the Colonels fairness and impartiality?
What becomes of his declaration TO the Senator
named that he would not frank any political
matter for either party
As we have already remarked, a most odious
practical discrimination is made among Sena-
tors by Niles, the lackey of Kendall. Packages
ranked by the Secretary Of the Senate, on the
authority Of the name Of republican Senator,
are detained by the Postmasters, the tools and
scrbblers of Kendall, and extravagant hostages
charged thereon AT Holdaysburgh, Pa, and
Greene New Fork, this has been the case. Not
so with packages having on them the name of
II. II. BENTON, or any other Federal Senator
They pass, of course, into the hands of Federal
Loco-foco Postmasters, and are promptly de-
livered No complaint is made of the monde
livery of such packages, or of exorbltant de-
mands for postages 1t is obvious how this sys-
TEN works. The odds are vastly against the
Republcans-they are CHEATED out of the pack
ages addressed to them-while the Federal Lo-
co-focos are freely supplied with all sorts of
eectioneering speeches without hndrance or
mocstation.
That the postmasters who have thus retained
packages ranked by the Secretary, have acted
under the secret orders of Kendall and Niles, we
doubt not. Niles, the ostensible Postmaster
General, has recently informed a Senator, by
letter. that neither the Secretary of the Senate
nor the Vice President has any authority to frank
packages (other than public documents,) for
Senator's The frank has been freely used by
the Secretary and Vice President for many
wears. We doubt seriously whether a country
postmaster would dare assume the response
bty Y of OBTAINING packages ranked agreeably
to long established usage. And thus it is that
the packages Of the faithful" meet with no
obstructions--but those of the Republicans are
subjected to delay and detention. Such is the
game played by the managers and their corrupt
and unprinciped tools.