The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-07-08
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MAILS.


The Natchez Courier of the 9th ultimo, has
fierce and unjust invective against Mr.. Wick
life, for not providing mail facilities upon the
Mississippi. There is in the article deal OF
gall, which has been coDjured up, no doubt, by
political differences; but as our object is 10 vim
dictate the Postmaster General from this charge
against him, of official delinquency, we shall
leave the Courier 10 the quiet enjoyment Of its
peculiar political views, with the hope that that
paper will republlsh our remarks, and If 1t does
not that the Free Trader will.
The Courier alleges, that. from the 2Sth of
May 10 the 7th ofJune, only two mails from the
North arrived at NatcheZ. On reference to the
authenticated returns in the proper quarter, we
find that the Northern mails, down the river,
came TO hand al Natchez on the following days
May 29th and 3ls,
June lst, 3D. 7th, 9Th and 9th
Now, IL Is plain, that, with three times
week mail, this is not such % horrible" service;
al all events, it was performed five times from
the 9th Of MAY, 10 the 7th of June, when the
Courier states il was only done twice
The next allegation of the Courier consists in
series Of statements about the amount paid for
Transporting the mails along the river. Here
that Journal Is equally a, fault. few facts will
serve TO convince the public OF lis errors.
When Mr.Wicklife came into the Department,
he found contract for carrying the mail from
Louisville to New Orleans twice a week, touch
ing at NalchtZ and the intermediate points, for
which the sum of fortysix thousand six hundred
and sixty-seven dollars per an. was given. That
the contractors performed this service with care
lessness; that they frequently employed slow
boats and delayed in other ways, so as to pay as
little as possible for the work done is admitted, for
the facts are notorious; but no fault can be as
crbed 10 Mr. Wlckliife for these delinquencies,
The Postmaster General, in order 10 ascertain
VIII ther it were better for the public interest to
give out the carrying of the river mails to con-
tractors, as before, or to undertake their trans
poraon by means Of agents and postmasteIs,
established third mail per week on the Ohio
aud Mississippi, for the carrying oil which sew
enty-fve dollars week we've paid. la all par
lculars, this service proved TO be the better OF
the two more expeditions, more certain, and at
tendant with scarcely any trouble.
This result induced MIR. Wickliffe to adopt
this method, when the time of the contractors
for the twice week mail from Louisville 10
New Orleans expired and, on the 1t day of
July, 1912, sir times meek mail between
the above two cities went into operation, under
the charge Of General George w. Chambers,
of Louisville, Kentucky, for the transportation
Of E., m Of which tho Deuartment is tn nav n
average of twenty dollars per trip, each
way The fastest boats are Invariably en-
ployed Fur of these mails touch at Memphis,
Vicksburg, and Natchez, de cendlng and as
cending, and two of them at these aud all other
intermediate points, and they are to be paid sew
eny-ive dollars Trip up and down. In add
ton to these facilities, three times week
packet service between New Orleans and
VicksbuIg, touching at all intermediate places,
is performed for fifteen thousand dollars
year. and the amount Of money TO be expended
for this whole river transportation, including
salaries Of agents, &c, will not exceed fifty
thousand dollars per annum.
In regard TO the arrival of mails, at stated
hours, upon a river route of such great length,
precise regularity cannot be expected, but the
utmost precision will be preserved in their de-
parture.
What will the Courier say to this? Will it
continue to sneer at the Western Postmaster
General, or will tlay aside prejudices and make
the amende honorable? We shall see
From this expose, the people of the valley of
the Ohio and Mississippi will learn what their
Postmaster General is doing for the promotion
of their interests and the subscribing of their
wants. The achievement Of daily mail from
Louisville to New Orleans, 1--WE say daily, for
one DAYS loss out of seven is not felt,) at so
sma price, and that too to be transported on
the nostrapid vessels, is a work of no little mo-
ment 1t proves the wisdom of selecting the
head of the Post Office Department from the
great West, and lifts Mr. Wickliffe, at once, 10
that point which, from the first, we knew that
his energies, his comprehensive mind, and his
indomitable industry would enable him to oc-
cupy.
THE CRISIS AND THE ISSUE.
We have said that the Constitution was IN