The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-03-29
THE POST OFFICE DEPAR TMENT

irretrevable ruin
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
If there be branch of the public service in
which the mass of the People has an immediate
interest, it is the regular and safe transportation
of the mails To receive prompt advices of the
state of distant markets, is to the merchant and
manufacturer a matter of primary importance,
whilst the ready transmission of social intelli
gence is more or less connected with the COM
fort of every individual however humble may
be his condition in life. Much has been said
about the exactness with which the mails Of
Great Britain are carried, and there can be no
doubt that the encomiums passed upon the Bri
fish Post Office Department are well merted,
but it should be recollected that the service is
performed under the most advantageous circum-
stances. In the first place, the roads are the
best in the world, and, passing through thick
ly inhabited country, the coaches are not sub
jected to long delays in the event of accidents.
Beside this, there is another and great advan-
tage attending on density of population, The
distance to be run over by each team OF horses
can be made shorter or longer according to cir
cumstances, whereas in this country where the
population is frequently very much scattered, it
is frequently matter Of imperative necessity to
drive the same set Of horses over distances much
too great for their strength. In addition to all
this, it may be mentioned that on cross routes
the number of way passengers is such as to make
the employment Of regular coaches, with four
horses, very profitable. All these circumstances
serve to promote the regularity and celebrity of
mail transportation, and must be taken into ac-
count in any comparison between the English
Post Office establishment and our own. What
a contrast does this country present to the above
in every respect. Our mail routes frequently
pass through districts where, for miles on miles,
there is not dwelling to be seen, and where
the roads, so called are little more than path
ways through wilderness. 1t is true, that the
mail routes in the Eastern, middle, and one or
two of the Southern States, are of different
character, but in passing from the Atlantic
coast into the Interior the roads are believed to
be of the description named with the exception
of badly constructed turnpike here and there.
With such difficulties to be overcome, it
should not be expected that the mails shall be
transported with the swiftness or certainty as
to the time of arrival that might be desired, and
it is only surprising that the conveyances move
as rapidly and regularly as they do. To
form something like just estimate of the work
performed by the carriers Of the mails, it is only
necessary to call TO mind the vast extent of our
territory, and the number of post Offices, amount
ing to more than fourteen thousand, which must
be visited. Nor would the labor be so formida-
fined to matters coming legitimately within its
province, or in other words, to letters and news
papers properly so called. Among the many
grievances Of which the Department has a just
right TO complain, taking compensation into
view, are the abuses of the ranking privilege
and the transmission of literary journals, which
are in fact books spread upon single mammoth
sheets, for which no adequate remuneration is
received. Far be it from us to desire to hinder,
in the slightest degree, the diffusion of know
ledge in every form, but we cannot help think
ing that the mail was never intended for the
transportation of books for sale, and that too,
for single cent for each sheet without refer
fence to size.
The considerations above stated have induced
us to approve most heartily the suggestions pre-
scented to Congress by the Postmaster General
in his annual and other reports. The clear
ness, precision and force with which these
suggestions are set forth are highly honorable
to the officer named, and bespeak for them
the attentive consideration of the National Lee
gislature Of the soundness of Mr.. Wckliffe's
financial views, we must also be permitted to
speak in terms of warm commentator. Find
ing his Department in a most lamentable state
of confusion, arising from the ndiscreet man
agement Of his predecessors the present Post
master General has fearlessly grappled with the
Herculean task of reform, and has already eff
fected retrenchments Of the utmost Importance.
Notwithstanding, however, the Improvements
already made, there is reason to believe that the
receipts of the service will fall short Of its
expenditures, leaving balance of one or two
hundred thousand dollars against the Depart
ment. To meet this balance, Mr. W. does not
ask for appropriations, on the ground that the
Post Offic was originally intended TO pay ats
oaon expenses, but proposes reduction on the
commissions of Postmasters which, as he