The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-10-23

Posr OvrIcE, BALfIMoaE, Nh,
October 10, ls43.
To the Sd .lssistant Postmaster General Ha,himgtoa
STA: The mail from the East, last night, was not
delivered at the Post Office until q O'clock too
late of course to get on to Washington by the two
o'clock train Of cars.
The steamboat arrived at the wharf about mi
nutes before O'Clock
Very respectfully,
Your obedent servant,
C. T. MADDOX,
for the Postmaster.
Now, the above is one case, out Of thousands,
that may occur in some parts of the mail lines
throughout the United States ia the course of a
year. Here the great mail fails TO connect al
Baltimore, by.say 5 minutes VIII any one
tell how the Postmaster General could have.
preventedit2 Suppose it be said that he should
require the railroad cars 10 acdit the arrival Of
the steamboat al Baltimore, the next question
is, will they wait? can they waltz and, ii So
how long should they waltz Does not every
one know that cars must observe their hours Of
departure to prevent collisions, and the dread
ful loss Of life that has often ensued from them.
Suppose car waits at one point. TO preserve
the connection, say al Washing does il mol
arrive too late for the mali going south Of
Washington In this case, the mail departed
south from Baltimore, without the great mail
east Of that place, and there was one breach Of
connection. perhaps, Al some point south Of
Washington. The nert day cars were thrown
of the track by running over "piece Of tim
ber,' or 'scow," or BY "breaking an axle;" that
would make two Eastern mails beyond Baltimore
behindhand at Charleston; and, not at all UNI
likely, the third day, the steamboat between
| Wilmington and Charleston encounters storm
on the open sea, which she has to encounter
| for 100 miles, TO detain il few hours--that
would make three eastern mails which would
be behind at all points south of Charleston-and
so between that and New Orleans, other acct
dents might, and 0)ien do occur 10 cause the
delays complained Of Can the Postmaster
General preuent it2 Numerous are the com
hardship of fines imposed for accidents which
they say they cannot help: but of these acci-
dents, and all the attendant circumstances how
li,tle does the public know or of the fines inn
posed, and measures taken by the Postmaster
General
Were the mails sent in Stages on common
roads, the Department might require one route
TO wait the arrival Of another, but how can that
be done with railroads and steamboats,, where
the cars coming north, and carrying hundreds
OF passengers, must depend, with unlimited
confidence, Oh the punc,uality and exacness OF
those going soulhl If the whole line were I'M
der the control Of one company, or one head,
something might be done; but is it not appa-
rent that, TO get through a mail from Boston TO
New Orleans. without failure, not an acciden,
or delay must happen at any point on line Of
nearly tro thousand miles, corered by estab-
lishments controlled by serenteen different
companies: Again We ask, what is there de-
ieciive in the arrangements. so far as depends
on the Postmaster General. or in hi. efforts to
enforce the.n2 Nothing easier than 10 find
fault. Let US know what he can do, more
than he has done, and is doing!