The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1843-11-10
THE WING STANDARD.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT..
The New Orleans Tropic thus closes long
article of bitter complaint against this Depart
ment. We wild lend our aid, by copying it, to
bring the complaint close home, but we fear il
will be of little avail. The duties of this De-
partment are onerous, and it must occupy
great deal of the Postmaster Generals time to
ascertain who among his numerous subordlnates
are at heart opposed to Mr.. Tyler"
We do honestly and sincerely believe that the
Post Office Department. as at present conducted,
is gross humbug. The people are exhorbl-
family taxed for its support, and cannot rely on
il for their service. In New Orleans there has
not arrived single direct mail during the past
week. On Friday we obtained news of the ar
rival Of the Hibernia but how! The mail
failed, but passenger came through, and he
had solitary extra New York Sun, which was
posted at the Merchants Exchange. On Satur-
day the mail failed beyond Charleston on Sun
day it failed beyond Columbus; yesterday this
great agent for facilitating the communication
managed by some means to struggle all the way
through from New York, bringing the advices
by the Hibernia but still leaving US without
Boston dates as late as due. Truly we in a
pretty situation, and the Post Office is an ETH
cient agent.
The merchants of New Orleans must, Of
course feel grateful for the energy and prompti-
tude displayed by the Post Office Department in
causing the mail to arrive in twelve days from
Boston, bringing their letters and papers which
arrived in the Hibernia, and for which they were
anxiously awaiting. No doubt the merchants
should vote an address to the Postmaster, thank
ing him for letting them have mail at all, and
the smallest favors should be thankfully received.
The great commercial emporiums of the North
and South, New York and New Orleans, suffer
more from these failures than any other Giles,
simply because the immense interests involved
require a steady, certain, and regular commune
cltion, and they do not have it. But the Post
master General has nothing to do with the vast
interests of the commercial world He looks to
the Post Office as a source of revenue simply
and the mail contractors can bring passenger
through in regular time, though they do not
bring the mail, and thus following an illustrious
example, they treat il as matter OF revenue
also.
We believe if the Post Office Department Were
al once abolished, so far as the most important
routes are concerned, that private enterprise
would quickly be available, and we should no
longer have cause of complaint 1t is well
known that immense sums in drafts and remit
tances are transmitted to and from this city, and
that their reception in due course Of mail is
matter of the utmost importance 1t is equally
well known that regularity is one great essential
to be relied on in commercial affairs; but our
merchants cannot depend on post Office regulari-
", and thus they sustaining immense in
jury, through and by the Post Office misman-
agement.
During Barry's time the management was
miserable and during Kendall's time it was bad
enough but it was reserved for the present in
cumbent TO bring the department into its present
deporabe condition. From north, south, east
and west, the cry is complaint, but we see no
alteration, and we do not hope for any. We
believe, however, that the present is proper
time to arouse public sentiment on this subject,
and to make the voice of the people heard.
Cannot the Chamber Of Commerce move with
some effect? 1t is subject which nearly con-
Germs them, and they might have some influence,
although we do not believe they can make much
impression upon the wiseacres and intriguers at
Washington.
The fact is the Peep will never receive any
benefit from this Department until men are APP
pointed to public office who will devote their
talents and energies to the public service, and
not to the promotion of their private and party
interests.