New-York daily tribune., 1845-04-21
Post Master General johnson and the new
Postage Law.

| Law
Although we think inc Pos, Master General
as well as som. of his Cabinet associates might;
be employed in manner more worthy OF their
high station than in snufiing about 10! poor
Clerks and Messengers in their Departments sus-
per,ed of Whiggism-of whom, after all, Il seems
the proportion was very small-still we mean 10
uphold him in all that ne does right, and especially
in his maintenance Of the CHEAP PosTAcE Law,
| against all attempts TO draw or drive him of, by
seduction or menace, either by individuals or COM
bina,ons Of them.
The higher the official station the more perni-
cious is the example of all violations or evasons
of the law and whatever may think OF the ad-
ministrative capacity or OF the forecast and the
temper OF the late Postmaster General, we must
DO HIM the justice to admit that we believe ne
endeavored TO carry out the law, as he under
stood lt'-the proper guide of every honest otIicer
until his Judgment if mistaken, is corrected by
that of higher constitutional power.
II is stated by the correspondent Of the True Sun
that the large assemblage Of Contractors at Wash
in.ton are contriving force the Postmaster Cen
eral into an abandonment OF the law, at the rs of
having the whole system broken up. Let them
execute their threats and throw down the mail
The Postmaster General will soon find men enough,
good and true, TO pick ii up and carry it for air
price True, the laborer is worthy OF his hire, IN
every department of industry; and we should be
glad to know tha, all good mailcontrectors are
fairly and even literally, without being proiusely,
paid but in this case az in others where all Is left
70 unrestricted competition, the buyer and the sell
Ter, the Contractor and Department will soon meet
on fair grounds.
AN impression exists, it s not TO be denied, that
| in times past, come old and some shrewd con-
tractors managed to have things little too much
their own way What Some achieved by blnste'
and bravado, others accomplished by flattery and
r4t dinners and suppers Thus were failures over
looked-fines RENTED and ertras allowed III
believed. and certainly to be hoped, thai the lean
Casslus at the head of the Department now, wiI
no, let any such attempts come il over HIM; ne l;
said 10 be- the Cerberus OF the Treasury, but he
will require not only three heads bu; many eyes
as Argus TO guard him agains, being humbugged
Let hm.bu give Us the full benefit of the new law
and therein whatever Inconvenience may attend
lis execution in the commencement OF It's operation,
he will secure thc approval and gratitude OF his
countrymen
There is no reason why letter-wrlters, or the
Post Office Department. which depends on them
should pay for stage-cOaches, beyond the actual de-
mands of the service for the transportation oi The
mail itself and alone Why should they be SC
,axed more than any other set Of people or any 9th
erdepariment If country is too sParsely settled
to support stage-coaches, by fair and proportions
ate addition of passenger money TO the amount
necessary for carrying the mall let 1t go on horse
back, and let the people "bde their time," as
the sea.board did, when horsc-mail piled once a
fortnight between Boston and Philadelphia Rome
was not built in day, and the attractions which
draw off population from the old seaboard country
to the West, draining regions capable OF sustaining
ten times their population, are already sufficiently
numerous and powerful, without taxing that sea-
board country in the bargain. for sending out or
setting up coaches, in the absence OF population,
merely that some lubbcry driver with his bear skin
cap may go "winding his horn across the pralres,
to the terror of rraire wolves and the distraction
of good house wives and country school children