The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-11-11
OLITIC AL.
From the Boston Post
THE JOURNAL OF COMMERCE AT FAULT
AGAIN

The JOUhNAE Uf COM MEhCE M rhoLi
AGAIN
The editors Of the New York Journal Of Com
merce seem determined, II possible, TO produce al
Office Department and the Postmaster General, ant
in this most worthy and honorable undertaking
thew manifest degree Of recklessness altogether
pardonable in a public journal claiming TO occupy
respectable position and character. A few day.
since we furnished conclusive proof OF the essentla
errors into which they had fallen, in setting fortl
certain imagined grievances suffered by tbs eommu'
nlty, in being forbidden by the post Office laws Il
forward their letters by steamboats, plying between
one city or place and another, except in the mail
For the injustice done the law and the department IL
the instance referred TO- the Journal can find no othe
excuse th"n ignorance of the terms OF the law o.
which they much complained, and we shall see
whether they make the only eparation in their pow
er, which is an acknowledgment that the fault WA
all their own.
The Journal continues its attacks, however, and
with about the same truth and reason, and with sim
liar indications that the editors have not much
taken the trouble 10 acquaInt themselves with wha
they are pleased TO denOminate the monopoly law
The following is another specimen OF some OF thelI
late sensible and intelligent assertions:
"Remlances Of money cannot be made in any
other way than by mail"
What says the law on this point In the 18th section
properly transmittable by mail shall be deemed and
taken 70 mesn, all letters and newspapers, and al
magazines and pamphlets periodically published OF
which may be published in regular series or in sue
cessiye numbers, under the same title, though a
irregular intervals and all other written printed
matter whereof each copy or number shall not ex
coed eight IN weight sretpt bank notes semi u
packages bundles, Without t0rhsn letters accompany
ing Latm."
Ia view of the above extract from the law, de
elaring that bank notes when unaccompanled by
written letters shall not be considered mallable mat
ter, what becomes Of the Journals assertion tina
'femittanees Ofmaney cannot be made in any othe
way than Dy mali"
The next complaint is, that when a citizen has
placed valuable letter in the mail, which fails "a
reach lis place Of destination he is told by the Post
master General and his agents that hey "donN
know anything about d" and that "there Is no one
TO whom he can apply for redress" Now, the
Journal might have ascertained on inquiry, thai
special instructions are given TO all deputy post
masters to report without delay all losses Of yalua
bic letters, and that a competent and efficient CLERK
is attached TO the department at Washington, whose
sole business il is 10 take charge Of all Of sup
posed mail depredations, with a view TO, institute
prompt aud thorough investigations through ts dis
tant deputies and agents, who are required TO fof
ward 70 the department a report OF the facts and
discoveries in each case. IL would also be found
that the results Of these Investigations show that
large majority Of the supposed mail robberies turn
out to have been no robberies at all, being traced
directly TO the csrelessness Of correspondents in
misdireetng their communications, or in fail
ing--frequently, no doubt, by design-to enclose
any remittances whatever. The former class, af-
Ger having found fault with everything and every
body connected with the post Office system and
laws, recover their missing letters and contents
through the dead letter Office, bearing upon their
IA e III mai
ties OF those by whom they were superscrbed; but
the fault has already been charged upon the depart
me nt and when the truth comes out, no one takes
the trouble to see that the blame is placed where il
properly belongs.
There are now nearly $1,000 post Offices in the
United States, averaging (say) four persons to each
Office who have access to the contents OF the mails
making 60 600 in all exclusive Of contractors
drivers, messengers, &c. That occasionally our
Of this large number Of public agents should yield
to the temptations thus placed before them, is surely
not matter of alarming surprise. Anticipating the
possibility Of such occasional delinquences, and in
order to guard against them and detect the offend
ers, where offences occur, the law and the depart
ment have instituted every possible check, and
made the most ample provisions. What more could
be required, ever by the Journal Of Commerce
How unjust and rue is il, then, for that paper 10
alege that when e.sons lose their money placed in
the major suppose they have lost it-''there is
no one to whom they can apply for redress'" The
number Of the arrests and convictions Of mail dep
redators. under the vigilsnt direction of the Post
Office Department, within few years past, alone
furnishes n L'uffcient answer TO such assertion.
In some OF lhese instances, too, the parties whose
money had been taken. have recovered it, principal
and interest from the day it was missed.
In conclusion, we would remark that, if it is real
Nv essential to the existence Of the Journal Of Com
merce that these attacks the post Offices and laws
should be continued it is oped, for the credit of The
newspaper press generally am the journal in par,
ticuar that they will not be basea solely on mlsrep
reservations regarding the legal enacsnents framed
for the regulation of the post Office system