The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-01
General Post Omcc-Idle Charges-vindication.
IFrom III. Raltimo ore American

The Posr OFFICE DEpARrMENr.-Thc complaints against
the bad management OF the Post Office Department not
south and west the failures of the mails frequent
than elsewhere but general thing the rreguarity OF
like chronic malady From article in the New York
Journal of Commerce, we quote the following.
at that have been unfortunate of late
years the who have been placed the head of the
department with the exception, perhaps Of the much
bent certainly thought very fit man for the place
chiefly because OF his industrious economy member of
the watch guard the treasury from wastenl
But that his economy has proved quite
meni Of the national government instead 81 looking to
the efficiency Of his department It's great strength, he
he has crippled and almost broken down the whole
chney of the department The great offices are def
sorted in time and lie all along the road, and the
connexions everywhere broken From st. Louis,
for instance, there nine or ten mails due at this
Time and it is said that the able TO
efficiently for want of resources Whatever the causes
may be, in Judgment taking into account tho greatly
increased facilities OF steam propulsion there never was
greater show OF mismanagemen than now And the Post
stripping newspapers il somebody has not stuck pin
snes New London sloop master because he was willing
do indispensable duty, and carry letter the
law in the smallest and disagreeabe way In his
Congress at the opening Of the session he asks for
comprehension of the principles Of liberty, to ask for
power travellers trunks and search their papers
The liberal and wise reduction in the of postage
less than half what they Were before, his report shows has
exhibited splendid result; the year of ope-
per cent reasonable expect that couple Of years
viii bring the fully up what IL was before the
reduction. Instead of exultng in this, and rejoicing that
have been much benefited at SO le he
does nothing but complain"
Comments.
Few things, in this world, are easy than fault
fndng and the above extract furnishes happy illus
tration of the fact.
Pray observe with what admirable facility the whole
matter accomplished The writer's have made up their
minds that they and will find fault with the present
interchangeable and efficient Postmaster General All that
necessary fully TO accomplish their purpose is to assert
the existence of certain facts and hen-whether he had
had any control over those factsto hold him
sponsible for them and all their consequences.
They commence with the sweeping assertion, that,
Gas general thing, the irregulary OF the whole post
Office machinery has settled into something like chronic
maady 1t is further asserted that the Postmaster Gen
era by his excessive economy" [rather fault to
allege against public oicer "has crippled and almost
broken down the whole machinery OF the department"
And what are the proofs adduced TO sustain these
sweeping assertions!
The still further assertonsand most OF them are no.
thing more than mere asserons-tha the great Offices
deficient in the requisite number OF clerks that there
are nine mails due from ST. Louis; that the con-
tractors not able to act efficiently for want OF resour
ces; that the Postmaster General spends his time in
mousng after pennies ?; that he has caused the captain
made to protect the of his department; and that
he has asked from Congress still further legal provisions
| for the protection of those revenues.
1t must strike every unpreudiced minda a singular
mode of proving that the Postmaster General has scrip
pied and almost broken down the whole machinery" of
his department. TO aege that he has enforced the laws
made for the protection of that machinery" And yet
such is the papabe Inconsistency resoried to- in order
fill up this chapter Of fault finding And, by way of adj
ding to the proof OF his incompetency and necency, is
further alleged that this very law which he has enforced
is unconstitutional" Our courts, the only competent
authorities on this point, have not so decided But sup
posing that the law IN question is unconstitutional is
tiof the fault of the Postmaster Generals Did he make
the law Is he responsible for its constituonality or
clothed with any power to Judge of iii Is not clearly
and unquestonably, his duty enforce the law as he
finds il and would he not manifest cupable negligence
if he failed to do so
But is said that "the great Offices are deficient in