The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-16

son, our present inefficient Post Master General
has attained anything but an enviable notoriety,
and has brought the administration into disgrace
about ten thousand times since his induction
into office; and placed the mails, domestic and
foreign, in such state of confusion, that it will
be a SIX months Job for his successor to extri-
cate them, and ascertain the full amount of con-
fusion. We need not at this time direct the at
tention of the public to the sad state in which
our domestic mails are, for every one knows to
his cost that they are in the saddest condition
possible; but we desire to point out the lmbecl-
lily, want of forethought, and blindness, with
which his conduct in regard TO the foreign mails
has been characterised.
Ii Is well known, that, at a former session Of
Congress, appropriations were made for the pur-
pose of carrying the mails across the Atlantic
la pursuance Of the act making those approprla-
iions the steamship Washington was built
Well, the mails were taken by this vessel; and
the company TO which she belongs have receiv-
ed, as appears by the Post Master Generals own
report, the large sum of one hundred and fifty
thousand dollars from the government for carry
ing the mail, and yet the revenues accruing to
the government for all the mail matter carried,
did not, we are informed, exceed the sum of
but three trips since she was built.
We do not know that, in this respect, much
blame can be attributed to Cave Johnson; but
we all knew how seriously embarrassed our
citizens were, In consequence of Mr. John
son not having made any postal arrange
ments with Great Britain previous to the esta-
blishing Of that line. In consequence of want of
forethought in this particular, American letters
were charged double the postage that letters sent
by the English steamers were but as soon as
Mr.. Johnson discovered the difficulty, he des-
patched a special messenger to England to obvi-
ate it in future, and make some kind of arrange
ment that should have been made in the first
place; and would have been made, if Mr.. John
son was competent for the Office he holds. We
question if the lowest clerk in the department
would have committed such an egregious blum
der as this; and it only goes to prove still more
concusively that Mr. Johnson is the most ineffi
Gent postmaster that ever was inflicted on a
suffering people. The loss entailed on our citl-
zens in this respect s exceedingly great, for the
postage charged was four times the rate charged
by the Cunard steamships; and yet this Mr..
Johnson is the same man who will higglc with
railroad or steamboat company about few
paltry thousand dollars, on the most important
post routes in the country and because they
will not submit to his demands and impositions,
he sends the mail in roundabout ways, and de-
tains 1t in some cases two or three days, to the
serious Inconvenience and embarrassment of the
commercial community and our citizens gene
rally.
May the cholera never again visit us-may
New York never be again visited by configra-
| tof how
such another Postmaster General as Cave John
| son.
! WALL STREET IMpupENcE.-We find in the
Courier & Enquirer of yesterday, among several
remarks, the following passage, alludiDg to the
independent Taylor meeting held last evening,
and called under the patronage Of the Rough and
Ready Club -
eve have no special sympathy with these 'indepen.
dent Taysr meetings beosuss they aurnsh the occasion
deny that Gen Tsylor isa Whig-in the teeth Of his
own declarations and Of the united testimony Of his
most intimate and trusted friends"
This is about the silliest piece of impertinence
that ever emanated from most impairment
journal in Wall street, towards the free indepen-
dent people Of this city, and the expression of
the unbiased opinion of public men. The
Courier + Enquirer is the organ of little clique
in Wall street, conducted by committee. The
attempt of these gentlemen to monopolise the po-
pularity and public character of General Taylor
for any purpose, is very like the attempt of Wall
street to monopolise the moneyed operations of
the country, and to make all classes of society
tributary to their per csntage or their fees.
This impertinence and action relative 10 pub.
lie affairs, is of the most contemplate kind
General Taylor himself has, within the last few
months, been nominated by public meetings, oil
both democrats and wings, in various parts oil
the country. To these nominations he has
written replies, accepting them as much as it is
possible for him to accept, in his present capa-
city, any nominations. The Courier and En-
quirer, or its committee, or any other clique, in
Wall street or elsewhere, has no right to put
forward General Taylor as exclusively whig,
or, particularly, as wing in the Wall street &C.
ceptation OF the term He is, in certain respects,
just as much democrat as he is whig, if we
are to trust to his letters to the democratic com
mittees that have nominated him. The attempt,
therefore, to throw cold water on the Rough and
Ready Club, or the independent meeting, is an at
tempt which will recoil on the heads of those who
made 1t. We have no particular sympathy for
these independent meetings, or Rough and Rea.
dy clubs, or clubs of any description, but we
wish to see fair play among all the movements;
and we deprecate the attempt of any one to mo.
nopoise, or to destroy the freedom or rights OF
any other class of men.
DEMOCRATIC WORCESTERSHIRE see it stated
that General Cass has been unanimously no. l.
mated to the presidency by the Michigan Legis.
laturs. This makes the third State nomination
which he has received--Ohio, indiana, and Michi
gan. On the other hand, Mr.. Buchanan has re-
ceived the nomination of a majority of the demo
cratic members of the Legislature of Pennsyl
vania. General Cass, Mr. Buchanan, Mr.. Polk
and Mr.. Woodbury., are perhaps at present the
most prominent democratic candidates that will
be brought before the twenty.fourth of May con