The southern press., 1851-07-10

ELLwOOD FISHER
Washinxtoo City.
UNITED STATES POSTAL GUIDE.
AND OFFICIAL ADVERTISER. 8
hS 10 s"e'o ~hat Is doNs, ond wAst should Be done
~ IN QDice.~kK
CHARLES M. Wps' Wm,.sn' Editors s~d Preparatory
Terms. ---'' The United States Poskak Guido asd
Official Advertiser" containing about 40 spn,yyouaf
octaro pages, Is published monthly for ONE pol
LAn Only, per s's"t1'n, payable in aduance--or five
dollars for sig copies ordered at any one time
PREPARATORY NOTICE
The enterprise in which we now embark. anI
Of which this paper is at once the commencement,
and "a sample Of the papers that to follow, as
for it's aim no less a purpose, than to impart in
struction, in the general and detail, to the Oficer
and Agents of the American public, in respect both
to their duties and their rights, and to make them,
and the people at iarge, acquainted with the organ
xation, decisions and action Of the Executive de-
psrtments of their Government. There has hith
orto teen no vehicle for the regular and proper
communication Of information Of this kind. The
tpubiication Of the Laws aud the issue Of instrwc
lions. moro Or ess COMPREHENSIVE and At intervals
more or less extended, have proved wholly made
quate in the absence OF the construction Of those
Laws, as applied to particular cases. and of details
and illustrations to make the regulations and in
structions Ineligible. The valuable documents
annually reported to Congress, are too volun,inous
and are printed in quantities too small for general
circulation; whilst the debates in Congress and
the commentaries of the press upon their proceed
ings, and the proceedings of the Executive branch
of the Government, besides turning mostly upon
general principles, address themselves only to
narty ends, and to matters of national policy.
These publications in their various forms are
highly useful in themselves as far as they go, and
some of them indispensable; but there is much
that do not reach the hands Of all, nor if they did,
| do ah thOup rulp met nd
Piles, for the despatch Of the public business which
can render the discharge of public duty either safe
or easy, whether in respect to the incumbent him
self, or the department or bureau under which he
acts. We shall make an honest effort to supply
this vacuum, and to provide for these necessities
If we succeed in rendering the functions of the
primary offices more uniform, methodical, and ey
act, we shall make the administrative duties of the
departments more easy and effective, and thereby
promote the real and substantial interests of the
country And this we expect to do to some ex
| tent at least--apart from, and independently OF
any party personal interest or question what
ever. -
Il is known to most Of those to whom this pa
per will be sent, that the Senior Editor was Audi
TOR of the Post Office Department until the month
of November last; with by far the larger portion
| of both postmasters and contractors, he has had
direct intercourse, in person or by letter. He en-
tered the department fourteen years since, and for
many years previously, had been, first in the War
4 He has therefore had the best opportunities for
understanding the arrangements or business in all
the departments, and being acquainted with those
who carry il on. Since his official connection with
the Government ceased, he hatters himself he has
preserved the respect and regard OF most OF the
presett incumbents of the departments, and is
: becoming terms of intercourse and civIliiy with
theu all The Junior Editor has been asssiduoualy
? engaged for several years, in studying, by per-
j sonai inquiry and examlnatlon the practical and
1ata, Ia ,G I'm pnatn and
other branches Of the public business 1t is with
this stock Of experience and these advantages for
reaching the various sources OF administrative ac-
ton, and for importing minute and illustrative In
struction, and valuable periodical and statistical
| information, that we challenge your confidence
| and solicit your support and patronage
We have fixed upon the 18th OF each month as
the day for the publication of our paper, so as to
afford time for obtaining from the departments, ,
all the orders notices and changes Issued, or madt
by them during the preceding month Tables O
Post Offices, and compilations Of the Laws ana
Regulations, are issued by the Post Office Depart
| meat only once in two or three years 1t is a
matter Of inconvenience and complaint, for which
hitherto there has been no remedy, that in one
month from the time of these issues, there are of
6ces in the tables which are no longer in operation
and Offices ia operation which not in the tabless
Al this time there are perhaps over three thousand
Offices of the two descriptions. In like manner
laws have been passed and regulations established
|
of which many postmastexs and others are wholly
ignorant We propose to prevent, for the present,
any increase Of the evil Of either kind, and from
! the time another issue shall be made. our paper
will furnish the additions, corrections. and modi6-
cations, made IN each month, and by beng filed
and preserved will afford TO postmasters full and
exact information upon both subjects, up to and
for time being How much of the present msdI-
rection. remang, doubt, confusion, error, and
;mposi,on, will be saved by the progressive state
..l.I.. e.. .x.fI,,
| provided and for which we engage, every lnte-
| cent postmaster can estimate for himself.
| These advantages alone and independently OF all
others, are worth many times the price we charge
for the paper, and viii, it is hoped, induce every
! noe,msster who feels a lust pride in his office,
: na,r;otic regard for the credit prosperity, and
efficiency Of the whole Post Office system--at once
IN subscribe The same considerations apply to
the orders and notices. decisions, and instructions
of the War, Navy, Treasury, State, and Interior
departments, and the same course is intended IN
| resnect to them Notices Of the decisions OF the
| Sunreme Court in cases turning upon questions
of official duty or national interest," Will find apace
in this pap+r.
denartment of our paper addressing itself not
merely to postmasters ana other omcers OF the
Government, but to all other citizens who give at
ent;on TO the affairs Of the nation and the progress
and development Of the e untry, will embrace IN a
condensed form the matters submitted TO, or aris-
| ing in Congress At each session vast deal OF
/ valuable information Is communicates 70 Coh-
eress by the several departments and their subor-
! dnote bureaus, and profound and comprehensive
renorts are made by committees of both Houses.
| Blu, the great mass Of the community know moth
mo Of The contents Of these documents and re
ports, except the brief notices Of them, which
from time to time appear IN the pubic papers,
~, a..na;po uumber printed Of each document
and report is only twelve hundred in the Senate,
.nA fourteen hundred in the House OF Represents
,;v.s which at once shows the mpracticability of
their dissemination. The ADVERTISER will con-
,xin short abrdgments or analysis OF all these
aosments and reports, and the compend will
therefore not only prove exceedingly useful and
instructive initsef but will furnish an easy index
r., those interested whenever it is found desirable
20 obtain and examine the document nt large