The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-10
The New Postmaster Gcneral-FIls Duties and
RESPONSIBILITIES.

Responsibilities.
We would not insult the fallen, or embitter the
sorrows of ex-Postmasters General Hall and
Hubbard. They did their best, perhaps; and if
that was bad, much must be forgiven on account
of the capacity Of the men. If they were, until
within few days of their official decease, rather
unwieldy in their movements, and slow to take
note of the necessities of the country-if they
had sort of honest liking for the good old
times when it was immoral to drive the mail
coach faster than ten miles an hour, and could
hardly suppress virtuous sigh at the profane
speed of modern railroads and steamers-ifthey
were little too apt to allow contractors to
bully and Brighten them-they had, notwith-
standing. excellent points in their characters,
and were, perhaps. as fair samples Of secre-
taries as the late cabinet contained. Now that
they are gone, their successor ought at least
to be grateful for the legacy they have be-
queathed him. in the shape of arrears of work,
unfinished contracts, opportunities Of improve
ment. and new schemes of postal intercourse.
Fresh from the busy Office Of the Attorney
General of Pennsylvania, Mr. Campbell il not
the man to covet ease in his new berth. Nine
years constant toll as Judge of the Common
Pleas have disciplined his mind, and prepared
him for the Augean task of renovating and
controlling the United States Post Office. A
labor it is, no doubt which would appal most
politicians, requiring vast application, most
tenacious memory, and a quick perception of
details, as well as rigid frmness and shrewd APP
probation of character. All these Judge Camp
bell must possess, or he will infict an injury on
the country, and disappoint his friends
And while he is yet animated by the zeal of
neophyte, ere the cares of Office have damped his
ambition to do well we will take leave to draw
his attention more particularly to one or two
matters of detail in which salutary improve
ment is, in our opinion, very possible. We will
assume, to begin with. that he entirely concurs
in the theoretical maxim that speed, above all
things, should be secured in the transmission of
the mails. The United States mail carrier should
travel as fast as our limited modes of locomotion
will permit. Where it does not, some fault exists
either on the part of the contractors or on that
Of the Post Office. Let us see how this prin-
ciple is carried out in practice.
On Friday last, 4th March, at 10 A. NJ, a let
ter was mailed at Washington for New York ;
it was delivered by the carrier here on Monday,
18th March, at l P. NJ. This letter following
FIVE hours detention at the Washington Post
Ofice) took seventy hours to perform q jour-
ney which any passenger, on payment of the
usual fare, can perform in twelve or thirteen
hours. We were ourselves sufferers by similar
negligence on the part of the Post Office, or IT.
regularity on that of the contractors We had
directed large quantity Of matter to be pre-
pared, at considerable expense, at Washington,
and forwarded to us in time for publication on
the morning of the 4th. Our agents fulfilled
their task; several large packets of manu-
script were mailed in Washington to our ad-
dress, and, had the mail travelled in due
course, would have arrived here on the morning
Of the Sd. Owing to some Encouragement,
however, they did not reach US till after the
proper period for their publication had passed.
We are well aware of the peculiar difficulties
under which the railroads labored during inau-
guration week. An influx of twenty thousand
passengers necessarily disarranges schemes Of
departure. But we will not admit that this
constitutes any excuse in the case in question.
The rapid and safe transmission of the United
States mails is q consideration paramount to all
others. Railroads ought to be taught that the
Post Office cannot be trifed with, and that If
they leave the mail behind, or incapacitate
themselves from carrying it speedily, in order
to accommodate an extra thousand passengers,
they will find it in the end an expensive ex-
pertinent.
Again: Let us look northward. The most in
veterate = old fogy" rubs his hands with delight
when he thinks Of the conveyance of the mails
between this and Canada. He chuckles when
he hears of the rapidity with which the cars
travel between New York and Albany, or Troy
and Burlington, for he knows that good old
stage coach would beat the mail hollow. Twelve
hours in summer, and twenty in winter, are
quite enough he has been told, for passenger
to reach New York from Montreal; but he COM
orts himself by the reflection that letters and
newspapers require three days to perform the
same journey. In Canada, where they have
desperate climate and mountains Of snow to
contend against, Mr.. Morris, the present able
Postmaster has succeeded in making arrange
ments for the transmission of the mails in q
shorter time than passengers usually travel;
and our :" old fogy" has no sympathy with the
Provinces 1t is not until he crosses the line
45 deg. that he receives some consolation. by
noticing how the mail bags jog leisurely along
spending a night here, dining there. supping
comfortably elsewhere-and tumblng three or
four at time, quite Unexpectedly into New
York.
Nor is the old fogy without his pleasures in
the sty. He derives sincere qualification from
the thought that, in point Of postal accommo-
dations, New York has made but little percep-
tibe progress during the last fifty years The
town has extended over half dozen SQUARE
miles Of woodland, swamp, and meadow. and he
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