The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-03-30

BY D. d. t. LEIGH.


pondence is result Of advanced civilization When the
people are ensayed by sersh Ignorance and rarely leave
lhe domestic hearth The government alone has occasion
for writing ettes, The earliest attempt al postal sys-
tenn OF which we have account. made By Angus
tus in the Roman empire The next is due 10 Charles
v, who Instituted riding post through his vast domn-
ions in Europe l543 over which he appointed Leon
ard, Count OF Tbun and Taxis. his Postmaster General
But posts in The OF mounted messengers, for the
despatch Of government orders, in in Persia
according to Herodotus, as far back the days of
Xerxes and Cyrus They also employed al va
,ous times by several OF the European courts during
the middle ages and in subsequent periods Foo, posts
for similar purposes, employed by the ncas OF Peru
al The time of The Spanish invasion. fss .l 8.ag
Posting, as IN on the coanen embraces in
addition 10 the transmission of letters and printed mat
ter the forwarding Of travellers and their
business being noncpo'ized with or two exceptions
by the government and performed with view 10 rev.
euue For this purpose the poslas,ess requiveI
keep relays of horses at designated stations along the
principal lines OF travel to forward travellers at specified
rates Of speed and fare. Great Britain and The United
States the only modern nations whose mail systems
are disconnected with business Of this description. As
railroads and other travelling facilities multiply the other
European Saies il is presumed they will assimate their
postal establishments to those of these countries
The United States post othce--a part of the wise sys
TEN OF government and laws under which we ve-may
Justly be regarded by It's citizens with pride The extent
OF its rami6caons, and the magnitude of its operations,
highly Illustrative OF the rapid development of our
national resources The tendency OF improved and acce
Grated mails being bring into close proximity in point
Of social intercourse the Inhabitants OF widely separated
States, thereby cementing the bonds of the Union, as
we'll to promote public intelligence and virtue by
rapid diffusion of information and interchange Of sympa
hies, it also constitutes source Of lively gratitude 10
the Giver Of all good All classes are benefited by it's
CiuiIt.
ness attend its footsteps. s mission is OF peace and
goodwill ' as ,.H aaH9a ss#g
The colonial annals, our only OF informal ion in
the matter, show no traces OF mail post Office on this
side Of The Atlantic prior l672 In that year Governor
Lovelace, OF the New York colony, in pursuance of
slrucons from the mother country, organized mail,
"to goe monthly" between the cities OF New York and
Boston. Eleven years subsequently, the general court Of
Massachusetts,, in session at Boston, The petition of
sundry merchants, appointed John Hey ward the scriv
eDer. postmaster OF that place, TO take letters and
convey them according TO their directions In 1858 the
Pennsylvania. appointed Henry Wady postmaster of
Philadelphia, with authority TO send weekly mail TO
New Castle, Delaware, and "the Falls" the time Of
departure o which was to be :" carefully published on
the meeting house door and in other public places" Ia
1922 the Virginia assembly granted 10 Thomas Neal a
patent constituting him postmaster general for that colony,
and other parts OF America, which, however, never
carried into effect in consequence OF the dispersed cond
ton OF the Inhabitants. ln 100. the British govern
msn authorized Colonel John Hamilton, of New Jersey,
establish pos, oces, and organize postroues in its
American colonies for period of twenty years; but
his patent tor this purpose abrog aled afew years
hereafter. owing to the statute OF Queen Anne of l7Io.
consolidating the colonial post office with that OF Great
Britain and Ireland The las mentioned date is TO be
regarded as the commencement of the American post
Ohce l-G -
The OF note in lis history was the associa
hon with il OF that great Benjamin Franklin, Colo
4 mel SposwooJ, the British deputy postmaster general
lo The COLONIES, having commissioned him postmaster of
n data h. thaa a(
neSspspe Marx street in that city, the circu alton
and advertisements of which, learn from his autob-
ogTsphy were much enlarged by the appointment. On
Toe deaih oil Colonel 3 m 1853, the Crown appointed
him, jointly wllha Mr. William Hunter, TO the charge
OF The colonial establishment AT this time the aggre-
gate length OF post road in The country was but 1882
mules, and there was no regular mail except between
Boston and Philadelphia, although post riders went oc
casonaly as lar south Williamsburg Virginia some
hnes extending Their trips 10 Charleston, South Carolina
Ihe author OF Poor Rchard--who no doubt
largely indebted TO his then brilliant ropean reputation
asa philosopher for this Official elevatlon-proved, as
meh have been anticipated, active and efficient in his
Few position He tells us IN his lille that in 1863, in
company with an Invalid daughter he travelled five
on ioul rihe inspection OF his northern post offices
he ELECTED such improvements in the
as 10 enable The czsns OF Phsdelpba write 10 Bos-
ION aiS get replies in three weeks instead of six, the
ume previously required Owing TO g freak Of minis
s, % ne ltles The proceeding. be was removed from
'oe ounce ~ IVA at which date the British institution
hs SIDE oi The water may be Considered broken up
on he 26lh OF July OF the next year 775) ihe great
heh composing The Colonial Congress- at its second
i session, held IN the State house at Philadelphia,
etoived 10 have postal establishment of their own
Il shd lhereupon unanimously elected Dr. Franklin as
l u. ehef-an appointment, u is ptesumable far more
Il acceptable 10 The patriot than the one of which
I ne had so pnceremonIously been deprived Con.
I emporaneou- resolves OF this venerable convention
show that they invested him with very unlimited dis
eieuon m fegad TO the management OF the institution
\ apwafs, however, that he vacated the position soon
Hef IN CONSEQUENCE, u is supposed OF being called 10
higher rpss, and that Congress IN November 1776 AN
pointed as his successor bis aw and assistant IN
the office. Richard Bache
va Tue adoption o The articles Of Confederation by he
colonies m t7S, the Confeder Cong passed esln
uonr -eilns ofh the Importance the and
net exclusive rgh TO establish post Offices and post.
owes oh me 2s'h OF January, i7S2 the same
oooy ese'ea toenezer Hazard, who had acted as
an inspector OF The posts, and in that capacity had
rendered important service, Postmaster General tn
succeed Mi. Bacbe The records of the time f,,
hish ou measfe details as TO lie operations of Tho
Cobeefh curing me Official terms OF those g.ptl..
men peflod oi over Twelve years Owing ,o ths s.g
haon OF business resulting from the war OF IN. 70 vol
mon ana the consequent inactivity of correspondence
ehefges sumbefed, as rs sbown BY the fact that ia
gross yearly receipts averaged bat about am GOO nsr
sum INTERIOR 10 the product OF a third. clas.
UsY once at ~. present time Ohar causes are bee we'd
W paVe contributed 10 This iuefhcency amona which
"ay oe tt down Us exofbiianI tariff of hostages and
lusohhs, without the consent Of the Individual col.
oues 70 arrest aud punish mail. fobbera and other
nehosrs against l,s laws more potent authority Than
oai o' the Coniederated Congress was required 10 i'm
wh,,t 70 % y one gRnr The constitutional government,
"p,ss went INTO effect ~ 1889, supplied this
IN september OF thai year Washington comto;sso,ed
Mn.s ,pssood, previously delegate in Congress from
'.ssus, TO administer lhe office which was lhe n
., -, ~ w w shy Of New York. il having been cus,ou