Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-07-06
Post Office Espionage---Need
of q Reform.

EOst OIuCc spiOndR e---Need
of a Reform.
The statements aud comments below ,,o
from an article in the New York CONNER.
cal Advertiser
The very thing for which certain Dritisb
Minister brought down upon himself The
scathing rebnke Of the British House a
Commons and the whitening scorn of tho
press and people Of Great Britain and d..
United States, is II seems constantly prar.
ticed by the irresponsible agents aud tol.
Of the department at Washington, with The
knowledge and connivance OF the dep,rt.
ment. One of these secret agents unblush.
ngly gave the following testimony on pe
examination Of Mr.. Kendall, Postmaster Of
New Orleans:
"Georgc Whitman--Was mail agent fo,
some time, and was di missed about 2s,h
March last. Is not now engaged in the
service Of the mail department When
shown the Marshal Hanson letter, saws iSe
first time he saw 1t was four or five months
ago the second Hanson letter he saw abou,
LIST of March shortly after It was written
On lth of March he directed one of The
post office clerks to bring him letter from
Cincinnati, directed 10 Marshal Hanson
He took the letter TO the kitchen of the Civ
Hotel, there opened it, took a COPY Of +.
then resealed 1t aud placed it IN the pos, Off.
&C. "a copy Of The letter was produced AID
Unidentified by the witness 1, was address.
ed to l.. and d. of Cincinnati and a proposi-
ton to publish bogus newspaper, and con.
tanned on the reverse side the answer OF the
publisher. After destroying the envelosc.
witness caused it to be rcsealed and noulr
developed, and had Cincinnati post mark
fabricated for It, and the letter placed in tho
post Office"
In the course of ne examination. whit
man was recalled, and the following relor
Of what he SAID is given:
"Witness never opened letter before
had no special instructions rs to opening fhs
or any other letter. The letter was cnyei.
oped in n seli-sealmg enclosure; las heard
frequently Of mail agents opening letters.--
( Has consulted the department IN regard 10
the opening letters they DO not approve H.,
but they want H.
In report Of Whitman's testimony.
which appeared in the New Orleans True
Delta his narrative of the circumstances 3
thus reported;
1t had the Cincinnati post mark | ,ook
the letter, III company with Mr.. Ycrger, tie
clerk in the post office, who received the
valuable letters. We took It to the ktchea
Of the City Hotel and steamed it. in ordcr
10 open II, but by 50 doug we destroyed Tia
envelope, We then got the letter copied
by a clerk Of Nc Dowcl, Mills g. Co, and
put 1t IN a new envelope. The post marx
we had to initiate and this we got done al
the Bulletin office. the circumstances hav-
ing been fest explained TO Col. Seymour
The letter was then put in the office, and we
watched It all day.
Mr. Whitman recalled; The letter being
shown him, he said that is the letter ! op-
ened ana enclosed new envelope
When asked II he would open 1t again end
rad n, he said: ] am a Jackson man ald
vail take ihe responsibility ! hsye no
authority from The department 90 open .eiicrs,
however, when then they are surrounded BY
suspicious circumstances. and for the Dis.
coverv OF offenders. The Post Office De-
partmeut does not authorize the opening Of
letters, bat
Mr.. Benjamin suggested; Winks at III
Witness: Yes, suppose that's the
word"
In what falacious idea have merchants
and others been ndulgug Private cores
pondeuce inyolable, indeed The uuae3
States mails sacred from inspection Nol
bit of It. These secret, irresponsible agents
of the government think no more Of opening
the most private letters than OF drinking =
cup Of coffee. They are TO be ionnd cen-
siandy travelling with the mails, and accord
ing TO other testimony gwen at the Same
time as the above, they carry keys 10 open
the mail bags, 10 which they have access at
all tunes. They open letters from the con-
tents Of which they frame decoy lettcrs'-
Who then is safe F. No one knows % these
doings, and the perpetrators Of this secret
espionage are equally unknown, until some
trial brings them to light and then they arc
totally without Responsible And such a.
gents, such nnpnncipled emissarics and
iools, orr government employs, with ihe
knowledge that they are practicing such an
espionage. Were a merchant once dctecT~
ed breaking the seal Of letter committed
10 his charge, OF connising OF such a mean
ness on the part Of one OF his clerks, he
would forever have 20 bid adieu 10 the socio-
~ of gentlemen and honorable people. -
Aud we caunot see how 1t Is less dishonora-
Die for a Postmaster General TO conniye at
such doings. It seems TO us UNNECESSARILY
more dishonorable and base, 10 say nothing
OF the olIsnsiyeness Of exercising such a
spying over free people by popular gov
eminent II the American people will al
low Of this kind Of espionage, they have iess
of the real love Of freedom and indepcnd>
ence than they claim or dit for. Truly, 40
have need of post office reform"