Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-07-24
The southern Mail.

While others are changing or years pass away.
The Southern Mail.
Mr.. EDITOR: The diversion of the southern
mail from the great line Of travel having caused
much comment here and in the region most af
fectsd thereby, and the Richmond and Potomac
Railroad and Steamboat Company having been
wantonly assailed by partisan presses, and stndi
GUS desire being exhibited by other Interested par
ties to make the company responsible for the ma
grant disregard Of public convenience and public
money on the part Of the Postmaster General 1t is
but justice to home concern, disburslng many
thousands annually among our mechanics and
merchants, that you should republish the follow
ing, from the fredericksburg News;
THE MAILs-RAILRoADs-P M. GEsERAL---lt
has heretofore been the boast of partisan ouriias
that the Postmaster General was necessitated to
change In transporting the great Southern Mail,
owing to the repeated detentions and failures to
make the proper cGnneSion, when it was carried
by r., +. & P. Railroad Company. Our friends OF
the Alexandra Sentinel seemed to plume them
selves on the bare announcement OF "ninety-nine
failures in the course of six monthsW So wrapt
up were they in this single fact--which we pre-
sumo to be a fact, as IL he's passed uncontradcted
that they did not think il worth their while to
inform the public that these detentiohs occurred
during the worst season of the year-and that the
last season was particularly unkind to the mail SER
vice by the boat owing to the unusual severity OF
the weather, and the strong winds that prevailed
at certain times blowing the water from the river,
almost in d body down into the Bay!
Oh, nol 1t was all right to pick over twenty
years service and. select such months as bore
strongest evidence against this Company, and os-
tentatiously parade it before the public as suffi-
cent cause for discharging faithful public servants,
against whom no charge had ever been preferred
by the Post Office Department, and who received
encomiums for fidelity, rather than fines for forfeit
lures of contractl
But what have the partisan Journals of the ad-
ministratm now to say, in face of the facts that
have transpired within the first fifteen days of the
new mail service over the "spick and span new
route, away round by Gordonsville? The weather
has been charming, and no serious distractions
can be charged on the elements for detention, yet,
unless we greatly mistake, we have heard and seen
notices of at least half dozen failures to connect,
within the last fifteen days! five have been APP
priced of that number, surely we were not fortu-
nate enough to hear of all and 1t is fair to presume
that others have occurred
Suppose we enumerate but the six, within ff
teen days, as the average; this gives US seventy
two in six months! What, then, has the Depart
ment gained in the way of certainty OF connexion?
Just nothing! And yet the mails, as now carried,
are behind the passengers who pass over our rail
road by some two hours, if we look at Washing
ton and the same delay is said to occur in Rich
mond almost every morning. In TIME, then, no
thing has been gainedl
If we consult economy, we presume no one will
question the decided saving carried over the old
line, if we bear in mind the brilliant proposal Of
$4,000 for carrying way mails between Washing
ton and Richmond!
On the score of convenience, one hundred and
ten thousand persons now denied the facilities
which they have heretofore enjoyed, and which no
Postmaster General had right to rob them Of,
for the qualification of petty spleen or mere per-
sonal feeling
Look at the question as we may, we find that
the expedition of the mails, economy in carrying
them, and convenience 10 the people, have been
defed and outraged by Mr.. Postmaster General
Campbel
1t may not be improper to remark while on the
subject, that before the expiration of the last con-
tract, this move was regarded as " foregone con-
clusion," the Post Master Generals voyage Of OBJ
servation to the contrary notwithstanding which
is abundantly proven by the fact that during the
long timo in which the matter was apparently in
suspense during which occurred the Virginia
eiection,) no offer was or has ever yet been made
to the company except for the way-mail which
was very properly rejected.
1t may be gratifying to the many friends Of this
excellent line to know that the company loses no
thing. The arduous mail service which has been
rendered for SO many years with singular regulari-
ty and efficiency has probably not paid the cost of
transportation one year in FIVE. The cost Of re-
pairs to the splendid steamer Baltimore, cut through
by ice last winter, was probably more than the
company has ever cleared by its connexion with
the Post Office Department.
There never can be any serious diversion of
travel from shorter, cheaper, and infinitely more
pleasant route, even though Mr.. Campbell and hi
apologists should travel the other way every day,
for the balance Of their short probation.
JUSTICE.