New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-26

toer opinions on the matter.
The public do not hold the Postmaster General
responsibie for tho burning Of railway train the
,uk'ps Of . mail steamer, or the drowning OF
poet. ,ider; but they do hold him accountable for
tuning deaf ear to the loudest calls Of pubic
opin On, for negectitg 10 take into consideration
the vast commercial interests of the Atlantic Sea-
board, the immense traffic Of the Pacific coast and
The great farming. planting and trading interests Of
the Mississippi Valley. They do hold him TO just
accountability when he obstructs the progress Of
just legislation, refuses to carry out the panest en-.
sctnents Of Congress, mulsh the nation in zines
and damages to the amount of nearly 81 600 600,
dtprives the people of necessary mail SERVICE IN
terferes with the legislation of the country, and
gees to work with an assistant in lobbying for or
sesinst measures which belong exclusively to the
people and their representatives in Congress.
There has been no period nee the formation OF
the Government that the commercial, agricultural
and social interests of the country have been 80
active a. during me last four years; and it will
afford some instruction to see what A,ts OF Con.
greS, what gulstions and edcts of the Postmaster
General, have gone into effect during that time,
which win take place in the postal history OF the
country. We have had law passed raising letter
postage from SIX to ten cents on all letters going
over g. 900 miles, We have had other laws making
the PREPAYMENT of all letters and transient printed
matter compulsory, and by stamps instead ofmonsy.
law for the registration Of letters has been passed
which bas occasiOned far more losses in the mails
and demonstration Of clerks and employees than We
have ever known duliog similar period when there
has been no registration. A law was passed BY
the voluntary action of Congress, without the aid
or assistance of the Postmaster. General-a mos.
necessary and uieful enactment aud
directing the Postmaster. General to put in opera.
ton daily steamboat mail on the Mississippi and
Ohio Rivers. All of these acts, except the last,
were paired by the influence, wish and recon-
mendation of the Postmaster General, and of their
deleie rious effect and inconvenience the public have
had ample experience.
Mr. Campbell is also responsible for having ex.
erted all possible influence in bis Office and in
Congress to have all our rates Of postage on letters
and printed matter raised from sixty.six to one
hundred Der cent-a movement. rebuked by the al.
most ur animOus voice of the public and the press,
and the condemnation Of every vote in the House
of Representatives except thirly-siX or thirty
seven. He refused to carry out the provisions Of
the act Of Congress for mail on the Mississippi
and Ohio Rivers, and willfuly broke contract
made by himself for that purpose, and BY one single
act deprived many millions of people of their just
and necessary mail privileges, and compelled tho
nation to pay several hundIei thousand dollars
dsmsees for the fragrant misconduct of high
public functionary. He broke in tie Same
way, another contract, made by his predecessor
in Office for transporting the mail to Cafor-
MIA By Vera Cruz and Mexico The damages
in this case, az in the other, were repaired by
special &C. Of Congress, adjusted by the Control
Ter, and paid by the Treasurer, to the amount OF
nearly half million dollars. Another con .ract
Of similar character for carrying the mail from
BsSbrdge, Georgia, to ApalachicOla, Florida wM
broken by the Postmaster General, and Congress
awarded John W. Kelly, the contractor, the entire
sum for the service for almost three years-the
length Of the contract-the same as if the service
had been performed. though the mail was not car.
ried single day.
We pa,s by the paltry sets Of injustice in pro-
curing the dismissal of literary lady from the
Office of Post mistress, in New-Eogland town, at
tie recommendation of the Postmaster of Boston,
of turning out Postmaster who acted the Good
Samaritan toward Charles Sumner, after he had
been nearly killed by bully; of dismissing Post.
mater and shutting upa Post Office 10 Onio, be-
cause the subscribers to Republican paper re-
ceived the accommodation which they required; aud
of going out of his way to do deeds of petty tyr
amy, in order TO CRAFTY political feeling personal
hatred.
He came into the Office while it was in the re-
ceipt of an income which increased annually from
fourteen to twenty per cent, and be leaves it with
that increase dwinded down to three or four per
cent. BY no possibility can such state Of things
spring from natural causes or be the result of aught
ese than Encouragement and restrictive and dele
ferrous enactments. The career Of such an officer
is profitable example; and, if it cannot indicate
What Postmaster General should do, it very
clearly points out VIVA. he should not do. The
new Postmaster. General has entered upon an Office
where he will have field for the exercise of prac-
teal talents Of high order. We shall be happy
indeed in being able to approve and commend his
administration IS heartily as We have condemned
that Of his predecessor.
The Courier and Enquirer returns to the sub