The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-01-16
BUILT UP THE SERVICE.
What the Late MIR. Creswen Accomplished d
AS Postmaster General. Inaugurated
Many Reforms.

Speaking of the death OF ex-PoSt-
master General John A. !. c -eswell
who was buried at his home, Elkton
Md, on Monday last, prominent
official OF long service in the Post
office Department said:
Mr.. Creswell was an able man, a
very able man, and his great public
services have never been appreciated
as they deserved. He was Post
master General for more than five
years during an important epoch IN
the history OF the postal service and
Of the country. 1t was the period
of reconstruction following the great
civil war, and which was not fairly
inaugurated until the accession OF
Gen. Grant to the Presidency.
One OF the most potent agencies
perhaps the most potent agency
OF the Government to be relied upon
in accomplishing the great work of
reconstruction was the postal service
which extends into every hamlet in
the land and brings its benefits to
the doors of every citizen. 1t was
OF the utmost Importance, therefore,
that wise selection should be made
by the new President to preside over
the Post office Department and no
mistake was made when the choice
tell upon Mr.. Creswe'l
The new Postmaster General was
not unknown to the country when
he was called to the council board of
the President. At the outset of the
rebellion Mr.. Creswell was the
chosen and trusted associate Of
Henry Winter Davis in his memoir
able and successful struggle to keep
MARYLAND true to her allegiance to
the old flag. A little later he was
elected successfully member Of the
House of Representatives and a
Senator in the upper branch of Con-
gress, in both OF which bodies he
rendered distinguished services. On
the 22i OF February, 1886, he at
tracted widespread attention by a
most eloquent and impasslont d
eulogy delivered in the House of
Representatives on his friend, Henry
| Winter Davis, whose untimely death
was universally mourned. At the
close OF his Congressional service he
resumed the practice of the law, in
which he had achieved marked dis
tinction tefore entering upon public
life.
Mr.. Creswell was young man,
barely past forty years of age,
when he was called to thehead of the
postal service, where he remained
until he became the last survivor of
the original Cabinet of President
Grant. He brought to the discharge
of his duties a vigorous, robust ply
sique, a trained and able mind, in
tense energy of cha1 1acter, lofty
ambition, and a most liberial and
progressive spirit. His talent for
affairs was of high order, and he
was unusually we'll equipped for the
important post to which he had been
called. During the first few weeks
he devoted his spare moments to a
thorough study and mastery OF the
postal laws. and of the structure OF
the service, and then he entered
fairly upon his work, With all the
zeal and energy of his intense
nature
The result was an unexampled
advance in all branches of the posta
service, as the records of the Depar
ment will testify. 1t would be unfair
to contrast the work of his admins
tration with that of the Immediately
preceding five years, during {
portion OF which time the servic,
had been suspended in large sec
ton OF the country. The compari
son will accordingly be made will
the five years which followed Mr.
Creswell's retirement from office
and it will be found that the posta
service under his management hat
been forged SO far ahead that bu
little W left to be accomplished TO
cehsss-> 'e time afterward.
One OF ts Erst measures recon-
mended ba Congress
,u,c fo oiI