The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-09
UNCLE SAM HAS
BEENCElEBRA1ING
ON WRONG DAY
Investigator. Declare July &c Prop
er independence Day in
United States

New ork, March 3,--IhAt july
4th. l776, has not an undisputod.
claim to the title OF Independence
DaDy is the surprising claim, based.
on little known facts. put forward
by Investigators who assert that to-
July 26, 1875, should be accorded
at least the honor Of being known as
Little" Independence Day, since IL
was that day that the first indie
pendent American institution was
established. As a result for nearly
a year previous to the signing Of the
Declaration OF Independence this
country, in one important depart
ment at least, had achieved indie
pendence from tho English Crown,
That department was the PostotfiCe
and while July 4, 1916, undoubtedly
will continue to be looked upon as
the date of the birth Of our indie
pendence, July 26, 1775, the date
!, of the birth of our first independent
institution Us of such Importance
as to entitle it to proper recognition,
since but for unknown Little" In
dependence Day the more familiar
date might have been postponed for
considerable time,
Up to the advent OF Little" hide
pndence Day, the postal service had
passed through many and chaotic
phases. Service was slow and irregr-
lar, the post riders consuming days
and weeks in covering distances
which now are negotiated in hours.
They were in constant danger Of
ihighwaymen and also of the agents
Iof the English Crown who did NOT
hesitate to stop them, search tho
mails and destroy any thing which
| they considered reasonable or like
| ly to assist the colonies In their re-
tvot. AS a consequence any general
| knowledge among the colonlsts Of
| the whole situation was impossible
land it was by relieving this condi-
| ton Of affairs that the Independent
postoflices so materially assisted the
cause of liberty. At first King George
Viewed with suspicion the independ-
ent Postoffce but on Christmas Day,
HTS, five months after its estab-
llishment, he capitulated, thus plac-
| ing in the hands of the colonies the
agency which materially fastened
the coming of the Revolution.
It was in 1891 that the seed Of
1.-The present Postoffce was planted
lwhen William and Mary by letters
tpatent granted to one Thomas Neale,
master of the mint, constituted hin
| the first postmaster general Of
tAmerica. Neale delegated the task
.of establishing postal service III
the wilderness of the new world &c
versatile, energetic Scotchman
lAndrew Hamilton. Hamilton's first
service, weekly post, was from
Portsmouth, N. H., to Boston, Say
brook, New York, Philadelphia,
Maryland and Virginia, though the
service was dependent to large de
gree upon the weather. The re
ceipts of the postoffice of New Yorl
City during the year 1893 were
sixty-one pounds.
In 1907, however, the Englisl
king thought il worth while to bu.
hack from, NeaIe his grant and for i
lpaid him 1864 pounds sterling. 1t !
Interesting to note that the purchas
bringing the Postoffice again undo
the control Of the Crown ended TIL
} first and last private post in Ameri
ca, although from time to time dis
satisfaction with the administrator,
: OF the Department has led to sugges
lions that it be turned over to priv
Int interests because Of the belief il
; their ability to operate 1t more stlc
eessfully, for. Judged by the stand
| ards Of modern business, its admin
istratioa has shown many shortcorn
4 xuu<