The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-07-19
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When Uncle Sam Had Only One
Postmaster.
Until Grants Second Term the. Per-
sons in Charge of Offices Were but
Deputies of the Postmas-
ter General,
BY &. J. EDWARDS.

~ - ~ GDWHhp0s
DO you know that until the latter
part of Grants second administration
there was only one postmaster in the
United States?"
The questioner was James Henry
MARI, who had entered the postoffice
department as clerk under Amos
Kendall, Jackson's last postmaster
general, risen to first assistant post
master general under President Grant
and at the time he put this question
was chief clerk to the first assistant
postmaster general In Cleveland's first
administration.
Yes continued Mr.. MARI, from the
foundation of the federal government
until the latter part of Grants second
administration-nearly 100 years-the
country had but one official postmaster,
though during that period there were
many individuals who were that post
master. The postmaster of the United
States during all that time was always
none other than the postmaster gen
eral.
But at one time during that pc
riod, If 1t had not been for John c.
Calhoun, the law which designated the
postmaster general as the postmaster
of the United States would have been
regarded as a dead letter and treated
accordingly.
"A short time after Mr.. Calhoun
had resigned the vice-presideney OF
the United States and been elected
senator from South Carolina-that was
in 1S32--he one day entered the Office
of the postmaster general Amos Ken.
dali Mr.. Calhoun's long, dark hair
was brushed straight back from his
forehead; his eyes looked like two
burning Goals of fire. l was with Mr.
Kendall; Mr.. Calhoun spoke most
courteously to me-he was courteous
to everybody-and then turned to the
postmaster general.
Mr.. Postmaster General he said,
I have just noticed disposition to
make out improperly commissions to
those appointed to take charge of post
Offices throughout the country Mr.
Postmaster General, you are the only
postmaster in the United States; your
successor will be the only postmas-
ter; all men appointed to take imme-
date charge of the various postoffices
throughout the country are, under the
law, deputy postmasters, and nothing
more. The man In charge of the
postofflce at New York is a deputy
postmaster; so Is the man in charge of
the postoffice at Philadelphia. Let us
say that, probably by inadvertence, a
commission has just been made out
appointing man postmaster. | desire
to have that corrected. No man I'M
der the law can qualify or take charge
of a postoffice under the designation
of postmaster" Until now, so far
as | know, no commission has been
made out since have been in public
life by which any one has qualified to
take charge of any postoffice in the
country except under the title of dep
uty postmaster" And if it is possible
for me to prevent it, no commission
shall be made out in any other way
Mr.. Kendall thanked the great Cal
houn for calling the matter to his at
tention, and assured him that all com
missions to appointees to take
charge of postofflces should be made
out in strict accordance with the law
and that way they were made in every
case, to my personal knowledge, as
long as Calhoun lived.
Furthermore, had OCCASION not long
ago to look over the records relating
to the appointment of men to take
charge of postoffices. found that as
late as Gen. Grants second admins
tration the postmaster general was the
sole postmaster of the United States,
all the so-called postmasters through
out the country being set down in the
records as deputy postmasters. But
in Grants second administration the
law was changed SO it became legal
to drop the word deputy. and the
unique distinction that the postmaster
general had enjoyed for nearly cen
fury of legally being the country's only
postmaster was lost to him
downright, 1911, by f. j. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)