| From the Savannah Morning News |
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| December 10, 1862 |
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| Greenville, S. C., Dec. 6, 1862 |
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| Editor Daily Morning News |
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| Sir, |
| A friend handed me the other
day your issue of the 29th of November, containing strictures upon the
mail service of the country. As I am sure you do not wish to do an act
of injustice, you will, I think, allow me space in your columns to reply
in part, and in perfect good temper to your remarks. I agree with you
fully that the Railroad companies transporting the mails from Richmond
to Charleston and Augusta, should only be paid tri-weekly, or only for
the days upon which they deliver the mails at those points within
schedule time. Truth, however, compels me to admit that the Railroads
cannot now run their schedule time. There is but two roads, Mr. Cuyler's,
the Central, Ga., and the State Road that are in a condition to do it,
and the latter will not be long, unless the blockade is raised and new
material for locomotive power and rolling stock can be procured. What is
now wanted, is an extension of schedule time, and it will have to be
made by reducing until trains to 12 or 15 miles per hour. This will give
certainty, if not speed, and make our railroads last twice as long. |
| Your complaints "from nearer
home," I fear are not so well founded. I have investigated them to some
extent recently and within the last three months passed repeatedly "over
the lines of railroads in direct connection with you," and "where it
would seem impossible that there should be any failure." The mischief
lies in your own office, or your mail messenger, who frequently sends
his mail matter on top of an omnibus, not having it ready when the
Confederate States mail wagon passes. Again sometimes it reaches the
mail car by one, and sometimes by another. Sometimes by white and
sometimes by black carriers, and sometimes not at all. Again, some of
your packages are addressed in pencil, and are so nearly rubbed out by
chafing that they are illegible. Again they are written in such pale
ink, if ink it be, that they cannot be read at all; and still again on
the 25th of November, your pouch was carried to the Railroad depot by
some unknown person, and instead of being delivered to the route agent,
it was set down in the end of the negro car, where it remained
undiscovered until Friday the 28th of November, and had to be
distributed on Saturday, the 29th. |
| This was on the Savannah,
Albany & Gulf Road, and thus your issue of Tuesday, the 25th, did not
reach your subscribers on that route until Saturday, the 29th November.
It won't do for your mailing clerks and messengers to deny this. I was
on the road investigating similar charges for the Republican and
my friend Sneed, and his mailing clerks or messengers play off the same
trick upon him. If your clerks or messengers, or both, if they be not
one and the same person, will deliver your papers to the C. S. mail
messenger, as his wagon passes on to the several depots, regularly, and
you will note the days that your papers fail to reach your subscribers
on the several lines of railroad leading direct from your city, I can
easily fix, by the Registry in the post office of your city, which route
agent had your newspaper pouch in charge, and I pledge myself, in behalf
of the Post Office Department, not only to have him dismissed from the
service, but to have him punished likewise. I have not the pleasure of
knowing you personally, but will take it for granted that, as an act of
justice, you will publish this reply. Your own employees are deceiving
you -- so are many others in the different towns and cities. The route
agents in the service of the Post Office Department can have no possible
object or motive in destroying, or stealing newspapers. It is easier to
put them in the pouchers for their several offices than it is to destroy
them. They dare not steal and sell them, if they were capable of doing
so. They are, generally speaking, men of character, and are brought
before the department with testimonials of the highest character,
endorsed by their Senators and members in Congress. |
| I am, very respectfully, &c. |
| Jno. D. Ashmore |
| Special Agent Post Office Department |
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