Thus one John is dismissed, to go and browse in the closely-cropped and over-crowded pastures of the inefficient and ne’er-do-well mediocrity.
Several days later, when John rebounds from the shock imparted by Mr. Parasite’s grandeur, its momentum sends him pat against a fact. “Why, he is a hanger-on to the Government himself.” Yes; and so, in one sense, is every office-holder, from the President down to the mighty messenger who condescends to shut and open doors. It implies no discredit to be a server of the Government; but it reveals a very ignoble side of human nature, when the favored holder rebuffs the lowliest seeker as a being from another race, in any essential quality the antipodes of himself.
A man who has just been lifted by his friends from one high place to another, has long boasted, while in power, “that he would not help a friend sooner than an enemy.” I had a certain admiration for him till I knew that he said this, and proved it by his practice. There is something true and grateful and noble lacking in a man’s nature, when he turns from his friend as he would from an enemy, doing nothing for either; always taking, and never giving; always seeking, yet sneering at others who seek; always subsisting on Government bounty and place himself, while he wounds, ignores, and sometimes insults the unfortunates who wish to do likewise and can’t.
This is Mr. Parasite, and he lives, reigns and flourishes, as parasites only can, in every department of governmental state.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE—ITS MARVELS AND MYSTERIES.
The Post-Office—Its Architecture—The Monolithic Corinthian Columns—The Postal Service in Early Times—The Act of Queen Anne’s Reign—“Her Majesty’s Colonies”—After the Revolution—The First Postmaster-General—The Present Chief—A Cabinet Minister—The Subordinate Officers—Their Positions and Duties—The Ocean Mail Postal Service—The Contract Office—The Finance Office—The Inspection Office—Complaints and Misdoings—Benjamin Franklin’s Appointment—He Goes into Debt—One Hundred and Twenty Years Ago—Franklin Performs Wonderful Works—His Ideas of Speed—Between Boston and Philadelphia in Six Weeks—Dismissed from Office—The Congress of “The Confederation”—A New Post Office System—Franklin Comes In Again—The Inspector of Dead Letters—Not Allowed to Take Copies of Letters—Only Seventy-five Offices in the States—Primitive Regulations—Only One Clerk—Government Stages—The Office at Washington—Saved from the British Troops—Franklin’s Old Ledger—The Present Number of Post Offices—The Dead Letter Office—The Ladies Too Much Squeezed—Some of the Ladies “Packed”—Opening the Dead Letters—Why Certain Persons are Trusted—Three Thousand Thoughtless People—Valuable Letters—Ensuring Correctness—The Property Branch—The Touching Story of the Photographs—The Return Branch—What the Postmaster Says.
Though injured in comparison by the higher site and loftier walls of the Patent-Office opposite, the Post-Office, in itself, is one of the most beautiful public buildings in Washington. It occupies the entire block situated on Seventh and Eighth streets west, and E and F streets north. Like the Treasury and Patent-Office, it incloses a grassy court-yard on which its inner offices look out.
The architecture of the Post-Office is a modified Corinthian, and is regarded by critics as the best representation of the Italian palatial ever built upon this continent. It was designed chiefly by F. A. Walter, at that time architect of the Capitol, an artist who has left monuments of architectural beauty behind him in marble which, seemingly, can never perish. On the Seventh street side there is a vestibule, the ceiling of which is composed of richly ornamented marbles, supported by four marble columns; the walls, niches and floors are of marble, polished and tessellated. This is the grand entrance to the General Post-Office Department. The F street front affords accommodation to the city Post Office. It has a deeply recessed portico in the centre, consisting of eight columns grouped in pairs, and flanked by coupled pilasters supporting an entablature which girds the entire work. The portico is supported by an arcade which furnishes ample convenience for the delivery of letters, and the hurrying crowds which come after them. The Corinthian columns of this portico are each formed of a single block of marble, and each in itself is a marvel of architectural grace. The entrance for the mail wagons, on Eighth street, consists of a grand archway, the spandrels of which bear upon their face, sculpture representing Steam and Electricity, while a mask, representing Fidelity, forms the key-stone.
The Postal Service of the country is the oldest branch of the Government. As early as the year 1792[1792], a proposition was introduced into the General Assembly of Virginia, to establish the office of Postmaster-General of Virginia and other parts of America. The proposition became a law, but was never carried into effect. In 1710, during the reign of Queen Anne, the British Parliament established a General Post-Office for all Her Majesty’s dominions. By this act, the Postmaster-General was permitted to have one chief letter office in New York, and other chief letter offices at some convenient place or places in each of Her Majesty’s provinces or colonies in America. When the colonies threw off their allegiance to the Crown, especial care was given to preserving, as far as possible, the postal facilities of the country. When the Federal Constitution was adopted, the right was secured to Congress “to establish Post-Offices and Post-Roads.” In 1789, Congress created the office of Postmaster-General, and defined his duties. Other laws have since been passed, regulating the increased powers and duties of the Department, which is now, next to the Treasury, the most extensive in the country.
The Postmaster-General, the head of the Department, is a member of the President’s Cabinet, and is in charge of the postal affairs of the United States. The business of the various branches of the Department is conducted in his name and by his authority. He has a general supervision of the whole Department, and issues all orders concerning the service rendered the Government through his subordinates. During the first administrations of the Government, the Postmaster-General was not regarded as a Cabinet Minister, but simply as the head of a Bureau. In 1829, General Jackson invited Mr. Barry, the gentleman appointed by him to that office, to a seat in his Cabinet. Since that time, the Postmaster-General has been recognized, as ex-officio, a Cabinet Minister.