Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/80

 ■JO W. F. Mc Caleb With this in view he requested of his cabinet information concern- ing the progress in organization, so that he might inform Congress. These reports were handed in at a cabinet meeting, and the Judge was prepared to say that his department was completely organized, and that he was ready to inaugurate the postal service of the Con- federacy.' Such a report might well have drawn from President Davis the question, "How were you enabled to do this?", for he was no doubt unaware of the completeness of the gleaning of the department at Washington by [Mr. Reagan's agents. In my report in which I proposed to take charge of the postal system of the country [writes the Judge] I requested that Congress should authorize me to continue in office by proclamation the postmasters then in service under the government of the United States, wherever they were willing to serve, until new appointments could be made, and to continue in the service the present contractors for carrying the mails, under their existing rates of compensation, where they were willing to serve, until new contracts could be made. Congress promptly granted the authority asked by the Post- master-General, and he issued his proclamation covering the points at issue. In this same report the Judge had asked for an additional force of eighteen clerks, bringing the number of members of his depart- ment to thirty-eight, not including the watchman for the building. And it was announced that The Department had advertised for bids [which were to be in by May i] for contracts for the supply of mail bags, post-office blanks and paper for the same, wrapping paper, twine and sealing wax, circulars, marking and dating stamps, postage stamps and stamped envelopes, and for mail locks and keys.^ Thus all the material appliances for the successful manage- ment of the department were gradually assembled. But what gave the Judge most concern was the manner of making the transfer between the old and new systems. He published two documents (authorized by an act of Congress, approved March 15) with a view to allaying any anxiety on the part of the postmasters over the country, and no doubt to show to the authorities of the United States that he meant to respect as far as seemed meet the claims of that government in the premises. In one place he writes: The Government of the Confederate States will not interfere with any existing contracts entered into between the Government of the > There had also been perfected a bureau whose function was the auditing of the accounts of the department. But this duty was later assigned to the Treasury. 2 See Davis's message of April 29, 1861, Richardson, I. 79-So.