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Story
March 5, 1839
Alexandria Gazette
Alexandria, Alexandria County, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
In March 1839, Postmaster General Amos Kendall apologizes to President Van Buren and the Senate for a hasty reply perceived as disrespectful to a resolution requesting names of removed postmasters, explaining the lack of urgency and time constraints.
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Full Text
Post Master General
The resolutions which passed the Senate on Friday, in relation to the Post Master General, were sent to the President, who on Saturday, sent in a message, with the following letter of the Postmaster General, viz:
Post Office Department,
March 1, 1839.
"Sir: In reference to the resolution of the Senate, adopted this day, and by you just communicated to me, expressing the opinion that a communication made by me on the 27th ultimo, in reply to their resolution of the same date, was disrespectful to that body, I have only to say, that no disrespect was intended or felt. Their resolution of the 12th ult., calling for the names of removed postmasters, designated no specific time within which the information would be wanted; and as it did not appear to look to any immediate Legislative or Executive action on their part, the necessity of great expedition in preparing and communicating them was not appreciated by me so highly as perhaps it ought to have been. And as the reply to the resolution of the 12th was already in the hands of the messenger who would accompany the reply to that of the 27th, showing that no disposition existed to withhold the information called for, it did not occur to me that any detailed explanation why it had not been sooner sent, was necessary or would be expected. Hence it will be perceived that the letter complained of, was written hastily, (the messenger having been in fact detained until it could be written and recorded;) and but for the hurry of the moment, not allowing time for consideration, I should probably have given the more full explanation contained in this letter.
Very respectfully, your ob'dt serv't.,
AMOS KENDALL.
"To the President."
It appears, to us, however, that even this apology, poor as it is, is spoiled by the following paragraph which is published in the Globe.
It is possible that the Postmaster General's reply to Mr. Tallmadge's resolution of the 27th, may have been more brief than it otherwise would have been in consequence of the tone of that resolution, which appeared to many to be quite as susceptible of an offensive construction as the reply.
The resolutions which passed the Senate on Friday, in relation to the Post Master General, were sent to the President, who on Saturday, sent in a message, with the following letter of the Postmaster General, viz:
Post Office Department,
March 1, 1839.
"Sir: In reference to the resolution of the Senate, adopted this day, and by you just communicated to me, expressing the opinion that a communication made by me on the 27th ultimo, in reply to their resolution of the same date, was disrespectful to that body, I have only to say, that no disrespect was intended or felt. Their resolution of the 12th ult., calling for the names of removed postmasters, designated no specific time within which the information would be wanted; and as it did not appear to look to any immediate Legislative or Executive action on their part, the necessity of great expedition in preparing and communicating them was not appreciated by me so highly as perhaps it ought to have been. And as the reply to the resolution of the 12th was already in the hands of the messenger who would accompany the reply to that of the 27th, showing that no disposition existed to withhold the information called for, it did not occur to me that any detailed explanation why it had not been sooner sent, was necessary or would be expected. Hence it will be perceived that the letter complained of, was written hastily, (the messenger having been in fact detained until it could be written and recorded;) and but for the hurry of the moment, not allowing time for consideration, I should probably have given the more full explanation contained in this letter.
Very respectfully, your ob'dt serv't.,
AMOS KENDALL.
"To the President."
It appears, to us, however, that even this apology, poor as it is, is spoiled by the following paragraph which is published in the Globe.
It is possible that the Postmaster General's reply to Mr. Tallmadge's resolution of the 27th, may have been more brief than it otherwise would have been in consequence of the tone of that resolution, which appeared to many to be quite as susceptible of an offensive construction as the reply.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Postmaster General
Senate Resolution
Apology
Amos Kendall
Disrespect
1839
What entities or persons were involved?
Amos Kendall
Mr. Tallmadge
Story Details
Key Persons
Amos Kendall
Mr. Tallmadge
Event Date
March 1, 1839
Story Details
The Senate passes resolutions deeming Postmaster General Amos Kendall's reply disrespectful; he apologizes, explaining haste due to no specified deadline and messenger constraints; a newspaper notes the reply's brevity may stem from the resolution's tone.