Camden1—
noon—July 11—
Yours just rec'd—the acc't & formal letter shift the relative
positions—but taking in Judge R[ay]'s remarks which are a part of it, the
result seems to me absolutely & unequivocally what I took it to be, & what I
suppose the papers (with some marked errors of detail) are stating2—Though I havn't seen the said papers (except the
Phila "Press")—the weather here is so hot I dont go out or over to
Phila:—
W W
Notes
- 1. This letter is endorsed:
"Answ'd July 13/82." It is addressed: Wm D O'Connor | Life Saving Service Bureau
| Washington | D C. It is postmarked: Camden | Jul | 11 | 4 PM | (?);
Washington, D. C. | Jul | 12 | 5 AM | 1882 | Recd. [back]
- 2. William O'Connor
carefully explained on July 10 that he had given a slightly misleading
impression of the Post Office's decision since the ruling applied only to George
Chainey's pamphlet, not to Leaves of Grass as a book.
However, the interpretation offered by Judge Charles A. Ray, the law officer of
the Post Office Department, meant in effect that Leaves of
Grass was "mailable" (Charles E. Feinberg
Collection, Library of Congress, Washington D.C.). [back]