Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-04-16

alnl
The srs, SESSION of PENIS council, down 10 tne
end of the old government. The Journals ~
New Jersey were printed nearly, II not qu'''
from the beginning of the government.
R,, none of these sources is by any means
lila in the hest materials. In short, the eo'o"i
al history Of America is shut up in the once u
~. Ro,rd If trade and Plantations IN Eng,a"u'
The original papers are all there, and no 'o'e.
h,a h;.,orv can be written without Tree an9
FIJI nse Of them. A copy Of the entire mass %
,ho.e paners. as FAR as they relate to TINS eou".
40 onebt to be obtained and deposited 10 INC
D.W,,onal archives at Washington. The govern
msnt ia the proper organ for managing TINS ~,
.;ne,s and we can hardly imagine an act more
honorable. or more indicative oil wisdom' sooo
sense. and patriotism, than an effort 10 procure
sucb cow. through our minister al LONDON.
II cannot be supposed, that the British oao'ne'
will at this day have any objection TO COPIES oe
inc taken of papers, relating solely 10 'n,s soan
try. especially when we consider the ehhe
ed and liberal men of whom that caoihe' 10 ho"
composed. e.,;,r an,
and collecting manuscripts, az present =" w."
hands Of individuals, which have a airec' pear
inc on the origin and events Of the Revolution.
This is the grand period in on nation history,
mon which future ages will look back win pc
culiar interest, and mark as prominent ePoeh
in The propress of mankind. The corresPon-
depce of the officers Of the army, the hrst go
vernors of the states, the delegates IN congress
and other leading men Of the times, shouia DC
eagerly ought and rescued from the fate, which
is impending over it. Much OF this we kno"
ha, been already lost, by the carelessness or '!-
discretion of the persons, into whose names IL
has fallen. 1t will all gradually disappear, un,
less seasonably deposited in the safe keeping Oh
some public body, who're perpetual wa'eh'l'-
ness will be exercised over it.
The history Of some private manuscripts mas
already been curious. Our readersi VIII recoi'
lect, that two or three years ago large ouna'e
of letters was brought to light in bakers shop
| in New York, which proved to be the private
correspondence of Paul Jones. When faal
Jones left America for the last time, he commit
ted TO the care Of his friend, John Ross, OF fhi-
ladelphia, several packages ofmanuscript pa
pers, consisting ofletters, journals, and Voueh-
ers of his landed and other property in America
A power Of attorney was afterwards sent 70 NIL
Robert Hyslop, merchant Of New York, to re-
eeiye those packages in trust Tor the heirs OF
PAUL Jones. An agent came to this country and
settled the pecuniary affairs, but the papers, on
being examined, were allowed 10 remain In the
hands of Mr.. Hyslop in trust, as undivided
property belonging equally to all the heirs OF
Paul Jones. At length, Robert Hyslop died,
and the papers then fell into the hands OF his
executor, John Hyslop, baker in New York
This is a brief explanation of the somewhat
singular circumstance, OF papers OF this sort
having been discovered in bakers shop. They
were valuable, as containing the correspondence
pspersaos sfsSf Bones. By his VIII he ieit ali
his effects to his two sisters, who resided at or
near Dumlries, in Scotland, Ito be divided equal
ly between them and their children, in as many
shares as there were individuals in the two ia
miles, constituting his two sisters guardians
of their respective children during their mino-
nority. In 1898, one Of the sisters, and the
the husband OF The other, went to Paris, to re-
| cover a debt due from the French government
| to Paul Jones, and took with them to Scotland,
among other things, all the papers left by him.
A division of the effects and papers was imme.
distely made, by gentleman appointed for the
purpose, with the mutual consent Of The parties,
who bound themselves to abide by his decision
This gentleman pursued an extraordinary course
| in regard to the papers. He portioned them
out i'll two parcels, by weight and measure, Jus.
as they happened to come to hand, without re.
gard to their value or connection. The two ia
miles resided for some time in Scotland, and
when Doctor Duncan, eight or nine years ago,
prepared the short biographical sketch Of Paul
Jones, for the Edinburgh Encyclopedia, he APP
pears to have had access to all the papers
Since that time branch Of one Of the families
has removed to America, and brought hither
part Of the papers, all it is presumed, which
this branch had in its possession.
A few years ago, a niece Of Paul Jones, who
inherited from her mother the portion of papers
that fell to her lot, made an overture to the
Historical Society of New York 10 publish
them. The negotiation was no, successful, but
the manuscripts were sent out 10 New York
for inspection, where they now remain in the
hands OF an individual in trust for the owner
They are fair copies, collected into four vol.
umes, the three. first Of which relate chiefly to
the part the author took in the American reyo.
luton. The last volume is written in French.
and is devoted wholly TO his services in Russia.
The contents of all the volumes are chiefly let.
tiers, and official papers, some of which have
been published. To the first volume is pre6x. |
ed memoir Of his life, but by what hand we
know not. These is also short narrative Of
the transactions in which he was engaged dur.
ing the American war, but the substance of this
is nearly the same as that which he presented |
to the king ofFrance. 1t is mistake, however.
which some way or other erept into the Edin.
ht.r LIZ,