Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-04-24

be no longer an empty menace. ~ "ou'o ."
deed deserve no more favour at the hands OF
the party 10 which. he is devoted, than the cell
ebrs,ed Alexandrian Library received from a
fortunate soldier Of other times. The destruc-
lion Of this library is so monstrous barbarily,
that later historians have sought refuge from
the horrors Of the narrative in skepicism as
TO the fact. Had they lived till the discoveries
of the present day; they would have formed
iu ster notions of the suhlmities OF "dci'on!
Box OF MS. VOLUMES, Sc. &c
We have unexpectedly protracted this arti'
Gle so far, as 10 leave little room Tor the AMI
madversion on other parts OF the Report, when
we had designed. To one passage we must
advert, as illustrating the spirit in which I'M,
document was got up. In p. II the Commits
tee say
"They discover al item of 200 dollars paid,
upon the certificate of the Secretary nj State,
70 w. Pren,iss, for his expenses in delivering
box Of books 10 the Governor OF Maine.
The vouchers furnish no evidence Of the dss-
crip.ion of books or of their quantity, so as 10
enable the committee to Judge Of The business
of the compensation, or Of the fund out OF
which it should have been paid. They were
informed, at the Registers Office OF the Irta'u-
~, that they were the Acrs, Journals or Docu-
men,s of Congress. IF so, such claim was not
charse able upon the contingent fnnd for for-
eign interc curse; but upon the current eXpen>
SEES Of the Department, and should have been
supported by proper vouchers.
If Mr.. Blair had inquired at the Department
of ale what were the contents OF this box, he
would have obtained accurate Information.
But he preferred resorting 70 an officer who
knew nothing on the subject, and has pub
Iished the erroneous conjecture OF THIS OIL
ficer, together with censure Of the Secretary
founded thereon. We have ascertained the
fact 10 ne that this box contained about twenty
manuscript, folio volumes Of proceedings under
the Client Trraly, on the subject oil our Notlh
Eastern boundary Ofa highly important nature,
they were properly entrusted 10 confidential
agent. Had Mr. Blair done his duty as Chair
man Of The Committee, he would have got at
The truth, and spared the public an idle argu>
ment. He would then too have been informed
that these documents were twice copied, and
thus have been able 10 explain to Congress
some Of the charges for extra copying which
have so puzzled him. AT the same time he
nigh, have "disco, ered'' the "prIncipe" on
which Mr. John Mason, jr. and Mr.. /. w.
Clay, special agents Of The Government, (who
faithfully performed the duties assigned To
them, respective ely, } were allowed compensation
for carriage hire from Vera Cruz to Mexico.
The "prnciple" is, that the custom in tt'-t
country is to travel in carriages, as the safest
and mos, eligible mode Of conveyance, and The
reason why the allowance to Mr.. Mason so
much exceeded that tn Mr.. /. w. Clay, is that
the latter finding a fellnw traveller to divide
the expense OF the carriage hire with hin, on
! iy charged the Government with his own
| share Of il.
We shall take fit opportunity 10 revert 10
Mr.. Blair's report which, IN The aspects IN
which we have airt ady viewed it, may be con-
sidered remarkable and appropriate sequel
to The euIogy OF The Jacksonltes on the ign"
| rance OF their Hero.