Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-12-03
From the YorkpiHe Pioneer.1
TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF SOUTI-C CARO-

LIMA
felotc C'tiSens-Some gentlemen ofCreat respec-
tab...;y have recently SAID to ne that remarks
occasionally made upon my vDte of last winter
on the Gale, s. Seaton Resolution for re publish
Ing tire public documents, and ask me for cor
rect sta eYnent OF the facts; which I hive rca-
10 withhold.
But 1 must be allowed to say. that the whole o.
that business egregiously msgni6cd. The Sen
afors in the first place, who opposed the adoption
OF the resolution, attached infinitely more impor-
lance to the subject than such petty affair would
Justify. For it but petty business, To say
tie most of it. However, it is not my purpose to
cJn,rovert the opinions and remarks of Senators
hire; but merely to remove the Unfounded iInprcs-
sons which made the public mind by Gen.
Duff Green the public printer to both Houses Of
Congress, in the United States 'Teegra ph; n per
OF extensive circulation, which belongs to himself
and of which he is the editor
had no hand in the business until | found it be-
fire the Senate. 1t fuvoritc proposition of
Mr.. Llvngstcp's and frs, submitted by that Gen
tlenan TO the Senate, IA Will be perceived by the
following quotations from the Telegraph of the 22d
Jiuu1ry, 1880.
Mir. Livingston said, that before any disposition
WAS made of the resolution, he wished tc state tho
reasons which induced hun TO submit it to the con-
sidc.a ton OF the Senate. When 1t to he
considered that many documents, not only of q
temporary nature. but Of paramount interest, bear
ing, as they importantly did, on the Legislative
history of the country, were lost destroyed, it
could not but strike the mind of every gentleman
that it matter OF the utmost Importance to
preserve thoso yet IN our power. Thirty years ago
he had offered resolution in the other house which
was not carried, similar to the under con-
sideration and yet within these thirty years hoy ma
ny important State papers had been printed dis
tribu>ed and lost. Impressed with the idea of the
necessity Of preserving public records, and see
ing the proposals of Messrs. Gales &, Seaton i'm the
public newspapers, for publishing, in permanent
form, those which and in danger of bcInp
lost to the country, he had submitted the resolution
Mr.. Livingston u Member OF Congress in
1896, and of those inf .xible republicans who.
with Macon, Gies Nicholas, and Gallatn of that day
breasted the storm aud brought Jefferson into pow
or. During theslast war, he was the intimate friend
of Gen. Jackson, aud his aldde camp the South
campaigns, and fought hand in lani with Gen
Jackson on the m 'rab'e 9Th OF Januory. 4 gen
tleman of pure classical education, and among the
most distinguished lursts of ihe age. And having
been an actor In the early political scenes of orr
Government, knew the necessity of PRESERVING
the history of its early Legislation, than anv Other
Congress. And this the gentleman
who offered the resolution. His opinion itself would
have weighed greatly with me. But had an opin-
ion of my knew that in the documents now
upon the point of being lost forever contained
not only the secret springs of those acts of your
Government, that shook it to its centre thirty wears
ago. but also tho history of your country with foreign
nations, and of your foreign ministers, as well as Of
foreign and domestic creditors paid and unpaid
and of all your agents, both civil and military from
the foundation of the Governmrnt.--And let these
documents become extinct, and your treasury will be
piuulered of millions, by setting up foreign CLAIMS
and forged accounts, resting aidavits, to suypy
the place of documents. Your Office was b,1ru. !
cd about thirty years and all the documents
and in consequence ri the loss of those docu.
ments, the General Government has paid at least
$40 0oo,0 900 which it was never bound to paw or
which it had paid before; and the vouchers where
of destroyed by fire. And those claims are
still coming up to this day. Let the documents oe
the last thirty years GO out of print, and another
s 20 900 900 will be paid, that the government was
never bouad to pay, or had already paid. This IS a
consequence that cannot be doubled.
There diversity of opinion among the men,
bcrs TO cost of re-publishing these documents
Som, who were opposed to the re publishing sup
posed the work would cost the Government $500 900;
others, that it wShd cost $4,000. | proposed to
limit $4,000, less, if thought necessary In
of my proposition, to limit the sum Mr.
Liyings.o on moved, THAT the number of volumes
should nat exceed thirty, and that the documents be
selected by the Secretary of the Senate" and this
,rs osition as decided the affirmative, by yeas
and nays, as follows.
Ylss-Messrs. Barton, Bell Benton, Brown Bur-
net Chambers Chase CLAYTON Dickersou Dndley
Ellis, Foot, Forsyth, Frslinghuysen Gfundy Huyne'
Hendricks, Holmes, Irede, Johnson Kane knight
Living >ton, MLsan, Marks, Naudain, Noble, Rob,
birs, Rowan, Ruggles, Sanford, Seymour, Silsbce,
Smith, of Maryland Smith, of South Carolina,
Sprague, Webster. w hite, Wiley, and Woodbury-ao
NAYs-Mr. KING.
General Green was present in the Senate, and : !
heard allathis; and published it as have stated it.
in the Telegraph of the 22d of January He was !,
present and knew the price expressly stipulated
for, nj 35,25 per VOL to- be printed, bound letered
and pdcxed, all IN the neatest manner. lie knew
H.
cd, expressly given to the Secretary Of the I,
Senate. And knew the Secretary was US compe.
tent to discharge that duty any other man; aud
that he would dot with the most inflcxibe inteurtv
He knew the number of volumes were expressly
limited not to exceed thirty; but might be reduced
to any less number, if the Secretary should find it
to print many thirty. And he knew
that these stpulatons, limitations and arrangements
formed the subS.aaoe of the Resolution ITSELF and
not particle of power in the hands OF cafes g.
Sexton any other person, either to increase the
quantity or the price of the work to be done. He |
knew if the Secretary should extend The printing to
the thirty Volumes the utmost limits Of his power
that then the price of the whole work which thew
could possibly find authority to do, would amount
to than s37 900, calculated by the Secre-
tary of the Senate. And he knew that 1.-The Com |
rnttee the Library for the House of Represen-
tatives selected for their learning and capacity to
make such an inquiry. joined with the chief officers
OF that House. also quite competent had during the
last session of Congress- thoroughly investigated the
subject, and reported these facts:
"Though there were number of scattered and