The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-04-20
TaE MADISON PAPERS.

THE MADiSON PAfEhS.s
w. 6nd IN the Democratic Review Tor Mlrch the
foloxing PARTICULARS relative 10 the highly interest
ing and important papers purchased ny 1onx.ess
from Mrs. Map SON. We Learn maj they a'e INV
In press in this city, and will be published early IN
the aniuma.
MAD t,,, hen ramared that there existed am ng
IN, n,nsr, ~ Mr. Madison a complete and accurate
r.oou of the Dsbles In The Convention which
fran Il The Constitution. and The veriheaion I'll me
fact siece his death NOV ~ uSly regarded as one OF
me mort inieresline events IN the history OF our ma
Ii,pal literature. Tn. feeling every day deepening
and siren gthening throughout the land, that 10 the
nil ic advantages secured 10 them BY that happy
Instrument The people Of this country are mainly in
debsd fr the utterly unexampied ma ionai pruperi>
~ which has been the pJriin at the United States.
and thar with its involable maintenance that onward
destiny Is inseparahly linked well The conyic
ton every day becoming clearer with the great mass
ofIhe people, that the only guaranty Tor The coninu-
ance Of these manifold blessings Is "a be found IN
strict construction Of It's provisions 10 regulating all
public action, and in bringing every political mra,
sure the rigid test of its restrictions have uDiled
10 give value al ;ost sacred 10 every authenlie
cnment calculated to throw light npon the history OF
the Constitution, and on the opinions ana motives
which actnaed the trainers in perie' ting what WIN
all its faults, must be pronounced the noblesi aud
most perfect political code the world has ever seen
The pauciiy al meagrc character OF the ma'eIias
which we possess bearing the history oil The Con-
stiiulion, will give additional value to the richness
OF these newly discovered treasures. The imp RECT
Journal of the Convention, which, by order OF The
body transferred TO The keeping Of It's President,
General Washington, and was filed amang his pa
pers in ihe Department or State, was published, by
order Of Congress. In 1919; and, even In This Ease,
we are indebted 10 the proydent industry OF M di-
son for the corrections and additions which were ne
cessary mike the official rect I'd OF their pro-
ceedngs Ineligible. So accurately had this illus.
IT Gus man--as IL forewarned by his destiny OF the
value which future times would attach to their abors
kept his private minutes af the proce, dngs in the
Convention, that he was able, on the application Of
President Monroe, 10 complete, in all iis parts the
journal LEFT unfinished more than thirty years before
BY the Secretary appointed 10 record il ; and which
thus constitutes mol less memorial Of these impor-
tant b,rs than an interesting tribute TO represen
tatve hdeliiy and care that we may safely call with
out parallel. The Debles in The States Of Massa-
chusetts, New York Virginia, North Carolina, ard
Pennsvyar u, on the adoption Of the Constitution,
are all that have reached US They have heen col
lecied in sloveny publication issued al Washing
iion, bat contain contemporary materials Of a stuff
cieDt value To warrant their preservation In form
al once durable and respectable. These, with the
minutes Of Yates, who left he Convention long be-
for Il adjourned and the very intereS ing statements
Of Luther Martin and of Governor Edmund RAN
doph to the Legislatures Of Maryland and Virgil
nia constitute all the materials we possess for the his
tory Of thrt memorable assemb!age, from which the
broad and stately fabric Of our present system has
dated its commencement. The interest, IN Tefore,
which uu attach to FIJI repon Of The entire debnfes
by hand OF whose faithful accur CIV We have above
mentioned striving test, may be easily imagined |;
and every lover eft his country will be rpadvo nd nit
that one uf the fathers that Constitution which has
safely conducted il through SO many dangers 10 so
high destiny did not estimate It's import nee
In the opinion OF his grateful country when he let
u such manuscript as nj orce the most precious
legacy he could Offer and The best fruit Of his long
and llus,rous life
We do not propose more, in the present paper,
than to give an acrolat the manuscripts and their
history, Te>crving for future notice the observations
that their coaentS NAV suggest, when they shall be
in possession Of The public.
The first distinct information Of the character and
extent at the work was communicated TO the country
in l'tt.c from Mrs. Madison 10 President jackson,
and by him transmitted 10 Congress- as matter In
every respect deserving their attention 1t appeared
from this letter that the departed statesman had long
previous TO his DEATH carefully written OUT his notes
OF the Deblles in The invention for the press and
had ett directions in his will for their publication
char.ing several egaces IN the profits which he
reasonably expected the work wunld produce. The
propusols, however, which his heirs received from
The publishing houses 10 VIII CHI The copy right was
offered, Tell far short Of these expectations that
Mrs. Madison, with a jut percep i of what was,
under the circumstances due fT I'm the country al
once submitted statement of the circumstances TO
the President, who communicated them to CoDo ress
in special message on the 9Th of December, 1886
The result was the appointment OF umitiee, who
recommended The purchase and publication of The
manuscripts as National Work and thirty thou
sand dollars were subsequently appropriated 10 Mrs.
Madison tor the former object The novel and inte-
resting features of the case-he veneraied relic OF
one Of the founders Of the Republic co ing before
the country tn a manuscript precious in its re-
aion to its national destiny as the Svbil's books
which the fables Of mythology have loved to asso,
ciaie wiki the infant glories Of the Roman State
were such that the propo> tion be met with
cold appreciation Of merits, or with nice questions
OF Congressional power. Indeed, all the Legislative
proceedings in relation to this matter rather
lad fho ,h,fa Txcr .c.tx
highest representative body, TO the family OF cili-
zen so illustrious alike by his character his employ
mems, and his services 10 the State than the pur-
chase Of work, merely useful or Interesting, for
given value. II was this feeling also which induced
Congress 10 pass subsequent aci giving to Mrs
Madison The honorary privilege of copy. right in
foreign countries, with the single provso that the
manuscripts in possession Of Congress should be used
for the purpose, doubtless 10 avoid the impropriey
Of work being published broad before its appear
ance in the country where ii was the national pro-
perry, and 10 which its subject exclusively apperain-
ed; merely nominal restriction, since one Of the
copies printed here would afford every requisite IA
city should its republication be desired.
The work thus purchased was transferred BY Con-
gress to The care ofthe joint Committee OF the Libra
ry, and that body it is understood after inviting pr
pos'ohs rom numerous publishers, have made ar
rangemens for its early appearance in suitable STYLE
and, by attaching fixed sum for the DOWNRIGHT of
the work TO each copy that may be sold, sough, TO
meet the original constitutional becton by pul,ing
it in the power OF the country TO repay the liberal ad
vance which the Legislature has made from The Ma
ional Treasury fo:the purchase Of The work. We
now proceed TO give brief description of the manu-
scripts
The work consists OF two distinct parts. The frs,
contains the only records known to exist of Debates
in the Congress OF The Confederation; aud as these
Deb1es are merely fragments Of those which occur
red during the years 1882 and 1857 The interval has
been filled up with numerous letters and extracts OF
letters descriptive Of passing events hich were
written by Mr.. Madison, in his official capacity, &c
various distinguished friends, and which will be re-
ceived as valuable acceSsions to our materials fol
the history OF the period. Respecting these letter,
and debates, Mr.. Madison, himself, gives the follow
lag circumslanlial and authentic information in a
predatory note attached 10 the volume:
"Mr. Madison took his seat in the Congress of the