Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-02-02

! Il
by Mr.. CLAY, authorising the Joint COM
mittee on the library to purchase the ORR
ginal manuscript of Washington's Fare
well Address.
Mr.. CLAY el0quently addressed the Sen
ate in support of the resolution. He re-
! terred to the universal love of the people
| for the memory of Washington, and the
interest every American feels IN contem-
plating anything that ever belonged TO him,
or which had emanated from his hand.
Mr.. Clay stated that the manuscript was
now i'll the hands of the descendants of
Mr.. Claypole, the editor of the Daily Ad-
yertiser, 'paper formerly published in
| Philadelphia, which was selected by Gen.
Washington to publish this address. 1t
had recently been advertised for sale at
public auction; and he (Mr. c. not being
willing that this document, which was and
always would be so venerated by the
American people, should be lost to the
country-perhaps be transported to grace
the parlor of some European nobleman,
had thought proper to make this effort TO
secure it for the library of Congress.
In the course of his remarks, Mr. Clay
stated that he had in his parlor at Ashland,
broken goblet which was used by Gen.
( Washington in camp. during the revolu-
tonary war, and he would say that 10
other object in his possession was so much
valued, and none which was looked on
with so much interest by those who visited
him.
Mr.. Foote said he had no objection 10
the resolution, and would be willing to
vote millions for the purchase of Wash
ington's farewell address. if, by SO doing,
the men of the north-the usurpers of
southern rights, who were combined, TO
some extent, with traitors in the midst of
the south-might be defeated in their III
cendiarv movements, or if they could be
compelled to yield to the influence of the
sentiments which Washington had promul
gated in the address in question.
Mr.. Webster arose to advocate the adop-
ton of the resolution. lie said it proposed
an object which would be gratifying to the
whole people. Mr.. Clay had said that
the goblet used by Gen. Washington du-
ring the revolution, was in his possession,
and proved an object of interest to all who
behcld it. He (Mr. W. would state cir
cumstance, also, in Illustration of that feel
ing of vencration and respect with which
Americans bcheld objects which once be-
louged to the Father Of his Country. 1t
would be remembered that the Continental
Congress voted several medals to Wash
mgton. Morgan, Greene, and other generals
in the revolutionary army, IN token of the
appreciation of their services. General
Washington. during his life time, collected
d number of these medals, together with
others of Dir. Franklin, which he placed
in a little casket-his own medal in the
centre, surrounded by twelve others At
his death, this caskct passed to his eXecu-
tors, and about twenty-five Years ago, it
seemed expedicnt to the person who held
it to offer ii for sale. 1t was brought to
Washington, and proposition for It's pur-
chase was introduced into Congress BY
gentleman from MasSachusctts-bu a CON
stItutIonal question arose whether Congress
had the power to appropriate money for
such purposes as the purchase of those
medals. (Laughter.) After a debate of
two Or three days upon this constitutional
quesuon-by the vote of those who be-
lieved 1t unconstitutional, the proposition
was laid on the table. He'(Mr. W. at
once sent and purchased the casket-the
medals were now in his library amid nu-
merous autographs of Washington, and
when friends or strangers did him the |
honor to visit him at home, if they were
acquainted with the circumstance TO which
he alluded, the first objects which they had
requested to be shown were those relics off
Washington.
Mr.. Jefferson Davis opposed the resolu-
ton as inexpedien. He said printed copies
could be obtained in abundance, and read
by the whole people. He thought that
the Senate proposed 10 run INTO an extreme
in relation to those matters of vcneration,
the American people.
Mr.. Borland also opposed the resolution.
He intimated that unscrupulous spectators
had secured, and were securing, relics of
the patriots of the revolution, and appeal
ing to Congress to purchase them, for no
other object than TO ill their purses with /.
the fruits of their speculatlons. They had /
seized upon every thing which might be
to possess a sufficient interest 10 !
form a basis of speculation, and hawlled |
them about the capitol If the practice
was to be encouraged, he did not doubt but
that the sacred bones of Washington would 7
al some future day, be offered for sale.
Mr. Clay begged leave to inform the I
Senator from Arkansas, that the manuscript
of the farewell address of Washington, /
which was proposed TO be purchased, had !
not been hawkcd about the capitol. The I
gentlemen who had it in their possession, .
had made no application to sell it here. 1t
was his own proposition, which had come .
up on his own motion, of his own resolu- T
ton. and without the annlicallnn Of nerson