Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-04-17


LETTER +.
To the Editors of the Ersniag Post
Some time ago there appeared in your paper severa
communications containing comments on two or three
letters in Washngtons Writings apparently designed
to show the ncompetency Of the editor of that work for
the execution Of his task and to place his fidelity in
questionable light III health at the time prevented me
from taking such notice of those comments their charac
ter and tendency might seem to require From recent
article in the Ecening Post, learn that Lord Mahon in
work lately published has repeated them, and added
structures ofhs constrained, therefore ask
the attention of your readers to few remarks touching
this matter.
The charge made by the writer in the Evening Post and
adopted by Lord Mahon, is that the editor of Washing
tons Writings in preparing the manuscripts for the
press has taken unwarrantabe liberty with the text
altering emitting and adding might suit his caprice
and that for the purpose of establishment and Of
forming the work his standard of taste he has
"tampered with the truth of history"
deny that any part of this charge is in any sense
which authorize the censures bestowed by these
writer's raise suspicion of the EDITORS fidelity and
fairness 1t would certainly be strange editor should
undertake to prepare for the press collection of manu-
script letters, many Of them hastily written without
thought that they would be published and should
not at the time regard it solemn duty
obvious slips Of the occasional inaccuracies of
preston and manifest faults of grammar, which the
writer himself if he could have revised his
scripts would never for moment have allowed to appear
in print
This is all have done in the way of altering or correct
ing Washingtons letters. The alterations strictly
verbal grammatical; l conscious that, in this
process historical fact the expression Of opinion
or the meaning Of sentence has, any OCCASION been
perverted modified can confidently affirm that the
editorial corrections designed to have such
tendency and such should any where appear to exist
it must be accidental and of little significance What
possible motive could there be for assuming such license
Washngtons character certainly did require to be
protected by unworthy artfce and least of all
could the editor derive from it either fame profit
other conceivable advantage.
These verbal alterations chiefly in the private
letters which written in haste and not intended by
the author for publication and they make but compa-
ratvey small portion of the work In his official
spondence and papers prepared for the public eye
precise and careful than Washington to the
selection Of his words and the construction of his language
His private and confidential letters like those of other
men, often neggently written in regard to these
particulars This class Of letters tnpght it the duty
of editor, act Of justice to the memory of the
author to revise with for the press still of
this opinion executed the task according to my best
discretion do not pretend to nfaibilty Of Judgment
probably persons would decide alike in all
Of this kind of which involve minute distinctions of
no great moment in themselves; nor am ! sure that
should in every instance approve my first decisions
but feel that have right to claim the credit Of inte
gritty Of purpose and Of having faithfully discharged the
duty set before in strict conformity with the prnc
Piles explained at large to the public in the introduction
to the first volume that published
But the heaviest charge is that Of making additions.
This charge is entirely without foundation. Knowing
that not single line fragment of line, inten-
twelve volumes Of the work. confess it with no little
surprise that saw passage quoted from letter to Jo-
seph Reed, printed in "Washngton's Writings" and
declared by the writer in the Ereg Post to be an in
venton Of my own, the not being found in what
supposed be exact copy Of the original printed in
the Life and Correspondence Of Joseph Reed" The
following is the quotation
"The drift and design obvious; Ja is possible ha
any sensible nation upon earth BE- imposed upon By such
cobTet scheme ga"se coreriagf But enough"
In his comment on this passage the writer says:
81 you that ths credit rhetoric all the nvec
tive all the fancy all the logic and all the science Of the
lines here given in italics belong exclusively to Mr.. Sparks
and when he imputed them Gen. Washington he robbed
himself and, perhaps you will think the General also"
outstanding the writer's assurance the quotation
in Italics, word for word here printed is in the org
nal letter written by Washington II was doubtless
omitted in the Life Of Reed" by an oversight of the
transcrber, by other accident Every one nows
how frequently accidents OF this kind occur in the pass
ing of manuscripts through transcribers and printer
hands and the probability Of errors from this
ehoud teach caution TO critic who has positive ey
dence Of his accuracy The charge certainly gray
one, and should not have been lightly uttered II cou
not fail to excite suspicion and dstrust If edito
would allow himself TO make edition the text in on
place he might do il in another, and in many Others
rules Of editorial supervision could justify such PR
ceeding. must repeat, therefore, that line hi
been any where Intentionally knowingly added to Il
text contained either in the etter-books the orig
ais from which the letters copied for the press.
In the recent article mentioned above Lord Mahon
quoted saying:
Sparks has printed part Of the correspondence pr
cely Washington wrote II but has greatly altered
rs he thinks corrected and embelished it,
SO loose and sweeping charge needs only be met by
plain denial Of its truth and rebuke for its rashnes
How could Lord Mahon affirm that part is print
ms written unless he had read the whole work and col
pared each letter with the original Has he ever ma
this comparison Certainly not because he has new
seen the originals at oil and there is proof that
had compared ffeth or even hundredth part wi
other printed copies where they exist. His Lordst
also undertakes TO inform his readers what the edit
thinks" but assure him that the editor never n
such thought, ever dreamed Of embelishing Was
ingtons language in manner whatever Of
ing It. except for the press as above described.
As the general execution Of the work certainly
the best TO believe ut the time Of its pubca
and afterwards that my labors satisfactory
public and mcrited praise but shall again
point Meantime, may perhaps, be excused for inse
ing two letters bearing upon it from Chief Justice
shall:
RICHMOND, MAY 0, 1884
aDrAR srn: Mr.. Thompson has forwarded TO the I'd
sd volumes Of the Writings Of Washington, for which
greatly indebted you have perused them with IN