Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-03-21
TIE JEFFERSON PAPERS.

| Tn m. Editors Of The Enquirer:
r;ensmen-My attention having been recently direcieo
new spspsr articles relative The Jefferson WORKS,
49, in tho prognss Of publication, under inc euPetssi
~ the Congressional Library Committee beg soie
~ The columns of your paper, 10 MAKE pfel eHP
the true character of that publication In oroer ~
any false and Injurious impression which may nave
beer mater of complaint in the articles alluded
hal the first three volumes contain not lnuGn e s
matter This, In great degree 10 true; ou Il, .Imn,
three here was not much new TO publish ia''ng
,s ,ho ccrod embraced by those Volumes ana uus' @
VIM n rorrespondencs which they are devoted AN @
hSao ,rson's papers contained they came mo .e
as IF The editor hos been given TO the puohc H.
csery examined those papers, ana nc uveI bc"u omitted
sihs ss only apprehension is that he has eTea d.
uhisbing matter which might not consider ,h
10 puLrro,i0n But knowing the great Interest ""en w
Of ne in every thing which has emanaed rom 'o
A. Jefferson he has, 10 oil douoliu cases, p,Ge'r.u
u W. the safe side And, in many cases weto s ~ h
e LII, and press copies have so faded ana moIueu 10 uG
scfipl guy legible he has with much labor and aln
@ wherever practicable restored me lex IN "1ue
h nothing valuable contained IN Inc coNec"oH s"0u'
perish, II m beTcfore comprised in tho Jefferson manu-
lns which had been published before ana wn'Gn
o worthy of publication haa been Incorporated ~
work The Editor Is free TO admit 80 lar as lie
M volumes concerned that his DOCS not amount
~ anv great deal In the four volumes OF
thnd nv Mr. Randolph, but prepared oy MI JEFFERSON
@ ore comprised nearly all his eorly letters which ne
h nrrseryed and which possessed general interest Inc
has been able mike some addlIlons out not mpny
- hoo we're other important letters written by MI Jetlef
~ hin The period embraced by The hrst three volumes
a no doubt there wee they have perishcd or al iecs
ia certain that they have not been preserved IN me coec
,Ion m his papers pucha sed by the government lhee ID
indeed large Of and Interesting matter Tor
implication it belongs later period, and to other d.
visions Of the WORK , ,,. ,,
Mr. Jefferson US well letters written by him. have not
been introduced But this would hnye extended the publ
cation greatly beyond any Thing contemplated by inc com
mi,tee or which the committee would have sanctioned
What committee proposed 10 do, In the present puoca
lon was TO give tho public the %RITlsas OF THOMAS
JEFFERSON II no part OF lhelr plan 10 maze Sehefai
publication OF all contained in the Jefferson Coec
on which might be considered as possessing interest
They probably did feel themselves authorised by Con.
prrss 10 make any such general publication 1t Is manifest
that the appropriation made by Congress- did not contem-
plate any work IL for the publication OF the VIII
ngs OF Thomas Jefferson that provision was made-no'
thing more r. in order explain and illustrate those vii.
ngs should be found necessary In any particular case
publish The writings Of other persons ihen Indeed such
writings might be published; but 30 far only as m9ht &c
necessary to explain and illustrate The writings Of Jefferson
To have inserted in the work all the letters addressed 10 Nj
Jefferson during his long and eVentu e and preserved IN
the collection purchased by tho government which might
have been considered interesting In themselves would
probably have extended the publication to some hlrY or
forty volumes, instead of seven. TO which Inc committee
wished If practicable TO limit H. IL was therefore, ouna
necessary confne The publication 10 the writings JET
erson inserting foreign only so far as II might be re-
qured for their eiucldalon
In conformity with these views the immense mass of the
Jefferson manuscripts purchased 81 the government were
placed in the Ednrs hands win instructions 10 mato
collection of fcrsons 1corks 11W erhi6H fdtry ms
ries upon all public questions and display MS character
and genius- endearorng al c same time possible not
erceed such roiunss az those o. HaHHon tne
Editor has proceeded in his work in strict conformity win
these Just and reasonable views OF the committee c mas
on the one hand confined the publication 10 The MAN. 10
the writings OF Mr. Jefferson. On the other hand he has
not excluded The writings Of other PERSONS when found ne
c,ssary to explain and interpret those writings he mas,
however inserted foreign matter only In cases where lie nae
mass of letters addressed Mr. Jefferson might DC consd
cred In some degree necessary TO interpret the letters wt
by him. But TO have published all sucn eers ~Suu
we have seen have extended The WORK Vasy oyono e
limits indicated both by the COMMITTEE ano ny Copstess
and probably beyond any thing which the pubic expected
or desired The Editor therefore, found himself compeeo
to discriminate and in doing he has exercised MS pest
misunderstanding such foreign matter as was esscna 10
the Illustration OF the text and emitting all otheI. upon
this principle he has given the greater part OF oon SUES OF
very Interesting correspondence between NJ Jefferson 1na
John Adams after their reconciliation In 1871 Inc pno'
cation of both sides of this correspondence was 10
ceseary the complete development Of MI po
itica aud religious opinions II mas oeeh theteoIe sse
And co. in other cases. though upon snalc seuc me
the Interpretation Of Mr. Jetersons writings ca'su 'of u,
the productions OF other have been inserted 6u
10 ali other cases. they have been Systematically excluded
from the work Had any document or other paper Written
by another possessing peculiar Interest," and never before
published been found in tho collection, the Editor "ouo
made ns "sh or Us
merit and interest But no such document or paper was
found There are, indeed, many papers In the collection
by others possessing much interests but they have
all published before. The Editor Of course, did mol
feel himself called upon TO IepnbIsh them rho rd,o,
Proceeding The principles here slated, the Eo'to
has been able TO compress the WORK ~ithh w" Hilts
in ica by the committee 1t vii! probably reach ten vol
umes 1t wns found impossible 10 compress Il ino seven
without mu.liug the publication. This The committee DID
not desire They wished every thing contained In The col
lection possessing general interest," particularly II never
published before be given tho public This has been
DONE Nothing and, at the same lime worthy OF puo
has been excluded As already stated very con
siderable of and Interesting matter VIII be puo
shed for the first certainly, every thing conaincu in
the collection Whenever Editor has cuuicd and COM
pressed Been by excluding old matter published De-
fore and possessing particular interest Ii Is ia lhs way
Thai he has Approximate nearly as pruct
cable the limits suggested by the COMMITTEE he mas no
however SO far as he knows excluded any portcn even Of
old matter which possessed real public interest and Vaiue
Pu the information of those who lee! particular inter-
est in the Jeeraon MSS and may wish TO consult them
for historical Or other purposes the Editor will state that oil
the paprrs contained In the collection which have any pre-
,.n,lon 10 general interest," will be arranged ndeIed aud
bound nnt deposited among the National Archives In Tie
State Department. where all who wish Hhy nave access ~
them II is estimated that there will DC between one nun
deJ and twenty and one hundred and thirty Of these manu-.
script volumes. Their preparation WILL without accident
be COMPLETED In the OF the present SUMMER wch
they III DC bound and deposited, together win The naeh
10 the Archve Office. Tho refuse NATTER greater IN ous
nobaby than The selected matter WILL al the same im DC
returned the State Department in the CONDITION In winch
it received. In.
lions Library Committee, aud The view when nave
taken of nv editorial duties have not felt myself ut oer'
~ to cucumber the publication with matter OF my own lar
,her Than necessary explain the ex anu inc hoes
which have been appended will therefore, be iouno 10 NC
purely explanatory and historical in their character
! fN'e' Most 1cspecfully H. A. WASHINGTON.
| Fur the ENQUIRER.