The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-10-05
SAINT PAUL, FRIDAY, OCTOBER s. 1860

IN the copies taken by Mr.. Sparks, the orr
ginal having disappeared), and Hamilton s
original draft of an address in the "new
FORM" There is also preserved among
Hamiton's papers, can abstract of Points
to form an address," which appears to have
been drawn up by him as a guide, in pre-
| pairing his original draft.
Hamilton's original draft, as revised and
corrected and adopted by Washington, has
disappeared. The original manuscript of
the Farewell Address, from which it was
printed, is in existence, and it is wholly in
the handwriting of Washington. 1t con.
tains very many corrections, erasures, and
interlineations, which are also all in Wash
ingtons handwriting. 1t was presented to
the editor of the paper in which it was pub
lished, Claypoole, at his request, by Wash.
ington himself; and at ClaypooIe's decease it
was purchased, for twenty-five hundred dol
lars, by James Lenox, Esq, of New York,
who has caused very carefully prepared
edition of it to be privately printed, with
all the variations accurately noted in the
margin.
The above statement is believed to con.
tain the material facts of the case, as far as
they appear from the papers now in exis-
tence. The limits of these pages will not
admit more detailed investigation Of the
question of authorship, nor could it be made
to advantage without careful examination
and comparison of the original papers in
the case. From such an examination, it
will, we think, appear that the Farewell
Address, as drawn up by Hamilton, and
published by Washington to the people of
the United States, commencing with the
material portions of Mr.. Madison's draft of
1892, presents in more developed form the
various ideas contained in Washington's
original draft, and treats in argumentative
connection the topics therein more aphoris>
tically propounded; the whole combined with
original suggestions of kindred type from
Hamiton's own pen. Great skill is eviuced
by him in Intervening, in its proper place,
every suggestion contained in WashiDgton's
draft, with single exception; nor is there
believed to be anything superadded by Ham
ilton, of which the germ at least cannot be
found in Washington's draft, in his multifa-
rious correspondence, or in other produc-
tions uDques,ionably from bis pen.
"A siuSt Topic cOuIalucu III w aSninStOu
draft was excluded, with his full consent
and appreciation, from the published ad-
dress. The passage in question consisted of
suggestions Of a personal character-an in
dignant ailusion to the efforts made by
"some of the gazettes of the United States"
by misrepresentation and falsehoods, to
wound his reputation and feelings" and
to weaken if not entirely destroy the con-
idence reposed in him by the country
proud assertion of the uprightness of his
intentions, touching demand of respect
for "tbe gray hairs of a man who had
passed the prime of his life in the service of
the country, that he may " be suffered to
pass quietly to his grave;" with a conclud-
ing observation that bis fortune has not been
improved by the emoluments of Office
These ideas. rather more carefully digested
than any other portion of Washington's
original draft, are, in the published address,
omitted almost wholly, and this with the
distinct appreciation of Washington. 1t
appears to have been thought that, in a
paper calculated to descend to posterity
allusions to temporary causes of irritation
had better be suppressed.