Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-05-31
Thomas JeffersOn's Desk.
From the n. Y. Sun.

From the n. Y. SUM-
On the April %, 1880, both Houses
of Congress formally accepted as the
Gift of the heirs Of the late Joseph
Coolidge, Jr., the desk on which Thorn
as Jefferson wrote the Declaration OF
Independence. 1t was intrusted by
them to the Hon. Robert G. Winthrop,
of Boston, with a letter expressing the
wish of the donors that it might have
a place in the Department of State in
connection with the immortal docu-
ment which was written upon it in
1776." r. b. Hayes was the medium
through which this wish was commu-
nicated to Congress. Both Houses
took formal notice of the gift. In the
House of Representatives letter from
Mr.. Winthrop was read, as follows:
WASHINGTON, D. c., April IA, 1880.
My DEAR SIR: have been privileged to
bring with me from Boston, as present to
the United States, very precious historical
relic. 1t is the little desk on which Mr.. JET
fersOn wrote the original draft of the Declar-
alton Of Independence.
This desk was given by Mr.. Jefferson HIM
self of my friend, the late Joseph Coolidge, Of
Boston, at the time of his marriage to Jeffer-
sons granddaughter, Miss Randolph; and it
bears an autograph inscription of singular
interest, written by the illustrious author Of
the Declaration in the very last year of his
life.
On the recent death of Mr.. Coolidge, whose
wife had died a year or two previously, the
desk became the property of their children
MIR. j. Randolph Coolidge, DIR. Algernon
Coolidge, Mr.. Thomas Jefferson Coolidge,
and Mrs. Ellen Dwight-who now desire to
offer 1t to the United States, so that it may
henceforth have place in the Department
of State, in connection with the immortal
instrument which was written upon it in
1TT6.
They have done me the honor to make me
the medium of this distinguished gift, and
ask permission to place it in the hands of the
Chief Magistrate of the nation in their name
and ut their request.
Believe me, dear Mr.. President, with the
highest respect, very faithfully, your obedi-
ent servant, RoBT. C. WINTHROP.
His EXeellency RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
Then the House of Representatives
adopted resolution thanking the JEFF
ferson heirs, naming them separately,
''Sor the patriotic gift" and formally |
accepting "the precious relic," in "the
nameof the United States" and direct
ing that it "be deposited in the State
Department"
In the Senate similar proceedings
took place. the day there, as in the
House of Representatives, having been
set apart for the ceremonies.
The desk is described by one of Mr..
Jefferson's biographers as ga little
writing desk three inches high" which
has upon it this inscription, placed
there by Mr.. Jefferson himself:
Thomas Jefferson gives this writing desk
to Joseph Coolidge, Jr., as memorial of af-
lection. 1t was made from Il drawing of his
own by Benjamin Randall, cabinetmaker, of
Philadelphia, with whom he first lodged on
his arrival in that city in May, 177G, and is
the identical one on which he wrote the Dec
laration of Independence. Politics, as we'll
as religion, has its superstitions. These
gaining strength with time may one day give
imaginary value this relic for its association
Win the Dlrtn OF inc great cHiTteF Oi our
Independence.
MONTICELLO, Nov. Is, 1925.
After these proceedings in Congress,
two copies of the 'precious relic" one
for the Hon. Robert G.. Winthrop, of
Massachusetts,, the other for the Hon.
John Randolph Tucker, of Virginia, 4
were authorized, in consideration of 1
their part in the matter. So precious
was the relic considered that no more
copies were ever authorized. 1t was $
intended that these two copies should f
possess peculiar value. AS such
they were accepted by Mr.. Winthrop !
and Mr.. Tucker, by whom they were
priced, as Congress intended they 1
should be priced. c
1t was not long after, however, that
this "precious relic" turned up in the =
cabinet shop of the Treasury Depart s.
ment. 1t was at the time the Sherman h
civil service training school was in full "
blast, when French. Upton, Lamphere,