The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-10-09

-. !: of she Government,
{ ItIs said that Secretary Blaine, before
relinquisl,ing the portfolio Of the Depart
raent of State, will fry TO secure the. pub
LEGATION of at least part Of the historical
drclixes OF the Government which are at
present slowed away under his charge: as
they have been hitherto IN the care; of
his predecessors. Many attempts have
been made to obtain an appropriation, for Or
ahis purpose, .but Congress has. never: re-
spoidad The NATIONAL legislation 'isiton
kecnly interested in the present. keeping
an eve always. apon the future, to feel the
slightest enthusiasm concerning the ,ast,.
and thus. these enormously valuable rec.
brds are permitted TO meu!der away, food
only for -fhe patient historical searcReF
Here, in fact, is the great. repository OF
American history, from which, Bancroft,
Henry Adams, Hiidreth and others drew
most of their information.
| A few years ago the Department of State
purchased for $2G, G0the papers of hen-
roe. These in themselves area vast store
house of historical. knowledge 1t must
be remembered that Monroe was not only
President for eight years, but before
That was Secretary of State and Minister
10 France having served all through the
Reyolutionary war. The c0llecfft1i reler-
redyto: inc!uded his, public. and. private:
correspondence during the entire period
of those events. Previously the depart
.ment had acquired the correspondence
of James Madison, togethcr. with other
ipape Of his, including the occretJournai
Or the Constitutional Conventions THIS
|iiournal is in Madison's s. Own crampediponz,
lmanship, and remains probably the pRstj
extraordinary record Of the foundation OF
1.-The most extraordinary Government that
the world has ever seen Before fhe acI
:udisiton Of the Madison papers, the De-
State had SECURED. the wit,
Kings Of General. Washingtor-many VOL,
umes, containing copies Of AT his letters,
&c. These writings Jared Sparkes had
Eaccess 70 and extracts from in''hls writ
ings on Washington. ortunatly Sparks
loved shin gton letter than he. trutiii
and he suppressed or,altered.' many pas.
/ sngesi One of:the curiossitles shown TO-
i strangers here are thcse.sam volumes OF
Washington's, in his own; hand OF
in the beautiful Writing. Of his Secretary.
Washington never had IL Secretary who
did not write an exquisite hand, while he
himself wrote better than any Statesman
Of the present day. Besides these .rcgu-
larly classified collections, there are liter
ally tons of letters containing historical
Information of almost inca!cu1]de value.
The department Of Siitc'is not at f"is
day purely a Fore gu Ciiiee. in OLD times
IT was muclr Tess 80 thai. NOW, having
charge of all matters relatnmst TO the IN
terror except Indian affairs. E'cn al
present it is NO exagscratlon TO say that
the President has intercourse with the
State Department more than with all the
others put together. In earlier days his:
governmental functions were exercised
almost wholly through the Department OF
State, the clerks ofwhich he actually APP
.uoinied. fit be remembered that eacht
Stcretarr of State since the tionheSan,
has fell it his duty to-leaNc record OF
every important public: Transaction mi
which lie has been concerned, it will be-
perceived how much tina; is priceless
historically must have been preserved
in this shape alone. :,
There are masses Of such historical ma!
ecral in evccy one. Of the old departments
lutnine- tonths Of it Ill is stored away ln
charge ofthe Secretary OF State. Most
of it is open for public inspections, IL gem
eral rule governing in all civilized
countrics..to thc effect that such matters
Shall nevcrhc Kept secret longer than
sixty wears. ,Dnring.thc session OF Con-
gress before the last, DR.. Wharton was
authorized to print the diplomatic correr
sponderce of the Revolution. Tie work
was interrupted by his death, but will be
completed by The department: Al pres,
ent any responsible person is permitted
to sec these documents or to take copies
from them