New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-02
HISTORICAL PAPERS OF Value
THE STATE DEPARTMENTS INTERESTING
COLLECTION.
MONEY NEEDED PROPERLY TO CARE FOR THE

MONEY NEEDED PROPERLY TO CARE FOR THE
MANUSCRIPTS AND TO ADD TO THEM
Washington, Jan. 1.-stored away In the archives
OF the State Department Is collection Of historical
papers the most valuable In all probability, In the
United States They include the letters, diaries,
books and other memoranda from the founders OF the
Republic and constantly In demand by students
and writer's of history. The frequent Landings which
they have received have seriously damaged some OF
them; and that they may be preserved for the use
and Information OF succeeding generations OF invesu'
gators, the Department has for several years been
engaged in the work OF arranging, indexng and bind
ing them When this work Is finished 1T will require
another decade at least unless the force Is ncreassd
the manuscripts Will be In such condition that they
may be conveniently handled BIZ the Investigator
without harm to the documents themselves, and any
particular paper may be readily found.
The Madison and Monroe papers have been bound
ard partly indexed. They nl thrtytwo and seventy.
| 1--WE large volumes respectively. An index OF the
jefferson papers Is about threequsrters done; already
$4,000 titles have been written The work advanced
slowly, for the that 1t must be done In con.
nection with the work OF the library there
being no special appropriation for especial labor.
| The first purchase OF historic collection for the
Department that Of the papers Of Washington.
for which item OF 5000 inserted In the APP
preparation bill Of 1894. The collection was owned
| by George C. Washington Evidently the whole OF
| the collection was not then secured, for In l649
another appropriation of 10000 made to pur-
chase the remaining manuscript books and letters of
George Washington which also transferred TO
| the Department by George c. Washington.
On August 10, 154S. appropriation OF 100000
was made TO purchase the manuscript writings OK
Thomas jefferson from Thomas Jefferson Ranaoph,
and like amount to purchase those Of Alexander
! Hamilton from james c. Hamilton. Earlier In tho
same year, on May 81, act was passed authorizing
the Secretary OF State to purchase from Mrs. hadi'
son the unpublished manuscript OF her husband. ex:
President Madison. The next purchase authorized
was collection Of manuscript books and papers OK
| James Monroe By act OF March 3, le40. For THIS
the secretary OF State was authorized 10 pay = l..
(iolverner the sum OF 10000 The last purchase ot
this character WAS the collection CT the writings and
works OF benjamin Franklin, made BY Henry stevens.
then OF London, England, for when Nr teNehs re-
ceved 1886 600 since 1885 Congress has MADE no appO'
pration for the purchase Of other collections. although
valuable additions to the Jefferson, Madison ana MO1-
roe papers have been offered to the Government The
purchase OF the material collected by the lie neOrge
bancroft with his correspondence and diaries, mas re-
| Gently been talked Of. - 4,
Elisa In Importance arid value Of all the papers IN
| the Department, the librarian places the recons of
| the Continental Congress, which came 10 IL by
Inheritance. Although the art Of verbatim reporting
was not exercised In those days. the records contain
not q little Of what said by the fathers and found.
ers OF the country, and complete transcript OF al
| the business proposed ana Transacted.