Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-30
Two old Books.

| A Journal reporter was shown, few
days ago, two old and uncommon books,
which proved to be very interesting.
These books are now the property of Mr..
Hiram K. Choate, who takes delight In
| collecting as well as reading rare old
volume or document and usually appre-
| olates its value on sight. He will give
these two in question to the antiquarian
society. The larger of the two books bears
the signature L. Severance in the plain
hand writing which characterized the
man, and In which vigorous articles have
been interpreted to the compositors time
and again in the days when his strong per-
sonality dominated the management of
the Kennebec Journal This volume bears
upon the back in lieu of gilt lettering
the rather crude work of quill pen, the
Ink OF which has faded so that 1t Is with
the utmost difficulty one can make out
two of the four words in the title to be
Speeches Essays - The volume Is
made up of pamphlets, chiefly of politi-
cal nature and coll cted from variety of
sources, bound together. In all proba-
bility this book hasn't an exact duplicate.
Indeed in one or two instances not only
margin but part of the printed matter
has been sacrificed by the pruning neces-
sary to fit the pamphlet to the dimensions
of the covers The subjects treated by
these various pamphlets are such as one
might suppose would catch the eye of Mr.,
Severance and finally induce him to pre-
serve them. A discolored bit of paper
serving as bookmark we found reckoning
to Mr.. Webster's Vindication of the
Treaty of Washington of 1S42 in Speech
Delivered in the Senate of the United
States, on the 9th and 18th of April, 1916. 4"
Reading this now one can easily be-
lieve that Mr.. Webster said all possible to
be said in defense of the treaty, which
came in for greater criticism long af.
ter 1t was made than 1t excited at the
time. Among other good things the book
contains Is a review of the twenty nineth |
Congress from a Wing standpoint; also a |
speech by Congressman Hunt of New |
York in the House in December 1S45 on |
'The Naturalization Laws and Frauds |
on the Ballot Box" 1t Is needless to add |
that this has as much of live interest at the |
present time as not few of the speeches
printed in the congressional record of To-
day. French spoilation claims Is another
subject discussed also Mr.. Ashmun' reply |
to c. J. Ingersoll's attack upon Daniel
Webster. In this debate Ingersoll |
called Ashmun oowardly liar and
the debate throughout is very in
teresting reading. One pamphlet emu
merates the prominent instances in
which the Federal constitution had been
violated by the national government for
the benefit Of slavery. The tariff comes in
for consideration and 1t is noticeable that
the main arguments closely resemble those
employed in tariff discussions nowadays.
The second volume, to which reference
was made at the beginning is Lewis
Discoveries. - The book includes the
message of the President In February,
1905, respecting the explorations made by
Lewis and Clark. The volume was for
merly the property of Hon. John Chandler
of this city.
Monniinh, Evrureion In En.S DcnL.-