New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-03


details Of the character of the records which it is
sought TO perpetuate and Of their present neglected
and scattered condition, saying:
Your committee feel that they do not state the
case too strongly in saying that at present no law
archives Of the National Government can feel in
advance any assurance that the papers TO which
washington where they would naturally be sup
Possession Of The tinted states at ali -
There are not lacking Illustrations Of the impair
have resulted from the lack Of suitable provision
Tor their arrangement anG safefeepiIg LntlI very
lately great quantities OF manuscripts have been
without order or system exposed TO the ravages Of
mice dirt and darpnesa and subject 10 mutilation
theft. Fortunately for the interests Of the
been committed 10 the custody Of the Library Of
cleaned 'caraIoelAd and suitably rrese~ved but
there appears 10 be good reason for thinking that
al mar m q rom 5ae 09PeFs VIII sh0" that the
Il Is a matter OF common observation also that
manuscripts Of Official documents especially those
OF years prior 1861. constantly appearing
al auction sales in the large cities and are being
viduals, and scattered in this way about the
Try. The United States has itself bought. a
Of many thousands Of dollars various collections
Of papers. many Of which were Of an Official and
Such conditions are discreditabIe and ought no
~ sren * - g +f f-,J I IT
us lsJory as Is Pos7esed oy le Ihtea 9,,it7s IS, IN
existence if only he can ind where it is now kept
The conditions which prevail IN The several
States are. as whole. even more unsatisfactory
than those which characterize the archives Of me
United States With few exceptions the disad-
the other Hardy any state possesses al present
complete files either in manuscript or in print. of
70 have been systematically preserved some nave
f lost 90 s ON Ma are o5 IN the P0sso4 OF
tons stiu exist in manuscript only while others.
the originals Of which have disappeared are in
printed volumes now scarce and virtually mpos-
sible OF replacement.
SOME NEW HAMPSHIRE RECORDS.
Many New-Hanpshire documents noted as
lacking in the official edition Of the State papers,
CURED when the library Of Peter Force was pur-
Many early Maryland documents seem to have
disappeared in connection with the researches Of
collections Of Peter Force and Joseph Sparks ap-
way Many Of the Maryland papers are now in the
The vicisstudes which the archives Of Virginia
have undergone illustrate the way in which state
archives disappear, afUerward coming light IN
value to the state and 10 the United States. COZ
lected al the early legal and other documents that
he could find These formed the basis OF the first
utss at Large" When Jefferson sold his library to
Congress. IN 1915. many Of his manuscripts came
along with the other books. but he retained some
Of them and when In lS-s his second library was
manuscripts were also disposed Of. BY good for
Library of Congress Among these papers were
I6ls-624 and the minutes Of ths proceedings Of the
Virginia Council from 1922 10 1927.
Carolina South Carolina and Georgia in the
English Public Records Office. London Those OF
Georgia have yet been transcribed cal
sndared
The archives Of Ohio in very confused con-
dition, with many gaps in the flies due in part 70
the burning OF the old State House in the early
part OF the century.
A typical case OF the loss Of important records
through ignorance and careessness IS found in
Nebraska Some time since the lanitOrs the
Capitol. IN the course OF their cleaning found a
box manuscripts. and concluding that they were
Of no value. burned them AS near be made
out. entire records Of the Constitutional Con-
OF N ]
The Spanish records Of the Southwest while
largely collected al Santa Fe. still. In many
cases scattered among the towns Of New Mexico
and Arizona while many have passed into private
hands The Importance Of these papers Will read