The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-06
ARCHIVES OF SENATE
IA SINGLE VOLUME WORTH MORE . THAN ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
Has Original Messages of Presidents. During the Country's First Gen. -> tury--Writipg Still Clear in
 Those of Washington - and Adams.


 bound volume which is literally worth much more than it's weight in gold. says a washington dispatch .tosstThe New York Sun. Although subject to the inspection of any reputable American citizen who knows of it's existence and cares to ask for the privilege of examining it, the book is one of the most precious in the possession of the United States govern ment and of more value. sentimentally at least, than any volume in the Federal archives. It is in charge of Mir. R.. R. Nixon, the financial clerk of the Senate. who has been a faithful and honored employe for. more than thirty years. and is. of courae. under lock and key when not on exhibition, and this is not often because the existence of the priceless relic is known to comparatively few per- sons in Washington. S< trN4 The volume contains messages in the original from the various Presidents of the United States to the Senate, from the time of George Washington down to Grover Cleveland. As stated by the in- scription on the cover. the volume con tains Presidents messages from the ex ecutive. files of the Senate during the first century of the existence of the Uni ted States of America. May l. 1885,"
 The volume was prepared under the direction of Anson G. McCook, who was then Secretary of the Sc nate. The re- markabie thing about the contents is that writing for the most part.is asj sjclear and legible as when first, inscribed. This is not the case with the original 'Decla- ration of Independence in the possession of the State Department A few years ago the writing of this historic document began to fade and 1t was placed in a glass case kept in an air-tight steel safe and exposed only on rare occasions.
 A short time ago, however. it was no- ticed that the ink in the Declaration was becoming rapidly illegible. and now the writing can be -deciphered only with great difficulty and with the aid of a magnify ing glass. It is thought that this obscu- rity is due somewhat to the fact that an impression was taken of the handwriting for the purpose of making a. fac simile and that some of the ink was absorbed in the process. At any rate, the original Declaration can be. read now only. in q certain light and soon will have faded away altogether.
 This is not the case with the historic writings in the possession of the Secre- tary of tho Senate. The handwriting is as clear and legible now as it was when penned by famous men who long since passed from earth. The parchments' and paper upon which these important state papers were written were becoming rap idly worn out by constant thumbing when General McCook wisely took steps to preserve them. The work was Well done, and, barring accidents, the pages of the book and the handwriting will be in as good a state of preservation a hun, dred years hence as. they are today.
 The initial message in the book is the first of any importance sent to the Sem ate by President Washington. On two oc- casions previous to the writing of the message he had, in person. met the Sen. ate in executive session. but since August 24. 17S9, there is no record of any Presi- dent having done so although authority for such course is given by rule S6 of. the Senate. This rule is still in force, and says: ,;,
 '.When the President of the United States shall meet the Senate in the Sen ate chamber for the consideration of Gx-' ecutive business he shall have a seat on the right of the presiding officer"
 This first message of importance from President George Washington to the Senate is inscribed on coarse, Unruled paper, in big. heavy. plain handwrit- ing, and signed by the we'll known sig nature: "G. Washington" It reads as follows: 'N
 "Gentlemen of the Senate-The Presi-, dent of the United States will meet the Senate in the Senate chamber at half past il o'clock to advise with them on the terms of the treaty to be negotiated with the Southern Indians.
 New York, August i. 17S9."
 washington's second message to the "GentleTnen of the Senate" submits long list of nominations of judges. at- torneys and marshals including the mem bers of the Supreme Court. as follows: John Jay of New York. Chief Justice, and John Rutledge of South Carolina, James Wilson of Pennsylvania, William Cushing of Massachusetts. Robert H. Harrison of Maryland and John Blair of Virginia, Associate Justices. On March 8. 1796, Washington sent a brief message to the Senate nominating Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut m place of William Cush- ing of Massachusetts, resigned.
 The earlier messages of John Adams were all in his own handwriting. His first was noteworthy for the fact that fin it he nominated his own son to be minister to Prussia This message reads:
 "GentIemen of the Senate: nominate John Quicy Adams of Massachusetts. to be minister plenipotentiary from the United States to the King of Prussia.
 1-t7sfo1y ,rl4 John Adams,
 Limited States. 2Oth of May. 1797.'
 This custom of dating his messages ''Irnited States" was evidently peculiar
  to Adams It appears in none of the oth- CT messages on file in the Senate arcf- ives. There are more messages or Joha Adams. all in his own big, heavy, easily read chirography and then comes one which is regarded by historians and rehc- hunters as of greater intrinsic and sehu- mental value than any other state paper in the government archives, with the pos eibIe exception of the original of the Dec laration of Independence and the consul tuition. This is a message sent to the Senate by Mir. Adams on July ?, 1I9S. and reading thus:
 Gentlemen of the Senate: l nominate George Washington of Mount Vernon to be Lieutepant General and Commander in-Chief of the armies raised in the Uni ted States.
 A gentleman who read this letter in the office of the Secretary of the Senate A few days ago put the book down with a sigh and said: 'I would give 5000 for that piece of paper" The Government would hardly sell it. even for q much higher price.
 The first message from President Adams +o the Senate not in his own handwrit- inc was sent in on Jan 20 1SO0 still dated from the United States, but the signature is simply Adams. The message
 "C;entlemen of the Senate: I nominate 1obn Marshall. Secretary of State, to he Chief Justice of the United States, jn the place of John Jay, who has de- cIined the appointment"
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