Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-30
RARE PAPERS.
Important Collections in
Congressional Library
First Volume of Continental
Congress Journal Just Issued.
Notable Accessions Recently Received
by the Library.

Regular Correspondence of the
Transcript
Washington. Dec. "9-The first VOL
ume OF the Journals Of the continental
Congress. published under the direction
f the Librarian of Congress, has just
come from the press. 1t is handsome
Nv made. with good deckle-edged paper,
broad margins and large. open type
It will not be issued Until Congress
meets. after the holidays. The volume
contains fac SMILES of important docu-
nents and pages of the original jour
nails. Volumes two ana three will be
ready before the end OF the year This
ratidity of issue has been made posi-
bic by Mr.. Worthington c. Ford who,
for a score of years has been accumu-
lating notes for such Il purpose, which
are now made freely available for the
government. by it's tide to Mr.. Ford's
services as chief of the division OF
manuscripts.
The library is now in a peculiarly ia
vorabi. position to publish such of its
manuscripts as may nov seem To de-
serve circulation. The Journals of the
continental Congress are the first of
three existing editions is either COM
plete or accurate. 1t is the purpose OF
the library authorities to restore the
full, original text and to assemble with
it in print the papers and reports
enianating from the various COM
mittees of that Congress.
Mr.. Putnam hopes to have the more
| important collections of historical
manuscripts now in the possession of
other departments of the government.
| transferred to the jurisdiction and con-
troll of the library. The papers Of the
Continental Congress. from which the
| Journals nov ISSUED are taken, We're
obtained from the State Department.
Under an executive order of March,
1903. the following namrd manuscript
| collections haze be al transferred. IN
whole or in Part, to the library from
the Department Of state: Papers OF
the Continental Congress $3.50 VOL
unes): papers of James Monroe t22
Volumes: papers of Alexander Hamil-
ton (65 volumes); papers Of George
Washington 1890 volumes and many
loose papers,: the stevens collection nj
Fenjam Franklin Tar,rs az vol
umes) The last to ho tranSfer'"'
were the Washington papers, which
We're received by the library last Juns.
The papers of Thomas Jefferson and of
James Madison have not yet been
transferred.
The discovery that the library al
ready possessed papers originally be-
longing to these collections. was one OF
the unexpected results following the
recent change of custody. FOl eX-
ample, some loose sheets OF the min
utes of the Committee of States in the
; Continental Congress were found, rs
we'll as a part of the Washington mill
tary correspondence, comprising somt
210 pages, and an entire volume OF
the transcript of the general orders OF
Washington. both long missing from
, the Washington series and supposed K
, have been lost; the Washington recor
! CT General Braddock's orders. and the
, Washington manuscript of the Force
collection now take their place natur-
, ally with the great collection of th+
Washington papers: the Arnold-VaricI
, letters in the library appear to be parts
of volume xiii. of the Washington
: papers.
: Since the transfer of these papers
5 the Library and the War Department,
: have become the two great Govern
ment repositories of historical manu-
script. The collections are managed
on widely different lines. The Wal
Department has much that is properly
i historical-like the Confederate rec
ords. and such manuscripts as were
: captured during the Civil War; The
student cannot get ready access tc
them, because of want of space fol
their display, but the officers of the de.
- partment do not always know wha,
they have in their boxes, files anC
vaults of manuscripts. 1t seems de.
sirable, if real use is to be made Of
these valuable papers. that they b.
placed in the Library where they car
" be properly indexed and preserved, ant
It where they will be easy of access
e Mr.. Putnam has a very clearly de.
/ fined policy in the acquisition and con.
= troll of historical manuscripts. He be.
lieves that the sources of our histor,
should be placed where they will rem.
der the greatest service In this he i:
not actuated by "grab-alP' motives
The library does not compete with loca
institutions in the purchase of materia
of merely local interest 1t would no
care TO receive department records tn,
interest of which lies in their admins.
trative, and not in their historical as.
poets. 1t does not interfere in tn,
transfer of any of its present holding.
to other departments, or to State insti.
buttons, where it can be proved tina,
they more properly belong elsewher,
than in general, or national. history
A case in point occurred last year. Tht
library had become possessed of a
manuscript record of the convention:
held in 1776-77 by the inhabitants Of
the territory which afterward becam,
the State of Vermont. No other con.
temporary copy was known to exist
BY joint resolution of Congress the
. manuscript was transferred to tn,
Vermont archives. but not until two
i copies in fac smile. the gift of Senate,
, Proctor had been deposited in the IL.
brary.
The records received by the United