Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-28
The Voice Of the People
The Original confederate con.t,,uion,

To the Editor of The Times Dispatch
Sill ind that good many OF our people
i,;., been much pcrturhed in mind by special
In o MsM ssn nof n F 20 I" nnnsr whfh
which your correspondent states: Al the auction
Burton, OF Milwaukee,. AT the Anderson nm t;a T.
lsrSs here there were many original official
and they brought high prices. Among them
were ne PRO DIVISIONAL and Permanent Coiiederate
constitutions. together with the Acts and Reso-
iI1 of inc First Session Of the Provisional
passed al Montsomcry liz 1861, sold to George D.
smith. a collector for $500"
,,,a II your corresponding thought that these were
me originals Ws readers ere did. he is mis-
Ihr "Andcrs"n Galleries OF New York always
kindly send mo !some weeks in advance OF the
s ,1, tn%lr hnndsomc catalogues Of rare hooks
h"d LONG ago noted IN Part Of the Burton
alind"s II is honestly ,cata !oened az follows
,i "',,;""fhtc itoVisi2nai and Permanent Con
OF ne ne rtrst session of the Provisional Congress
pp TO- stnt i e ss vo haf-sheep
i"n VII il'ls see that it was not the original
sold tv" s IS SxctssS rare as 'h"i i yhs
hrst puhiicntion OF tho Confederate government,
Davis took oitg February IS. lseD. This
GSnY "%1SG by The "Anderson neries evl
iederate Congress. and contains number Of
mas i opis shS @ of the professional
ConS,itution' was purchased in February, 1884
vice president Of the Sothern lis tD So
e sh,y; ana ~, at once presented BY him to that
on parchment. and bears the autograph sigma
lures of tn: mcmhers of the Provisional con
gross. together with the certificate of the clerk
atics'inE It's genuincness.
, The Gis! draft Of mis- "rrovisional cons,ltu-
from my FREUD, Mr. tiailard Hunt, the &C
e" e" chief Of archives in the Library
at Ii<csvillc. near Baltimore Md.
But the official cnGrossed orig inal is here IN
Richmond in the Confederate Museum. the on-
GERS OF the southern Historical Society having
mortal Library Society for safe keeping.
tho % TIL Sas 3or r"Py %"
years deposited among the archives OF tho Con-
that it has been Withdrawn and is now In the
hands Of is owner, wymberley Jones de Rcnnc.
that Mr. dc rcnne is also the owner OF lee $
Confidential DISPATCHES to Davis ls6265." which
learning and accuracy by Di Douglas Southall
The first draft OF this '1ermanent Constitu-
li ssa Is ns9pTanf to sn letter r., from mi Mr. Hunt,
Georgia, al Athens in that state.
l. First draft of provisional Constitution of
the Confederate states. is in the Confederate
Home near Baltimore Md.
the members OF tho Provisional Confederate Con
grcss and attcsted by the clerk. is in tho Con-
Of the Confederate siatcs IS in tho universi}y
original enerossed document, signed by mem
bers Of Permanent Confederate Congress. and
attested by the clerk, is in the hands OF Mr. w.
j. dc Rcnnc. Of Wornasloc (and Savnnnah), Ga.
o a. rn h , mel the EsSH yin !" the wGra
come I" me concerning these and other Con,
rT s and f"a Mo S 'n9 If 20" wt
ihet those interested IN such matters should eli.
bitterly regret tint did not do the like about
other documents years ago. II would have saved
Member Executive Committee.
Richmond, January 20.