The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1921-05-13
WHERE AMERICAS VAL
UED DOCUMENTS ARE
KEPT

The most important chronicles OF
some ancient nations have come down
to present generations engraved on
porphyry and marble. The United
States. however. having existed wholly
In an age of paper" has all Its most
precious historical records In the form
Of paper documents. which can easily
be destroyed by fire, and injured by
dampness, extreme dryness. or rough
handling.
A recent fire, which destroyed ir-
replaceable records In the census bu-
reau at Washington. and All almost
simultaneous fire In the State capitol
Of West Virginia. which practically
wiped out the archives of that State.
have reinforced the argument Of those
urging that fireproof hall OF rec
ords be built In Washington SO the
federal governments priceless papers
may be kept In safety.
While the Constitution Is the most
important document possessed by the
United States. the Declaration OF In
dependence comes first among our
great state papers in point OF time and
probably In the hearts OF the American
people. The original Of this challenge
to tyranny which. like the shot fired
at Lexington. has been heard round
the World. and has helped to mould
monarchies and colonies into repub-
lies, Is In the hands OF the depart
ment of state and Is kept in steel
case In the State, War and Navy
building. which adjoins the White
House on the west. The original OF
the Constitution Is locked In the same
case, which may therefore be eonsid-
cred the steel Ark Of the Covenant
of the government Of the United
States
Washington's farewell address may
fairly be considered one OF the great
est papers produced In the las years
OF the republics independence. This
document Is not owned by the federal
government. but is kept In the New
York public library, at Forty-second
| street and Fifth avenue.
The next paper 10 stand out as a
milepost in the shaping OF n national
| policy Is the message to congress by
| President Monroe proclaiming the Mon.
roe Doctrine The original message
is In the files of the senate In the
capitol building at Washington.
| The Gettysburg address OF Lincoln
scrawled in longhand, is in the library
Of congress at Washington.
| Lincon's Emancipation Proclama
ton Is in the library of the state de
partment In Washington, and there
too are all the treaties entered into
by the United States. from that ot
| ITS with the French and that of lis;
| which closed the Revolution, down e
the present. Among these perhaps
the most interesting are those which
have contributed 10 the SCAT terri
torial growth of the country.
There is the treaty of 1903 will
France which arranged for what Il
probably the greatest real estate deal
In history--ihe Louisiana Purchase
There is the treaty with Spain, which
added Florida Ia the new republic
and the uneomplefed treaty with III
independent republic OF Texas whicl
led 10 the only instance in which
separate nation has merged Itself will
the United States. Near them In tn
files of the state department are III
treaties with Mexico adding tn tn
United States. California and the othe
territory west of Texas and south o
Oregon: the treaty with Great Brit
ain adding Oregon: the treaty witl
Russia arranging for the second great
est purchase of territory. the Alask
Purchase md the treaties which hay
resulted IN bringing Hawaii. the Phi
ippines. PORT Rico. Guam. and the Vii
gin Islands under the American fiai