Evening star., 1928-03-25
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

- the manuscript room at tn
State Department a few year
ago and eyed hungrily big. dusty bun
dies OF old letters and Official papers.
He had been called to Washington
Tor consultation. He was an expert II
the fine art of restoring tattered manu-
scripts and the State Department wa
planning to sort out the treasures con-
tanned in those dusty bundles. The
condition OF many of these papers was
pathetic--nothing left of them but
fragments which couldn't be stuck to-
gether SO that they made sense.
In q Storeroom of the building were
piled bundle after bundle Of these old
papers. Nobody knew what was In
them. II would cost money TO sort
them out and restore them, The
expert had been figuring on an esti-
mate.
will it be worth whilc?" somebody
asked
The expert picked UP one bundle
carelcsSly, opened it, and glanced over
the first few papers,
II don't know what's unds-neath. e
he said "Sut III take chance. The
Government can have my check for
S5oo,ooo for this bundle. 1 don't think
I can lose"
His trained eye had detected four
or five signatures Of George Washing
ton. There were scores Of letters and
fragments Of letters in the bundle. If
the lot came up to the promise of the
first few papers he could pay $5o0oo0
and double his money in a few weeks.
So orc battered. dirty, old bundle of
what had been looked upon as little
better than waste paper could Be
valued couse~vativelv az a half million
dollars And there were piles and
piles Of such bundles. State Depart
nient officials decided that ii was hicn
time for little digging IN their own
sold uins.
The uapcrs. Of course. were not for
sale Bu; that didn't minimize their
intrinsic value. This wss at the re-
cent 6aSn OF the age Of high prices
for historic documents. which cul-
minated last Winter when wealthy
collector paid $4,000 for a signature
OF Button Gvinnett. an obscure signcr
Of the Declaration Of independence,
And there is hardly money enough il.
the Treasury 10 buy the wealth Of ma
tsr!al Of this sort in the hands OF the
Covernmens-even il il could. under
ans circumstances. be considered for
sale
Ever since. the State Department has
bern opening those old bundles and
scanning every item. A wealth Of his
to-ical material has been brought to
light, as well as a good deal Of intense
human interest The work is nearly
completed, but as each package. is
opened new and priceless material
GENES to light
Most OF this material. untortu-
AVA nately. Is not accessible TO the
public. One or two extremely valuable
papers. such rs the Declaration OF In
dependence ana the original Constitu-
tloE. have been placed on exhibition at
the Library OF Congress But the State
Department has been obliged 10 adopt
= rather rigid exclusion policy for the
rest. Some Of it might be exhibited in
the National Museum were 1t not that
every inch Of space IN that institution
IS taken and new material probably
would be placed in storage.
The State Department has no room
IN which 20 1t up museum. Three
small rooms now are used for storage
ef the restored historical papers, but
there Is no space for exhibitions. The
papers are so fragile. OF course. that
they cannot be handled indiscriminate-
". So only research students are ad-
mitted-and these only after they have
satisfied the officials In charge that
they are qualified thoroughly 70 benefit
By the work and previously have ex-
aaained al printed material On the sub
ret trey wish 70 study.
Those in charge Of the collections
nov look forward 70 the day when the
Government viii erec. q suitable ar
chsves building. with large exhibition
halls, where the manuscripts which
have changed the course Of history
can Be seen By eTerybody-and par
tacula-ly by thousands Of school chill
Gfen who come to washington every
year. Until such time, however. 1t viii
be impossible. and even then little can
BE- accomplished unless the new build
ing iE planned with that end in view.
New manuscripts continually are
turning Up. One Of the latest finds Of
particular interest 70 Washingtonians is
the agreement 70 withdraw from the
Union signed by all the members of
The Virginia convention OF 1851. which
had been forgotten long ago by all
except specialists in Civil War his
tory. Yet II turned up in the State
Department files and has been restored
Snis nonentous document, with the
signatures attached. reads as follows:
The people Of Virginia, in their rati-
4cafson Of the Constitution OF the
Dntted States Of America adopted IN
HTSe, declared that the powers granted
under said Constitution were derived
from the people and might be resumed
wnensoerer the same should be pervert-
Cd 70 their injury and oppression, and
the Federal Government having per-
Terted said powers not only 70 the in
Jury O. the people OF Virginia, but 70
.he oppression Of the Southern slave
holding Etstes
Now. therefore. we, the people Of
Virginia, DO declare and ordain that the
ordinance adopted by the people Of this
State IN convention assembled on the
fTenty-6fth of June. IN the year Of Our
Lord i1ss. whereby the Constitution Of
the United States vas ratified, and ali
acts o. The General Assembly Of the
State yatlfytng and adopting amend
Knents 70 said Constitution are hereby
repealed and sbFogatec. that union be-
tween the States and between Virginia
and tse other States under the Consti-
tt1tson Aforesaid Is hereby dissolved: and
that the State Of Virginia is In full
power and exercise of all rights Of
sovereignty which belong and sppertain
30 z free and independent STATE. and
they % further declare that control Of
The United States o. America iE not
longer binding On any citizen Of this
STATE
This order shall tske effect and pc
come an act Of this Gay when ratified
By majority ot the votes of the people
of this State cast at poll 70 be taken
there on The fourth TgursdAy in May.
next in pursuance of 3 schedule here
after 70 BE- enacted
Done II convention IN the city Of
Tsscnnog1. On the nth Of April, IN the
gear ~ Our Lord 1881 and 70 the s5tn
year NJ the Commonwealth Of Virginia
sEiggsedl
John + Thornton. John Ecilols. VIII
lem II D9lsDey. r IL Coz Robert l..
gkonsag1ie, William White. Thomas
Gsanhope Thomas r, Oo0oe john l..
70 aat.r.a (ar..as.e M