The Washington times., 1936-11-28
RESTING PLACE
OF DOCUMENTS
ISDEBATED
BY EARL GOODWIN

JIIS NO11Ob1UuDlO11 loo bCC1A
the subject of excited discussion
within the past three years, with
the Supreme Court of the United
States in the background to keep
the old document from being sunk
without a trace, and it may be
that the President himself may
have to be theuarbiter of just where
the nations fundamental docu-
ment may be placed for its final
resting place.
The Constitution, along with the
Declaration of Independence, Is
now in the custody of the Library
of Congress; but in the great hall
of the National Archives Building
a space has been prepared for
them, thanked with the splendid
mural paintings of Barry Fsulk-
ner.
Will the Constitution and the
Declaration ever be removed from
the Library of Congress and placed
in the Archives? It is the opinion
of many officials that public opin-
ion will have to make the decision.
If opinion favorS the Hall Of Ar
chives for these two great papers,
it is probable that an executive
order by the President will be nee
eSsary to make the change.
May Take Act
Or it may be that an act OF
Congress is necessary. That is
something for the lawyers to de-
eide on the basis of the proceed
ings by which the two great pa
pers were removed from the State
Department and placed in the Ii
brary of Congress, where they at
tract millions of visitors.
Back in 1903 the nations valued
papers were scattered here anu
there in attics, cellars, file rooms,
barns and barracks, most of which
were firetraps. Congress acted on
a law permitting dep artment
heads to send their valuable pa
pers to the Library of Congress II
the department so wanted. -,
Several years later cambridge
Colby, then Secretary of State,
asked Congress for $25, 900 to make
fireproof rooms in the State De
partment where many OF the ma
TONS priced papers lay, among
them. the Constitution and the
Declaration, but an economy wave
got Congress and the papers re-
manned in their several firetrapS
in the State Department.
Executive Order
In the next administration, that
of President Harding, Secretary OF
State Hughes sent the ConStitu-
ton and the Declaration to the
Library of Congress with an eX-
ecutive order of President Hard
ing dated September %, 1921, and
Librarian Putnam receipted for
them next day. Since then the
two great documents have been at
the Library. They are now OH
view, being coated with light
resisting substance.
Assumed for Archives
When the National Archives
Building was designed those in
charge apparently believed the
two documents would naturally
rest there, for the great public
hall is designed exclusively for
them. The two great murals depict
on the left side the group of lead
ers who are responsible for the
declaration, Jefferson is present
ing the draft of the declaration to
John Hancock; on the right side is
the group of founding fathers who
gave the Constitution to the
world, with Madison presenting
the draft to Washington; and
Governor Morris is prominent
with well painted wooden leg.
However, it seems that Archivist
Conner is not going to make any
move toward bringing these two
great papers to the building over
which he presides.
Old Documents
In glass cases near the spot Sc
lected for the Constitution are
now some odd and interesting doc
uments. One is petition by two
slaves of Henry Clay, secretary Of
State in 1929, asking for their free
dom, declaring they were held as
slaves in violation of the law. The
paper is from the records Of the
Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia Gin the county of Wash
ington" and the attorney named
on the petition is Robert Beale.