Jefferson's search for Original Journals
Three
years later (1816), we find Jefferson instituting a
search for the
manuscript journals of the explorers, with a
view of placing them in the
archives of the American
Philosophical Society. He writes (April 26)[46]
to
Prof.
Joseph F. Correa da Serra, a botanist then
holding membership in the
Society, asking him in
the cause of science to interest himself in the
matter, and
describing in some
detail the character of the documents—
with which he was himself
familiar, for he had handled them
at Monticello. These papers, he informs
Da Serra, "are the
property of the government, the fruits of the
expedition undertaken
at such expence of
money and risk of valuable lives.
They contain exactly the whole of the
information which it
was our object to obtain for the benefit of our own
country
and of the world, but we were willing to give to Lewis and
Clarke whatever pecuniary benefits might be derived from the
publication, and therefore left the papers in their hands, taking
for granted that their interests would produce a speedy publication,
which would be better if done
under their direction.
but the death of Cap.
t Lewis,
the distance and occupations of
General Clarke, and the bankruptcy of
their bookseller, have
retarded the publication, and rendered necessary
that the government
should attend to the
reclamation & security of the
papers. their recovery is now become an
imperious duty.
their safest deposit as fast as they can be collected,
will be the
Philosophical society, who no doubt will be so kind as to
recieve and preserve them, subject to the order of government.
. . . As to any claims of
individuals to these papers, it
is to be observed that, as being the
property of the public, we
are certain neither Lewis nor Clarke would
undertake to convey
away the right to them, and
that they could not convey
them, had they been capable of intending it. .
. . my interference
will, I trust, be
excused, not only from the portion which
every citizen has in whatever is
public, but from the peculiar
part I have had in the design and execution
of this expedition."
It appears that Biddle, who still held the majority
of the
note-books, was disinclined to surrender them to Jefferson
save on order of Clark. September 8th, Jefferson wrote to
the
general, soliciting such an order, to "be given in favor
either of the War
office or myself. . . . I should receive them
only in trust for the War
office to which they belong, and
take their orders relating to them." He
wishes to deposit
with the Philosophical Society "for safekeeping the
travelling
pocket journals as originals to be recurred to on all
interesting
questions arising out of the published journal;" his desire
being to secure "to the world all
the beneficial results we were
entitled to expect from it [the
expedition], and which would
so fully justify the expences of the
expedition incurred by the
United States in that
expectation."
October 10th, Clark responds to Jefferson by enclosing "an
Order on my friend Mr. Biddle for the papers in his
possession,"
Biddle being at the same time
instructed, as his agent,
"to collect all the Books, papers, specimens,
&c." in the hands
of Dr. Barton's heirs or others. Clark expresses
interest in
Jefferson's desire to collect the papers, and adds: "From the
mortification of not haveing succeeded in giving to the world all
the results of that expedition, I feel Relief & greatitude for the
interest which you are willing to take, in effecting what has not
been in my power to accomplish." Nevertheless, we shall
presently
see that Clark had retained in his possession at St.
Louis five of his own
original journals, nearly all the maps made
by him upon the expedition,
and many miscellaneous documents
concerning
the enterprise; these he did not surrender.
Jefferson now writes to Dr.
John Vaughan of the Society
(June 28, 1817), saying that although Da Serra
had obtained
several note-books from Mr. Biddle and Mrs. Barton, considerable
difficulty is being experienced in
collecting all the
documents. Evidently much annoyed, he proposes to bring
pressure to bear, through the secretary of war, "that office
having
some rights to these papers." The further suggestion
is made, that the
Society publish "in their Transactions or
otherwise," a digest of the
"zoological, vegetable & mineralogical
papers & subjects."
