Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 6.djvu/47

41 STORY OF LEWIS AND CLARK'S JOURNALS. 41 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 pro- duce a speedy publication, which would be better if done under their direction, but the death of Cap! Lewis, the distance and occupations of General Clarke, and the bank- ruptcy of their bookseller, have retarded the publication, and rendered necessary that the government should attend to the reclamation & security of the papers, their recov- ery 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 receive and pre- serve 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 con- vey 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 exe- cution of this expedition." It appears that Biddle, who still held the majority of the notebooks, was disinclined to surrender them to Jefferson save on order of Clark. September 8 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 be- long, and take their orders relating to them." He wishes to deposit with the Philosophical Society " for safe-keep- ing the traveling pocket journals as originals to be re- curred 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