Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1878 — Library of the State Department at Washington. [ARTICLE]

Library of the State Department at Washington.

The library is the gem of the bureau. Architecturally, the room is the pride of the building. The work is of iron, without any appearance of heaviness. The airy grace of the balconied interior is heightened by the pure white and delicate pearl-colored decorations, touched here and there with gilt. It is illuminated by a square dome, through which the softened sunlight falls upon the tiers of literary treasures. This library was founded by Jefferson in 1789, and many of the earlier purchased works bear his impress and autograph. It was in September of that year that the Secretary of State was empowered by Congress to procure the laws of the several States. Now one tier of the three roomy galleries is devoted exclusively to the collection of the laws of the States, and is very complete. The library contains the best and the largest collection of books relating to international affairs that can possibly be obtained, including the great work of Dumont on international law, the first ever published on the subject, and made up from the most ancient sources, and from all the kpewn Governments in the world; and the works of the great writers of all ages, down to the latest publication of to-day. We might mention, as illustrative of the scope of this alcove, the magnificent folio statutes of the realm of Great Britain; “ Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates,” in sojuc 300 volumes; the State papers not only of Great Britain, but of other foreign countries; the “ Mirror of Parliament?’ in twenty great volumes, upon which Charles Dickens was employed; a series of forty or more folios devoted to Russian law; and Thomas Rvmer’s great work, which contain? the treaties, leagues, manifestoes, capitulations, correspondence and other public documents of England and the various countries of the world. The department of history is equally full. Our National book Collectors have done themselves credit by the manner in which they have culled jewels from all parts of the earth. Histories of all Nations and in all languages grace the shelves. One curiosity is a universal history from the creation, called the “ Nuremberg Chronicles,” printed in 1493. The cuts display singular artistic talent; they were executed by the master of Albert Durer, and before Ptis time. The artist was so enamored of -his own pictures that he often used the same one again and again, as in the case of a fine representation of Jupiter, which he afterward repeated for St. Paul, A later acquisition is an “ Abridged. Universal History,” produced in Japan. It contains historical sketches of all the Nations of the world, with portraits of distinguished public characters, which are quickly recognized in spite of Japanese peculiarity’ of execution—; Charles It., Napoleon, Lincoln, Victor Emmanuel, Christopher Columbus, the Emperor of Russia, Washington, etc., etc. It is neatly printed in Japanese characters, and intended for the use of their normal schools. In the alcove devoted to biography, memoirs of all the notable Frenchmen of every’ age indicate somewhat of the length of the catalogue.— Martha‘J, Lamb, in Harper's Maqazine fdr "March. Corn bred—Poultry,