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Iowa
History
An IAGenWeb Special Project
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Annals |
THE
ANNALS
OF the
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
APRIL, 1863.
Issued By The Committee of Publication
With the Assistance of the
Librarian.
Iowa City:
Jerome & Duncan, Printers
1863 |
LETTER OF IT. S. ATTORNEY GENERAL BATES.
Page 86 |
WASHiNGTON, D. C., Attorney General’s Office
July,
19, 1863.
Sam. J. Kirkwood, Esquire,
President State
Historical Society, Iowa City:
Sir—I have received your
letter of July 9th, requesting me to furnish, for use of your
Society, a “copy of each and all the published documents of
[my] Department at [my] disposal.”
Appreciating very
highly, as I do, the excellent objects of such societies as
yours, and their probable great usefulness in the future I
would take pleasure in complying with your wishes, if my
office furnished any published matter worthy of a place among
the preserved materials of history.
My office,
considering the character of its duties, can hardly be called
administrative. It deals little with the things and facts
which constitute the current history of the country; but
rather with the investigation of principles and the giving of
opinions upon them. And, hence, there are very few documents
published from my department ; and, of that few, perhaps, none
worthy of historic memory. Nevertheless, at the risk of being
thought egotistic, I send you two pamphlets containing
official opinions of mine, which have been published, because
they were thought to concern great legal principles, and to
touch the interest of a great many people 1st, upon the power
of the President to arrest and imprison individuals:—2d, upon
the power of public officers to create debts binding upon the
nation.
Very respectfully your ob’t serv’t,
ED. W. BATES
page 86 |
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