PEEFACE  .11

authority  of  the  Federal  Government ;  much,  however,
still  remains  in  manuscript  in  the  archives  of  the
Treasury  Department,  to  whose  custodians  I  wish  to
make  acknowledgment  for  their  courtesy  and  assistance
in  the  examination  of  the  documents.
Since  the  author  is,  by  ancient  and  precious  custom,
permitted  to  introduce  himself  to  the  reader  in  his  own
way  in  the  preface,  I  may  venture  upon  a  word  or  two
of  explanation  in  regard  to  the  method  of  treatment
and  the  point  of  view  that  I  have  sought  to  maintain
in  the  following  pages.  First,  as  to  the  proportion  or
amount  of  space  devoted  to  the  various  periods  of  Mr.
