Thaindian News

Washington, April 1 (ANI): The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum has left the doors open for people to have a close view of the Watergate scandal during the tenure of the former US President, which had eventually led to his resignation way back in 1974.

The move has ended nearly a yearlong struggle between national archivists and the Richard Nixon Foundation, a group of Nixon loyalists who controlled his papers until handing them over to the National Archives four years ago. The fight was over how to portray the scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation, The New York Times reports.

The exhibition offers detailed and often unforgiving account of one of the most painful chapters of the nation’s history, including a quotation from Nixon saying: “This is a conspiracy”.

The Gallery includes sections with titles ranging from “Dirty Tricks and Political Espionage” to “Road to Resignation” to “The Coverup.” It also includes famous quotations, like “What did the president know, and when did he know it?” and one from a Time magazine editorial urging Nixon to resign, reading: “Richard Nixon and the nation have passed a tragic point of no return.”

The paper quoted Timothy Naftali, the Director of the library and the curator of the exhibition, as saying that this was the only way to honestly depict the Watergate scandal, adding that the conflict with the foundation was unavoidable.

“It was inevitable, wasn’t it? This was a private institution with a particular point of view. It was accustomed to presenting the President in a certain light. I was coming in as a professional historian who was committed to making sure the facts were known,” Naftali said.

He also said that his organisation does not intend to continue with the prolonged disagreement with the Nixon Foundation over the issue, and declined to negotiate with them.

“I would actually like the healing to start. I’m sure they are as tired of this fight as I am,” Naftali added. (ANI)