The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1852-02-18

,orn thrss yrars ai,ef lie dtaih q his
a.her. bui lie rfilirs drsw his infsrrnrs
ION daies given sad rirumslanees related
IN Inc history: he Isei iisslf shsn Is ~
lslsd by The critics. and not BY cor author.
Aezln: II Is objected 70 oaT historian,
hat he makes boz slight menten. and in
many rases no mention II Ell. n the d |
lusliions dead OF The Sis;e.-shilr The
sery smallest of he living ION ihs Dem
oeraiir side) are bedanhed with The mnsi
fu'some sdulziian. 10 his pages. Well.
did any body ever hear Of such an oblsc-
lion befofel The book. we think a res-
sanable 10 suppose. was made. 10 part ..
least. Cor he pnrpnse Of being sold and
dead men buy M hooks. Besides the
author NAV never have heard IL those H.
lnstrious ciurens Of lhe Stale whnss names
he omils IN hi. hoak-snd II 81. she omis-
sion is reriaialy excusable. OF number
Of distinguished sons Of North Carolina.
he says bat liiile. il Is irur, as Of John
S,aniy, fnr example. But Why should
he have paused in his narrative 10 inform
The people Il The State who John S,snly
was, They al know his history by
heart. They know iha, he was iord nf
the ascendant in The Legislature Of the
State lur many wears. They know illai
he was smphaiirally the orator 81 ,Nnnh
rarolins, as Patrick Henry was OF Var
gina. Therefore n was moi necessary
for The historian 20 iell them ihese things.
But had he not taken The i.ouhle 10 in
form the public that many Of those whom
he mentions in his book are great orators
and sfdfesnien, no person would ever
have thought Of such Thing in the world.
We want historian 10 tell us something
we nerer knew before-nol what every
body already knows.
But lastly and worst Of all as we do
seriously incline 10 think. our author is
charged with giving himself TOO much
prominence in his history: in fart The
accusation amounts 10 lliile less than a
charge Of egotism They say thar he is
particular moi only 10 inform the reader
thar he is native OF North Carolina. bui
also in what particular parl oflhe State he
was horn, 10 whom he has been married.
AMI almost eve. y,hing that he has done
or said. read or written, IN his whole life.
And pray why should he not impari 10
the cnrin reader ihis important informa-
lion Shall a man mol be allowed 10
sound his own brass in his own book
We like To see an historian hold himself
up in his work. II shows proper self.
respect. II shows that he is mol beneath
his own notice. Besides, if our author
had not given himself and his aciings and
doings a place in his own history, he
might, oai of mere fasiidions modesiy.
have missed his only chance for immor-
talily-ii being altogether doubtful wheih-
er he ever wculd have been noticed in
any other history upon the face &c the
earth. lie acleli wisely then TO embrace
the opportunity that. presented itself. No
prudent man would have let so fine a
chance slip. "a sparrow in the hand is
worth bus'ard on The wing"
Thus have we disposed of the most
prominent objections TO this valuable work
thai have as yet fallen under our observa-
iion: and we hold ourselves in readiness
10 meet and grappIe with all such as may
present themselves in future.
Il One observation only. Of our own, we
venture TO make. and that Is touching The
Tree-a beaul' llf specimen Of afborcsceni
Architecture which The author has ingen-
ionsly slipped in between The volumes Of
his work, as a SOFT Of Map Of The State,
for the instruction of The Young. Spring
ing up in the East. where the FIRST settle.
menis wtre effected in the Stale. il spreads
us flourishing foliage out Westerly. aud
the counties are perched IN its limbs o'
hang To It's branches, as they come inIo
cxis ence. Standing al The starting place
al The root Of the Tree. with our backs 10
the salt sea and our faces towards the
going down Of the sun. il appears 10 us
that Ansnn. Richmond, Robeson, aud all
the other Southern coun'Ies, are placed on
the Virginia side of The map. ] his, how.
ever, may be only one Of those usual de
vices If The ingenious author. 10 call ma
play the faculties Of his reader and 10 i'm
press the more indelbly upon his mind
what esery man onghl certainly to re-
member. And for the mriherance Of this
Object, the impressing of The facts Of The
narrative upon The mind Of the reader, il
would perhaps be well enough for some
friend Of The author (some intimate per-
sonal friend We mean, Tor we are as friend.
ly TO his book as any body can he) the
proprieiy Of bringing oul his second edi.
ZION in verse. I, Is The opinion Of many
learned and ingenious critics that verse
can be re,-ined in the memory, especially
of the Young. much better Than prose !:
and il would moi be The frsl time 10 The
progress ni human rsenis that The Muse
OF history had veniule,i TO stalk across The
stage on The stills of lofty rhyme--as the
success Of the popular history Of Old
King c,l aud his Fldders three Ito say
no hing of the narrative of Mother Huh
bard aud her Dog. as well as Others that
might be men,loned) abundan,Iy proves.
Every man To his own lasie but we 90