Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-10-28
IVII II EN7
Who can Write History.

Nessrs EditOrs-A question which surprises ne
has Of late been r4Is,d Gearing upon the literature
Of our day, and Of our Church aud country, as to
the best period for writing the history Of past and
passing events.
0a the one hand. il SEEMS to be maintained that
the true deneatiOn and rseO.d OF events cannot be
secured till long after the events in question occur
ed ; that we must wait till the memories Of actors
and observers the scenes described either fail to
perform their ofite in q natural way, or become
pal=ied by DEATH th It after the times and the
scenes Of human transactions have passed, and sea
sons OF oblivion end Obscurity succeeded The peri
cd arrives most favourable TO full al authentic
history.
Bur. can this be true1 Has Il always been
thought SOi CaDBOi nan write history az all
except il be the chronicle Oi hOSry age grown
din with yearsl Are Mt our bJOksnelves fuR
Of autobiOgrap aphies-menOirs OF their own tines
and works Ui recent cate, venerable not only for
the uDqussliOned truth they record but credible
and dear on account Of the hand that wrote them ?
iias ne iiJeary catalogue OF our country become
50 corrupt and suspicious, that DO reliable name
be IUund there IN QUE day, unless 10 write upon
subjects euveloped IN deep Ooscurty? Or have
some OF our contemporaries become so rporbiSiv
sensitive "a regard TO character and fame-so far
lost confidence n themselves that thew are afraid
70 trust the integrity 2Bd eandour cf Others p
surely, it must be wisest and safest 10 write whil
recollection Of events is vivid and strOng-wbile
enentGes exist in full vigoUr and numerous forms
before living witnesses and visible monuments
disapp ar, or exist only IS mutilated, iacehsrsnt
iT4g neBts OF thought.
The fact is, that living witnesses. in eonDeetioo
wita rcsd documents, Uaiupairei By time. eoBsti-
tute the bestthe only absolute vouchers for truth
and accuracy thR5 can se obtained In ANTE of
par;idlties prejudiees, and pe-versicDs. aiI TO-
terested parties posses perfect guard against
them al, and against the Wastss dersngeHents
and cOuiusons that may st 10 public sentims nj
ami in he intelligent witnesses who still survive
TO correct errors. Appealing TO such an umpire Il
much more safe and honorable than aBy :, tsmpt.
by delay, 10 Jeopardzs history By reducing it 20 =
game ol ehalce, the eapree Of fiction, sport OF
| lGuCy.
Ii is trge ira: the obscurity and uncerta;utv
consequent upon procrastinatiOn mar furnish =
| good opportunity inVrudent, injurious. or up
popular adventures upon the stage OF life who E.ar
u verdict IRON fact, 90 get their errors glossed
! over il not forgotten, aid vanished Ia tSs ,u,i
light OF distance irom he time and soene OF ae,ion
Men Of this stamp will always find il their ip,ers.s
| au3 pleasure to cuert delays. But
n There's none ever feared
\ hat the truth should be heard
But they whom the truth would fpa;,,
The candid, faithful actor does not fear the l;gb,
be Is really for prompt ami decisive scouting 80
scious OF fectitude, aad willing, if found IN srror
| 10 correct or eXpat;ate lt q Ia mode
| Much Of the early history OF these United states
is very nperfec from the fact that it vas delsyrf
too long. The materials for il were lost OF seat
tered, SO as to render 1t impractieabls to gee them
In proper order. And 1t IS depiOrably true Of our
| ecclesiastical history in the Presbyterian Church
We doubt not that our principal historian did the
| beat he could to make fair detail; but il Is i'm
| possible for him - create mserials where nO.e
existed--to 6li up the hundred chasuss which ,be,
lapse Of years had produced; and least OF ali was
il allowable for him to tax MS imagination 10
striking feature in every long delayed eomDilstea