Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1860-01-07


wilh The names, customs, laws and relig-
Ious ohservanccs of the far and wide scat
tered human ,act; to learn how those. who
she'd their blood for their cOunlry's cause,
ENROLLED theirn on the scroll Of fame;
10 understand not only the physical but
also the spiritual condition OF man; TO see
him emharking in the ship Of life, eros.
sing the billowv ocean Of trials and diff
cUlies, and at last entering the haven Of
eternal happiness, Or launching into the
gulf of despair.
History rescues from oblivion the de-
parted great and good, with whom our
memories seem TO dwell with peculiar
delight, as well as the corrupt and infa-
nous who will forever be held in abhor
renee, and whose actions will ever de-
mand vengeance upon the perpetrators.
Well may the poet sing of the former:
aye are of the few immortal names
That were not born TO die"
Equally well may his strains be applied
10 The actions of the latter:
.'What grief can be, but time doth make it less;
But intamy, time never can suppress"
Nowhere can mankind be viewed in
its real condition and true character but in
history. In it, and in it alone, can we
perceive and understand mans true nature
by The many incidental appearances and
the variegaied pecuiarlles of time and
place Which it offers for consultation and
reflection. II our minds are replele with
correct historical knowledge then we will
see the advantages of employing our tai
enls for the well being of human society,
and Of studying diligently how the useful
maxims, derived from perusal OF history
may be best directed, and how its effects
be rendered permanent
Tie history of the past is to US mod
eel for the future, touchstone by which
We can detect the erroneous views of for
mer generations, and predeteTmine the
utility Of any important undertaking. 1t
Iimbues us with desire to initiate the
mighty dead in their lives and conduct,
Ibnt creates also an adherence 10 vice and
Ilmmoralily. Ii leads the mind 10 view
with deIiberalion the circumstances and
consequences of events, and then 10 Judge
with prudence and iiDpa'liality.
Agriculture. manufacture and commerce
have attained 10 their present improved
state solely from the fact tia, men applied
The useful lessons taught by history 10 the
ImelioraliOn and convenIences OF mankind.
The retrospect certainly elevaies man S
rank and condition in life
'Instructed by the antiquary times,
He must, he Is, be cannot but he wise"
History appears in many changing
forms. 1t is susceptible Of moral and
an immoral formation, OF being improved
or neglected. Not unlrequenly has il
been asserted that the study Of history in.
lnuences The mind Of man so as TO induce
him to perpcIrate evil. This assertion is
not altogether groundess, but how incon-
ceivsbly small is The amount OF evil in
comparison with The amour, of good that
has resulted from correct historical knowl-
edge.
All nations, both civilized and barbar-
Gus, have a natural desire for committing
to posierity The occurrences OF their age.
The same inclinaIions and passions, that
arc characteristic OF civilized nations, are
Iobserved ih the Indian tribes of our wes-
tern territories, and in the negro races o!
the African wilds. If the art of wiring
had been known 10 them, and understood
by them, they would have surely trans
mitted to succeeding generations The his
tory Of their race. Some barbarous tribes
have TO certain ex,ent.ihough somewhat
Iimperfectly. transmitted the memory Of
the most important transactions OF their
lime aud country, not in written charac.
iers as are employed in our aye among
Iglythics and symbols. The ar, OF vri-
ting in historical pictures was HE only
one employed by the Mexicans at the
time OF the discovery of America. Egypt
was the country where the herogly yphieal
characters were studied most, especially
by the priest, and where il was frs, bro's
into a regular system Of recording facts
and incidents, or, in other words. Of wri.
ting history. Al the present day the al
tenlion OF many philologists is directed to
tie translatiug Of these characters into
modern languages, so that the present and
future generations may yet read the hlsto-
ries of nations hitherto unknown, and
who would have. otherwise, renamed IN
obscuriiy. Thus these facts, rescued from
the tooth Of time. may ye: be employed as
pillars in the temple Of human knowledge.
He who is not familiar with history, IS
stranger upon earth, ignorant of bis race.
and unacquainted with the relationship
which he sus,ains toward his felow.men,
his country and his God. The causes of