The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-04-03
DR. HAWKS, HISTORY OF N. G.

We have been told that the sale of DIR. Hawks
History of North Carolina, however iavorubly tie
work has been received by those who compct
to Judge Of its mcriIs, HIS not been such TO
meet the reasonable expectation Of the author and
of t!te publisher, tDat the publisher has not been
repaid the expenses Of the publication, and that
the author cannot feel very much encouraged to
finish, or even eoatinue his work. We hope the
case is not so bad thus presented. We can
hardly suppose our people to be so regardless OF
the Just fame of their fathers careless of what
has been done on our soil before them, ofthe prin-
ciples and movements which were the means and
occasion IF all the rpsI eIity of this generation
to receive with a cold indifferent welcome his
tory excellent this. Our State has long
borne the imputatcn Of such Indifference Her
history until at least, has never been well
written. The attempts to write it, imperfect
they were, have, until recently, been made only
by strangers And though within the last ten cr
fifteen years new interest in this subject seems
TO have been awakened, We shall he forced to think
it Tended or very Slight interest, if such a
work a. tEis Vs DR.. Hawks shall fail of complete
success.
Probably large part of its readers will be more
deeply interested the narrative comes nearer to
our own times. Yet VIC do not undei how
any citizen of North Carolina can turn Indifferent
y away from ills story of the stout hearted men.
who, ncar> three hundred years ago made the first
attempt, under Rale Oh. At permanent settlement
Of this country, their trials and sutfcrings, their
successes, and the tiGal, utter extinction Of the
colony, and of all tie hopes that had clustered
round the enterprise. Nor do we see how any
such fail to trace with the most earnest in
terest the progress of those whom we may look back
to the founders Of this commonwealth, this
growth in numbers and prosperity, their struggles
and not unfrequent disppontments, their constant,
manful assertion of their rights as citizens and
men, and this gradual approach of the times and
the temper that called for blood shed, and offered
that blood freely to lie shed. The people of this
State have no reason to he asian cd of their pre-
decessors. There were brave and noble spirits
among them, not few. Their public acts and
private life will bear scrutiny, and will well re-
ward it. We should rather be ashamed if any
among US are allowed to remain in ignorance of
those men and of those times, to which we all owe
SO much
Surely now there can be no excuse for such
ignorance. We may be proud of our historian, as
well as our history; boz, think, any of
sisters boast Of better telling of their story than
ours by DR.. Hawks. He has devoted the best
years of his te and the best energies of his mind
TO this work. He has fulfilled, thus far his task
under the impulse OF sincere affection for his ma
tive land. We cannot expect any othcrt0 do his
service well as he has done it. The publishers
too have excellently done their part It will be
shame to us, if our indifference or Neglect shall
them to suffer loss for their patriotic enter
prise, compel the author 10 break off his labor
in encouragement and anticipated failure.-RaI
Church LRteNiycnccr.