Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-07-26
History or North Carolina.

| Y. =. "A. a. a.
History OF North Carolina.
| AeSSrs. Editors The Sentinel, Warrenton In,
dicutOr, and other papers in the State, have re-
Gently called attention to the Importance of a
| faithful history of North Carolina. Doubtless
| every Intelligent native citizen has more or less
felt this want. 1t is hoped that the Press will
keep this subject before the public mind, until
| take the labor of love. Have we not, in North
! Carolina, some capable and willing to COM
plete the work commenced by the lanented DR..
! Hawks He proposed to write the history OF the
State during The four distinct periods of it's gov
| eminent. He called away when his task was
| Int half done-hs second volume finishing the
history OF the State up to the close OF the Pro-
preta1y government in 1929. The history of the
! two remaining, and perhaps more important, pc
rods-that under the Royal government and that
as Republics yet to be written.
| think l can name d man in every respect ade-
quate to the task. Co., Slcdl11 is perhaps, more
familiar with the history of North Carolina than
any citizen in it, An intimate friend of DR..
Hawks he is in every way qualified to complete
his unfinished work. He has fondness for his
torcal research and an adaptation to it, He has
ready access to ali the necessary materials. His
style a writer is chaste and perspicuous. He
enjoys the respect and esteem of large number
of young men in the State who have had, to some
| extent, the benefit of his instructions in North
Carolina history, and, for this reason, such a
work from his pen would be doubly acceptable to
them. Cannot the Press of North Carolina call
out Gov. Swain on this subject? OXFORD.
We extract the above communication
from the Raleigh Sentinel Of the 22d inst. !,
and publish it in our columns with the
desire to second the object for which it was
written. That faithful and correct histo-
ry of North Carolina should be written,
every true son of the cold North State" can
but most heartily desire, and should tender
all the aid and encouragement in his power
to bring about the necessary event. The
Importance of faithful record of events
in the history of our State. by compe-
tent chronicler, has long been acknowl-
edged, yet, strange to say, no one,
has ever succeeded in giving a COM
plete and full history Of our old ma
tive State Now more than ever is this
required The events which have occur
red within the immediate recollection of
this generation are of the most vital and
lasting Importance, and while they are
fresh in our memory, and time has not
separated us too greatly from them. they
should be recorded for tho benefit of gen
erations to come.
North Carolina las never had historian
who has preserved her record complete,
and consequently possesses not such last
ing, though inanimate defender, to bear
testimony to her glorious, yet partially I'M
revealed course. We have cause to regret
that such should be the case, but would be
far moro panied to think that the old State,
so rich in historic lore, and possessing so
bright and glorious a past, cannot find one
son to do jnstice to her deeds, and hand
down her record to posteritv. The young
of the land know less about the history of
their native State than that of Greece or
Rome, and can more readily, when asked,
give the names of the numerous rulers who
governed the ancients than they can those
of our own short line of Governors. This
can easily be accounted for by the fact that,
while history has treasured up the deeds
of the anoients, those of our old North
Carolina sires and grand-sires have not
as yet found a historian to devote himself
arlently to this honored task, We believe
that it is the duty of the press to speak out
and urge this matter upon the considera-
ton of the public until the task is under
taken and some promise given of history
which We can place in the hands of our
children, knowing that they will receive.
andreceive correctly, information regarding
the events Of our past,
It is suggested that Governor Swain as
sumo this task, and intimated that by rea-
son of his familiarity with the history of
North Carolina, no man is more competent
or better qualified for its undertaking. We
agree with the writer of the above commu-
nication, that Governor Swain is the pro-
per person to assume this work, and have
cause to believe he has ready access to the
necessary materials. Research into thehis=
tory of our State has always been with him
a pleasant task and his style as writer is
so chaste as to be unobjectionable. To this
gentleman, then, is public expectation, in
connection with faithful history of North
Carolina directed, and we trust that no
minor considerations will deter him from
entering upon a task which it is the public
wish he should assume.
The Legislature.
The Charlotte Democrat hopes "the
members of the Legislature will show their
good sense by refusing to assemble in