The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-13
HIODERN HISTORIES.

Somebody says: SHistory is philosophy |
tcaching by example" This could with |
truth be affirmed of history as it was wont
to be written in the olden time, when there
were men sufficiently modest to serve in
the humble capacity of chroniclcrs; class
Of authors now altogether extinct. The
war correspondent of tho daily newspaper
is its only analogue. Hc, however, from
the peculiar nature Of his occupation is ne-
cessarily imperfect in his report, for lie is
not allowed sufficient time TO gather his
material with care, to digest it at leisure,
and draw the proper differences. Nor,
writing in the midst of the most intense
excitement, can hc by any possibility di-
vest himself of bias and party feeling,
which will lend a strong coloring to all his
illusions. He therefore furnishes the
mcrest hints toward history; very copious
material, it is true, embarrassing by its
abundance, but requiringa n very judicious
us well rs industrious collator, to sift
the vast mass and determine what to
choose, then to read, sever the true from
the false, and lastly to reproduce the samo
conciscly, and in an attractive style. Un.
fortunately our historians are in all things
too ambitious. They disdain the laurcls
Of XENorHoN, HERoDoTUs and CESAR,
| of FRolssART and PHILIP DE CoM1NEs.
They want no chroniclcr's fame. TMUcY-
DIDEs is their model, and SAJLUsT, and
TAoITUs. But thoy fur outstrip these an
cicnt worthless, not in brevity, in case of
narrative, or in beauty of style. That were
impossible. We refer to their predominant
inclination to indulge in what is called the
philosophy of history; the historical facts
often merely being made to serve as illus
trations of some preconceived pct theory.
They have their philosophical system,
usually some hobby, in need Of strong lit
crary bolstering, and they write history,
it matters not Of what, making every event
prove the truth and correctness of the sys-
TEN. This is what in modern times has
been denominated the philosophy Of his
tory and, we are sorry to say, there arc
few even of the first historians Of the
present century entirely free from this inn
putation The daily increasing number of
historical novels, it is fair to hope, will ex-
ercise beneficial effect in this regard, in
that they afford moro suitable means of
accomplishing the end in view. One spe,
J;",s ns what we may call the physical his
torian, who ascribes to purely natural causes
not only every phenomenon of the physical
world, but likewise, also, all that has hith-
erto been regarded as lying beyond the
precinct cf material nature, which, for
want of any other name, have been de-
nominated moral causes. They recognize
no metaphysics Their natural history en-
braces all the phenomena, mental, moral
and physical, of man and of the universe,
of the mnhro and the mihro kosn,os.
The great progress made in physical
science during the past hundred years has
exercised very natural influence in this
direction. When SO much has been
brought to light that before was hid in
darkness, the temptation is very strong to
arrive Mt the conclusion that that which is
still unknown will in few years be demon
strated ns clearly, and through the same
means, and will be found to be dependent |
upon similar causes, with the many phe.
nomena which science has already revealed |
to our view. The fact that such view |
elevates his calling, and is therefore very
Hattering to the physicist, is the moro rca.
son why we should suspect him of bins,
and question the soundness of his iude.
mont.
The French savans are much inclined
to this system of reasoning In England
BUCKLE is perhaps the first historian of
any considerable reputation who has labor.
ed in this field. He has found an imitator
in Americn in the person of nnturalized
Englishman, JOHN W. DRAPER, NJ. D.,
LII. D., author of sundry school books
on chemistry, physics, ETC., etc. Having
made plenty of money in such menial pur-
suits, no now strings his Tyre to loftier
atreins He now aspires 70 be a priest at
the shrine Of the historic muse. We do
not think he has the requisite qualiica-
tions for such post. Both as a writer
and as teacher, he has through all his
life been exclusively associated with the
priests Of the material universe. OF phi
loSophy proper, of the history Of human
thought, and of what we are in the habit Of
calling the moral causes of tho history Of
DR.. DRAPER knows nothing
Even in his work on human physiolopy.
no unduly magnifes his "branoh, )" attempt .
ing to explain upon purely physical causes
The various and wonderful phenomena
usually ascribed to the mind, the heart or
,oul. ri
In his now work, "The Philosophy Of
ho American Civil War;" this ono-sided
'redilection is still more apparent. Every j
Jingle fact in our national history he at
empts 70 trace to physical causes. His {
insofar as he can be aeid IN have