The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-01-28
A State Historian.

The golden era of literary patronage has
returned once more, and produces for the
benefit of mankind historian. It is not
Lathrop Motley. nor Bancroft. nor Draper,
but Samuel P. Bates, member of the Penn
sylvania Historical Society. The first volume
OF the great History of the Pennsylvania
Volunteers, containing over thirteen hundred
pages, is before rs. This instalment of the
work goes no farther than the fiftieth regi-
ment. and the public may, therefore, expect,
at least four more volumes of the work
When finished. it may be safely estimated
that it will cost not less than fifty dollars a
copy. The Pennsylvania legislature has
thus shown a liberality towards literature
which outshines that Of the famous Augustan
age. Our modern Augustus who so mildly
rules the State, we learn from the preface
warmly encouraged the author while prose-
cutting bis labors, and muniicent Mscenas.
in the person Of Hon. George Connell. pur-
chased with the money in the Treasury, as
the legislative proceedings show, four thouS-
and copies of the book, This is a far higher
recognizes OF literary merit than that which
! it received in that golden age for authors,
when Addison. Steele, Gray and Parnell
were honored by government. Our author
hes department established for him, and he
receives the dignifed title of State historian.
Clerks and messengers are provided for him.
Postage, kilograms and Incidental expenses
are paid by the public. How delightful it
is to be an author in these times, and enjoy
the magnificent patronage of radical Penn
sylv8nia legislature! Narrow minded and
suspicious people, who constantly carp at the
expenditures of the legislature, will call this
job, and will begin to count up its immense
cost to the treasury. Let these savers Of
| candle-ends and cheese parings grum BILE.
Grateful posterity (Which does not pay, it is
trUe,) will thank legislature and Cover
| nor who transmitted them such a work, even
| if it cost the present generation fifty dollars
a volume. 1t will be splendid illustration
! of what patronage can do to encourage the
writing of historical books and the printing
! of the same. .
The labor consumed in preparing these
! volumes has, doubtless, been immense
When it is considered that the greater por-
tion of them consists of the rolls of upwards
Of two hundred regiments il the office OF
the Adjntant General, the amount of work
performed may be appreciated 1t has re-
quired the labor Of four Assistant State His
torians, besides the State Historian himself
for upwards of year, aud is yet far from
being completed.
Instead of wearily wasting time in search
ing among the archives. examining report:
of battles. or visiting the fields, our historian
topk another and quite an original plan. He
wrote circulars. His materials come fresh
from the hands of the living performers O
the glorious deeds which he recounts. 1t il
quite true that these materials may, some
times, be subject to slight suspicion. Defect
i've memories do not supply the best data fo
history. Even at this distance of time
passion or prejudice might warp some of tn
naTrato=s to whom the State Historian ac
knowledges himself indebted for reports
Besides some of our heroes may be given t.
, a little harmless exaggeration of the value @
the service which they performed. This
however, may lend a piquancy and charm
to the history which it might not otherwis
possess. The War Department might hay
furnished much more accurate materials tha
the accounts fl ON officers on which the Stat
Historian was compelled to rely. But h
says that he was not permitted to make us
of the books and records in the Adjutan
Generals office at Warrington. His appl
cation was "stubbornly refused" 1t
evident that Secretary Stanton did not hav
high appreciation of the great histories
work which he was preparing under tn
auspices Of the Pennsylvania Legislature
Stanton who knows something of the radical
of his State may have suspected a job in i
and refused to encourage it. If it is not a
complete as a State Historian with fuu
assistants could make it, it should be rt
menbered that the time allowed has bee
: much shorter than that consumed by
Motley or a Buckle. A legislature les
kindly disposed toward literature might /
elected, and might rudeIy suspend the pros
: cution Of the work. 1t had, therefore. to g
on with the materials at hand. We COZ
gratulate the Historian and his Assistan
historians that four volumes are vet to CONS
-Harrisburg Patriot.