Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-02-18
THE HIsToRIcAL SOCIETY.
PETITION 70 TIE LEGISLATURE FOR AID.

To the Senate and House Of Representatives. Of 9
the STATE Of Dela,oa,e, IN General assembly !
met:
The undersigned, q committee OH behalf of the |
Historical Society, of Delaware, respectfully re-
present, rs follows: -
The Historical Society, of Delaware, was organ
lied in the year 1854. Its object is mainly to col
ect and preserve such books, rccnrds documents
and memorials of every description, which may
be illustrative of the history of our country and
particularly of the history and progress of this
State. For carrying cut this general purpose the
society has provided rooms, such as its means
have afforded lOr transacting its business and As
place of deposit for its collected material 1t |
has m intained thus far a regular and active or |
ganzation and has, to the extent of its resources |
and opportunities, continued to collect and pre- |
serve whatever promised to be interesting or use
tu for the object before stated, The society |
however finds It's sphere OF usefulness limited and
embarrassed for the want of sufficient means TO
prosecute its work. The number of its members
is small. Few persons ia any community find
the leisure from business, or the inclination, to
engage themselves in pursuit which does not
promise benefits immediate and tangible COnsc-
quently the annual contributions for member
ship in the society lltte if a. all exceed the rent
of its rooms and current expenses, leaving moth
ing adequate for the primary objects OF It's organ
izatiOn.
There ara, scnttered abroad, many historical
books and docunsnts bearing upon our oWn state
history, OF gre&b V0tuei many letters ana memoir
iSs of our public men in past times, and relics as
socated with public events Interesting TO us as a
people, all OF which with moderAts means, judici-
ously employed, could be from tIms to time OBJ
tanned, but which ii llnger neglected wilt soon bo
irrecoVerably lost.
We have been t. some extent aided in prosecut-
ing our work this direction, by contributions
occasionally made from Historical Societies In
other States In order, however, to enttle us tC
expect q continuance OF these conrtesies 1t Is ne
\ cessAry that should be able to contribute some
thing in tho. way of exchange. This obligation
would be met by the occasional publication o
something from own collections IN the form q
apamphlet, or otherwise, az circumstances nigh
warrant. Such q publication from time to tim
would also afford useful Information TO our owl
people, enlarge their aequaintlince with our stat
history and excite a more general interest IN Il
But for any purpose OF this kind the means OF tn
socisty are wholly inadequate.
We Desd hardly suggest to = body 10 well u
formed that, as state, we have history hoI
OTabls and worth preserving in oil its st1ges {
progress from the period OF our Colonial IndePeI
dence to the present time Delaware IN the co;
tlnsntAl Congress firmly support I'd the DeclAratio
OF Independence; nor did she afterwards shrlu
from contributing her full share to the Efforts au
sacrifices required TO maintain that instrument.
The gallantTy and services OF the Delaware Reg
ment are honoraby mentioned in the histories
the Revolutionary struggle. Its snIisrings a
more painfully attested by the well known IA
that few ot the Regiment survived TO return
their fresideA and families. After independen
was achieved. our state, still maintaining its fol
most position in all msIu as for the the comm
welfare, was the first t. a,lOpt the Federal Cons
tuition; and she has Ilrver since faltered IN her q
votion to it. II May, also, bc truly said thai ID
aware has, through the services Of her statesm
in the National Councils, contributed IN substa
tial measure TO the successful administration
the Federal Government; while at home, throns
out the whole coarse of hor history, she has bt
honored by the success and distinction OF many
her sons OF the pursuits OF private lltc
We have alluded to the Delaware Regime
Its services and sacrifices. The very names
these heroes. 20 whom in part we owe our
litcal existence with all itS blessings, are ?
ishing from the general memory. They
to be found only In the mutllated and fast 4
ing regimental rolls In the Executive Office
These names with the services of the IT
ment and such memorials as can be gathe
of those who served In IT, would certainly
ford material for very interesting ana use
publication in some suitable form, and may
mentioned as sample OF what tue sOcl
proposes to accomplish.
Our obligations as a state to those who
gone before US as well as to those who ar
come after, and just State pride ON our
should be sufficient Inducements to n systeT
10 and persistent effort to enlarge and per
uate the knowledge OF events and incident
honorable In the history of the state an
many Of its citizens. The Historical soc
offers itself for this work, aud the unders
ed In its behalf respectfully pray the Leg
ture that a moderate annual appropriated
made, to be employed by the society as
be necessary from time to time for the OBJ
before stated. Tho Society will hold Il
bound to deposit in the state Library tOl
use of the state, such number OF copies as
be deemed desirable, of all publications W
may be made from time to time by meal
the state appropriations; also it will de
duplicates where they can be procured OF
locations purchased or received In the WI
exchange Respectfully submitted,
ID. NJ. BATES
T. f. BAYAR
10. N. B. SMTFHE