Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-10-31
Doing What Should Have Been
Done Long Ago.

There are people who claim not to
care for any record of the past, either
of their own immediate friends or of
other people or communities. If
such people really do care nothing
for the past, they differ from the best
of the human family, for the best of
the human family in all ages, sought
TO preserve the records of the past,
and stamp themselves on the things
of their day for the future Obelisks,
temples, monuments, and manuscript
and books, all attest to the natural
longing for perpetual record, begin
ming in the past, and reaching into
the future: and if it were not for
mans outrages upon himself, which
sometimes act demon-like and de
stroys the best of his works in day,
he would have perfect picture of
the past, a perfect picture of all his
workings. If it were not for records,
the Christian religion would not be
known among us. II it were not for
records. well preserved, the identity
of the Jewish people, and the Bible
with all its glorious teachings would
be unknown, as if it had been sunken
in the sea thousand years ago.
The American people are a young
people, comparatively speaking. They
are strong, and have all the elements
that develope into greatness, and all
that is needed to make them the chief
among nations is for them to pre-
serve their integrity, and honesty of
purpose. Such purpose will secure
the perpetuity of the Nation; but
within the bounds of National and
State life, lie the still more important
spheres of INDIVIDUAL and FAMILY LIFE,
which are the real strength of the
country and the connecting links be-
tween the Old and New Worlds.
There are number of families in the
country who can trace their ancestry through
successive generations to the landing of
their first American ancestor. There are
others who if they give attention to their
pedigree may secure straight line TO the
landing on these shores of their ancestor.
There are few families who have straight
record from their first American ancestor
back through generations in Europe.
Thousands of dollars are spent annually
by American families 10 find their family
line in the Old World. At all of the ports
OF this country, during Colonial days, a list
of arrival of passengers and immigrants
were kept. Doubtless these lists or records
are still in existence in the Archives of the
sereral States within the limits of which
sea-Iorts of entry are found. In the Office
OF the Secre tary of tate of this Common
wealth, are thousands of names of people
who arrived from the Old World during Co
lonial days. They are the fathers of hun
dreds of thousands of citizens who are
living to-day in the State. Almost every
day citizens call at the State Department TO
look up the record of their first American
ancestor. They are often successful in
finding the name they seek, but there the
case must end, and the wide Atlantic deep
intervenes between the two ports, the one
from which their ancestor sailed in Europe
and the one at which he landed in the Prov
ince of Pennsylvania. just here, naturally
enough, the mind suggests, if | haG the
list of people who sailed in such a ship, with
such captain from such point in the Old
World, | could find the name of my ances-
tor who came from the country across the
sea, and by that record. perhaps, get the
line of his ancestry in the Old World"
Such suggestion is followed BY an excla-
nation, CIV by does not the great Common
wealth of Pennsylvania, and each and every
other Commonw ealih that form the Repub-
lie, enact law, creating a commission to
go to all the ports of the Old World from
which ships sail, and collect the lists of
passengers and emigrant departures for the
Colonies and States and place the same on
record. in the State Department at Harris
burg, or other States where they belong"
Yes, why has such commission not been
sent long ago from Pennsylvania
1t is hoped that Senator Crawford and
Representative Garman, at the pext session
of the Legislature of the Commonwealth
n IL franz. n ll,y creating a commission IN