Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-28
HISTORICAL AssOCiATION.
Opening Of the National society
Prominent Men Present.

tby Telegraph 10 the Dlspatcn.I
WASHINGTON, April 27.-The
American Historical Association began
its third meeting in the lecture hall of
the Columbian University at 10 O'Clock
this morning. The hall was at that hour
well filed with ladies and gentlemen.
Amorg The members Of the Association
present were the venerable president,
Hon. George Bancroft, Of this city the
vice. president, Professor Justin Win
for, of Harvard; President Charles
Kendall Adams, Of Cornell the secre-
iaIy, DR.. Herbert b. Adams, Of Johns
Hopkins the treasurer, Clarence Win
ihrop Bowen, Of New York William
b. Weeden, of Providence; Charles
DeaDe, Of the Massachusetts Historical
Society; Professor William F. AL
len, Of the University Of Wis
cousin. ard Professor franklin b. Dex-
ter, Of Yale, members of the Executive
Council; DR.. George Il. Loring; Pro
lessor Moses Colt Tyler, Of Cornell :;
DR.. James c. yelling. of Columbian
University, Washington, d. c.; Judge
Mellen Chamberlain, Of the Boston
Public Library \ Professor George W.
Knight, Of the Ohio State University :;
Professor Austin Scott, Of Rutgers
College; Eben G. Scott, Esq, Of
Wilkes barre, Pa; President d. G. Gil
man, DR.. j. F. Jarnesen, and DR.. r. T.
Ely, Of Johns Hopkins University !;
John Addison Porter, of this city; Mrs.
Martha B. Lamb, editor Of the Maya
zine If american History; William
Henry Davis, Of Cincinnati; DR.. Ed
ward Charming, Of Harvard; Colonel
William Allan, Of Baltimore /; General
George W. Cullum, United States army
Hon. Henry Adams, and Colonel John
Hay. Mr.. W. W. Corcoran was pre-
sent during part of to-day's session.
Hon. George Bancroft, the venerable
historian, called the Association to or
Ger and delivered the address of wei
come.
lie presented also letter from Leo
pold Won Ranke, the great German
historian. dated at Berlin, February IA,
1886, replying to communication
notifying him Of his election as an hon.
orary member Of the Association. Won
Ranke is the only person upon whom
this honor has been conferred. In his
letter Of acknowledgment he said:
sit gives me great satisfaction to be-
long to a society pursuing the same
aims beyond the ocean that we on this
side are striving to achieve. Such unity
Of studies binds together people widely
separated, yet allied by ancient kinship.
1t fills me with especial joy to see Mr..
George Bancroft, one Of the masters in
our science, extending his hand to me
from afsr-a man who, during his resi-
derce in Berlin bound me to himself by
ties Of reyerent:al friendship"
Theregular programme was then taken
up. The first on the list was paper
on columbus" by General James
Grant Wilson. president OF the New
York Genealogical and Biographical
Society. General Wilson, in his paper,
dwelt especially upon the approaching
400th anniversary Of the discovery OF
America, and what was being done to
fifty commemorate the great historical
event. He said the King OF Spain and
other distinguished Spaniards were
much interested in the event, and would
heartily cooperate in its proper cele-
brstion. He also spoke Of the statue
Of Columbus to be erected in Central
Park in 1892, and exhibited a picture
of the proposed statue. He showed
also a picture of the Duke Of Versgua,
the representative of the family Of Co.
lumbus in Spain.
Professor E. n. Horsford, Of Cam
bridge, read paper on " The landau
Of John Cabot in l497," and DR.. A. B.
Hart read one on "Graphic Methods
of Illustrating History" exhibiting
examples of maps and charts. The
last paper Of the days session was by
Professor Tyler, Of Cornell, and the
subject " The Neglect and Destruction
OF Historical Materials in This Coun-
try" He suggested that the attention
of historical associations should be
given to the preservation Of documents
and papers Of every sort which are Of
value as bearing testimony concerning
the past.
At the eveningsession the following
papers were read and discussed New
View of Early Virginia History" by
Brown, Esq, of Nelson
county, Va. +; 1.-The Part Taken by Vir-
GINA Under the Leadership Of Patrick
Henry in Establishing Religious Lib
erty," by Hon. William Writ Henry,
of Richmond, Va. "A New England
in the Middle Of the Eigh-
teenth Century" by DR.. Edward Chan
ming, of Harvard College; aud =" The
of Municipal Government
in Massachusetts," by I. Jefferson
Coolidge, Jr., Of Harvard University.