Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-24


made the occasion for disseminating much Of
the fruit Of the society's work OF historic re-
search prosecuted during the year. II will be
a means, the very best means, OF making the
general public familiarly acquainted with
our local and county history, and there "
scarcely a county In the whole country that
has richer and more inspiring historical asso-
Citations than ours has only IL needs 10 DO
worked up.
MY idea Of such a celebration is TO make
1t something like the only one Of the kind In
the country, that held every Fourth at Wood.
stock, Conn; but under the auspices of a
historical society ours could be made even
more interesting, instructive and popular.
The Woodstock celebration IL held In Mr..
Bowens Roseland Park, and IL considered
Of national enough interest and importance
to have It's proceedings reported at more or
less length In most OF the leading news.
papers of the country; while the most
prominent and famous literary aud political
dignitaries of the land deem il an honor TO
be invited TO take part In 1t. Ii takes up the
whole day, and consists of elaborately pre-
pared addresses, orations, the reading of
specially composed poems, essays and so on,
all interspersed with music, and with a
lunch In picnic style at noon. Some of the
speakers this year were Senator Hawley, tho
president of the day, eulogy of the nations
heroes of the past by =. G. Lounsbury, of
New York, an address on "Our Railroad
methods" by Henry Clews, another on
"The Ballot" by Hon. Chas II. Grosvenor,
OF Ohio, one by Levi z. Morton, on "Allies
of the Revolution" by Lieut.. Greely, of
Washington, on "The Arctic Regions,h by
DR.. Carol, on 'The Republic OF the Future,h
besides poems read by DIR. Hill and Mrs.
Louise Chandler Moulton, and several other
papers and addresses. The evening was de-
voted To fine display Of fireworks in the
park. Letters of regret were also read from
Gen. Sheridan, Horace Porter and Senator
Edmunds, who at the last moment were pre-
vented from being present in person.
Now why could not Lancaster county have
something like that every year, only better ?
WITH an active historical society TO inau-
gurate it and to work up our abundant his
torical material, and with some of our public
spirited citizens taking live interest in the
subject there is nothing in the world to pre-.
vent us from having an annual celebration
that would stir up the patriotism OF the
county and of the whole state, and whose
fame and good influence would go out over
the whole country. incidentally too, as
every one must see, IL would be an immense
benefit to our county and city in many other
ways 1t would soon bring the rest OF the
country TO recognize our Importance not only
az historically one Ot the most interesting
regions, and second to none other in the
Union in its influence on the civilization and
industrial development of the country, but
also ~ economically important to degree
scarcely yet appreciated, situated as 1t Is in
the very heart and centre of one OF the rich
est agricultural districts on the whole conti-
nent
ALL this and much more needs to be
brought out and impressed on the American
public far more fully than yet has been done.
And by no other agency can it be accom- |
plished so well as by live, working histori- |
cal society, whose researches and labors, i
am confident, would soon reveal the tact
that this part of Pennsylvania has played as
Important part in the making of American
history and the formation OF the American
national character as ever Puritan New Eng
land or Dutch New York did. Yet they and
especially the former, as yet receive all the /
credit, all the glory, and all the consequent
profit They almost monopolize the pubic
notice and attention, while the real Keystone
state of the nation remains comparatively |
neglected. If you don't believe it, look into /
any OF the great newspapers and see the /
proof for yourself. You will find that /
events transpiring in the great represeu tative |
portions of Pennsylvania, outside of Phila. /
delphia, are hardly noticed, while every little
incident, however unimpOrtant, happening
in any part of New England, or even of New
York, is fully reported and eiaborately COM
mented upon. Every little oue-hOrse school
in Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Is
land, for example, every trihing public
charity, every local enterprise, and the words
ana deeds OF every person, at all well known
there, receive full notice, comment and free
al vertising while our colleges and schools,
the words and deeds of our citizens are
scarcely even referred to, though they may,
and often do, merit it infinitely more, and
are of equal or greater real importance to the
world.
IRNow it is not ill-will that does 1t but
only ignorance, and ignorance for which we
are partly at least to blame ourselves. The
country at large does not know what we are
and what we have DONE does not appreciate
the importance of PennsylVania's place,
and peculiar work in the develop
ment OF American nationality. And
1t never will know so long as we
don't recognize and appreciate it our
selves. Every little New England village
has worked up its history in minutest detail,
and given it 10 the world What has this
state done in this line Next to nothing. 1t
Is high time, if only for our own interest,
that Lancaster county, the heart OF Pennsyl-
yania, and centre of its most typical and
characteristic life, should wake up and go to
work. She ought to have done it long ago.
But it is not too late to begin even now. Her
citizens owe II to themselves, to their child
rem and to the whole country.
THEREFORE let us have 9 LANCASTER
COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. And let us
have it at once. UNCAs.