The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-20
SOUTHERN HISTORY.
Importance Of Its Prescrvation-Address
of Mr.. Thomas n. fa.e Before the HIS
torIcaI Society.

| VI 49,
| toricaI Society.
The Virginia Historical Society met
last night in the hall Of the House oi
Delegates. In addition to members OF
the society. large number OF ladies' and
gentlemen were present. Colonel Archer
Anderson presided.
The report Of the executive committee
was read by the secretary, Dr. Il. A. Brock'
II showed that the society was in posses
| sion Of large number OF valuable books,
pamphlets, etc. The total membership,
life, contributing, and annual, Is Adj.
| The report urged all Nirginians taking
an interest in Virginia to become mem
bers.
The officers elected were: President
Hon. Alex. Ii II. Stuart; Vice-Presidenis,
Colonel Archer Anderson, Hon. J. l.. NJ.
Curry, and Hon. ". W. Henry; Cores
ponding Secretary and Librarian, DR.. r.
A. Brock; Recording Secretary. George
A Barksdale
A full list OF committees were also
elected.
Mr.. PAGES ADDRESS.
Colonel Anderson then introduced MI
| Thomas Nelson Page as the orator OF the
evening.
Mr.. Page spoke from the theme, The
Needs of History in the South and the
Importan. Of Preserving Material To.
wards II.
After thanking the society for their
fsttering request to him TO address them,
the speaker said that the South has no
! history. and, like the philosopher or old,
we must wake up to the fact that we
must obtain il from the writings OF the
dead. IL we do not the South will never
have a history. There are Northern
| historians but no Southern historians.
There are State annals and records, and
TO them alone we have 10 rely on for q
history OF the South.
There was culpable negligence on the
part OF our people in keeping and pre-
serving records. Here III Richmond
some years ago Ii was found by the
clerk 5 record that the marriages record
ed were I 900 short of the actual mar
riages. The clergymen had not returned
the licences simply because they did not
deem it important. In some OF the
| Courthouses papers of peculiar value are
lying around loose in pigeon holes, and
hut for the labOrs OF Howe Grlgsby,
Bishop Meade, DIR Brock and others, we
would have had no record of Virginia for
the past seventy five years. lie referred
to a Virginia graveyard where two Gov
errors OF Virginia bad been buried which
had disappeared, and over the graves
rye was growing.
From the foundation of the country
there was a North and South. The
North, compact and commercial, the
South. diifuse and agricultural. His
descriptions OF tie two different peoples
were very picturesque. He spoke OF the
introduction of slavery by the North, its
subsequent disappearance there, ami its
growth In the South leading to the war.
Referred TO Virginia's gift to the Union
of her northwest territory, and rapidly
sketched the always successful efforts
OF The North to keep her repre-
sentatiycs in Congress superior in
number to those Of the South, the
development OF abolition in the North
and secession in the South He referred
10 this because the writings OF the North
brought about the WAT and put blot on
the South as standing alone IN defense Of
the perpetuation Of slavery. This must be
avoided by recording the true history OF
the South so that future lives may know
what was the trGth of Southern ciyiliZa-
tion, and rot alone what her enemies
say of il.
Times have altered now, but it is to the
Old South that the New South owes her
pride and energies. TO this Old South
we owe a race OF soldiers who came to
the front u race which probably history
may never see again race who fought
not only against the North but against
the world. The South was true to prin-
ciple, In war and in peace; which has
been signalized by her faultiess bravery
in the war, and the unanimity with which
she accepted wars decree. His tribute
TO the Southern soldier and his illustri-
Gus leader, Robert E. Lee. were eloquent
and patriotic.
He concluded as follows "It is ths
historians duty to place the South be-
fore the world in its proper light till the
whole truth and nothing but the truth is
known. For such one Fame waits to
take him in her arms" Applause.
On motion OF DR.. R. A. Brock a vote
OF thanks was rendered Dr.. Page.
Adjourned.