The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1889-09-25
window, and the girl is now using
the razor to peel potatoes.
The Study of History.
Nav esn Journal.

l @'"h 0sh sSuAnaAs
In every sge since the dawn Of
human civilization, history has form.
ed an important branch Of education,
commanding itself to all classes and
conditions Of men, as much by con.
sequence of the interesting and i'm.
portant character Of its matter as q
portraiture Of the past, as by the
truthful and sincere lessons it con-
veys Of the school Of human expe-
rience. In the consideration of his
tory in the latter phase, it rises to
the sublime dignity Of a sage, ven-
cradle aud sagacious, from whose
precepts there can be no divergence
with propriety or safety; for life has
its experimental character as we'll as
science; but the true philosopher, in
the one as the other, will not vary
from what may be considered its
established data. As a preceptor in
the science of human wisdom, his
tory has no compeer. 1t points
without passion or prejudice to
where the seeds were cast into the
earth, and with the majesty OF
destiny 1t withdraws its mantle from
their inevitable fruits.
II may be said that knowledge,
which is intelligence of a higher
order, is comparative-that it is es-
timated extrinsically it has no value
save to the possessor-useful only
when it Is used. History, then, is
valuable as record of the progress
Of knowledge, the development Of
the intellect, and the gr,wth and ex.
pansion Of the principles of material
economy. Every fact which il
chronicles is full Of interest to us-
for the man of thepresent, IN all hi:
essential qualities, is buta reproduc.
ton of the man Of the past, urier 9
more benign influence, with better
intelligence, and a more enlarged
horizon for the employment of his
nobler and more peaceful instincts
A true appreciation of the pres.
ent period of human progress can.
not be had without an application
of the test of history. II IS the uni.
versal standard cf human knowledge
and a living fountain Of infalIible
wisdom. Tothe philosopher, really
sincere in his love AMI pursuit Of
truth, it Is an exhaustless, effiores.
cent receptacle. There he finds il
robbed Of all the outward, delusive
appliances that obstruct the view oi
the present beholder, biased and
controlled as he is by interest, sen.
sibility, and the demands Of faction
Bare to the very springs of hi.
most secret action are the records oi
man in the hands Of history. Thai
which was dark or hidden in con.
ceptiOn, difficult orimpossiblein in con.
struction, the pen of the historian
like the wand Of the magician, pour.
over all a flood of light. While tax.
ing from invention none of il utility
from art none Of its beauty. he
spreads out the good and the evil OF
cycle or century, sums it up, and
strikes the balance with the cool.
ness Of an accountant and the sag.
acity Of a philosopher.
To the statesman history Is th,
fountain Of all knowledge. A clos,
aud judicious study Of the annals oi
the past, which are 50 cunningl,
interw oven with all the interests . ol
the present, impart to him an en-.
larged mental vision of its demands
the intellect is expanded, and tn,
heart is touched.
To the youth who is learning lif,
and preparing for its exigencies
history supplies his greatest desid.
eratum. The good and the evil oI
the world are there placed befor,
him in their original colors. Nc
faint or illdefned outline where they
mingle and blend into an indlstincl
mass, undigested and crude, useles.
and, more than that, pernicious, buI
clearly and purely set forth, with al
their unmistakbale results. To the
youth learning how TO live, and Il
the aged fearing not TO die, histor,
is the bright pathway to intellectual
and moral probity.
Let us commend the study Of his.
tory to the young Of America, ant
particularly at this iuncture tn,
history Of our own Revolution
The men Of that period may hav,
been more than mortal in their en-,
dowments Of integrity and wisdom
or the spirit Of liberty is more 20
tent even than we imagine il, fol
certainly no other country presents
TO the students a more brilliant re-
, cord Of noble heroism. In a vena