The Southern herald., 1889-03-23

~. sitts EFhftassr H.s zpuztnlH
~ : IN ElefIiEsh sntIscA
Ths post whittier has snene'a1sa 2
hard doctrine "A rsesaE ls5lez g
friend "a regard 70 tho pub b'sca5'e.e. &.
private epistlesl How y ehan1f .'H'
the principles he 50 emphatlss.|s Y
down are violated ny the papllsn'
81 thIs particular document q aet
DIained; bit II n rather sn1pEas
slnee he writes; ssoma YEAR, ase
destroyed . large collectlpn q lst.s.-
| had received. not from any regard sH
nv own reputation, hut from lhg ,s.
| that To leave them liable e pun'les.y
might be injurious 81 unpleasant tV
the writer's Or their iElenls 4nFJ
covered much Of The ant|-ala|ysEK
period. and Tie war ol tho rebellion
and many ol them. / knDN. were
strictly private and confidential
was not able 81 the time 70 look over
the MSS, and / thought II safest ~
make q bonfire Of all, I have always
regarded private and confidential
! letter " sacred, and ita publicity in
any shape shameful breach oi trust
unless authorized by the writer
only wish my own letters tp thouHan.'a
81 correspondents may BE- q caKeanlly
disposed Of 4
The ground hero taken Z certainly
sufilciently high one. Tho Logical
deduction from the position II the
writer Is that most biographies ere
practically violations Of The decent Kes
serve which should surround th8 aeaa,
since ii is difficult TO believe that there
exists 4 modern biography which docs
not owe lts information largely a
what Mr.. Whittier calls private letters.
i Leaving, for the moment. the wider
question whether biographies - such
lre or are not 81 value, Il ls ialr e
onsider that every honest man u
told that his history will be written
win first Of all desire that # BE- truo.
To destroy his letters would, u the
case of any person oi sufficient note Y
have been concerned In impoEtans
II !.
events, be to lessen the chance Of ne
truths being known. either Y rssss
J to himself Or others. IerfaAniy II .5-
. ography and history are to b Wrlttens
Ii Ii important that they shall Up
] proach as nearly as possible 10 1ap
! truth; and neither AZ. Nnlts.sk ARk
anybody else has ragnt e pessfez
} documents which would ASSIST y
bringing the truth to nght' Snst'es
t TO the memory q his friend sngn.a
lead one who has importanf iet1efs y
see that they are properly uasa, nol
that the risk is run q having his.ozs
j misrepresented for want @ Them az'
i Whittier himself would pnQeu2as'.k
: prefer that his letters g th0pss'aez
: OF correspondents should pe pk'nsze
8 to having his lie mlsrepEesen'ea Hs'A
b the high causes n defense q Mn.ep e
has fought 20 well misunderstood
I The fact is that while tnls m''seE -
publication seems q insk glance Rs.'.
unpleasant and nnluetlnapie' Y = o.s
another form OF the universal sfutn
that no mans life belongs e nlAase.'.
Perhaps q man has no more fign5
& either to expect or 70 WISH % saAe n
o the grave with him any more tnan
he takes his gold ne personal pElEssf
i which Is as much . luxury q l'le e n
= bis treasure. In any case sne nas.7sS
n Of man belongs % the LIVING eng sillo9 .s
the history of man is maoe Up q s,.9
q history Of men, IN their story tne Moz'a
: has On inalienaple right n ioil2N1 n.
e that documents which seem pfifn's pQ.
property are often public TRUSTS aHp