The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-17
THE MATERIALS OF HISTORY
STILL MAKING.

tious historical investigation, last year
protested in q published letter against the
inaccuracy, and inveracity of many So
called military historians" even when
dealing with the incidents Of . great
battle, like that of Gettysburg. The New
York Sun recently pointed out that We are
constantly obtaining new and important
material concerning the political and mill
tary history of our civil war, lS6l-65. tho
action and purpose of public leaders.
Union and Confederate, the performances
Of army commanders. the conduct Of cam
paigns or battles. tho objects sought on
certain occasions. the effect of the legis-
lation or the policy that was adopted at
times, the influence Of particular individ-
uals. the relative ability of men who were
prominent during the struggle, the atti-
tude of parties under critical circum-
stances, the changes of popular sentiment
North and South, the cause Of successes or
failures. The Sun fairly says that the ear.
lier books of the history of the war need
revision in many particulars.
The Sun is right History depends for
its accuracy and value on complete col
lection and comparison of its materials,
and full materials can seldom be had till
long after the events with which the histo.
rian deals have transpired. Greeley's
american Conflict" was once sound his
torical authority, but its last volume was
written in 1865, before the official archives
Of the national and Confederate govern
ments had been published. Since 1866 Grant,
Sherman, Joe Johnston, Hood, JET Davis.
Early, Longstreet, Beauregard, Pope. Nc
CleIlan, Porter. Sheridan. Cox, D. H. Hill,
Doubleday, Humphreys and other emf
nent soldiers on both sides have published
the history Of the great campaigns in
which they took personal part; the Fed
eral government has published the official
reports. both Union and Confederate; .
vast number of regimental histories, pri-
vate diaries and memoranda of all sorts
have bean brought to light. 50 that
the details Of the history of the war
have been greatly enlarged and
illuminated by . quantity Of most inn
portant and authentic information that
was not accessible in 1866 nor until long
after the death Of Greeley in 1879. Indeed,
the major portion Of our enlarged history
of the civil war has been written within
the last ten or . dozen years. beginning
in 1881 with the publication of the Scribner
series. Campaigns of the Civil War;" pre-.
pared BY distinguished soldiers who per-
sonally participated in the campaigns and
battles they describe. and to whom the
government and other custodians of
records and special information extended
every aid In their power. This was fol-
lowed by the Century war papers, which
served to correct or confirm the Sxibnes
history from fuller and more complete
materials and even within the last five
years important additions and corrections
have been made.
Walter Scott wrote his History Of Ma
poleon" while the events were fresh, and
yet his history 10 90 far from being author
ity that while We are nearly seventy-eight
years distant from the battle of Waterloo
We are only today getting at the whole
truth Of Napoleon's military and political
career and character through the opening
by the French republic Of the archives of
the war Office, the records of the police,
the memoirs of Nine. Remusat, of Eau.
ricl, the famous scholar, who In youth
was under Fouche, Bonaparte's famous
chief of police; and the recently published
memoirs OF Marshal Macdonald and of
General Marbois. Robertson's history of
the reign Of the Emperor Charles the Fifth
has been rendered almost valueless by the
comparatively recent opening of the
Spanish archives containing vast mate
rails to which Robertson had no access.
"Gardner on Waterloo" was published less
than ten years ago, but the English work
Of Gleig. published within . few years
after the battle, is obsolete compared with
the fullness and accuracy of Gardner's
book or the more recent work of John C.
Ropes.
The authentic materials for q full and &C.
curate history OF our great civil war are
not yet exhausted; they are accommodating
every day. In the meantime until these
materials have been examined and sifted
by conscientious historians We should be.
ware giving much heed to the irresponsi.
bic but imaginative emitters of Personal
"reminiscences Of the War" The story of
Samson Staying a thousand Philistines
with the jaw bone of an ass was once re-
jected by an old soldier as undoubtedly "a
camp rumor," but admitting its authen.
ITCHY it would be an interesting problem
TO consider If Samson killed a thousand
Phiiistines with the iawbone of a common
ass how many would he have slain with
the jaSbone Of such a voluble yarn spin-
ner as the average military fabulist, whose
printed personal "reminiscences read like
the record of nightmare.
The full, complete, authentic history of
the great war for the Union is still in
process OF construction by the accession of
new testimony and the unearthing of new
materials. Another thirty years may PASS
away before the materials for a cornplete
history viii ali be collected, siF,ed and di-
gested by the historian.
The Spokane Rcrie,r prints the following
trade mark" in conspicuous position on
ats title page: The Eerte,s IS not run 10
spite anybody nor 10 aEht any worthy en-
fS e.