Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-09
THE PEN OF HISTORY
The Rich Field for Research Afforded
in This 0ity's Past.
Mr.. SPOFP0RD'S SUGGESTIVE ADDRESS
Lines Of Investigation That Have
Heretofore Been Neglected.
FAIRNESS AND ACCURACY

An admirable address was delivered by
Mr. Ainsworth r. Spofford. Librarian Of
Congress. before the Columbia Historical
Society at the first regular meeting at the
residence Of the president. D. J. N. Toner.
l445 Massachusetts, avenue on Monday
evening, His theme was 1.-The Methods and
Aims Of Historical Inquiry" and the ad-
dress was as follows:
Assembled as we are to initiate new
society devoted to historical research. 1t
may be pertinent to bring to your attention
some suggestions as to the methods and
aims OF historical inquiry. To do this with
out trenching upon the ground already SO
ably covered. at least in part, by our pres
ident, will be briefly attempted
The present time appears to be an aus
picious one for entering upon many ne
elected fields. The spirit of the age, while
intensely practical. Is pre-eminently a spirit
Of inquiry. Never before has the interest
Of men in the facts of the past been SO
widely diffused. The people are eager for
Information about the discovery, settlement
and history Of every portion Of our widely
extended country. Books of local history
come from the press In ever increasing
numbers. The ardent quest for the ge-
nsaiogy Of families. largely stimulated by
the formation of societies of sons and
daughters Of the revolution. has assumed
new and heretofore unknown interest
MANY Of our states have gathered and
published series Of colonial records pro-
ceedings of early legislatures. ETC., tnval-
liable to the historical inquirer Other
states which never before published any,
thing concerning their early history are
preparing by the examination and collection
OF manuscripts still preserved both in Eu-
rope and America, to commemorate the
men ana the events OF their past. Several
OF. the states embraced in the old thirteen
colonies have within q few years printed
the rolls OF their officers and soldiers In
the revolutionary armies. Many new his
torical societies have been founded, until
OF such assocfa tons. state and local. foots
up an aggregate of no less than two hun
dred and twenty-siX, Of which number thir-
ty-eight are state historical societies.
An improved Method.
AT the same time a marked improvement
is apparent in the quality and critical value
Of our historical literature. Not many years
since the writer's of so-called histories were
remarkable chiefly for their want OF thor
ough information upon the subjects which
they assumed to treat. Books were written
in which the worthlessness Of the matter
was only eQaaled by the crudity of the
style. with the exception Of q very few
honorable ana honored names, the writer's
Of histories struggled after the bombastic,
the exaggerated and the sensational The
result was a crop OF ephemeral so-called
histories, which the world has very willing
ly let die. Now, thanks TO the existence of
better models, We have fewer ambitious at
tempts TO treat great historic themes by
utterly unsSiiied writers and incompetent
investigators. 1t is coming to be recog-
nized that the men and the events of his
tory are to be viewed with a broad. liberal
and phflosophic treatment, and that no man
Is competent to write history who can
not enter into the very temper and spirit
OF the times he would describe. and por-
fIaEt charaeters in the true light of their
inherent cnaEties and of the environment
which surrounded them.
The marked and encouraging growth of
the true historical spirit Is rurtner eyinced
by the large number and variety CT articles
on history and biography which appear in
the periodical press. Not only are the mag
azines and reviews prolific in special studies
reviving the events Of the past, but the
columns OF the daily and weekly press are
literally supplied with such articles, which
are welcomed alike by publishers and read
ers. While the number OF exclusively his
torical magazines is comparatively few. our
literary periodicals largely supply their
place by devoting much attention to this
fisid, publishing frequently illustrated his
toricai and biographical material Of greater
or less valve.J
Another method of difrusing historical
fnforma ton Is by lectures. increasingly in
demand and supply. In which notable char
acters and events are treated often in con-
densed and graphic portraiture. contribut-
ing to the pleasure and profit OF audiences.
Our leading universities have now their
professorships OF history-scmething al
most unknown thirty years ago In this
country, and the contributions OF those who
I'LL these chairs to the periodical and per-
manent historical literature OF the country
are neither few nor small.
Field OF the Society.
Into this age of eager interest In the
men and the events Of the past, this new
society is born. Its founders need not re-
greet that 1t comes 80 late upon the stage,
since its work will unquestionably be the
better performed than IL II had started in
the cruder and less critical era which has
gone before, The field OF it's labors Is en-
phatically q wide one-although 1t is In
name a local society. Taking In its range
all that centers in our national capital 1t
embraces the history Of the genesis of the
republic. the founding OF the capital city,
the political annals OF the country, the BIZ
ographies Of statesmen. whether legislators.
executive officers or Jurists; the great his
toric debates in the halls OF Congress. the
founding and the progress OF the various
departments Of the government the growth
of the representative body and the senate,
TIE SOCIAL ulStoIy Ol e.tCH administration,
the formation, growth and decline of par
ties, the characteristics OF each nota BILE
epoch in our annals, the public buildings
OF the government and their history, the
institutions founded by Congress in the Dis
trict OF Columbia. and the policy and treat
ment Of the federal city by our national
legislature. Add to this the varied subjects
of interest in our local history and devel-
oprnent already referred to. or which will
readily occur to all of you, and a range of
subjects of investigation opens before us
such as few Of our cities perhaps, indeed,
no other city, can supply.
Thus. for example. history OF the
newspapers OF this District. daily and
weekly. thoroughly prepared. with the
leading characteristics OF each notable
journal, its term OF existence, etc.
would form a most Interesting an in
structive work. While the great field of
our local journalism is strewn with many
wrecks 1t has also had its notable and bril-
liant successes for commemoration.
"A systematic history of the various Dis
trict forms of government, municipal, terri
torial and by commission, with chronology
cal tables of officers. the conditions and re-
suits of suffrage and its discontinuance, is
greatly needed, and should be undertaken
by an impartial hand. full account of the
pioneers and first settlers of Washington
has never been attempted with any COM
pleteness, and the scattered materials which
exist should be brought together and di-
gested into a memorial of the men VINO
aere the earliest to be identified with the
seat of government. A thorough history of
the District of Columbia, geographically
considered, with view Of all legal Ques-