Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-06


reasoned down: but simply faded away.
no one can prove that there was such
things as ghosts" Lecky declares: and
yet the man who says he has seen one
ia derided. We laugh at the belief in
fairies. which prevailed for centuries;
and yet. says LccHy, that such thinge
should exist and should be able 10 do
many things beyond human power, are
propositions which do not present the
slightest difficulty" The fairy tales have
never been refuted or explained by the
process which We employ in the determi-
nation OF questions OF ordinary history.
There are no FAIRIES now visible. and
that Is ali we can confidently say. We
have no other reason, strictly speaking.
for ridicullng the idea that they arpeared
IN other times, and performed the fam
'asdc service that contemporary writers
ascribe 10 them.
NAPOLEON's REMARK.
There Is a good deal of force in
Napoloon's remark, what is history. but
Il hction agreed upon?" All OF our in
formation about the pas, g. filtered TO us
through the personal views, feelings, and
associations Of those who write tho
DOCKS mat we read. They report things
I'D uS as they see them. choosing their
own points OF view, and making their
own assessments OF valt-.e While tbey
may he Iucau.bIa or c,rsoto,,, ,t.l
hc'A, they are liable 20 mistakes of OBJ
scranton ana Interpretation, which may
easily convey a wrong impression. Froule
hhrns The materials of which history
l' construct ! 70 a chld's box Of let
'eIN' win which one can spell any
word he pieas,s. you have but to
select such facts as suit YOU" be says;
,lo NOT suit Won. Ia 49,. So, - ~.
t,,e, la nh, Z, ,,,,,, e.,
di0ic,,lt,, H. ,'so,.'l.,'.' ' 30" 'H4i I"' -"
And in adii,,o, 60 ~ 80 ~
Gol f,cts - - a.,
ou5 ,,1-.o,,.s,,'ot 80 -, -
49,. t,,,,..'......'.., ~ ~ ' b'"9r -
il,.. r,',ct'cat i,,7, ., - ~ SCI -. u
time. the tr,ip, ma, Mn. 49,, 1.,l,,
the urorabilitv tavnn1 tbo otgrt,l chou
mE. may be- as true ana as valuable
I'm It's way as the thing nat ur.Iicetiot-
ably was. and in toaDv c,t.. +, Is
inllepensable to a correct ccn,rreben-
sion Of q ecarn or y character
The historical romance is ortsn hotter
than the seyorolv-aocnroto bistory for
,.irrgs.s of general f,.tr,c,io, ava In.
s1ira;.on. al Lincoln CatbCd-a1, ,,,,s
taoaul1v "tbarn is n bca,,.il,,r ,,i,,teI
tVIfeit
an, If IN. ,i',s 90 ,,.,. 49,, ,, -
,.rl,r .. t,.l.,. - ~ - 80 90
r,,,,,,, V ..,,. a. Wv, ''.uI'" 80
or,e. tg,9 hr. ,,s''.5'' VIZ 'aI,i '''.'''
.:,, VIZ ena,. a, .I,'''' "lo' '...,''' W.
has used those fragments Of truth which
, a.. nave sooiniu,Iy thrown oehn1
.Ci, 80 81 , =, Mi.',n NE "tu eSr-e
TO- . "'S AMI "''ir X" 1"-
10 ~ ~ am hl"Hc mem
i''''lI WIN inc ''-cct al hlS lNHEl''-
u' H. ~ We get from HIM more
''''"' a.'d 'i'isl--',.y conception OF tAe
''ic' Ol We CRUSADERS. Oh Tile border
wars ana OF carry 7'''ch story thdH
no .'." ''e c'''-'il 'r@r| cn''niciei'
" ''I me! E!'h t'l'cty ABOUT Ht''a.
-.,'...,.' =, 10y - rI''t"I NO
,t'...t'. "''' W."
''.'' 4" u''dI'.' scio'5 H'e
'.'-.' ''' N."l IN"H' ''-iI"h'
IL't''S-4'H.l' MIeHchtl IN MS customs,
with his voice and features. bis gestures,
ana his dress, distinct and complete az De
f'om whom We have just parted In the
street. And this IS mlu.itsty impossi-
hl3 without giving wing TO The itnaeIua-
ti0n. restricted ~ 4 rational regard for
the logic OF probability.
one o. u. most extreme. and Mt tho
same time one Of the most admirable
examples IN this relation g. IIueo's de-
slrption Of the battle of Waterloo So
FAR "a the details are concerned. u IS
known 10 Doc chiefly tissue Of inventions:
Oh, the@e imaginary circumstances 20
not iH any cSS' nt,1i respect Nioi1te the
rules Of probability. The rush and wlrl
of dramatic episodes which ne presents
ana or which there Is nothing said in
the Official reports might have hap
pened, II - easy TO believe u" does not