Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-16
TO COLLECT HISTORICAL DATA.
Proposed Formation of n Southern
Historical AssOciatiOn.

Rhetorical Association.
A meeting has been called at the Column
bian University for the evening of the
oath instant for the purpose of organizing
the Southern Historical Association. One
who Is taking prominent part. in the
movement said to Star reporter: Fol
years the study of history has been adj
vanced in the south by such organizations
as the Maryland Historical Society, the
Southern Historical Society, the Virginia
Historical Society and similar organizations
in Georgia and others of the farther south
ern states. They have done invaluable
work in the collection, preservation and
publication of papers relating particularly
10 the colonial period, or to that time when
the south had its four years of war.
The new association does not propose to
conflict with the work of assisting So
cieties, but by encouraging original re-
search, by discussion, by conference among
members, thus widening personal acquaint-
ance, by the collection of material and the
publication of the results of patient in
vestigation to further the general object
THE southern field presents many at
tractive features to the historical student
The first English settlement of permanency
was made In that region, and the success
OF the Virginia experiment, together with
the enterprising explorations and records
OF the redoubtable Captain John Smith,
made possible the settlement of New Eng
land, fourteen years after the Jamestown
colonistS had passed their starving time.
Later the south contributed men and money
In the creation of the republic, and no his
tory OF this country is a history that fails
to detail In their full import the achieve
ments Of southerners in Jurisprudence In
politics, craftsmanship, diplomacy, letters
ana military movements in the first half of
the century, and their strides in commerce
nj 70 1r,~f lot
Though several successful ventures have
been made into the field, extending from the
revolution to the civil war, the history
OF the United States concerning that period
not the annals in the mere political or
constitutional philosophy of the time-is
yet to be written.
This applies particularly to the south.
But In recent years some of the younger
generation have found 1t of great impor-
lance to develop some of the vast store
OF rich material which is accessible In the
Congressional Library and the collection
OF dlnerent states, well as in private
iiprarles, Is vast amount Of most valua-
pie stores, such as biographies, magazines,
oid niles OF newspapers, reports of state
and municipal authorities, etc, that throw
a great light upon the past
This Is being thoroughly handled by men
devoted rather to the task of setting for
the facts relating to their section in sym
pathetic colors than to the profit that some
people imagine accrueS to the author And
the organization of the Southern Historical
Association will give an immense impetus
to such undertakings"
Among those who have sgnified their
lndorsement of the proposed organization
and many of whom have promised TO at
tend the melting at the Columbian Univer-
sity, are Rev. DR.. J. l.. NJ. Curry. Post
master General Wilson, Senator Morgan,
General Wade Hampton, Rev. DIR. Stakeley,
J: j. Darlington. DR.. G. Brown Goode A.
Howard Clark, William c. Winloch, Cen
eral Marcus Il Wright c1,;c
Lodge. Prof. Hermann Schoenfeld, James
Ward Davidson D. R. Goodloe, Lorich
Pierce, w. H. Lamar, Dr. S. b. Weeks,
George P. Pell f. A. Oldham and r. L.
Cab of Washington, d. c.; Prof. William
Hand Browne of JOINS Hopkins Unver-
sity, Col Richard Malcolm Johnston and
Gen. Bradley T. Johnson, Baltimore: Gen.
G. w. Gusts Lee, Lexington, Va; Repre-
sentative Bankhead of Alabama, Charles
W. Dabney, assistant secretary Depart
ment of Agriculture, end several hundred
of eminent theologians and scholars resid-
ing in every section of the country.