The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-14
HISTORY'S UNCERTAINTY
Az INTrsrIGArION EhyHAfs PER
PLExING INACCURACIhs'
Did President Monroe Ever Live In Char
IottesNiiic?- 1t seems So bih'"i'io
Geo Al Positive Tacis of the i"s''

t.oflflf.. arc even supCT-abunuanJ SO
THAI N studying history means reading
books thai are entitled HISTORIES or, IA
proficiency lu tAc study means hllins tho
mind ana memory with thc contents OF
these muutgdnous volumes, then the HIS
torlcM student may have pain sailing.
liut when the question arises, How much
OF tl.s is truce then comes the tug OF
war.
I.yy is one Of The most elegant and
readable OF Che Roman historians, but II
SIS clear that much OF ns famous work
g. fabulous. or legendary There is more
A-th .n Acsops fables than in some OF
ihe earlier chapters OF Ilfy's "nistory.
IAVy. doubtless. tolls much that is true
Dut ID is $50 mixed with fable and legend
a. 90 puzz "a even The genius and research
of a Nichuhr 10 he gives his mind 10 'he
task OF extracting The grains Of truth from
the masses OF gfotesquo yarns.
AS storyteuor. Herodotus enJoys the
highest reputation. but il IS Impossible TO
Say how much Of DIS work is TO he c.assed
with "the tales OF traveller.
Among historians" telling tho truth
s. mostly modern invention. Many OF
tho nhlest Of the ancient historians evil
d,nflv wrote TO please rather than 70
Instruct. The work OF Herodotus was not
meant TO be read ny the scholar in his
study. but 20 bee rccted publicly, Ike
play. or a poem. 10 listening and applaud
sr thousands eager for excitement ana
amuscmcDt And it accomplished It's end;
for 80 is one Of The most entertaining mar
sativcs in the world.
But 81 one wishes 20 learn Just what
history ought TO teach him. ne win be
safer in taking Sir walter SCOTS novels
os authorities. than in rcposing his faith
ON Hcroloms and Livy.
MODERN PREJUDICEs.
Even when we come down 10 modern
times and consult an author who meant
10 tell the TRUTH our case IS not much
rncrdeI Modern pro1udices arc fatal
10 ancient history. in Mitford's history
or Greece. "a book which once had q
great run. the illustrious Demosthenes IS
Iof even respectable. Your ideas Of men
and things IN English history viii depend
largely upon which historians you read.
or which YOU believe. Hume with al
lis skepticism. could be idoatrously de-
Vouf Froude will not "a round un-
vanished tale deliver" about anybody.
or any thing. And even Macaulay's his
tory. able and learned as II is. has been.
mot without point, stigmatized as ~
WING pamphlet" just as PartOn's life OF
Jefferson has. with much Justice. been
called "a Unitarian pamphlet"
Even when there Is no prejudice I'm the
rase. and when there IS no conceivable
motive for hiding the truth or for per-
Vcrting 90. stiil 10 IS not always easy 10
learn what the truth So. Edgar A.
Poe 7 believe. gives two dates fer his
own birth. and there are some two years
latween the dates
Andrew JACKSON in his famous procla-
lion addressed tho "nullihers" OF
South Carolina as citizens Of his native
state. when "a o matter OF fact. he was
iCfu in North Carolina 1t sounds
strange that the President Of tho United
states had never been able 10 learn
which state OF the Union gave him
birth.
MONROE AND ALBEMARLE.
Some time ago o. Baltimore paper pub
he'd a good natured controversy be-
tween two Nirginians. on the question
whether jones Monroe AFTER retiring
from the Presidency. ever lived IN Abe
rlrffe county. W.. and not far from Mon
ucelo. the residence Of Mr.. jefferson.
TIe question interested me. and. sup
posing fl 20 be an easy question 70 settle.
determined 10 investigate 80: and I will
bore give the results Of the investica-
colonel Charles Wertcnbakor Of Char
loff.stiile writes as follows:
cannot give y0u proof positive That
Nonroe ever lived here but the weight
off evidence if may so call SD is very
decidedly in favor or the probability OF
bis having done go. ] first interviewed
Major Green povton, Proctor no the Uni
versItv ~ Virginia. Tie says that ne al
Fars understood and believed that OK
President Monroe lived in the house mt
fo northwest anelc on Monroe Hul Cat
fhe University and that Do afterwards
moved io Ash lawn. the present home Of
CN-l'0ufs 1ant-ioyornor John b. Massey.
Colonel \cnahls University profess
snr Says that he always believed tho
above t0 Doe % fact" Mr.. Jesse Maury
hfd ST. long talk with me about TO- tie
HFs Substantially.
"1fv uncle Nas Consul TO Liverpool.
.rl died Qua Paris or some epidemic. Mr.
Monroe was ln Paris at the time. and ate
tended TO au DTS funeral ARRANGEMENTS.
Hd thereby ccmontcd friendship on the
iff off rho Mtwv family which lasted
IoHr as ST.. Monroe lived
"nir AaHry is "a cousin of the late Com
raoor. Matthew F Maurv Ho saws that
w|rH Oe com lrst remember the land ON
Which Monroe uu SIS situated. or rather
part o. DO. wac in tle ro session of "a
ur. Perry. whose descendants are with
uF now in ths family OF spoonors. That
Perry bought of Kemp Cati"tt ana that
Cot'.'t bought from President Monroe
THAT poe lM0uroel a.. o lived at Ash Lawn.
and tl4l D have often soon jefferson.
MADISON and Monroe on tho court green
ir Charlottesville and that he rcmom-
lrr DTS lNonroel features and appear
n.e uIIN uHrf.o. dstin..u..e. That he
heard his knsman, Mr FRY. say that no
s. deputy .u.rI. went fo collect tt.rs
from Nr Monroe. a.d THAT le .ot very