The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-14
IN BEHALF
 OF HISTORY State Society Holds Annual
 Meeting. ADDRESSED BY GOVERNOR Fourth Volume of Reports Soon to Be Published. Governor JeIks as President and Other Oficers are Re-eIected-several Members are Added to the
 Organzation.
ADDRESSED BY GOVERNOR

The annual meeting of the Alabama Historical Society was attended by a large number of members and lovers of history in the assembly room of the Carnegie Library last night.
 In the absence of Governor W. b. Jelks. president of the society. who is in New Mexico for his health, Rev. Stewart Mcqueen. of Montgomery, oc- cupied the chair.
 The feature of, the evening was the address of Acting Governor Cunning ham. Governor Cunningham chose for the subject of his disquisition The Im- portance of Interpretations of History" Enthusiastic applause greeted his words and rising vote of thanks was ac- corded the speaker.
 Dr. Thomas M. Owen, Director of the State Department of Archives and History and Secretary of the Society, informed the organization that the fourth volume of the Society is on the eve of publication. tI is expected to be out of the publishers hands within about two weeks.
 This volume will contain a record of all transactions of the Society from 1899 to 1903. It was represented by Dr. Owen to be the largest and most complete publication of its kind in the South.
 The first valume of the Society, covering as much as possible of the workings of the organization from the time of its organization in 1850 to 1897, was reported as gradually being com pleted. The minutes of the first meet ing of the Society recorded by the first secretary, pr. Joshua H. Foster, have been recently discovered and one reason of the delay in the issuance of Volume is that important records be- longing in it are being recovered in- termitently.
 Oheers Were Re-EIected.
 pr. George Petre. Professor of His- tory at the Alabama Polytechnic Insti- ute; G. W. Duncan of Auburn, and Miss E. M. Bullock of Montgomery, were appointed as committee on nom nations for officers for the ensuing year They reported through Dr. Pe- trte. chairman, recommending the re- election of teh officers for 1904. The old officers were reelected unanimous ly by vote on receiving the report and adopting the recommendations of :he committee.
 The officers are as follows
 President-william Dorsey JeIks Governor, Montgomery.
 Vice-Presidents-Dr. Reuben Henry Duggar Gallion; Thomas Chalmers McCorvey Professor of History and Philosophy. University of Aiabama, Col, Samuel Will John, Birmingham: Charles Coleman Thach, President Ala bama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn: Peter Joseph Hamilton, Mobile; Oliver Day Street, Guntersville: Rev. Stewart Mcqueen, Montgomery; Clifford Ander- Ion Lanier, Montgomery; Mrs. Kato Iutcheson Morrissette. Montgomery.
 Secretary and Treasurer-ThomaS hcAdory owen. Montgomery.
 Executive Commlttee-Thomas NJ Owen, Chairman ex officio; Col. Michael leonard Woods. Montgomery; Dr.. Seorge Petrie. Professor of History, A. P. l.. Auburn; Joel Campbell DuBose, Birmingham; Robert Tyler Goodwin. Montgomery; William Hardwick Ruth, Montgomery; John Talbert Letcher. Montgomery.
 As chairman of the Executive Com mittee. Dr. owen paid a high tribute to the work being accomplished by the Seminary of History at Auburn under the direction of Dr. George Petrie in control of that department of the Ala oama Polytechnic Institute. The chair man said that the best work South of Johns Hopkins University is being done by the historical students of Auburn.
 Notice was given of theses now being prepared by A. F. Jackson, D. T. Herndon, W. W. Davis. G. W. Dun can. students of the Alabama Poly technic Institute. Besides these, arti- cles are being written by pr. George Petlie Dr. Thomas M. owen and Col oneI s. s. Scott. The work of all Southern history. From the files and records of the late Dr. J. L. M. Curry an interesting paper will be worked out.
 After calling the meeting to order. President pro tenn. Stewart Mcqueen made short address in which he em- Dhasized the value of historical studies and the importance of preserving con- temporary records.
 History should be the source of in- formation and inspiration" said Mir. Mcqueen. Tt Is well to acquire the information in reading history but if no inspiration is derived therefrom we may say that 1t has served us but lit- tle-
 We should feel 1t incumbent upon us as members of this society to pre- serve the records of our times. pre- senting to those who follow us all that is good to be emulated by posterity.'
 Rev. G. W. Patterson, D. D.. pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Montgomery, next spoke the invoca- tion.
 Governor Cunningham's Address.
 President pro tenn. Mcqueen then in- trOQuceQ SOVeEnOT (uilHlh5 A0hA "hS addressed the Society as follows:
 From primitive man and his initial efforts to present man and his great achievements extend the limits of hu- man experience. So much of this ex- perience as has been recorded by the various methods of the historians art constitutes history. The explanation and interpretation of the various fac tors contributing to this history con stitutes the philosophy of history.
 Historical facts are the indices to the philosophy of history. A knowledge oi these facts without knowing the cir rumstances and causes under which they were made is like reading the in- dex of book and not reading the text A knowledge of the facts of history is necessary to g. study of the philosophy of history because, were the facts not known, then there could be of course no interpretation. But it is undoubted- ly true that a knowledge of the con- tributing causes that make history, the source of these causes and their meth ods of operation is far more important to the human race than an unexplained knowledge of the facts. Therefore, the lessons of history that rebound to the benefit of mankind are to be found more in it's philosophy than in its mar. rative. Man, the individual has beer characterized by procreation and death growth and decay. The subdivisions of the earth determined, as a rule, bJ the relations of water and land have been discovered, subjugated and set. tied by man.
 The mind of man has been developed c, ducated and trained. the soul of mar ,as had its religions, it's faiths ana eds hopes. Men in their Organfzati tior