The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-12-29
Rhodes
And Hill
Speak
Before the American Histor-
ical Association in An
nual Session.

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Dec. 29-
The following Is an abstract of an
address ofrJames Ford Rhodes before
the American Historical Association
oday:
! Taking as his SUBJECT The Use OF
Newspapers for the History OF the
Period from 1S5O-1S77" Mr. Rhodes
said:
THE attitude of society to the
newspaper is unsympathetic and this
AFFECTS to some degree the feeling of
! American historians when they con-
slider the use of newspapers as his
toricaI materials, leading them to
adopt an apologetic tone in justifying
their employment. This attitude is
however beside the question as. is
seen when we detach ourselves from
American life and conditions. For
example, when Aulard criticises Taine
for using two only of the twelve
journals available for the history of
the French Revolution our impress
sion is the same, as il Tame were
criticised for the neglect of evidence
of another class Taking the news.
paper for what 1t is, with it's virtues
and its limitations. it seems curious
that an apology should be necessary
for its use as historical material. For
it is contemporary. written without
knowing lodge OF the end, and its
aim is to print the news which is
present politics If its relation is
colored by honest or dishonest par
tisanshfp, that may he easily de-
tected.
.aFor the history of the decade of
.lS5o-6O newspapers are Indispensable
to get at all the facts, to go to the
bottom of things and to portray the
changing public opinion which is a
prominent feature of those ten years
AS / based statement after statement
upon the newspaper author i could
not keep thinking of the coSency of
the remark, so well attested by =
variety of examples.
"A modern newspaper statement,
though probably true, If quoted in
book as testimony. would he laughed
az; hut the letter of court gossip.
If written some centuries ago. iS
thought good historical evidence.
When we test newspaper evidence rs
we do all other evidence. taking into
account the general situation, the
surrounding influences and the indl-
vidual bias of the Journalist, we shall
find it excellent authority, contribut-
ing to a vivid narrative. This is es-
! pecially so for the decade of 1S5O-6O
when it is we'll worth while to have
the statements and opinions of such
great journalists as Greeley, Dana,
Bryant, Bigelow, Raymond. Webb,
Bowles. ,Thurley, Wood, Schouler
and ,Medill.
/ For the history of the Civil War
the newspapers, so far as the North
ern side is concerned. are not so I'm.
portant for historical evidence, rs
/ during the decade preceding it. The
story OF campaigns and battles,
which naturally ill so much of this
space is more accurately and thor
Is told in the monumental publica-
ton of our government: the official
records of the Union and Confeder-
ate armies. The Southern newspa-
pers, however, give many useful po-
Ilitical facts nowhere else to be
found and they reflect admirably
Southern society, peculiar in that |;
was cut of from intercourse with the
outer world owing to the efficient
federal blockade.
I'm the history of Reconstruction
the historian may be to a large ex-
.o,,+ T., laDap darf Of tha daily news.
paper. Reconstruct was the wor''
of Congress and its debates and acts
are the essential things"
Mr.. Rhodes summed up his paper
with the concluding remark: The
duty of the historian is not to decide
/ il the newspapers are as good as they
ought to he. bur to measure their in.
Huence on the present and to recog-
MIC their Importance as an ample
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