The Cairo bulletin., 1908-12-30
HISTORICAL VALUE
OF NEWSPAPERS
STRONG DEFENSE or DAILY RE.
PORTS BEFORE HtSToRI-
CAL ASSOCIATION.
AS GOOD AS EVIDENCE
When Judged BY Some Standards
Mitch Better Than Gossip
Which Many Historians
Accept.

\
. American Historical association
; transferred the second half OF it,
!, convention from Washington to Rich
mend today, members coming here
n the afternoon by special train, The
session formally opened tonight with
the annuaI address of President
Adams. who discussed History ani
the Philosophy of History" One OF
the able papers of the day was by
Mr. Rhodes in defense of newspapers
as historical aids He said in part
Taking az his subject The Use OF
4 Newspapers for the History of the
Period From IS50tS77," Mir 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
torical materials, leasng them to
adopt an apologize tone in iustifying
their employment This attitude Is
however beside the question as Is
seen when we detach ourselves from
I American life and conditions For
| example when Aulard criticises Taiue
! tor using two only of the twelve
! journals available for the history Of
the French revolution our impression
, is the same, as If Tame We're crit
cised for the neglect of evidence OF
another class. Taking the newspaper
for what it is, with its virtues and
its limitations, it seems curious thai
an apology should be nee essary for
it's use as historical material For it
is contemporary. written without
knowledge OF the end and its aim
/ is Is print the news which is present
politics. II It's relation is colored by
honest or dishonest partisanship,
that may he easily detected.
For the history of the decade of
1S5060 newspapers are indispens
able to get at all the facts, to 20 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 newspaper authority,
knowing that | was subiecting my.
self to criticism, could not hep
thinking of the cogency OF the re-
mark so well attestel by a variety
Of examples.
"A modern newspaper statement
though probably true. If quoted in a
book as testimony, would be lausae
at hgf "a LOFT Of
it written some centuries ago. is !
thought good historical evidence. !
When we test newspaper evidence |
as We do all other evidence. taking |
into account the general situation. |
the surrounding Influences and the |
individual bias of the journalist. we
shall find il excellent authority; con. |
trihuting to a vivid narrative This |
Is especially so for the decade OF
1s5060 when ii is well worth while /
TO have the statements and opinions
Of such great journalists as Greeley.
Dana, Bryant Bigelow, Raymond
Webb, BowIes. Thurley. Wood.
Sohouler and Medill"
For the history of the civil war
the newspapers. so far as the north.
7rn side Is concerned are nos so M
portant for historical evidence. as
turing the decade preceding il. The
history Of campaigns aul battles.
which naturally I'll So much of this
pace is more accurately and thor
'ughly told In the monumental publ
alton Of our government. the on
,ial Records Of the Union and Con
eeerate Armies. The southern
newspapers. howevc>. give many usr-
nl political facts nowhere else toll
Ne fouml and they reflect admirably
southern society. peculiar IN that IL
vas cut of from intercourse with
Be cutter world owing 10 tho efficient
federal blockade.
In the history of the R-coustrur /
ion the historian may pe 10 "a large
Ntent Independent NJ the daily news
aper Reconstruction was the WORK
T congress ant its debates and acts
re the essential things"
Mr.. Rhodes summed up his paurr
Nth the concluding remark. "ThrI
MY Of the historian IS not 70 decided
the newspapers are as good a.
hey ought 10 be but 70 measure
heir Influence On the present anal
b recognize their Importance as an
mPle and contemporary record ufI
H.