Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-04-03

records. Here is what the American
has to say as to Maryland conditions
and needs, and it all applies to Maine:
What the plastic art of Greece is
for its history as read in the light of
modern research. what the cunciform
characters on the baked tablets of the
countries of the ancient East are for
the deciphering of Assyrian and Baby
lonish history today, the records thar
seem to many persons bat so much
junk, will be to the historian of
America in the future. Only the stud
ent who undertakes to colate the
sources of American history at even
so recent period as the era preceding
the Revolution. can realize the scanti-
ness of materials for the history of a
period that was pregnant with the
movements that made the American
nation. AS for state records. there are
few Of the older states that had en-
lighteninent enough to think for the
future
1T is not so much a matter of GEN.
sure that the settlers OF colonies
generally did not take the long LOOK
into the future as that of Govern n
Bradford, Of massachusetts,. and his
associates, who We're firm in the belief
that they had been raised up for the
creation of great commonwealth in
the new world But it il deporable in
the extreme that at u time when the
word was looking to the lusty Young
nation and prophesying great things
for it, the invaluable letters and
8 -,
patriots We're being treated as so much
waste paper. The development Of the
historical instinct in America has been
a slow process. But this may in part
be explained by the lack OF historical
perspective. Even this affords slight
excuse, as tho. earliest of the patriotic
legion We're fond of deriving PARALLELS
from the republics of the classic
period. for the background of their
own experiment in sclf-gove rnment.
Professor Andrews. of the historical
department OF the Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, in his recent address before
a body bent upon saving the residue of
historical materials in Maryland that
may yet be in private possession. gave
some startling incidents Of the Want"n
waste of historical materials through
ignorance and careleSSneS.. a dis
tnguished visitor to this country at
the time of the Roosevelt inaugural ion
makes amazed comment upon the lack
of system and order in the care of the
documentary features of the state and
other departments at Washington. Yet
the degree of carefulness @f Uncle Sam
at the present time is worthy of high
f,T,,N dot inn, oy,o rn1 no
attitude Of the government depart
ments toward the invaluable adjuncls
Of history decade or so ago.
maryland is rich in historical
records, yet there are grave and
irreparable lapses Even so recent
writer as Scharf had available
materials for historical reference that
have disappeared. so that some of his
statements are beyond substantiation
from the sources. The editing of the
archives of the state has been
maSterful piece Of work. These and
the recovery of the Calvert papers
from a condition perilousiy near to OBJ
liberation in England. affords the state
fine basis for historical research. But
in some Of the states. persons per-
mitted free access to the records have
carried them away by the armful and
never returned them. The custodian.
often janitor. regarded them as
worthless rubbish. being Indifferent to
their fate. A country is richer in
nothing than its history. Nothing is
as important to preserve as the truth
of the past. nothing 50 inspiring.
nothing so cducativc SO that the
vaudaliSm of those who WilfullN or
ignorantly destroy historical materials
should be made punishable. as the
wanton destruction of the money
currency of the country"