The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-01-12
l2eo2le rs orl q
All Reply OF Father Houtiou 70 the Last
" 4; M of ME- a. c. Musgraye.

Si'ltfS ~ dS$uptFM lLuUuLf ssuIusS ulttlSoitS
THAT 4 succeeded to make Mr.. Mus;
| grave implicitly admit that "the bur!
,ienaof the proof is on his shoulders:
Yet i still doubt 81 $IFnaye fully sue.
ceeded, especially when / look upon
the kind s.of proofs which \ he brings
forward ii; % plain at any rate that
he Is anxious to abandon what I con.
slider his duty, In order to get out Of
| It he Summons good Father Ryan and
all kinds ii irrelevant subjects, with
the same ani1nus. however, that die
tated mis- first .'pointed paragraph. z"
In'reply TO his last, / Iwisn to-day
to impress upon htmtthe first duty Of
a true historian. This Mr.. Musgraye
may again consider as form Of men.
tai surgery. 10 which heis rather re.
luctant to submit. Unfortunately We
all have at times to submit 10 a palm
full surgical operation. IL 1t is only the
extraction Of a}bad tooth.
The first duty Of q judge, who has to
decide a ease, is sunHned up In the
old motto, Audi alteram parton, Ills:
ten to the other side The first duty
ct a historian, who has to pass a judy
,rnents IS fantareayS similar. He must
have recourse. when possible, to the
original sources; he must listen to
both sideg5 not merely to their. asser:.
tons. but to the proofs they bring for.
ward. Lastly he must take It for
granted that each side is more or less
biased on the presentation OF his own
case. What A has to say in favor OF
A and against B deserves rather little.
consideration, unless strongly support
ed by extrinsic evidence. But what A
admits against himself, or In favor Of
his opponent B, deserves, as a, rule
a serious credit; whether tits based on
original Ior: secondhand Information.
This, / was taught when long ago l
seriously began to study history and
ever since ] have held to itras the
necessary foundation Of all historical
criticism Let us make this principle
concrete and apply 1t to a case which
already alluded to in the beginning
Of this discussion - That the Mama
was blown up In Cuban waters Is ad-
nlitted by all sides. We p'pst there
fore accept this as a historical .act.
Now many Americans nav. considered
Spantards as guilty Of the outrageous
crime: quotation from an American
newspaper would hardly prove that the
spanlaMa are guilty, neither woull q
quotation from Spanish newspaper
prove that the contrary Is true and
that the Maine was blown up BY An
orleans in order to take advantage OF
the weakness Of Spain and seize her
Possessions. A future historian will
likeiy reoeot poen vefsiolls u -. o1''n
ISL and American writer's. lie may
come % Inc not uhr ee' ss1i son..
sion mat Inc outrage lra1' %as .oA''.tssIu'
II not bs dolhez wv '..i t'1s
tiohalles, AZ ie'' 'a " en =, - tue. ~"
tanatic t -E ~lle rest = nis .''lu"t9',
may never aa'e io''.'o'se :" S''''r
It; " would mercy ~ ~, ' 10y ~" ~
Old adage'2i1s lesasieu1 pi .l'. :. :. -,
has done r., VINO rehpeo 'h' p.on''.
In consequence o. 'lns "e4i e'NaD
lisnedj EpianetptFe' ~. -ouos'a'o iA1
ABANDON nus taonc OF proa " an14i
Catholic authority twhetner nrst "
second>hand) IN order TO '3 support nis
own antiCatholic statements. hacau!'
ny, as a historian was certainty esF Iay PREF
ldteeed ssa,lst:; t a ftot: 'h'
w. Draper; o. the Un1Verstty OF s He~
York, Is even more 50. as any one Is
aware who has read especially Ms
History o. me CONNECT between Hells.
ion and scaonce.|iE whist ! 1lsnt1y as
claim the mere eaP-'o o. oota - !aaeaoi'
ay and Draper wnen they are quoted
against the Catholic cnuSn' cam
that any adnassion OF taea!s' M ~ VT
The SaY1la Catholic church would D6