The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-04-01
SAVE THE STATE RECORDS.


What the plastic art Of Greece is for
its history as read in the light of mod
ern reseach, what the cuneiform char
acters on the baked tablets of the coun-
/ tries of the ancient east are for the de-
ciphering of Assyrian and Babylonish
/ history today, the records that seem to
many persons but so much junk, will be
to the historian of America in the
future. Only the students who under
take to collate the source of American
history at even so recent period as
the the era preceding the Revolution,
can realize the scantiness 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 old
er states that had enlightenment enough
to think for the future
1t is not so much a matter Of censure
that the settlers of colonies generally
did not take the long look into the fu-
ture as that of Governor Bradford Of
Massachusetts, and his associates, who
were firm in the belief that they had
been raised up for the creation of a
great commonwealth in the new world
But it is deplorable in the extreme that
at time when the world was looking
to the lusty young nation and prophecy
ing great things for it, that the invalu-
able letters and records Of the colonies
and eminent patriots were being treat
ed as so much waste paper The de-
velopment of the historical instinct in
America has been a slow process. But
this may in part be explained by the
lack Gof historical perspective. Even
this affords slight excuse, as the earl-
est of the patriotic legion were fond of
deriving parallels from the republics of
the classic period, for the background
of their own experience in self-govern-
ment
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 wanton
waste Of historical materials through
ignorance and carelessness. A distin-
guished visitor 70 this country at the
Roosevelt inauguration makes amazed
comment upon the lack Of system and
order in the care Of the documentary
tea lures OF the state and other depart
ments at Washington Yet the degree
Of carefuIness of Uncle Sam at the
present time is worthy Of high CONNER
dation as compared with the attitude Of
the government departments toward
the invaluable adjuncts of history de-
cade or so ago
MARYLAND is rich in historical records.
yet there are great and irreparable
lapses. Even so recent a writer as
Scharf had available materials for his
torical reference that has disappeared.
so that some of his statements are be-
yond 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 perilouslv near
to obliteration in England, affords the
state a 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
has never returned them. The custo-
dian, often a janitor, regarded them as
worthless rubbish. being Indifferent to
their fate. A country is richer in moth
ing than its history Nothing is as i'm
portant to preserve as the truth Of the
past, nothing so inspiring, nothing so
educative, So that the vandalism OF
those who wilfully or ignorantly destroy
historical materials should be made
punishable, as the wanton destruction
Of the money currency Of the country.