Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-01-06
NEWSPAPERS AND HISTORIANS.

Criticism OF newspaper accuracy Is
4 fayorite pastime Of the people who
don't know much Of facts themselves |
and pick upon the exceptional evil
of dishonest paper as ruling !
characteristic OF the press. Dishonest
newspapers, like dishonest men. do
exist
The historian probably studies the
accuracy of the newspaper with more
discriminating care than the man
who reads papers for news or finds
opinions expressed not to his liking.
The historian accepts the news
paper. honest or dishonest. as cor
rect index of the times.
This Is the sensible conclusion ia
ken by the author of one of the pa
pers read at "A recent national assem-
bly, of historians. He admits IL may
be true that reports given in certain
newspapers are colored to suit a per-
sonal or spiteful whim-but this he
considers a correct representation of
the times, because every truth has It's
accompanying untruth, and the prop
er historians seek the situation as IL
81. rather than as they think 1t
should be.
Taking as his subject THE Use of
Newspapers for the History of the
Period from lS5O-lS77," Mr.. Rhodes
said:
80 nj IN N
newspaper is unsympathetic and this
affects to some degree the feeling Of
American historians when they con-
slider the use of newspapers as histo-
rical materials, leading them to
adopt an apologize tone in justify
ing 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
Talne for using two only of the
twelve journals available for the his
tory of the French Revolution our i'm
preston is the same as II Taine were
criticised for the neglect OF evidence
of another class. Taking the news
paper for what IL is. with its virtues
and its limitations, 1t seems curious
that an apology should be necessary
for its use as historical material. For
IL Is contemporary, written without
knowledge of the end. and its aim is
to print the news which is present
politics. If its relation is colored by
honest or dishonest partisanship,
that may be easily detected.
For the history of the decade OF
1S5O-lS60 newspapers are indispen-
sable to get at all the facts. to go
to the bottom of things, and to por-
tray the changing public opinion
which Is a prominent feature OF those
ten years. As ! based statement aft
er statement upon newspaper author
ity. knowing that ! was subjectine
myself to criticism. ! could not keel
thinking of the cogency of the re-
mark, so well attested by variety
of examples.
"A modern newspaper statement
though probably true, II quoted in .
book as testimony, would be laughed
at but the letter of court gossip
II written some centuries ago, u
thought, good historical evidence
When we test newspaper evidence al
we do all other evidence, taking int,
account the general situation, thu
surrounding influences, and the indi
yidual bias of the journalist, we shall
find 1t excellent authority, contribut
ing to a vivid narrative. This is es
peclally SO for the decade OF 1850
1860, when II is well worth while L
have the statements and opinions o
such great journalists as Greeley
Dana, Bryant, Bigelow, Raymond
Webb, Bowles, Thurlow, Weed
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, a
during the decade preceding 1t. TIL
The story of campaigns and battles
which naturally fill so much of thi
space, Is more accurately and thor
oughly told In the monumental pub
LEGATION of our Government - tn,
Official Records of the Union and Con
federate Armies, The Southern
newspapers, however, give many use
full political facts nowhere else to b,
found, and they reflect admirabl!
Southern society, peculiar in that /
was cut off from intercourse witt
the outer world owing to the efiicien
Federal blockade.
I'm the history of Reconstructed