The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-07-09
HISTORY BY CORRECTION.

Boston Transcript: One of the most
| important functions of a historian is
to correct the errors of previous his
torians. 1t is an endless task, and
its necessity does not presuppose any
more serious offense in it's subjects
than the usual human liability to
error and inability to reach original
sources" These sources are frequent
ly carefully guarded and more than
once a happy accident has torn the
veil from an obscure historical cpl
sode, which in entire good faith men
of learning and impartiality has mis-
construed. Immense masses of docu-
ments long impounded are today being
thrown open to students, and there Is
constant revision which many gov
| ernments passively invite, but it is the
accidental discovery of some forgotten
dispatch which has slumbered in the
dust of pigeonholes for generations
that often yields the richest finds. An
| Austrian officer given a sinecure
charge Of a mass of old documents,
who conscientiously construed his du-
| ties, went to work to arrange them,
and stumbled upon a packet whose
contents unravelled after almost two
centuries the imperial counterplot
against Wallenstein. A place histor-
ians had found very crooked was made
thenceforth straight. ......
Similarly from discoveries will come
| in the future revision of judgment of
men and motives involved in the war
with Spain. Possibly the process is
! even now beginning, but Senator De-
pew's secret history revealed is chal-
lenged in so many quarters that the
net result so far is more controversy
where there was controversy enough
before. Mr.. Depew has in an interview
declared that through the medium Of
an exalted parsonage" whose name he
was not at liberty to give, President
Mckinley received and intimation from
! Spain that it was willing to abandon
its sovereignty of Cuba, and neverthe-
| less went to war to obtain what he
/ could have acquired in peace. To Sena-
/ tor Depew's assertion q prompt and
vigorous exception is taken by Mr..
| Justice Day of the supreme court,
who was secretary of state when the
Spanish war was coming on, and left
that office only to become peace
Senator's statement surprises him. He
had always understood that Spain's
willingness to abandon sovereignty OF
| Cuba came only after defeat What
tthe ex-secretary OF state does not
know of the negotiations, that went be-
fore the war and came after hostili-
ties ceased lis not worth knowing.
All of McKinley's friends are not of the
same calm temperament as Justice
Day and from them comes a loud de-
mand that he disclose the identity of
that exalted parsonage" or forever
hold his peace. Morton Frewen also
makes similar request AS familiar
acquaintance of the last Lord Sails
bury's intimate friend who is the
senator's authority for asserting that
the British premier wantef to attack
the United States during the Venezu-
cit embroglio of 1895 before we had
built up our navy, and was restrained
only by the interposition OF Queen
Victorias authority. Many others are
moved by the same curiosity
Mr.. Depew and others have dwelt
much upon McKinley's weak person
ality'' as responsible for the war. Let
ting that pass, it may be said that
even presidents OF unquestionably
strong personality have made mistakes
which have been quietly undone. Grant
kept the peace at the time of the Vir-
ginius affair, despite all Temptations to
intervene in Cuba, and showed him.
self masterful. That was because he
had earlier learned lesson under the
tuition of Hamilton Fish. 1t is a lit
! tie known fact that in 1869, largely
/ influenced by Secretary of War Raw
Inns, Grant prepared proclamation
according belligerency to the Cuban
insurgents. He sent 1t to secretary Of
State Fish to be signed and issued.
Fish signed 1t but did not issue It.
1t was never issued. He saw clearly
that while we were reproaching Great
Britain for having accorded belliger-
ency to the confederates. Grants
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