The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-09
WARTIME DIARY OF
A CABINET OFFICER
The Dinry Of Gideon ,WelieS q Most
Interesting Record OF civil war
Times In Washington.

Personal TecOiteClIoNS o. ~
been regarded as one Of the mos.
valuable sources for the writing OF
history as we'll as elightful enter
tanning reading for those VINO nave
no thought or desire TO "
interpret the past. 10 the Iofiioi
class Of readers. they have always
presented two problems, nancy
how far are they trustworthy on &C
count Of personal feeling. whether Ia
yorabie or hostile. in reference to n
particular matter. n how Tar
should they be discounted because OF
lack Of In spite or THESE
two drawbacks. they are regarded as
OF great importance even in this day
Of scientific historical. investigation.
A diary Of a person who has been a
participant In or Il spectator or nm
portant events has only to be dis
counted in one Of these respects. pro-
yided Of course that the writer is a
person Of such known character as
to make his testimony credible. the
element Of doubt as to m IS
eliminated. and there remains only
the question Of bias on account or
personal feeling. This Is far easier
to detect than are laDses Of recollec-
ton. and for that reason a diary IS
far more valuable as a source. as a
rule. far more interesting because OF
the life to be found in it.
The reading public in the United
States has been particularly fortunate
to have had presented it within the
past few years two such wonderful
Storehouses Of information concern
ing the past as the Diary OF James TX.
Polk and the Diary OF Gideon WeIles.~
Neither was nknOw to the special
iSt. but neither was in the reach Of
any considerable number OF persons.
Two 1nftnr iC Of for 0ro0fnr infarnCf
than the record left by Polk and this
is said with no thought Of beli1tling
the Importance of Folks record Of
his administration. But there is no
period OF our history which has from
man. circumstances SO much of gen.
eral interest as that Of the Civil War
and the years Immediately following
it. Not the least important reason
FOR this is that it VIZ. the time Of
greatest crises because the very exist
ence Of the nation was at stake. An
other cause of it's interest is to be
found in the fact that 1t concerns in
tfnAtriy a man who is daily more
studied and consequently better
known and beloved by all classes Of
Americans. namely Abraham Lin.
coin.
III this work we have the best ac-
u Of the doings Of the national
administration from 1861 to 1869 that
could have been written by any one
of the three men who were connected
with It for practically the whole pc.
ried. Only a diary kept by Lincoln
or Johnson could surpass it in inter
est. and 1t is not likely that either
n could have formed such clea,
estimates Of men or hat they would
have been SO frank In speech. OF
the other two. a journal kept by Sc
ward WOnl6 2aVp have naEar for .
moment lost sight Of it's writer, who
would have seen here an opportunity
to shine pre-eminently In the eyes Of
Dosterity. Nor would it have been Sc
sincere and o~utspoken. A diary b!
stanton. il II can conceive of hi
keeping such a thing. would hav,
scarcely been reliable, and if so woul4
not have been in keeping with tn
character Of its author. But one feel
in h reading Of Welles' voluminou
record Of men n events in Wash
1ngton during those stern days Of tn
nations greatest trial, that in It w
have a fair view of the writer him
self. and he does not suffer in the de
lineation which,. it must in fairnes
be said. lacks entirely any trace Q
desire to eX~'oit himself. III eva
o~pinionated. as all strong men are ar
to be; somewhat conceited. in that h
was so sure Of the correctness Of h
Views: inclined to narrowness. bu
saved from pettiness by an entire lac
OF selfish ambition and by a yer
genuine patriotism which kept hill
out OF himself. p~rejudiced. at time
almost to a fault. yet through a clea
insight into character. able to az
knowledge the virtues of those he d
not like: honest. nossessed Of muc
more than average mental talent!
and loyal to an extraordinary degre
The picture would not be u%nattracti1
at any period. and in the time OF tt
war and Reconstruction. 80 ra1
among public men as to be deser'
ing Of far more than ordinary motto
Gideon Welles was born in Co,
necticut In 1902 and. after comple
ing his education at Norwich Jniye
sity. studied law. He did not rema
long in that profession but BEGAN
the editor Of the Hartford Times.