APPENDIX A LXXXIII 



be a continuation of feud and battle. From an honestly and humanly- 

 written history we should rise with a better comprehension of the causes 

 of past conflicts and of the motives of the participants; with compassion 

 for error and all the effects of human fallibility. In a word history may 

 be, and should be, a school of humanity, and that without the least sup- 

 pression or distortion of facts. It has sometimes been made a school 

 of hatred, and that with both suppression and distortion of facts. Let 

 us hope that this is no longer possible. A great Quinquennial Historical 

 Congress was held only last month in London. Men of the highest 

 renown in historical science were there; and it is gratifying to know that, 

 not only was this idea of the possibility of making history serve the pur- 

 pose of healing breaches and cementing friendships, both between nations 

 and within nations, earnestly dwelt upon by the venerable President, 

 the Right Hon. Mr. Bryce, but that it was heartily responded to by other 

 leading speakers. You will listen with pleasure, I am sure, to the fol- 

 lowing words taken from the President's address: 'Truth and truth 

 only is our aim. We are bound as historians to examine and record 



facts without favour or affection to our own nation or any other 



Seeing that we are, by the work we follow, led to look further back and 

 more widely around than most of our fellow-citizens can do, are we not 

 called upon to do what we can to try to reduce every source of interna- 

 tional ill-feeling ? . . . . As historians, we know that every great people 

 has had its characteristic merits along with its characteristic faults. 

 None is specially blameless; each has rendered its special service to 

 humanity at large. We have the best reason for knowing how great is 

 the debt each one owes to the other; how essential not only to the 

 material development of each, but also to its intellectual and spiritual 

 advance, is the greatness and welfare of the others and the common 

 friendship of all." 



I am glad to be able to borrow for the termination of my very im- 

 perfect discourse sentiments and expressions of this high and noble 

 quality, and to know that they will be received by the members of this 

 Society and the friends who are assembled here this evening with no less 

 sympathy and approval than they were by the distinguished audience 

 to which they were addressed. 



