During the eleven years that Lowndes was a member of congress, he did not speak as often as some others, but when he spoke there was that in his manner which commanded attention. The foundation of his success as a speaker was laid deep. He spared no pains in getting the facts, oftentimes surprising his opponent with a truth that the latter had overlooked. His manner was modest but confident. When others appealed to men's passions, he appealed to their judgments. It was his habit on taking the floor to review the arguments of his opponent before proceeding to refute them. Mr. Alfred Huger said, "On one occasion after hearing Mr. Lowndes state the argument of his adversary, Mr. Randolph exclaimed, 'He has done that once too often, he can never answer that.' But the Virginian was mistaken, he did answer himself, and so the house decided."

The following incident, though trivial, illustrates the fairmindedness and generosity of the subject of this sketch, and also testifies to his popularity. Once when he was going with Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, from Philadelphia to Washington, they were stopping at an inn. Here a man who had written an article for a newspaper, asked Lowndes to correct it for him, adding that he was not used to writing. Lowndes took the paper and corrected it carefully. Returning it he asked, "What do you know of this gentleman that makes you think so badly of him?" "Nothing positively," replied he, "but I am tired of hearing him praised; every one talks of him and praises him; and when you hear nothing but good of a man there must be something very bad somewhere." Lowndes smiled. After their departure Mr. Rutledge asked him of whom the man had written. "Of me. He considers me a snake in the grass and warns the world against me." "And you have corrected this letter?" "Certainly," said Lowndes, "every man has a right to express his opinion."

How a Young Man Built Up History in

Mississippi

In 1893 there came to the Johns Hopkins University from the State of Mississippi a young man who desired to study history. He was a modest, affable, and serious person and gave all his energies to the task in hand. He did not differ in appearance or in ideas, so far as a casual observer could see, from the typical hard student of the university. Three years later he completed the graduate course and returned to his native State to become a teacher of history. Whether it was due to the enthusiastic influence of his instructor, the lamented Herbert B. Adams, or to his own remarkable strength of character, or to both, he went to his task with a purpose which has produced in the field of historical research results hardly equalled elsewhere in the South. In the five years he has been at his task he has revived a moribund historical society to a state of fruitful activity, set more than a score of citizens to work writing history, established a bureau of archives as a feature of the State government, founded and supervised an ample and valuable series of published reports, and given history a permanently beneficent impulse among a people who formerly cared little for it and perhaps but half realized its very nature. The man who has accomplished these things is Dr. Franklin L. Riley, professor of history in the University of Mississippi. His success has been such that the story of his achievement ought to be presented to every Southern lover of the intellectual life.

There is nothing strikingly remarkable about Dr. Riley's work. It has been rather the result of steady and undespairing efforts. When he took up his work at the University of Mississippi he found there the possessions of a suspended historical society. These effects amounted to a small collection of papers and relics which the dying society had placed in the hands of the university's officials. Six years earlier than that, in 1890, the State legislature had incorporated the Mississippi Historical Society. This organization had been formed, like so many other societies of a similar purpose, by a number of well intentioned gentlemen

who thought it a shame that a State should not have an historical society. Having secured the organization they lacked either the knowledge, inclination, or opportunity to develop the germ which was confided to them. They devoted themselves chiefly to the collection of relics and documents; but they did not attempt to write or publish historical papers. After four years of effort, during which the life of the society was patiently nursed by its secretary, Dr. William Rice Sims, the fruits of its labors were placed in the hands of the State university and its meetings ceased to be held.

In the summer of 1897 a chair of history was established at the University of Mississippi, and Professor Riley was elected to fill it. In the following autumn he took up the task of reviving the historical society. He decided to have a public meeting in the city of Jackson during the following January. He appealed to his personal friends to prepare papers to be read at that time. As a result there came together a number of men of earnest purpose and a very successful meeting was held. The society became active again, elected officers, and announced to the world that "All persons interested in advancing the cause of Mississippi history are eligible to membership in the society. There is no initiation fee. The only cost to members is annual dues, $2.00, or life dues, $30.00. Members receive all publications of the society free of charge." This announcement perhaps seemed a little ambitious to those who had thought that an historical society was an object of charity. It was framed, however, in a spirit of serious dignity. This is a good place for one to say that there never was, and never will be, a vital literary movement beneath which there is not enough devotion to call forth considerable monetary contributions from those associated with it.

As the above announcement reveals to us, the society had decided to issue a publication. At the head of its real administrative work it had placed Professor Riley as secretary and treasurer. He, as well as the other gentlemen who were associated with him in the enterprise, knew well enough that an historical society is not a complete thing without a publication. In fact, a publication is usually that thing which gives it a tangible existence in the eyes of the world; since by the very nature of its work its meetings will usually be attended by only a few persons of

historical tastes. In June, 1898, Professor Riley carried out this plan by publishing the first installment of the society's publications. The title page set forth that it was "Vol. I, No. 1," evidently with the purpose of inaugurating a series. But this form was abandoned after the first issue, and the publications have since appeared as annual volumes. The contents of the first issue were twelve articles, most of them the papers which had been read at the meeting of the preceding January in Jackson. It was a rather full pamphlet of 110 pages, but it had a good index. During the following winter the second meeting was held. So greatly had the work grown that the second volume of the publications contained eighteen papers and 249 pages.

The third meeting of the society was held in Jackson. It was the plan to hold the meetings here every two years, while the legislature was in session, so as to bring the work of the organization more directly under the eyes of that body. It was realized that if the results should soon attain dimensions commensurate with the necessities of the situation there must be State aid. The idea from the first had been to do such efficient work in preserving the history of the State that the legislature would be willing to give it the necessary help. It was in that third session that this plan was carried into effect. The president of the society, General S. D. Lee, offered to the legislature an able memorial on the needs and plans of the society. The memorial was received with general approval. A bill was passed with practical unanimity authorizing the creation of a History Commission as a subordinate feature of the historical society. This commission was directed to make a full report on all the sources of Mississippi history, and it was to be appointed from the membership of the society by the president of the society. Furthermore, the commission was to serve without pay. The act went on to appropriate $1,000 for the printing and circulation of the report of this commission and other reports of the society. At the head of the History Commission, as it was at length announced by President Lee, was Professor Riley.

The effects of this appropriation were at once seen in the form in which the publications were presented to the public. Instead of the small and narrow-margined unbound volume which had modestly made its bow to the public in June, 1898, there now

appeared late in 1900 a stout volume of 380 pages, well printed with good type and paper and ample margins, and substantially bound in blue cloth. The contents were twenty-three articles. Taken all in all, it is doubtful if a more creditable publication was ever issued by a Southern historical society. From that time to the present the publications have appeared annually. Volume IV. appeared in 1901 and contained thirty-eight papers and 506 pages, and Volume V., recently issued, contains 394 pages.

Volume V. of the publications contains the report of the History Commission created by the act of 1900. It is an elaborate examination of the sources of the history of Mississippi. It deals with the work along the broad lines suggested in the report of a similar commission in Alabama. It presents in five sections accounts of papers and documents relating to Mississippi, (1) out of the State, (2) within the State and in public repositories, (3) in private collections, (4) accounts of Indian remains, and (5) places of historical interest in the State. Each subject is discussed extensively. The report is a valuable basis of future work. The commission recommended that the collection of documents and relics then in the hands of the Mississippi Historical Society should be donated to the State to be left in the hands of the society as permanent trustee, and that the State should create a Department of Archives and History at the head of which should be a salaried officer and to whose hands should be entrusted the collection and preservation of historical materials. Bills embodying these ideas were drafted by Professor Riley and through his earnest support the legislature passed them.

It is evident that one of the most serious phases of such a move was to avoid the natural tendency of such a department to come under the influence of party spoilsmen. To guard against this it was provided that the control should be in the hands of nine trustees chosen from the membership of the society, that in the first instance these trustees should be the existing executive committee of the Mississippi Historical Society, that these should hold office for six years, three going out of office every second year, and that these trustees should constitute a self-perpetuating body. The director, who was the administrative head of the department, was to be selected by the trustees and was to hold