On the eve of their Tricentennial celebration, South Carolinians should admit -- to themselves if not to others -- that much of their pride of history has been based more on instinct than on information. In years past, they allowed their precious records -- both official and unofficial -- to slip into other hands, to gather dust in private attics or public basements, or to find their way into repositories where they became more inaccessible than ever. Then, too, there was the tragic loss of records which resulted from the ebb and flow of war during the days of the Revolution and of the Confederacy. But despite all this, there remains today a vast store of South Caroliniana which only now is beginning to come into the fullness of public disclosure. It is not too much to hope that, as South Carolinians participate in their 300th anniversary party next year, they will find a birthday gift of their own -- an appreciation not only of their illustrious history but of the necessity for keeping it alive. - v. 4 p. 3.