The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-07-21
COLUMBIA.
Saturday Morning, July 81, 1885



school Books for the South.
The professors in the University of
Virginia have done good work for
the youth of the Southern States, III
preparing q series Of textbooks for
schools and academies. They are
issued from the press Of {. B. Rich
ardson 4 Co., New York, and the list
embraces the following works:
Southern School Readers" for
families and schools, consisting of
seven volumes, by George T. Holmes,
LID, Professor of History aud
General Literature; Gan Elementary
English Grammar" and "A Chro-
biological History of the United
States" by Professor Holmes; ga
Grammar In French" ga French
Reader for Beginners" and another
for schools and colleges, by NJ Schele
de We're, Professor of Modern Ian
guages; Outlines of Latin Gram
mar" and CA Progressive Latin
Reader" by Basil L. Gitlersleeve,
Professor of Ancient Languages: and
complete series of mathematical
textbooks, by Charles s. Venable,
Professor of Mathematics.
In noticing this commcndable en-
terprise, it is not our desire to write
puff of the books enumerated, for
we have not seen any of them; nor
is it our desire to go contrary to our
own precepts and teachings, by
promoting q continuance of sec
tional strife or alienation, by our
remarks on the subject under con
sideration; but it is our duty to speak
the truth and promote and foster
Southern enterprise and effort in this
particular department of letters
And our reasons are these: Before
the war, the press of the South had
too frequent occasion to condemn the
textbooks sent us from the North,
(mostly from the pen of New England
writers,) because they were filed with
lnsldious teachings against Southern
people and Southern institutions.
From the most primary spelling
books to the professed histories of the
United States, there was not one Of
them that did not contain some un-
friendly anusion to the people of the
South and sneer or phillippic
against our former institution. Owing
to the watchfulness of parents and
the prudence and discretion of teach
ers, and, perhaps, to great extent,
the lntuitive perception of the truth
by the children themselves, the poi
son thus sought to be -instilled into
the minds Of Southern youth, proved
harmless, as the large number of
boys from schools and of young men
from our colleges, who promptly
donned "the jacket of grey" abun-
dainty testify. Still, it would have
been much better not to have run the
risk, and to have had textbooks from
Southern authors, or at least from,
candid and just men; and not from
the Puritan writers. biographers
and historians.
Bat If these books had little iniu-
rlous effects at the South, there is nc
telling to what extent they aided il
producing animosity against US in tho
minds of the young people at the
North. The principles inculcated
and the precepts and lessons taucl
In the early routine OF education, AZ
easily received as truth by the young
and susceptible, and are not easy t.
eradicate in after years. even wher
truth should resume her sway; ant
we have no doubt that this sort o
education was powerful instrumen
tality in the hands of the fanatics ant
factionists Of the North in fomcntins
that sectional hatred and animosit,
which, in later years We're 50 fear
fully developed.
But, be this as it may, the cause
that induced the Southern people i,
former times, to wish fur scl.oo
books not tainted with teachings o
sentiments hostile to their peace ant
prosperity, exist with equal, if no
c<roo&os. fosoo .,oEx I'LL L.