The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-22

SCHOOL HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. BY Jas
Wood Davidson, A. NJ. Columbia, >. U:
Dufie & Chapman. New York: E. j. Hale
& Son.
Mr.. Davidson, in the preface to his School
History of South Carolina, says that "his aim
s'has been to give in plain language an ac-
''count of such points" in the history OF the
State las schoolboy may understand" and
that in the portion that is subsequent TO oil
the written histories 1859 to lS69-'the
''effort has been to present the events OF this
s.eyentful decade Of years in narrative as little
las possible tinged with sectionar feelings
alto state mere facts, free from all argument
ssand comment" This purpose is we'll carried
out. and the result is-the most convenient
and compact school history of the State yet
published.
The material of Davidson's history. is found
In the usual uthorities-Rivers, Ramsay,
Drayton, Logan, and the rest-and the author
has taken great care 10 hold evenly the scales
of conflicting opinions. 1t formed no part Of
the plan of the book to deal with the philoso-
ply of history; but every important fact Is
given in plain words and with q conciseness oi
statement now too rare. Each chapter Is accom-
panied by questions in the usual form, and there
are q Few illustrations. graphic but somewa
rough. In tone the book is uneXceptlonable
The narrative of the notification eXcitements
OF the late war, and of the progress and com
pletion of Southern reconstruction. is wholly
unexceptlonable. 1t is free from bitterness o.
expression, but at the same time there Is nc
hiding of the truth The Southerner will find
his political position and doctrines tersely
stated but stated in such way that it will moi
offend the people Of another section. As well
as We can Judge, Mr.. Davidson, in all his state
ments, is truthful, accurate and Just.
Mr.. Davidson has executed his task with
singular discretion and good taste. What Is
wanted in schools (and sometimes out of them,)
is q skeleton history which may be rubbed into
the memor; until every main fact Is precisely
and positively known. These main facts arc
the ralying points of the student. Around
therl he may gather the information Of q life
time, with the certainty that there will be no
waste, and that each new particle of knowl-
edge will add to and strengthen the enlargin9
unity of his historical information. 1t is Use
less to begin with extended histories of par
ticular event or limited period. In this way
there will be much general information, per-
haps, but nothing positive and sure. What is
wanted is a good foundation upon which to
build. There are many men who have ca:c-
fully read the ponderous tones of all our old
historians who have less effective historical in
formation about this State than theycOuld obtain
from Davids6n's history in an hour. They began
at the wrong end. At the beginning, Macaulay,
or Hume and Smollet, or Gibbons Decline and
Fall, is far less useful than the short chapters
in catechetical history, (Pinnock's for in
stance,) covering the same ground; but when
the chief facts are fixed in the mind the st,l-
dent can read up any or every period with
certain profit and advantage.
The little book Is neatly printed, and Is sold
at ninety cents.