The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-08-17
From tic Atlanta constitutional
Card From General Gordon.

NuIu lUll VShSA" "o'""'
Etlitor Of Constitution: / am told
that during my absence, an article
was transferred to your columns, re-
flecting upon me personally and upon
the University Publishing Company,
and paid for by q rival enterprise.
Ofthe allusion to myself / shall take
no notice. | have something to say,
however, of this company with which
l am associated, and as you have unin-
tentionally, doubtless, done the long
list of Southern Gentlemen interested
in this company the wrong of giving
circulation to such al article, | trust
you will perceive the justice of max
ing equally public the statements l
give below.
First-This movement has been i'll
dorscd by our people, from Gen. Lee
down, with q unanimity and an ell
thusiasm never before equalcd proba-
bly,, sayc by that created by the war.
1t would be strange If it were other
wise.
Second-Thc stockholders number
at present, | believe, about 800. or
these all are representative men of the
South, except thirteen and among
these thirteen are Cyrus III. McCor-
mick, Virginian, now of New York,
who so literally endowed Gen. Lees
college, and several others Of Southern
birth and education. Among the 800
Southern stockholders are EX-Presi-
dent Davis, General Joseph j.. john
ston, General Beauregard, General
Ewell, General Hood, General Hays,
General Buckner, General Taylor,
General Lee, eldest son of r.. Il. Lee,
General Lawton, General Gilmer,
General Colquitt, General Wilcox,
General Bate, General Jno. &. Brown,
Governor elect of Tennessee, General
Nancy, General Lucius Il. Polk, Cen
eral SOrrel, General Clanton, Mr.. Sed.
den, late Secretary Of War Of the Con-
federate States, and many of the most
prominent EX-Governors and Gov
ernors of the South, Bishops, Railroad
and Bank Presidents, clergy, teachers,
physicians, &C., &c.
Third-The object Of the organiza-
ton is to rid the South of the school
books which are obnoxious to Southern
sentiment, and to cooperate with all
| efforts in that direction, and to furnish,
as it has succeeded in doing, books OF
| the highest merit.
Fourth-The authors of the books,
are Prois. John and Joseph LeConte,
formerly of the Universities of Geor-
gia and South Carolina; Colonel Rich.
ard Johnston, one of GeOrgia's most
distinguished teachers, now ut the
head of Penn Lucy Institute, near BAL
| timore; Col. Charles Nenable, Profess
sor of Mathematics in the University
of Virginia, and during the war Gene
raj Lees staff officer; Prof. Glider
sleeve, Professor of Greek in the Uni
vcrsity of Virginia, and who during
the war was severely wounded while
serving upon my staff; DR.. Holmes
of the University Of Virginia, Profes
sor of Literature and history; Prof
Sachtleben, of the University of Soutl
Carolina, and Commodore M. +
Maury, the greatest probably of livin!
Geographers, and during the war o
the Confederate Navy, and recent,
elected President of the University 0
Alabama.
So much for its status a5 Il Southern
Institution.
The company owns no publishing
house, no presses or binding establish
ment. 1t prints and binds 6y c0atrdct
the work being done wherever it i
done cheapest and best. AS the loves
bids are by New York, and rs tha
city furnishes superior facilities to any
other, the books are printed.and bount
there at present, as arc ncdrly all on.
| SouhCrW books.
1t is the purpose OF the company
eventually to build up its own publish,
ing house in some Southern city
which is to he done as soon as practi.
cable; but it would require to do this
on II scale to meet the demand already
created for these books, u vast amount
of capital, Cndanger the success Of the
enterprise, and make the books
MghCrpricCd. True political economy
as well rs patriotism, demands thai
the books be published so as to max,
them cheapest for the thousands o
Southern children who consume them
They are the many-the manufacture,
are the few. The true interests, there
fore, of the company, and of the coun
try, SO far as the country is interested
in it, is to continue for the present the
contract plan Of publishing.
Mr.. Louis Nc Lane, of Baltimore
well known to the country, is prcsi
dent Of the company. Mr.. c. b
Richardson, OF New York, and myself
are Nice-presidents. The authors haC
arranged with Mr. Richardson for the
publication of their works, and from
him and his associates the company
purchased herights, plates, sterotypcs
etci, et;. The company needs and re.
tains his practical skill iu supervising
the publication of these books.
These are facts as to the company
its stockholders, its purposes, books,
authors, mode ofpublication, etc, and
are made public only in answer to at
tacks made upon it. The company
prefers to cooperate with all similar
efforts, and put in collision with such,
it will be only in defense.
Its success is without a parallel in
this country. The hearts of the pco-
pie are in it, and public opinion can
not be diverted from the patriotic pur-
poses in view, by attacks upon mdirdl-
uois Or the place of publishing. The
boOks-their effects upon the minds
and hearts and characters of Southern
children-this is the great question.
The efforts to raise other issues are
puerile, weak and frivolous. AS well
oppose upon similar grounds, the
works OF John &. Calhoun or the great
history of Alexander III. Stephens.
Respectfully, j. b. GoRDoS.
Stand on one OF the crowded
streets and note the passers-by, and
any ono can see how vacant mind
has made II vacant eve: how a