The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-02
Educational.
ga MATTER OF INTEREST TO TEACHERS
AND CITiZENs"--A DISTINGUISHED
GEORGIAN ENTERS THE. ARENA.

AND cITizENs"--A DISTINGUISHED
GEORGIAN ENTERS THE. ARENA.
By their zeal and enlightened efforts
in behalf Of sound and well digested
series of school-books for our youth,
the house of Morton g. Co., has justly
entitled itself to the commentator
and thanks of the Southern public. 1t
has deserved well of our own people.
That house; established in city pre-
eminently Southern in its municipal
policy, as well as its social and politi-
cal affinities, has made an honorable
reputation by the fairness of its deal
ings with the public, anf given our
people every guarantee. which could
enanate from strong local and patriot
10 attachments. You will excuse Iae
making these purely personal allu-
sions as predatory to what shall have
to say of G General J. b. Gordon's letter
appearing in the Courier Journal of
the Goth, past. In some of its aspects,
that letter occasions with me no little
amount of surprise and regret. Gem
eral Gordon, as soldier, did his duty
in a most exemplary manner, and it is
nothing to his disparagement to say
that all, OF nearly all, which lie enjoys
Of influence and celebrity was won on
the field. A reputation thus achieved
is Almost sacred thing indeed, and one
who bears its honors should also feel
its grave responsibilities. There should
be no rash or even inconsiderate drafts
on such a fame, for it, like the States
great seal, needs no sponsor. My can
did opinion of the Generals letter is,
that 1t betrays lack of sensibility to
the demands which fair and not Sc
we're casuistry might reasonably make
ola man standing before a Southern
tcommunity as he does.
There is view to take of the sub
ject which, to our minds; is entitled to
more weight than General Gordon
gives it. 81 am charged" says Gener-
al Gordon "with attempting to impose
a Northern enterprise upon our people
as one peculiarly their own, and this in
face of the fact that nineteen-twenti.
eths of the stockholders of the compa.
ny are among our leading Southern cit.
liens and the authors of the books are
among the best educators of the South
This stock no man pretends was MOI
"open to the world" and General Cor.
don will not say, we think, that North,
ern subscriptionswould have been un-
welcome. Indeed, we have heard thai
some of the Generai's'attcmpts at com.
pliment of Northern men and Northern
soldiers have gone to the EXTREMIST
verge Of good taste when he was max
ing his addresses as an employed solic-
itor in behalf of his company. If then
this company represented by General
/ Gordon is not Northern, it is not the
fault of the men at interest. 1t is be.
cause the Northerner distrnsts the en-
terprise. He certainly has had the
chance to be as much its patron and
director as even Mr.. Jefferson Davis
himself. We must then suppose thu
exclusive Southern complexion of the
subscription is Io fault of General Cor.
don OF ais co-partners in the Universi.
tsy Publishing House. Who then il
really to blame for the very decided
blueness of some parts of this great
Southern venture Z With choice be.
tween Now York, Baltimore, New Or
leans and st. Louis, why was New
York selected as the point of publica.
tion7 Why give to Northern capital
lists and labor a monopoly of the profits
(if ANY, arising from the publication
of the university Series ?" Was il
consistent and in fair keeping with a
greatsocial reformatOry movement, one
of tho very greatest conceivable, which
Southern honor and safety demanded
to go away from home and home inter.
ests for the achievement of the worI
Which our own means and effort could
have carried through To us it looks
like insincerity of most blameworthy
sort to begin with, to signalize a great
Southern movement by such chatter.
ing and subsidy as this. We even hear
that that great Moloch, the Harpe,
press itself, has been aided and com.
forted in its savage crusade against III
by certain succulent sops it has re.
ceived at the hands of the General and
his friends. Then tell us, we pray yor
sir, how does it comport with a great
Southern enterprise" one Southern
par erce!'epce, to be presided over by
a Northern man just passed through
bankruptcy, as we hear aad believe
Mr.. c. 3. Richardson has, and he hay.
ing as coadjutor an ex-Colonel of tn,
Federal army Such we hear and be
lieve is the true character of the in
tensely Southern" secretary Of tn,
Generals company. Some men snee
at sentiment in business. But we fee
sure that sentiment, springing as oftel
from Gods truth in matters of,busines
as in matters of play, can no more b.