Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-18


WHAT SHALL OUR CHILDREN
STUDYT''
Is question which ali prudent parents
consider; but they by no means so seriously
as its Importance requires, reflect upon thst
other question ''What books shall they study
it in?n Aud yet education is intended fully
as much for the formation of character and
principle as for the acquisition of knowl-
edge; and though the Geography be accu-
rate, the History grammatical, and the
Readers stocked with extracts from fayorite
authors, it is very far from following that
they form an admirable, or even a proper
series; neither does it follow that because
they aIe well suited to the youth of one
section or latitude, they are therefore as
well adapted to those Of another.
Every one who has examined the text
books prepared at the North, must have no
ticed how great a prominence is given to the
local history of their own section, the ey-
ploits of their own worthless, and the pro
auctions Of their own authors, so that a
youth studying them gets possessed with
the idea that scarcely anything of import
ance happened, or anything excellent or
memorable was done, said, or written
South of Mason and Dixon's line. Now
we are very far from blaming this spirit;
the youth should be taught to honor the
worthy deeds of his ancestors, and to be
proud of his own people; and If the patriot
ism be little exaggerated, il is fault on
the right side, which experience will correct.
So far ara we from disappearing this, that
We would urge upon our own people TO
learn lesson from the North and adopt
This very course: TO have their children
taught from books that will lead them to
honor and he proud Of their own States.
their own people, and their own ancestors.
But how il, as is too frequently the case,
the books prepared at the North do not
merely subordinate and obscure the South,
but actually misrepresent and vilify it +? Are
we 10 put these books in our childreu's
hands? Even granting that the writers are
honest, shall we suffer our youth to be taught
that in all the sectional sntagonisms the
South was in the wrong and on the side Of
injustice, and the right at all times and only
on the part Of the North ?-that their an
ces.ols were lurking traitors in the councils
Of the country, aud their fathers and broth
al Al in,
wicked rebellion?
The fact is, the South has all along been
most culpably careless in this matter. She
never cared TO foster her own literature, and
left her best authors to seek Northern pub
fishers, or be content with obscurity; she
never cared TO speak for herself but let
Northern writers speak for her at home and
abroad, and the case has always gone against
her by default-as she found TO her sorrow
when she looked abroad for friends, and
found herself already judged and condemn
ed without a hearing.
But we have somewhat rambled from our
design, which was to speak Of the Unirer-
sity PabIiShtngS Co0lpdny's publications.
Here We have series of school books pre-
pared by writers and scholars Of our own
men whose eminence in the several depart
ments is unquestioned, and which, while
they are unSectional in avoiding inyidious
comparisons, recriminations, or any thing
tending to stir up strife or bitterness, or to
prevent the return Of better feelings, are
vet 50 far sectional as to give proper promi-
hence to the history aud literature of our
own people, and faithfully reflect their best
thoughts and feelings. In their preparation
it has been borne ia mind that our boys and
girls are to grow up not merely men and
women, but Southern men and Southern
women; and, we confess, so warmly are oui
feelings stirred in this matter, that we look
upon such a series as this, produced by the
South for the South, with no little Joy and
pride.
The names of the authOrs-such men as
Commodore NJ. +. Maury, (wbom Europe
has Justly honored,) Profs. Venable, Holmes
Gidersleeye, and Schele de We're, Of
the University Of Virginia, the
brothers LIE COnte, and Prof Sachtle
ben, of the University of South Caro-
lima, with others of equal eminence in theil
respective departments-are a sufficient
guarantee, not only as to the quality of tn,
matter, but also as to the righteousness o
the mode Of teaching guarantee that th'
latest discoveries and soundest conclusions
OF science are taught in the most approved
methods Of instruction.
If any further assurance were necessary
il might be found in the fact that the com
pany consists of well-known Southern men
whose names are sufficient credentials t
the character Of any enterprise they arr
connected with. A company that number
among its stockholders Gems. Joseph Z
Johnston, BeaTegard, Gordon, Ewen
Hood, Buckner, Hays, Taylor, Lee, (eldes
son Off. E. Leo Polk, Lawton, Colquitt
and many others Of the prominent men 0
The South, does not need to give a cert if
cate of character.
These books while full, and handsome il
tyIe, are cheaper than any other series il
use: and we have yet to meet the teache
who has tried them who did not prcfe
them to all others.
We are glad to learn that the laborS c
the company have been crowned with tn
most gratifying success. Their books an
now in use in every Southern State, hav
been adopted by the State Board of Educa
ton for all the public schools of Georges
and by nearly all the counties of Virgins
There can be no doubt that they will befor
long be almost exclusively used in tn
south and we need not saw that such RI