The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-06-21

should be known everywhere, that
these publishers have resorted to
such means to retain their place in
our schools, there teachers will give
them the benefit of this attempt to
influence them in this Important
matter by such irrelevant and unfair
means. WILSON, HINKLE & Co., and
the HARPERs are known Radicals,
and never claimed to even sympa-
thize with anything South, either
before or since the war, except our
money, and yet in this case we find
them slandering men whom Gen.
LEX endorsed, and some of our best
and truest Southern men.
If there be in our county one teach
er or school commissioner so biased
to the North, or so ignorant as by
these means to retain any of these
publishers books in the schools, we
shall be much disappointed.
If our children are by them requir-
ed to look upon the names of MAR
Gus WILSON and Gen. VoN STEIN
WEIR, the latter made forever infa-
nous by Gen.LEE's order, now before
us, when they may place before them
our Commodore MAURY, and the
names of similar true Southern au-
thors, we shall much regret their
course.
There are many more facts of like
nature into which we hope they will
look before settling this important
question of text books for Southern
children. This attempt to keep our
authors out of our schools, is regard
ed by us in the same light of an
attemptto displace our teachers and
fill their places with northerners.
Here is Mr.. CPS retraction:
sin December, 1871, the undersigned, as
Secretary of the Bedford County Board of
Education, addressed an article to its MEM
bers headed, University School Books,
publishing it in this paper, in which state
nents We're made rejecting upon Rev. Z. ID.
Elicit, General Agent, c. B. Richardson
and Gen. John b. Gordon, Vice Presidents,
and containing other statements in regard
to the origin of the u. p. Company, which
did il much injury. In the article offered
space, gratuitously, for vindicatiOn of the
Company against charges, if unjust.
"The Rev. c. ID. Elliott, as before men,
toned, has visited me, and, in the presence
Of mutual friends, has made explanations
and expressed his regrets for any cause OF
offence, and the matter between us is ami
cably settled. fl'
"General Gordon has addressed me cour-
| teously and in keeping with the spirit of a
| dignified, Southern gentlemen, and Chris
| tian, such as now have the best assurance
| that he is. His friends have written and
| visited me in regard to the matter, and
have not been hasty in regarding the justice
of this refutation. The people of Georgia
| in actually electing him Governor showed
not only their partiality for, but thereby
| endorsed him in a manner worthy all thai
| is claimed by his friends. .-4
| "Gen. S. b. Buckner, whose noble cOnduct
/ at the surrender of Fort Donelson, of itself
commends him to the esteem of all good
people, is Richardson's successor. Friends
| 10 the company claim that Richardson Is
| not responsible for the sentiments II
| United States Service Magazine, and, tha
| in sentiment he was, during the war, a con
| sentative, and further, that he was on friend
| ly and intimate terms with Gen. *. T.. Lee
| BE this as ID may do not justify him, nor dt
| think him worthy Of Southern patronage
| l feel il due TO Gen. Gordon and Others Il
\ say that we differ on this point. Richardson
| still owns, perhaps a good interest IN th'
| Company, but he is no longer an officer.
| AS regards the books, have neither said
| nor written anything since the controVers.
| began. There is in them doubtless muci
| merit, and while j sympathize with othe
| Southern authors who would be thrown on
| by such monopoly, and our tec weak
| handed publishers Of merit, / confess tina
| the success of the University series o
| School Books might do much to elevate the
| tone of southern history. The orphans o
| our gallant dead, who fell on DiXies side
cry to us for perpetuation Of their 1ather
| honor. Our own children's reputation con
lures us TO guard this most important OF al
| its interests.
II am in favor of sectional books. Ishopld
delight to favor series OF books prepared
by a combination of Southern talent, ant
| published by the States South. In thl
| manner we could GREATLY economize and
would purify our literature in proportion
as we complied with the important de
| mands of education. Whether this is prac
ticable, do not answer. 1t seems so to me
al say / am in favor of sectional schoo
| books because so much injustice mas Deer
done the South as to make such necessary
| in self defense. We can commend our OWL
| section, leaving the others blank, and III
that we are sectional.
| 81 1t is no less against my Inclination thaT
| my interest to excite the i'll feeling of pub
| fishers North. As a rule, my dealings with
| them, as bookseller, have been pleasant, and
| hope they may so continue. Controversy
| upon this subject is not at all desirable, and
| this nor any other mention would be made
by me, but for the fact that my article tc
the board has been republished in differ
| erent forms, and circulated 'all over the
| South, by 1rhon lido not ktoU,T-and l hope
| this article will, forever, set at rest the ac'
| cusation or insinuation that L have been
PAID for anything have said or written In
| regard to it. -'
"A sense of justice to myself, the authors
| and q majority of the stock holders VINO
| comprise some of the ableSt intellects and
| puresfs patriots in the SOnth, demands 9
| r. futation ffom my pen OF a portion OF SAID
| article. AT the same time do not expect t.
| favor the company because of the strength
| il may now, or hereafter have, my sympa,
| thies being rather with the weak OF equal
| merit, as heretofore expressed.
| ~ have given my views the more minute
| ~ in This connection because of the mlscon'
| stmction OF my sentiment and motive, by
| good and true men,'
y, A. CUNNINGHAM.