Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-25
.SOTT'XERN ENECATYON.

SOUTHERN EDCC4 ION.
1t will be of little use for General Bart
lett to make conciliatory spceches.at Rich
mond, if the 'youug idea" of the South is
TO be trained up in the school Of hatred to
the North, the Negro and the Fourteenth
and Fifteenth amendments to the constltu-
ton. The school master of the South Will
be a potent instrument in forming the ris-
ing generation of that section to accept
with proper feelings the consequences OF
rebellion. or to poison it with false ideas
and spiteful sentiments towards the North.
The politicians may say that the South
loves the old flag of the Union and will
respect the constitution, but if the school
books and school masters teach the chill
dren to hate them the words of the poll
ticians will prove vain and deceptive.
The education of the masses the South
has been subject of anxious concern to
the deepest thinking and best part OF the
people of the country. But that education
to be productive of good results, to nuture
obedience and respect for law and leve OF
country. must be directed by teachers who
are patriotic and by textbooks OF cor
responding character. That an opposite
course is being pursued to some extent is
now coming to light. The tendency OF
this is to make the schools hot beds of trea-
son, dangerous to the public welfare, in
stitutions to be abolished rather than en-
couraged and established. We learn that
Philadelphia firm has just issued school
history written by a person named Derby.
who calls himself professor" and who
lives at Augusta, Georgia. The book is
designed for southern use, and adapted TO
create and nourish feeling Of hostility in
the young southern heart against.the north,
the negro and the general government.
From this book the following passages are
selected as specimens Of the character Of
the work
Which are the most prosperous of the Southern
states'
Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and North
Carolina.
To what do they owe their prosperity
The fact that the white population in those
States is largely in ofthe negro population,
and hence their State Governments are entirely
in the hands of the whites, the only race that
ought ever to bear rule in this country.
What is one of the most important measures Of
Grants Administration
The adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment to
the Federal Constitution, which, like the Four
teenth Amendment, was carried through by force
and usurpation.
What does the Fifteenth Amendment declare
1t declares that the right of citizens of the Unit
ed States to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States, or by any State on account
of race, color, Or previous condition of servitudc
What more can you say OF the Fourteenth ard
Fifteenth Amendments.
They have served to keep alive bitterness of
feeling which but for them would have long since
died out.
Commenting upon these passages the
Chicago Tribune says: "ln these five ans
''wers, the pupil is made to affirm that ne
''groes are unfit to hold any offices in this
country that the last two amendments
'to the Constitution Were made law by
=" force and usurpation' (Which involves,
..of course, the idea that this essential part
'of our fundamental law should be disre-
"garded and oyerthrown) and they have
''seryed only to keep alive bitterness and
'prejudice. This is a pretty crop of ideas
ITO sow in young mind. 1t is not to be
expected that Southern textbooks should
''dilate raplurously on the wisdom Of the
reconstruction policy, but is it too much
"to expect that they should take an impair
''tial, bipartisan view of the events of
1.-THE last fifteen years? No book used in a
Northern school, as far as we know, con-
''tains any malignant TRADES against South
"ern views II any such book has crept
Into use here, an exposure o! lis true ma
''ture would insure lis disappearance from
1.-The curriculum. We wish we could be-
''lieye as much for the common sense of
.our fellow -citizens in the Gull States.
'.Can they honestly expect any good re-
"sult from examining such preposterous
'parlisanship into young brains ? Having
..got seclarian religion out of the sch ools
..cannot we rid them of sectional politics
'too p
Those persons who are fastening the era
of complete reconciliation, or believe and
preach that it has already come, ought to
have an eye to textbooks like the above
described for if such is to be the teaching
that southern youth are to receive the
work of reconciliation will be undone by
the boys of the present age when they ar
rive 10 be men as sure rs thistles VIII
spring from thistles, or poisoned fountains
give forth poisonous waters.