The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-02-20
SOUTHERN TEXT BOOKS.
Northern carping and southern oogen n.

|
Gle, the organ of the Northern Baptist
Church, in its issue of January the Sd,
criticised the use of Calhoun'n work on
| Government rs q text book in the de-
par.nents of history and political
science in the University Of Georgia. Pro.
fessor Browne, of the chair Of history and
political science, replied TO the Northern
critic. in mastery and crushing re-
joinder, In justification of the use Of the
text books complained of. The Exa,a;.
,:er and Chronicle, as we are informed by
the Augusta Chronicle and Sentinel, satis.
! fled itself by publishing the ''gredterpd
Of the reply under the heading, "Cal.
hounism in q Georgia College, Letter
Defending It," which the Northern edi-
tor kindly attached to Professor Brownies
communication, interjecting at the same
time several headings into the body of
the professors letter, which no did not
seu ft to mako for himself. The Chroni-
Gle and Sentinel. in Saturdays issue, gives
US the whole reply Of the able professor,
tho material part of which we publish
| below, and the perusal of which will
| richly repay our readers.
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, DEPARTMENT
OF History AND PoLIrIcAL SCIENCE,
ATHENS, GA, January 0, 1879.
Editor the Examiner and Caronicle::
Il
To the first OF these textbooks you say,
prepared by Southerner, who certain
ly does accept the situation" you make
no serious objection; but you sincerely
regret that Mr.. Calhoun, whose political
heresies were the very tap-root Of the re-
cent civil war, still furnishes tho only
text book from which the students of the
University of Georgia are instructed res-
pecting their duties rs citizens of the
United States.
The political heresy which you charge
me with teaching consists in my instruct
ing the students as you suppose, to re-
gard q nation which has abundantly
vindicated its nationality, as a mere fed
deration Of sovereign and substantially
stated fairly your charge and speoifica.
tions.
admit that the text book you have
named are those which use In the Uni
yersty of Georgia, and the only text
books that use which bear on American
affhirl. But If you make no serious OBJ
| lection to the use of those Of which Hon.
Alexander III. Stephens is the author, yon
cannot justly take exception to the use OF
Mr.. Calhoun's work, because Mr.. CAL
houn has nevor, by pen or word moro
emphatically asserted the doctrine that
the union of tho States is federation of
sovereign and independent States, and
not nation in the sense of q consolidat-
et republic, than does Mr. Stephens in his
constitutional View of tho War Be-
tween the States" II the doctrine OF the
great statesman of South Carolina as TO
the nature of the Union Is political here
sy, the great statesman of Georgia is
equally guilty, for the views of both on
the subject are precisely identical.
| I admit, further, that 1 d. teach the
students that the union Of the States ia @
federation of sovereign and independent
States, anG not consolidated republic
But is this political heresy2 2" I do not
teach those solely because Mr.. Calhoun
or Mr.. Stephens asserted it, though ]
have the highest possible respect for theil
opinions, nor do teach it because it /,
the view maintained by any political
party. believe do not allow party pol
itics or my individual party affiliations
to affect in the least my teachings O.
what I believe to be historical truth
Did believe, rs fully and as conscien
tiously as I suppose you do, that tho
fathers of the republic made mistake
; in their choice of form of government
that it ~ould have been much bettel
had all the States been fused into one
and had national government been os
.:blishe6-with the facts OF history be-
fsre me, do not see how can teacf
otherwise than that q purely Fedora
government was established-a gov
ernment for States and By States
Whatever may be my individual opinion
as TO the guilt of Charles I, whether tlt
or do not believe that he ought to hav,
been put to death, cannot teach stu
dents that he was guilty of treason, 81
,, that crime was then defined in the statute
book of England. Nor, whatever may
!, think of tho political treachery of Straf
lord, caii teach that means employed t,
convict aud condemn him were legal,
8 o. morally justifiable. I may be- th;
. firmest believer in the wisdom, justic
and good policy of tho alien and seditioi
! acts, but cannot teach that there wer
:, not fragrant violations OF the letter an,
. spirit Of the constitution OF tho Unitet
States.
|, You quote three questions from NJ,
examination paper which you say, ar
; Especially suggestive and "redolent O
! Calhounsm." The first is:
! "3. Show, by q consecutive statement 0
9 Historical facts, that the thirteen States
: from tho beginning of their dispute witl
0 Great Britain to tho ratification of th
: constitution of 1887, always acted as sep
i crate and distinct political communities
: and never as one 1dtioH."
j. Allow me to cite few of the historical
Q facts which asked the students to state
}, and let US see whether or not the
!: show what tho question demands.
hold It to be an historical fact that iron
their original settlement to the declara
/, tion OF independence the thirteen colo
!. nies were separate and distinct. severall
!. governed by laws of their own making
II and, beyond the ties of good neighbol
b hood, having nothing in, common exceI
q that their Inhabitants we're subjects
, the British sovereign.
}, The Cnnsreas &C sh.a oo55.,oi,irs wnic
!. met in 1774 was, as the opening lines {
q its journal show, composed of na nun
r. ber Of delegates" chosen and appoints
o by the several colonies and provinces
n North America, TO meet and hold Cor
% gress." The very first thing which thes
i delegates did after they organized, wa
u to declare that they were o Congress (
u separate and distinct political bodie
e and that, ia all their deliberations, eac
q colony should have one vote. In th
r. credentials of the delegates do not lin
ii even the shadow OF 9 hint that any del,
Of gate represented anything but his ON
Dr. colony, that any delegate claimed to n
It present any other people than the pecp
~ of that particfilar cnlofy from yyhona \