The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-06-07
NORTH CAROLINA A ~ss IRGINIA
HISTQsa
lRichmond Dispatch.l

lRichmond Dispatch.l
The address of Mr.. W. H. s. BuRGwYN
at the commencement exercises of the
North Carolina University at Chapel
Hill, On Wednesday. was production of /
far more than ordinary Importance, as
it was delivered of an able man, and the |
aim was to impress upon the people the
necessity of preserving the memorials of |
the past and transmitting to posterity a
just and impartial history of the State.
He pleaded for the establishment of q
separate chair Of history at the Univer-
sity, aud from some researches made by
him was able to show that North Caro-
lima has by no means received the credit
to which she is-entitled for the part she
took in the Revolution.
It was stated by him as somewhat
remarkable fact that upon the adoption
Of the Fe leral Constitution, one Of the
amendments requested by North Caro-
lima, but which failed of adoption, was
to prohibit Congress from interfering
in the times, places, and manner of hold
ing elections for Senators or Represen-
tatives, or either of them"
It was with proper deliberation that
North Carolina seeded; but Mr.. BUR-
awYN presents figures to show that she
went into the war with great heartincss,
and out of voting population of 115,-
900 in 1851 she equipped and sent to
tee field 125,O0O fighting men. He
claims for her that she sent more sol
diers to the field in proportio ion to her
male population than any Southern
State, and lost more in killed and
! wounded than any.
! The address concluded with an appeal
: to the alumni to aid in the establishment
of chair Of history, where the memo.
! rials of the glories of the State should be
gathered. and with an invocation to
!. those graduating not to leave North Car
olina, but to remain at home and help
to make the State prosperous and
/ great.
y All the arguments they are
many and weighty-that Mr.. BURGwYN
= advances in favor of giving prominence
q to this important branch of learning ap
IS plies with equal force to Virginia. W.
:. should, however, prefer to see as the
= = initial step in new beginning to rescue
Z from oblivion or unfriendly or unap
Q preciative hands history of the United
J States fitted for common schools; bool
: written and revised by persons in full
e sympathy with our traditions, achieve
Q ments, and aspirations. If there is sucl
IT an one in existence and worthy of gen
= eral adoption it should be put intt
e every school house in Virginia.
z The Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS said som,
!. months before he died that great man,
=, ~ o.called histories had been submitted t.
him for his inspection, but that when
ID ever land it was nearly always the case
10 he looked into the volume and foun
y that the battle Of Lexington was mag
I'd nifed into grand engagement and tn
IL battle of the Cowpens belittled into
=, trifling skirmish, he Immediately cas
LII aside the work as unworthy of seriou
e. consideration.
On In like manner the landing of the Pi
ID grims upon Plymouth Rock often hs
~ ~ been made the pivotal point in OF
&c. country's history, whereas the settleme1
Of jamestown, which occurred thirtee
to years before and was of superior M
on ment, is counted of no great cons
II. quence.
When it comes to the war of l861-'f
re- it is possible for few, if any, Northel
men to present our side OF the case wit
,or exactness. We believe that in some
the Northern histories now in vogue, Il
authors have honestly endeavored to {
US justice, and they have failed only
pc cause the head could not supply Il
lack Of HEART. The man who writ
-, our history exceptably must have b
heart in it. Now, far be it from o.
- purpose wholly to condemn all existil
90 school histories; but we submit that ,
are justified in saying that better boo
are to be hoped for and doubtless will
wn produced, ,and the earlier Southern you
are taught the distinction betwe
=. treason and secession" the better
will be.
We are not dong all that We can d
ar. should do in this respect. If any O
r' doubts this statement let him catech
the average school-boy or girl up
nd some of lhe simplest subjects connect
alto with the late war and ascertain-as
his will-how little has been taught Ct
o a cerning the men and measures of {
Pc, S;, great struggle.