Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-06-03
The Encyclopedias Britannica Under
Criticism.

Every people should write their own
history. The experience of the South at
the hands of Northern writer's is conclusive
upon this point. Bias, fortified by COM
placent ignorance, has vitiated nearly
every Northern publication about the
South during the present century, con-
vert.ng books that should be trusted
sources of knowledge into fountains of er-
TOR and venomous malice. The part played
by Southern men in the literary, scientific,
Industrial, political, military and naval his
tory of the United States has been ignored
or misrepresented to an incredible extent,
with the result that it is almost impossible
for the foreigner to get from our so called
histories" the real facts of our history,
undistorted and in their true perspective
1t was to be expected that the publishers
of the Encyclopedia Britannica, preferring
to get at the truth, would take the pains 10
free its articles on American subjects from
the defects, arising from sectional preju-
dices, that disigure American encycio-
pedias and other books published in the
North. This, however, it has clearly not
done. It has apparently had its articles
on American subjects written or edited in
New England, and in the narrow provincial
spirit Of the literary men Of that section
The following quotation from its article on
American literature must amaze readers
who have acquaintance with the facts OF
American history: "Since the Revolution
days, when Virginia was the nurse Of
statesmen, the few thinkers of America
born south of Mason and Dixon's line-out-
numbered by those belonging to the single
State of MISUNDERSTANDING commonly
migrated to New York or Boston in search
OF university training. In the world of
letters, at least, the Southern States have
shone by reflected light; nor is it too much
to say that mainly by their connection with
the North the Carclinas have been saved
from sinking to the level of Mexico or the
Antilles. Like the Spartan marshalling his
helots, the planter lounging among his
slaves was made dead to art. 1t has only
fourished freely in free soil, and for ale
most all its vitality and aspirations we must
turn to New England" Evidently the
Encyclopedia Britannica is not entitled to a
high character for accuracy. What is
wanted is book of reference that can be
relied upon for facts gathered with pains
taking care and stated ia their true order
and proportions. Will the South have to
write it's own encyclopedias in order to es-
cape the disgust the perusal of the Britain
MICA inspires?
The answer eyes" is given in PAM
pnie1 ny III. L. ~ OSioouy, Puoheneu ~
Montgomery, Ala, in which the Britain
MICA 8 treatment of the South is discussed.
Mr.. Oglesby presents Tonga very long
list of Southern statesmen, generals, jurists,
orators, poets, novelists, scientists and
scholars who stsince the Revolution days"
have won the admiration of mankind, and
that, too, without migrating to New
York or Boston in search Of q university
training" Mr.. Gable, it is true, has
migrated, but no discerning person would
include him in Mr. Oglesby's list. The
history of the last thirty years has been for
the United States history of civil war and
of internal struggles for and against a
policy of prescribing the weaker section
The great men of this period won their
fame in this civil strife. II we look beyond
it, to the more glorious period from 1776 to
1861, we find, according to Mr.. Oglesby,
that the chief actors were nearly all
Southern men. It was they, he holds, that
did the most to make the country great by
adding to its area, by waging successful
wals, BY wise diplomacy, by liberal legisla-
ton, by freeing commerce from restriction,
and ~ restricting the fedss2.hr-go government
TO us proper constitutional functions. The
-P p9sr1er OF this predominance was, in his
view, the period of orderly progress, of
eOIiu prosperity dnu VI SOuOlouo po0lAOOiSlhs
1t was especially the period in which in
shaping economic policies the rights of the
poor we're az much rewarded as those of the
rich. The tariff lords were not then in
control, and trusts and vast fortunes-made
by using the taxing power-were unknown.
To elucidate the question as to which PEG.
pie had by 1861 sunk, in point of barbar
ism, most nearly to sthe level of Mexico
or the Antilles" Mr.. Oglesby republishes
three documents: General Lees order of
June 81, 1868, prohibiting his soldiers
then in Pennsylvania-from destroying the
property of -combatants; the dispatch
of General Halleck of December 18, 1854,
to General Sherman, suggesting that
Charleston, s. c., should be destroyed, If
captured, and "a little salt should be sown
upon its site;;" the dispatch of General
Sherman, in reply, stating that "the whole
army is burning with an unsuitable desire
to wieak vengeance upon South Carolina"
and that Eve must make old and young,
rich and poor, feel the hard hand Of war as
well as their organized armies" The
burning of Columbia by Sherman's order
and the burning of dwellings all along the
Generals line of march indicates, in Mr..
Oglesby's view, which people had at that
time descended to the lower level, and
whether "their connection with the North'
really tended to keep "the Carolinas" on
the plane CT modern civilization. -BaH.
San.
Take Simmons Liver Regulator. One