The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-10
INDICATED AT LAST.
1ur sourH SET RrGHT IN HISTORY,
pr, I. Required an English Pen to Write
u-PercY Gree's History OF tho united
states Reviewed by Mr.. X. II. Dsbney.
10 the Editor Of The Times:

A. the mother of George ". Cable was
Northern woman. his attacks upon the South
ern people cannot be regarded as made
Nv a genuine Southerner. But there are
other men for whom this excuse cannot be
made. A few young Southernors, char
scterzed 10y smartness rather than depth.
hv sciolism rather than solid scholarship, and
especially by egotism and conceit.rsther than
sympathy with tho strength and weakness,
the heroism and msfortunes OF their fathers.
have conceived it 20 be their mission 10 sheer
nj the aute-beilnm South and 20 charge her
people with lack of literary culture narr wness
OF mind. preJudiced prOyinclalsm and moral
depravity due 20 the Institution of slavery.
For The sake Of historical truth these wise
acres should be answered. for no matter how
feeble and shaky be the foundation OF facts
upOn which their shallow theories of South
ern history rest. the mere fact that they are
Southerners lends weight 20 their opinions.
Northern writer's of course hail these opln-
ions with delight. and even some sensible
Southerners might be ~ first disposed 20 At
tribute them 20 careful study and superiority
70 sectional prejudice on the part OF tho au-
thOrs. whereas the real motives may Wen 20
desire for nOtOrlety. passion 70 De Iesal"-
ed as intellectually superior 70 the preJuulces
If the vulgar herd. and possibly even WISH
10 curry favor with Northern publishers ana
readers.
TuE NORTHERN MIND POISONED
But 10 is not 10y purpose at this time to IN
Gertake d relutatioD 81 these theories. wish
merely 10 draw the attention OF the pubic TO
r. work on the History OF the United States
which is lar less known than It deserves 10
he. Being the work Of an Engllshman Mr..
Percy Greg-nOw unfortunately dead. the
ardent admiration of its author Tor southern
genus. Southern character and Southern
ya.or must carry far greater weight than II
the author were q native of the South. cry
frequently we see complaints expressed IN
Southern newspapers that no important His
tory of the / nited States has been written IN
which Justice is done 20 the South. The public
opinion of the Northern and European world
has been SO poisoned by the false theories
concerning slavery contained in books Ike
ncle Toms CABIN that many of our people
are afraid that unless some one soon writes
great work reiutlng these falsehOOds, they
will be- handed down to pOsterlty as truths.
Such book was published IN London IN 1884,
and yet. strangely enough, the leading book
sellers IN the capital OF the Confectionery had
never heard OF II till a year ago. SO lar
&. know. not a single review OF the work has
ever been written IN America. Why is this:
Can 10 be that no copies were sent ty The
publishers W. H. Allen Co.. Of L0ndon) 10
Southern newspapers. and that the Northern
press deliberately chose % suppress all men
ton of a book 50 destructive OF the phaTsalc
eelfesteem characteristic of certain clements
in that section: At all events 1t is Omipous
that the Washington Post stated recently
fIgta New Highlander who had read the book
made haste to buy up and destroy ell the
copies upon which he could lay his hands.
His zeal and success IN this regard may account
Tor the fact that only after prolonged search
WAS / able 20 secure copies enough for
the use OF my class in American history al
the University this past session. Not only do
81 70 Wit IN classes !
most ardently desire 10 see copy Of the book
ia the hands of every educated Southern man.
aud of every Northern man also, If they could
lie induced 20 read II. But the trouble is that
1ir Greg IS dead the edition IS exhausted
aud the publishers so / am told have failed.
VIII any of the large Northern firms
DO wiling TO republish a work
so Southern in its views OF the
war # secession and it, causes? Possibly.
but also. perhaps not. and If not. | wish TO
urge some Southern firm 70 publish 1t and sell
il through the agency # d:ummers.. II no
Southern firm IS willing TO undertake the risk
] call upOn any of the Weather citizens Of
the South TO come forward and guaran-
tee "a publishing firm against loss on
fbe making of the electr0type plates
ard the printing of the first edition. As
matter of fact i am firmly convinced that with
proper management there would not only
10 DO loss. but that very handsome prom
could be made upon the investment. Toe
=
but have estimated that the book could be
printed in single volume Of less COMPASS
imam Green's Short History of the Eng.ish
People" and / have no doubt that al retail
price of "a dollar and a half firm with push
and energy could sell thousands OF copies
throughout the South.
NOVELIST. POET, HISTORIAN.
Mir. Greg was novelist and poet as well as
historian. and / have heard his beautiful
uOem on General Lee recited by Captain ".
14ordon McCabe. Of Petersburg. The artistic
instincts of the poet appear ia the History Of
the nited States; for the chlvalry and
bravery of the Old South evidently fascinated
decidedly artistic, combining easy grace
with trencbant Wig r. His INST Jrical
Judgment. though vehement and We
lementy expressed, Is nevertheless sub
stantally lust. The work contains err
rors ia detail. both as regards facts
and opinions. but as whole l believe
it 90 be about the truest presentation OF our
poltca history yet made public, ana unques-
tiouably the truest history OF the South.
Much that Mr. Greg has TO say III regard 10
the causes of the Revolutionary war ana us
conduct will startle and antagOnlze the Amer
lean reader who mas been brought up on the
traditional school bookish account Of that
struggle Mr. Greg account Is decidedly
IugDsh 10 Us tone. and be handles some OF
t.e Revolutionary fathers without gloves ont
leaIns tor those who imagine that
tle fathers were one and all saints
l paragons. while the British were
set vi .Iuodtnirsty and malignant tyrants
Wl0 rom first % last were Wholly IN the
wrong The truth is that the war was not
mercy d conflict between Americans AMI
Ilglshmen. out also TO "a great extent q elvll
war between two parties Of Americans Ihe
battle of Kings Mountain, for example, was a
lght between Americans. IL which very few
Ilghshmen took part; and, IN general. II IS n
mistake 70 suppose that the Torres were
mere handful I wicked traitors and obstruc-
touists. Ia several of the colonies 1t Is ln-
deed almost unuuestiOnabie that a Gear ma
0r.ty of the people were passively. u notactiye-
w. onuosrd the EevOluti N. aud Il isa act ot
profouud significance that hundred thousand
tones went into exile rather than submit
to what they regarded az IA lar worse tyranny
taan any ever attempted by tue British
Crown. Tie fact that lady ana her
daughter were stripped naked by the women
OBJ. Boston tarred aud feathered and paraded
through the streets witr roots ana yells
ol.o at least give US pause before we INSIST
t4at those Americans who loved Their mother
country more than "hberty' OF this sort
ron. Liberty SAID Madame Roland dur
lnS another aud even worse reign ~ terror.
what crimes are c mmitted IN Thy name 80
were al either knayes or fools.
RIAL CAUsEs or rHE WAR.