Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-18
A DEFENCE OF eRea's HISTORY.
With All of It's Defects 1t lisa Grand Vim
dication of the SouthernPeople.


dication of the SouthernPeopie.
To he Editor of he Dispatch
Those who have read the lamented Mr..
Greg's history will not DO deceived by the
review of the work which appeared in
YOUR last Sundays issue. But las few per-
sons have as yet seen the book, and as 1t Is
highly desirable that 1t should be univer-
sally read throughout the South (and
throughout the North, also, for that mat
teri, / beg leave to point out TO your read
ers that this review by Upland IL the
merest caricature and conveys an utterly
false conception of the work.
MATTERS OF DETAIL.
II Is perfectly true that the book con-
tains considerable number of inaccurate
statements in matters of detail
1t is also true that the writer was an
Englishmsn of Tory politics, who con-
sidered that reason and right were not all
on the Wing and American side during the
Revolutionary war. But the fact never
theless remains that his book gives us per-
haps the truest history of this country,
as a uh0e, which has yet been drawn.
Moreover, while 1t 10 conceded that Mr.
Greg's details are not always accurate, 1t
is somewhat extraordinary that Up
land" who so sweepingly 0enounces the
historian for erroneous statements, should
himself make statements so grossly mac
curate as 10 render him liable 70 the charge
of wilful Misrepresentation.
1t seems, indeed, little less than impu-
dence in man who goes into Mysteries
because Mr.. Greg fails TO give the exact
distance of the Chickahominy from Rich
mond TO assert that throughout the work
"he gives US no authorities except his
own" AS matter of fact. Mr.. Greg re-
! fers again and again 10 such authorities as
Bancroft, Palfrey, Parkman, Stanhope,
Bartlett, Won Hoist, Franklin, Marshall,
Washington, Sparks, Irving, Adams, Lo-
well, The Federdjst, "Elliott's Debates"
Monroe, De TocquevIlle, Buchanan,
Morse Greeley, Lodge. Sherman, Stowe,
| Jefferson Davis, the Count of Paris, the
writer's of the American Statesmen Sc
ries and OF the series of Campaigns Of
the Civil War" the Century Magazine
Helper, Tourgee. Sheridan, Seward, Thad-
| deus Stevens, Draper. and others.
N THE FACE OF FACTS.
These are the facts Of the case, "a any
one may see who will examine Mr.. Greg's
foot-notes, aud in the face of such facts
the public may perhaps wish 10 know how
tLis stickler for accuracy, this Upland
who asserts that Mr. Greg gives Us no au-
thorlties but his own, dares to sermonlze
about 1.-THE truth and honor of history"
The above is really sufficient TO show the
worthlessness Of this alleged review of
MIR. Gregs work. But for fear that " Up
lands" abuse Of the book may Iniure its
sale / will notice few more Of his Won
derfully accurate assertions.
He complains. for example, that Greg, IN
calling Pedro Melendez. who murdered
the Huguenots in Florida, halt cru
sader." is guilty of withdrawing the
character Of this" inhuman Spanish blgOt."
But he does not tell Us that Greg IN the
| same sentence calls MelendeZ Spanish
| fanatic" and half bucCaneer." Nor does
| our pseudonymOus critic seem TO know
what manner of men the crusaders were
II MelendeZ was an lnhuman bigot Tor
butchering French heIetics. what shall we
say of Godfrey of Bonlllon ana his com
panions, who, when they stormed Jeru-
salem, massaCrcd Mohammedans TIL the
streets ran red with blood, burned the
Jews alive in their synagOgues, seized IN
fants by the legs and dashed out their
brains against the walls?
THE PURITAEs.