The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-24
cRrG,s HISTORY OF THE UNITED
STATES.

For n long tInP tue ''u'h'ih ''''''
| Of these United States. have been the'vic-
| tins of misunderstanding and misrepre-
| sontation. Since we were slave owners
| tho world made up its mind that we
must be a bad lot, and we have had 10
endure the fate its opinion assigned TO
! ne whether deserved or not. That the
mills Of the gods grind slowly is appa-
rent enough. That they do always grind
is not so apparent, and yet those who
| would lead Just lives cherish the hope
that they do, and we believe they arc
right.
Since the 100000 men. all told, that
the Confederacy was enabled throughout
rho whole period of our war 10 enlist ID
its armies. contended until they were
totally worn ont with the 100000 that
the United States enlisted, no event has
gone so far towards setting the mind OF
the civilized world right about us rs the
publication Of Greg's History of the
United States. Mr. Percy Greg, an en-
lichtencd Englishman who had taken the
pains to investigate matters, puDlshed
some five years back his conclusions from
complete survey Of the whole field, and
most admirable and impartial account
of things he has given. In saying this
we DO not overlook the fact that he mas
written the account of our Revolutionary
struggle with England from an English
mans standpoint. We fix our whole at
tention upon the fact that he has tod
the Southern mans side of our quarrel
with the Government Of the United
States fairly and impartially. both as
concerns those matters which brought
If on and as concerns the way in which
we bore ourselves when the contest was
upon us. And he has done US entire and
complete justice.
The histories that the Southern people
have had Of their deeds in the past half
century have not been all that true
Southern man could wish them to be-
and there has been danger that our us
ing and future generations might get
some erroneous impressions Of what Their
fathers and grandfathers did before them
from the literature that our enemies have
most maccountably been able 10 lost
upon them. There is no danger that they
will receive false ideas from this work,
however. and we hail with joy an I'M
mediate prospect for its republication
here in a cheap fern that will put 1t
within easy reach of all Southern homes.
We are able to state that those enter
prising publishers, Messrs West, John
ston q CO., of Richmond, have now IN
press and will soon issue this work III
moderately priced edition. General wade
Hamilton has most kindly consented to
write a preface to it, which will properly
introduce its author and the work to the
pecrle of the South aId we may, there
fore. look for an early day when the
Southern youth can secure competent,
faithful and impartial knowledge Goa
corning the stirring history that his imme-
date ancestors made.
We wish that space justified us In
giving copious extracts from this book,
that our people might see the fair and
shall not forbear, however, to quote one
passage from which they may see that
while their author is impartial, he has
not been animated by a spirit that would
allow them to suffer injustice.
Describing Sherman's march to the
sea he says, Vol 2 p. 436:
Fitzpatrick, who commanded the cav
airy. boosted that a track forty miles
broad was marked by the brick chimneys
he had burned. and by no other sign OF
human habitatiOn The vaunt would
seem exaggerated were il not fully borne
OUT by contemporary evidences.
These we're the achievements on which
Northern Generals appear to have relied
for approval and reward these the means
of subiugatiOn on which the Federal
Government. with a million and hall
Of soldiers under arms, chose 10 rely:
The Confederacy was to be exhausted
by devastation rather than conquered III
fair fight; by driving aged men, rehned
and delicate ladies and tenderly nurtured
children and young girls to seek shelter
in woods and swamps, 10 feed on roots
and acOrns and such remnants OF their
harvests as had escaped the invader. The
temper of the times may be seen IN the
dispatches. in such books as Hans Brett
mann and the Biglow Papers. The tone
of Shermans. and still more of Grants,
miniOnS. written after years of reflection.
is wholly different. The treatment of
France by the exasperatcd Prussian sol
diery of 1S14-'15 and 1901 was ten
derness itself beside the conduct of the
Federal armies towards a people of the
same blood and speech. who fought solely
and exclusively in self-defense. AT every
point the warfare waged by the North
upon the South finds not precedent or
parallel, but striking and glowing con
trast in every other war of recent days
between civilizd combatants."
The people of the South will make no
mistake in reading this work.
THE TRUTH ABOUT TIN.
II will no ramnunharp1 that q short