The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-07-27
SCHOOL HISTORIES.

| EnrToR CAUCASiAS:-Th great
! importance of the subject To which
would call your attention. Is my ex-
euse for writing Won. Early impress
sions are so lasting, and the almost
impossibility of diyerting the mind
| from the bent given, are truths that
need 10 comments. You know the
powerful, silent influences OF school
books from which children derive
their views Of right and wrong, and
their knowledge of facts, or misrep-
resentations of history.
The necessity for national. impair
,isl. non sectarian school books FOR
our schools. Is, II seems Ia me, great
or than ever before. Since there
continue To be partial books. espee-
iallv histories. il is well that our own
writers entered the field of author
ship. The character and tone of
books depend upon the authors and
not upon the place where they are
printed. Ii is a fact that books writ
ten by southern authors are more
national in their make up than books
by northern authors. A .compari non
of the readers, biographies and his
tories will prove this. The selection
in readers should represent, in fair
proportion, all sections of our coun-
try. In the biographies should be
found what pertains to each section
with enough of history to fix geogra-
phical date upon the mind of the |
child In the histories fair notice |
IL l. h. laal,n- al
events of history, and the
acts of distinguished men. Thus the
scenery, customs, people, &C.. fam
liar to as would broaden the youth
full mind. We do not want books
filed, exclusively, with matter be
longing to another latitude, such as
our children never saw.
What would you think of history
which omits the Mecklenburg Decla-
ration; Kings Mountain; Balls
Bluff; Prehistoric settlers; ID. H.
Hill; Forest; Morgan; Hampton;
Stuart; Longstrect; McGruder; Ewell;
Dick Taylor; Alex. H. Stephens;
Maury; Walthall; Fitzhugh Lee;
Polk and othersP Names that should
De household words with us. We
lave recently seen history which
'mits the name of picket who lead
he troops In the greatest charge on
'ecord, that at Gettysburg; that has
10 mention of the Jesuits and their
ettlements along the Mississippi
liver; no mention of the Kentucky
nd Virginia Resolutions versus alien
nd sedition laws, that made John !
Brown saint; that did not give the !,
anse for firing on Fort Sumter; for
Chambersburg; that gives in /
lowing words the defeat of Early |
nd Sheridan's Rider (Which ride l
ever occurred) but omits Hunters
etreat from Lynchburg before Ear
7, and the cavalry engagements in
ne valley Which states that Early r
as largely reinforced near I'll
llles FROM Winchester, when, in
nth, Early had less than 300 men Y
reJoin his command from fur b
'ughs and hospitals. "
We teach our children at home to h
we the country of which they are S
GREATER to be citizens, to be proud r,
her history, and to respect the ii
to which they belong; a,
ld 1t Is bad carolly to these teach
gs to place in their young hands v,
'oks In which all these things are ty
sparaged, nisstated, or, as often, A
omitted. ~;
We do not write in the interest of r,
~ publisher or author, yet we state G,
as d fact that 1t is more reasonable AZ
at we should prefer the books nj
1lch are national in their make nm.
ID which represent, fairly, all sec
ms of country and clearly state =
truth. Too little attention is
10 by parents to the character of
oks used by their children, and
nope this communication will
owe beneficial in the future. a.
CAROLINA ~