Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-04-17
CORRESPONDENCE
CHAPMANS HISTORY OF
EDGEFIELD.


EDGEFIELD.
A Glowing Tribute From a Glow
ing Pen.
EDITOR ADVERTISER | was SIM
cerely rejoiced to see a statement
in your paper while back to the
effect that Mr.. McKerall was 60
ing to print Chapman's History of
Edgefeld. Mr.. McKerall deserves
the thanks of every true Edge
feldian for his interest in this
work; for Southern authors and
publishers have at best very pre-
carious occupation. 1t is not be-
cause we do not read, hut it is ow-
ing to our indifference to our own
literary talent, that this state of
affairs obtains among our people.
Southern people, and especially
the. ladies, are as we'll read in the
masters of other lands as the peo-
pie of any land or country. Why
then are they so criminally neg
lectful of our own authors? Most
if not all our public schools per-
NIT books to be used which hold
up the Secession movement as a
conspiracy, vnd depict the Confed-
crate soldiers as little better than
a band of Irish Rapparees. We
decorate the graves of our dead
with flowers, pronounce soul-stir-
ring oratory over their ashes, while
our children and companions (for
want of something better) are be-
ing taught, in histories written by
lying, narrow-minded abolitionists,
to look on these same men at
best but poor misguided fanatics.
The reason of the scarcity of
books written by Southern men
and women is that we have no
great Magazine or Review to SYM
pathize with our prejudices or ira
ditions, as northerners have.
Hence, when Southern book Is
launched on the American public,
it has no protecting hand to steer
it into popularity. It is left to the
tender mercies of northern critics,
who if they do not resort to open
abuse, ssdamn ii with faint praise"
which is infinitely worse. 1t is
our duty to encourage every man
of literary ability in our country,
and help to uphold the hands of
every publisher in each endeavor
to publish the works of a southern
writer.
am wandering. I started out
to say few words about Mr..
Chapman's peculiar fitness for a
writer of such a book as the histo-
ry of Edgefeld ought to be. Mr..
Chapman's name is a familiar one
to Edge6eld people. He is widely
known both through his books and
his many personal friends. His
History of South Carolina is GER
tainly the most delightful and in
structive book ever written on that
interesting subject. His United
States History sets before us the
salient events of our momentous
career as nation and people in a
compendious and unbroken mar
rative. He is also a poet, and an
enthusiastic student of universal
literature. The first and greatest
characteristic of an historian is
impartiality. He should act the
part more of a judge than that of
an advocate. Mr.. Chapman pos
sesses a degree of impartiality
rarely found nowadays. This fact
is attcsted both in his converse
ton and published works. We
can readily see the necessity of
this virture in a history composed
for the most part of character
sketches and "reminiscences to-
gether with an account of the
prominent families of the county.
Each actor ought to get his just
measure of blame or praise. and
no more. Alas! how seldom is
this rule adhered to by most men.
Another attribute is a thorough
mastery of the subject under hand.
No historian can leave a work that
will live long, who does not mas
ter every detail of his work. Mr..
Chapman occupies happy posi-
ton in this respect. Being a man
of advanced age, he has been able
during his own life to be conten-
porary with many of his charac-
terc. He was a living actor iii
many of the great issues of the
past. He is !, living witness of
the great deeds of our Buffers,
Pickens, Garys ETC., and that
fact will give his narrative a vi
vidness which can come only from
an eyewitness. Ease and tiuency
of style is great factor in the
popularity of any mans writings.
This is what has kept Goldsmith's