The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-20
Christian Work. Yea or Nay?

Christian Work. Yea or Nay?
From Union Signal.
Editors Union Signal I'm its re-
marks on current topics, the Christian
Work, of New York. quotes as correct
an enunciation of The Sun, OF the
same city, in declaring that "in every
American who knows the history OF
his country, - the "hatred of Great
Britain is deep rooted and unshaka-
ble." 1t AYERS that this feeling does
not pivot upon the Revolutionary
period wholly, but that it was accentu-
ated by the course Of Great Britain In
overhauling our ships antecedent to
the war of 1912, and to the markedly
unfriendly attitude of Great Britain
to our country during the late Civil
War. 1t does not see how any one
could be so blind as not to know OF
all this prevailing dislike-not, indeed,
against the British people, but their
government, a dislike which is deep
rooted, abiding and unmistakable::"
It's proof is-"we have met with 1t IN
the army, we have seen it in the navy,
heard it in public places. and wit
messed it manifested in many homes" !"
In the foregoing presentation OF
what is partly fact and Il am free to
confess it partly fable, we have a
whole peace sermon suggested. Ihe
writer of this note has several corre-
spendents in England, and he has
friends who have many other corre'
spondents in that country. He has no
knowledge of this asserted implacable
feeling, though doubtless traces of it
would be found did he deem it worth
while to seek interviews with officers
of the army and navy. On the other
hand, as a boy, he attended for awhile
the public schools, and it was the re-
membrance of the mischievous way in
which history was taught there-lhe
pupils specially drilled in the battles
of the Revolution and the war of 1917
that impelled him afteward to write
two histories of the United States in
which the view point that he attempt
ed to find was sought for in those
parallel lines of Christian principle
and practice that permeate every book
of the new Testament.
We can undoubtedly find the bad
sentiment noted, if we look for it, but
| it is not the sentiment of the Christian
people of this country, nor of our
brethren by blood and by many social
and sacred ties in Great Britain. l.
becomes our bOunden duty to testify
against it, and especially to stand
against those two anomalous move
ments of Il strong military trend In
church and state that mark the ending
of this nineteenth century Of grace,
to wit, the boys brigade for the
churches and the military drill for the
public schools.
The former of these have testified
against repeatedly OF late. SO have
many others in this country and in
England. The Union Signal has
spoken brave and truthful words in its
condemnation. Now as to the teach
ing of military tactics in the public
schools, the genesis cf the recent
strong effort in its favor appears to
have been the action of the Grand
Army at its last annual encampment
in Pittsburg in appointing General
Wingate Especial aide to the COM
mander. in-chief in charge of military
instruction i'm schools" Suggestion.
AS to drill, uniform, demeanor, etc.
have been issued, though the general
appointed thinks it well to leave the
system to the principals. Every boy
should be required to salute all teach
ers when meeting and addressing
them, and the teachers should be
equally careful TO return the salutes. y
The late meeting at Carnegie Hall
New York, to which eX-Presidenl
Harrison aud the governors of six OF
the nearest states were invited, was IN
promotion of this plan, which is right
Iy headed by the daily paper as plar
'iTo Make Young Soldiers" There
will assuredly be no difficulty il
discovering evidences of traditional
bad feeling and grudge toward 1.-THE
mother country" il we mischievously
accentuate it in our school histories
and give guns and other accoutre
ments to the boys to instill an espri
du corps and to keep fresh the "patri
otic spirit" Josiah w. Leeds.
Philadelphia, Pa.