Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01
Unfair Histories, the LIMIT OF ra-
thence Reached.


thence Reached.
The publication In the Dispatch OF q"
answer to the Nations criticism OF MITE
Lees history called the attention OF
great many people to the scurrilous char
actsr of the Nations production. Gene
raj Dabney II. Maury. who. OF all VIZ
ginlans now living. held the highest rank
in the Confederate service. night before
last brought the matter up In Lee camp
and offered resolutions. which were ADOPT
ed. urging all Confederate camps 10
labor to have proper histories introduced
into our schools.
We trust that General Maury's move
ment will succeed. 1t Ia time that we
Of the South we're teaching history that is
history There are number OF reiiaoie
histories in the market, and II shouiu
b. n matter OF surprise That we negroes
10 buy them, while we ciamor lot o'ns'
and better ones. Our people ought u
make a concerted and determined move
ment TO begin the next school session
with the very best histories that can
be bought. We must not iooh
for perfection. 1t Is not attaina-
BILE: but. in the course OF Few year,
the history that receives the most sou'n-
or, patronage can become reasonably
,srfect because In new editions Inc pun
fishers can correct all the errors OF o''i'-
e,ona that may be pointed out.
,rhat the exclusion from our schools oil
sorne OF the histories that no" nav
Mace there will cause loss 20 eer'an'
n,bushers we have 10 doubt; put De''e'
that they should suffer than 'ha' ou,
cb,Idren should suffer from ignorance OF
,ho causes of the war and OF the hlh-
cinles for which their fathers fought
In several of the reviews Of Mrs. Lees
,ool, we fancy that we see the handi-
work OF these publishers; but we may
be mistaken. We would not do them IN
nstice. Certainly. If the publisher OF
any northern school-history had any
thing TO do with the Nations review lie
o,,ershot the mark. That writer maze
,ons but the most trivial objections 10
Mrs Lees history; but. by reVafnpins
an Old but Impossible story OF eruei'S ="
the uart OF a slave-owner OF eish'y ye"''
ago and b. republishing recent ee
49,, ,,o,,snsner accounts of the lynching
and torturing OF two negroes III INC 49,
South he sought to show that INT ia
cidents in Uncle Toms CaD.h "e'o ho'
oxaogsrated OF course. these lynchlngs
have no connection with the book "'lio"
the editor undertook to review Out my
we're given place there to 'hre the hoi'
ern heart" Moreover, the eui'or 20"
e,,llv withheld from his readers iniornia-
zion nc to what crime it was that the
me-, lrnched were charged with commit
TING His sole purpose was TO paint 'he
co,,,b a. black as possible. Not one
word of condemnation did he utter
against the crime against southern sirlS
and women that is the almost invarlaDle
cause Of Iynchlng in the South.
But. let all that pass. We REFER 10 IL
now only TO let our people see what horlh-
ern writers say and think about u.s.
,r,ev NOT only do not want TO furnish US
with an impartial schoolhistory' out 40
not want us to furnish ourselves WIN
one But We cannot afford longer 10 re-
snect their wishes. The time ior our
complaining has passed; the time LOT
action on our part has come.
fought TO be settled that, beginning WIN
the next school session. no preJudlced
northern history shall be taught III our
public schools. The Legislature soon "
assemble ought to formulate this resolve
into law. Where there's VIII there
n way. This would settle the matter III
all our public schools. AS TO private
schools, parents who are earnestly ue-
eirous that their children shall be correct
" instructed IN history must demand
Of the teachers to exclude from such
schools all partisan histories.
In short. we may as well set limit to
the life i'm our schools Of lying histories.
If we Virginians will take such action
and secure the concurrence therein or the
Confederate veterans when they meet
here next spring, the books that we COM
plain OF will have no further sale IN
the South. Then trustworthy histories
OF which there are several (and others
win soon appear would have the field
10 themselves. And. OF these. the iittest
would survive the competition that
would cnsue.
1t is not crcditable TO us OF the South
that we should continue TO grumble about
the use Of venal histories in our schools
when il is in our power to turn the ras-
calls out" But this we will never do
unless we set a day beyond which we
will not use such histories. We suggest
as that day the beginning of the next
school session. Let's speak out now
(and put our words in force, or forever
hereafter hold our peace.