Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-04
Time for Action ON school History.

|
The com'ni,tee Of the United Con.tde-
rate Veterans on southern school his
tory until recently consisted OF only seven
members. MS follows: Leutcna nt-Gencrh
$. ID. Lee (chairman). Siarkv.lle, MISS;
Professor W. Il. Garrett Nashville
Tenn: Professor J. y. Stubs. Wood
Cross Roads. Gloucester county va
General Clement a. Evans, Atlanta Ca
MajorCeneraI Ellison Capers Columbia
S. c.: Colonel II. l.. Bentley. Abilene
| Tex, and Professor ]. W. Nicnoisoh'
Baton Rouge. La. But now. by an orue'
from Commander J. u. Gordon, anu III
accordance with recommendation" VI
the committee, presented and ddoplei ~
the Houston encampment. the committee
has been increased by the addition Oh inc
following members:
Maor-GeneraI r. @. French. WINTER
Park. Fla: Colonel ii. a. Newman
Huntsville. Mo: Major W. i. Campps'''
Little Rock, Ark: Colonel ID. NJ "isdo'h'
Muskogee. !. r; Major Graham DaVes'
Ashevllle. y. C.; Major. General +. ;. Yer
guson. Birmingham. Ala; General Bas'
Duke. Louisville. KY; Colonel Wlh"eia
Peters. Baltimore. Nd; W. e. I"o"i'
Washington. ID. C.. Colonel John q. Cas-
Ter oklahoma City. Okla: Captain WI
liam Montgomery, Romrey. w. va.
In making the announcement OF me
enlarg ment Of the committee Geherai
Gordon mas this 10 say;
"Reci,ing the truism from Macaulay, IN
| their appeal 10 the survivors ana 10 ihe
rising generation. that "A people "hich
| takes no pride I'm IN. noble achievements
II remote ancestry will never achieve
ANYTHING worthy Il be remembered Dy
! remote descendants the committee az
| constituted. has performed such spiehu'u
| work In the matters lntrus'ed u thrm
| In their patriotic uttersnces. in Their
| truthful and fearless exposition OF south
ern facts and history. and completeness
! of the record that the glory Of the work
| performed by the Historical COMMITTEE
would alone fully Justify the organization
OF the United Confederate veterans,
should nothing else be accomplished by
| the order
| Already we have n number of histories
that are worthy Of adoption in our
schools. and we take Il that the Histori-
cal Committee OF the United Veterans
| VIII use all possible efforts to add new
| ones t. the list and to improve existing
ones when second editions OF them are
| published The signs OF the times are
| that our peopl, are determined to break
away from northern histories. The lack
Of suitable substitutes for the works now
in use has been the reason usually given
for the delay In making change. but
this reason can no longer be urged There
are now n dozen or more Of southern
school histories
True. II would be very desirable II we
could have uniform series Of histories.
suited to every school grade. 70 be used
| in all Of the schools Of the South; but
we neel hardly expect this-not at the
| start, certainly.
| We shall doubtless find that one his
tory is popular in one State and another
| in another, but ultimately, II may be
| that some history. or series of histories.
| Will find such general favor that II Will
be selected for use by all. or nearly all,
of the Southern States. But BE- einning
| must be made. Out Of the southern his
| tories that we have let US take the best.
and when the publishers Of them have
money flowing into their treasures they
Will be able to bring out new and better
edit.ons-sdltions improved in matter and
in typography and Illustrations.
| The greater the patronage given %
| these publishers the greater will ba their
desire ana ability to perfect their books.
| We must put money into their hands.
| so that they Will have II TO spend for our
benent. II one half or even one fourth
II the patronage Of the people Of the
| Southern States In tho matter Of school
histories were bestowed upon one pub
fishing house that house could put forth
| a series Of histories not only superior In
| matter. but superior In typography and
| Illustrations, to any series OF United
states histories now published.
While we must say that we despair Of
seeing this unity Of action and concur
renee of opinion at the outstart. we be-
lieve that it will come about measurably
| in the survival of the fttest history
adopted for use In the schools.
| II we walt for perfect history to b.
| offered US we shall wait In vain. No book
in it's first edition is perfect, or anything
| like perfect. IL IL only by repeated re-
visions and editions that anything APP
| preaching perfection In the book line can
be attained la suggesting improvements
| for new editions. and In examining MSS.
| If proposed new books, the committee,
| of which General Stephen -. Lee Is chair
| man. can. and we have no doubt will,
! render excellent service.
| To make a change from the histories
| now I'm use 20 other histories will entail
| some cos. upon the patrons OF cur
schools. public and private. Here is
| difficulty. Of course; hut it Is not diff
| Guilty that should stand In the way Of the
| execution OF our purpose. which Is to
| give our children the truth about the
| origin and conduct of the late war.
So, IL our people are as earnest In this
| matter az we think they are. II they don't
wish to walt and wait and postpone <nd
delay forever. they will support the mea-
| sures now being taken 10 cause an aban-
donment OF the partisan histories In use
and 10 introduce in their stead the fair
est and best histories possible to be OBJ
tanned There has been thirty years OF
inaction; It IL now time to do what we