Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-12
New Books.


SCHOOL HISTORY or THE UNITED
STATES. BY J. william Jones, D., D..
Author of Personal "reminiscences or
X. f. Lee" &c, &c. Baltimore: H.
II woodward Company. limo. Pages
As.
We have been favored with the advance
sheets Of this volume which we have
read with the greatest interest and plea
sure. DR.. Jones needs no introduction
TO our southern people, and his name
alone Is a sufficient guarantees that the
book Is one which we can safely place
I'm the hands Of all our youth as truth
full representation OF the history of their
country.
The book has been very skifully pre-
pared for the purpose for which 1t was
designed The style is very clear ana
distinct, the narrative IS thoushfuily ar
ranged in chapters aud sections. WcH
adapted for Tho purposes OF instruction;
and, though necessarily condensed, Is
full enough TO excite the interest OF chill
dren and to stimulate the quest Of fur
ther and fuller information. Questions
upOn the lessons. and blackboard and
slate exercises are interspersed through
out the volume. which will be valuable
aids to the teacher in testing the intelli-
gence and understanding of the pupil and
fastening in his memory the facts de-
tailed in the text.
1t has been, unhappily. too just cause
of general complaint that the school his
histories OF the United States, many OF
which have been used in our southern
schools. have been unjust and unfair to
the South. Northern authors. even when
endeavoring TO avoid offensive phrase
ology or positive misstatements Of facts,
have failed 70 perceive the story of our
past In the light Of truthful history. and
there has been felt a necessity FOR text
books for our young people which would
educate them accurately in the history of
their own fathers. DR.. Jones enjoys pc
culiar gifts and attachments for the dis
charge of this duty. He has made the
study Of American history, and espe-
cially that of our great Confederate strug-
gle a speciality. and. for many years, as
secretary Of the Southern Historical So
ciety. was charged with the collection.
arrangement, and preservation OF all
available records and authentic traditions
bearing upon the subject. His intense
loyalty 10 his native South, tempered by
a mind and heart always under the domi-
nation OF the highest sense Of Christian
obligation 20 truth and Justice, he bespeaks
from our southern people the acceptance
Of his work as one which they will feel
fully justified in making available for the
instruction Of their children. The author,
i'm lis preface. processes TO write "as
southerner and for southern schools" and
the phraseolOgy and headlines have been
confOrmed to n great extent TO that idea.
| thereby unfortunately circUmscribinr the
benehcence of the work. We regret this,
for the truthfulness and accuracy OF the
narrative IS as well adapted TO northern
as 70 southern students. and we wish
| that II could be generally read among
northern and European youth.
The book has one very unique merit in
It's appendices, especially in the repubica-
ton OF the Constitution OF the Confede-
rate States side by side with that OF the
Constitution Of the United States, exhibit
ing in italics the amendments to and in
most respects, confessedly by all parties,
/ improvements upon the Federal Constitu-
ton. II would have been better II the
author had also inclu6ad in the appen-
dices the text OF the articles Of Confede-
ration with the dates Of their adoption by
the. Continental Congress and the several
States. IN the body of the work Il Is in
advertently stated that these articles were
agreed 20 IN H. as II their adoption was
Of that date, while In fact they did not
the States. and Maryland withheld her
assent until 1874. We should have been
glad also to have had the full text Of the
treaty with Great Britain in 1888 included
IN the appendix. The vital fact that Eng
land acknowledged the Independence of
the several States as component parts OF
the United States, and not Of the United
States as q nation. is stated in the his
tory, but every school history ought 10
contain the recognition in totidem verbs
as 1t IS inscribed upon one of the faces OF
the monument at Yorktown.
There Is one other merit In this book
which singles II out among all others
from any American histories. The first
secessionists Of our history were not the
men OF South Carolina in 1850. nor the
men Of New England in the Hartford con-
Vention OF 1871. The convention of 1877,
which framed the United States Constitu-
ton. with George Washington as the
head. was full OF them. Their work was
based upon the idea OF the right OF seces-
sion, and the recommendation to the
States to ADOPT 1t in several conventions
II their people relied upon tho existence
OF the right as indisputable. Alexander
Hamilton and John Jay and James Madi-
son. in their Joint product OF the Federal
list. assumed for themselves the role OF
apostles OF state right and State sover-
eighty. and the secession of Virginia from
the old Union and her accession TO the
new. The very antelope OF the action OF
the Southern States IN 1880 and 1851 was
accomplished under the overshadowing
influence OF General Washington outside
OF the convention and the leadership %
John Marshall upon its moor These
pivotal facts, taken in connection with
the substitution In the Federal Consiltu-
ton Of the words, more perfect Union"
for tho phraseology. perpetual Union"
IN the articles OF confederation, cannot
be omitted In any intelligent presentation
TO the student OF the underlying principle
OF the great war between the States In
iS5l-iS65, and Or. Jones's work Is worthy
Of all credit In repairing the wrong done
A. 80. ..ao~4a bs< the s.tnDxex atou hithnpxn