The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-28
HISTORY roR SOUTHERN SCHOOLS.

| hoNhuce hucbls OF 'OCuOoi ilIotoIy VI the
United States" written by J. WILIIAM
JONES, ID. d., formerly a chaplain in the
army of Northern Virginia, late chaplain
University OF Virginia, and chaplain OF
the United Confederate Veterans. The
book is published by the h III. WOOD
WARD Company Of Baltimore.
According TO the authors preface this
school history has been written in re-
sponse to solicitations for q work which,
"whilo fair to all sections, would do full
| justice to the southern States" in
travelling thorugh the South, he declares,
he has heard general complaint that
histories by northern authors were un
| just and unfair TO our section in their
Colonial, Revolutionary and Civil history,
and that when they came to treat of the
| causes, conduct and results OF the great
'war between the states, they are utterly
unfair and misleading"
OF the 454 pages thus given to the his
tory OF our country, including ap-
pendices, ITO, or more than one thiro, is
devoted to the period 1s57-ls65, from the
beginning OF BUCHAEAN's s admin nistration
to the beginning OF JoHYsoN's, the period
OF the Rebellion and the events i'm
mediately leading up to that convulsion.
1t is evidently from the impressions of
the rebellion particularly that are sup
posed to be made by school histories by
northern authors that the writer of this
history wishes TO protect the youth OF
the South and this part OF the history
reads like defense and an accompany
ing attack IN many cases apparently pre-
supposing a reading of some "north-
ern" school history.
The writer lays the responsibility of the
war of the Rebellion entirely at the door
OF the fanatics" OF the North. He omits
all mention of the preparation for seces-
sion secretly made in BUoHAEAN's cabi-
net Throughout this interesting portion
OF the history we find q similar smother
ing OF facts in lieu OF open distortion.
The outbreak of secession Is
smoothly attributed to the result of the
national election of 1851, when LINCOLN
was chosen by "sectionai VOTE" only
l6 ut OF the 80 states voting for him,
not one south OF Mason and Dixon's
line, although this vote was constitu-
tional majority of the electoral college
over the combined votes for the other
candidates, ana there is nothing unusual
date did not receive plurality OF the
popular vote. The "result of the elec-
tion," says this historian, "created the
widest excitement throughout the
South. Taken In connection with
events that had gone before, the leaders
and the people of the South saw in this
triumph OF sectionalism the most serious
menace to their Institutions and their
interests. I" And they "fell back upon the
doctrine of their fathers-the severe ignty
OF the States and their constitutional
right to secede." The historian does not
intimate what was the plain fact that the
''resuIt OF the election vas not unex-
pected by the southers leaders, and that
for some time previous to the balioting
they had been engaged in elaborate prep
arations for "falling back on the doc
trine OF their fathers" And in discussing
the "causes OF the war" the writer,
while claiming TO leave the subject open
to discussion and reference to various
southern authorities that are cited,
plainly intimates for the benefit OF the
southern youth that, in his opinion, the
war was no "sIavehoiders' rebellion
hut the result of an attempt TO coerce
tho southern states from exercising
their inalienable rigt to secede. We
should say 1t is h little late to argue this
matter in the schoolroom, and surely 1t is
untimely enough TO affirm, as the histori-
an does, "that the seeding States not
only had perfect rig ht to withdraw from
the Union, but that they had amply
sufficient cause for doing so, and that
the war made upon them by the North
was utterly uniustinable, oppressive and
cruel, and that the South could hon
orably have pursued no other conrse
than to resist force with force and make
her heroic struggle for constitutional
freedom"
The story OF the war, so far from being
a Etatament of historical fncta doparta