Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-06-10
Patriotism and Hlstery.
providence Journal.)

Patriotism and Hlstery.
providence Journal.)
s The old discussion over the teaching
of history in the public schools has
been renewed at the South by the re-
port of G. A. r. Committee at the
recent Indiana encampment adverse
to the continued use of a certain his
tory which prints footnote stating
that after he was wounded at the bat
tie of Shiloh, Gen. Albert Sidney john
ston ''sent his own surgeon to care for
the wounds of the Federal soldiers,
while he himself bIed to death for lack
of attention" The committee declar-
ed that "this report we believe to be
pure fiction, and, if true, we insist that
it is of no value as history"
Whether the incident is correctly
reported or not is difficult to deter
mine. II Gen. Johnston did not per-
form the chivalrous act accredited to
him, or if the evidence that he did is
vague and untrustworthy, there is no
sense in recording 1T in a history de-
signed for school use; but if. on the
other hand, it can be shown that he
emulated the famous example of that
other soldier whose name in part he
bore and who gave his last drink at
Zutphen to a wounded comrade, say
ing: "Thy need is greater than mine, :"
there is every reason why the incident
should be chronic.ed where it will in
spire the youth of the North and the
South alike. Why the Il. A. r. Com
mittee in question-should object to it
as being s'of no value to history is
difficult to tell. Episodes of this kind
are among the most valuable in the
teaching of lofty courage and chival-
ry.
We ought by this time to have be-
come sufficiently removed from the
passions and prejudices of the civil war
to be willing to give the South due
credit for the sincerity and courage
we claim in behalf of the soldiers OF
the North. If Gen. Johnston did not
make the sacrifice related, there were
many other men, on either side, who
performed like deeds of heroism and
valor. 1t is foolish to say that no
record of these shall be preserved 1t
is unjust to attempt to teach the youth
of the North that there was no brave
ry, no chivalry, exhibited in the con-
flict except by the Federal combatants.
OF the assertion of the Grand Army
Committee that such things have no
historical value, the Indianapolis Sen
tinel we'll says: Take away all the
stories of personal courage and abne
cation of self and what remains
Nothing but a dry, revolving record o1
murder, rapine and destruction, upoI
| which the mind cannot dwell without
a feeling of horror. It is the recital o.
valorous deeds and of acts that disclose
the grandeur of the human soul thai
alone relieves the story of barbaroui
war, and history designed for chill
dren would in particular be deficien
if it lacked in this respect"
4 And if we insist that it is unwise t.
teach the rising generation that th'
soldiers of the South, being rebels
land TRAITORS" shared the lofty quail
ties of their Northern brethren. is i
not cartain that Southern instructor
will retaliate? It is as easy to write
partisan history for use in the Soutl
as it is to prepare one for the Northern
market. The New Orleans Time Dem
I ocrat says: 1.-The idea that no histor
taught in the North should contain
one complimentary allusion to tn
Southern soldiers, or say one wor'
about their heroism, and that tn
Southern youth should be similarl
taught-for this would be the legit
mate sequence of this doctrine-tha
fno Northern soldier was capable OF an
honorable or heroic act-would bree
hatred for all time in this country an
assure it's dissolution sooner or later
5l It is time to teach real history in OF
schools. If we belittle our enemies an
magnify ourselves in our records OF nj
tional events, we prepare the way for
natural revolt in the mind of the chill
when he arrives at the period of ind
pendent Judgment. If he has bee
taught that every Southerner in tt
civil war was a despicable characte
and that there never was an honorab
or chivalrous Englishman, the time
bound to come when he will regal
such views as narrow and absurd,
else, if he retains the notions imparte
in his school days, he will be bigote
q and ignorant, and therefore DANCE
4 GUS citizen. How much of our period
Eli war scares is due to the partisan tex
= books in use in the public schools
q would be difficult to say, but it is &c
FL tain that these falsely colored recor
q are hindrance rather than a help
: the development of lofty patriotism
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