Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-01-27
Pervertina History.

| There have been overwhelming evil
dences during the past few years of the
ardent desire North and South, but it
seems to us more especially in the
North. to bury all bitterness that may
have survived the great conflict. So
strong was this desire that when re-
monstrance arose against erecting
| monuments on northern soil to the
dead Confederacy, it was overborneI,
and many we are convinced, who firmly
| believed the tendency would be to
pervert history and to gloryfy the
act of rebellion, instead of yield tribute
| to the honesty of purpose that mat
have actuated it, were unjustly aG-
! cused of uncharitableness. From this
| certain clique of southerners appear
to have taken encouragement and
have lost no occasion to fan the old
embers. or course it is not difficult TO
| understand why many do this. There
always are those who having failed to
be of service when the crisis existed.
| seek TO get little notoriety wranglinE
over the dead issues. Again there is a
disposition to wave the bloody shirt for
| political effect. That sort of thing is
| all past in the North but in the South
the old political leaders see their
grasp weakening. In their desperation
thnv do hA
| before the eyes of the people, hanging
| up the portrait of Jeff Davis in the
place of that formerly occupied by
Washington and indulging in like fool
ishness. But there is little to fear from
| these paretic efforts to prolong the po-
litical existence of few senile super
rumeraries. 1t is more insidious in
huence at work in the schools of the
South that is to be feared. The New
York Sun. which has been among the
| most ready to decry any northern feel
ing of distrust toward southerners. and
even bitterly opposed the elections law.
has been investigating this matter and
has printed several columns in refer
ence to information obtained. That
information is of a startling character.
In commenting upon it the Sun says:
For several years past there has been
significant movement in the old Con-
federate states to inculcate in their
schools spirit of sectional hostility to
the states which saved the Union from
disruption.
This movement has been in charge
OF the Confederate Veterans associa-
tons more especially, and the means
by which its purpose is to be accom-
plished is the exclusion from the
schools of all text books of American
history written by Northern authors
and the substitution of histories by
Southern authors only. About two years
ago the United Confederate Veterans
Historical committee unanimously
adopted report which described the
use of our standard school histories to
be an evil. active steps for the correc-
ton for which should be taken. 1t
accordingly prepared a list Of eleven
histories. and recommended them
without hesitation" as suitable for
~ N'7SHh II hol use Ill
Southern schools and families. to re-
place the objectionable books" Others
of the same character We're announced
as in preparation,
We have taken the pains to procure
and examine carefully these Southern
histories of our common country. writ
ten for the avowed purpose OF giving
peculiar mould to the sentiment of
the children of the states which tried
unsuccessfully to break up the Ameri-
can Union. Our first observation is
that they treat the history of the re-
public by states rather than as al
whole. Next. they all distinguish
sharply between "SOutherners" and
"Northerners." as if they were two
distinct peoples, attributing the civil
war to the aggressions of the North
erners" on the "Southerners." The
march of the Union troops to enforce
Federal authority and rescue Federal
property from would-be secessionists
Is spoken of as an invasion"
The Sun then gives a column of quo
tations from these Southern histories |
A few of these will suffice to show the
spirit of the whole:
Consequently the Southern people |
would have indeed been traitors to all |
history had they done otherwise under |
thecircumstances Tin trying to secede.)"
Mr.. Lincoln being the representative |
Of the most violent and hostile class, |
the South began to prepare to separate !
herself from that Union which had
ceased to do it's duty toward her, which |
had ceased to guarantee her rights, or
even to give security to home and |
Preside. and which had become oppres- |
sor instead of the protector
1T was bitter {for the Northerners)
to confess that the Southern leaders
were better generals, and the Confed- |
crate armies, though so much smaller !
and badly equipped better soldiers
than the hosts they so often defeated"
Their Nee's army in Pennsylvania
magnanimous conduct was in singular
contrast to the behavior of the Federal
armies in the South. whose course was
generally marked, by barbarous out
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