Smyrna times., 1897-04-14

| DCIcus ny udny III GQ1S Town.
The object of the TIMES has been from
the firstto meet, in a trustworthy way,
the wants of the community. The gener-
GUS and kindly disposed natures have
overlooked unintentional errors. AS
in the past so shall the future be an eff
fort on the part of the editors to pub
lish the TINES in'what may appear the
best interest in serving the community.
False University Extension Teaching,
To THE EDITOR OF THE SMYRNA TINES:
Dear Sir: 1 have read with some in
terest and with equal curiosity the ac-
count of lecture on Washington and
His Cabinet in your paper, wherein
Prof. Elson, whoever he is, is repre-
sented as stating it to be his deliberate
judgment that the the three greatest
Presidents of the United States were
Lincoln, Jackson, and Washington, in
the order named.
university Extension Education"
is an English idea, fad, or institution,
or whatever you choose to call, but [
had not come to believe, until l read
about Prof. ElsOn's lecture, that any
body either in England or America
ranked Lincoln ahead Of Washington,
or set Jackson on a pedestal with
the Founder" or the "Pl eserver" of
the Union.
Andrew jackson was not in any
sense ahead of his time, in thought or
policy, he was not above his age in his
personal life and conduct; and, what is
essentially to the point, he did not
make or save the country, or do any
thing as apublic man which profoundly
influenced or altered the destiny of the
nation.
Jackson was soldier, resolute and
vindictive. He married a woman be-
fore she was divorced, he killed man
in a duel, he oppressed great city by
martial law, hewas formally condemned
by the Federal Senate for his attack on
the Bank of the United States, and
by his final policy while president he
gave rise to a financial panic in the
term of his successor. He killed lot
of Indians, too, and performed many
great services-great public services
but there is nothing in his career to
rank him with Washington, absolutely
nothing.
As for Abraham Lincoln, opinions
widely differ. Some think he was the
creature of circumstances others hold
he was their Master. He lived in
great crisis, and what part he really
took in shaping affairs is still in dis
pute. AS the North looks at it, the
vital point, of course, is: would the
Union have been saved without Lin
coin. That settled, the place of Lin
coin in history is settled, at least from
the Northern standpoint.
But whether Lincoln ruled circum-
stances or was ruled by them, he GER
tainly did not attempt to wreck the
Union, and we have his signature to
the Emancipation Proclamation as
proof of his relation to that act. No
matter haw negatively it may be con
sidered he figured in the civil war, it
will be universally agreed that he took
advantage of every opportunity to
further the cause of the Union. Thus.
at the extreme end of the defensive
argument, we clearly see Lincoln was
passively great, if not actively so,
and was really and practically the
Preserver Of the Union. He sustained
Grant. His campaign speeches before
the war show him to be loyal and earn
est, eloquent and resourceful.
Why then, should ghe people of
Smyrna be told that Andrew jackson
was greater than Washington and
second only to Lincoln, and of what
value is a course of lectures on Ameri-
can history, fashioned and delivered
by one with such distorted historical
perspective in his mind. If those who
have subscribed to this course are
really not we'll informed, and thereby
really in need of instruction, it seems
to me they are now in great danger of
absorbing false history without strint
How foolish it is to apply the purely
academic test of greatness to public
men was exemplified by innumerable
instances long before Prof. Elson
talked in Smyrna, but I fancy your
folks have never had such a good
chance to observe and reflect on it.
close at hand.
L have always suspected these "Uni-
versity Extension" lectures were
farce,-a ridiculous pre5ence of hand
ing down knowledge from Urbs to sub
Urbs-and now I am convinced. [
escaped them while 1 was in Smyrna,
but l cannot restrain my sympathy and
coincidence.
FLETCHER E. COOPER.
NcW York, AprU 9th, 1897.