Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
ECHO FROM THE REUNION
,1IL TEXT OF THE REPORT OF
THE HISTORY COMMITTEE.
NOT ONE MANS WORK.
STATE sovcreignty--Thc New Genera
tion-A History for the schools OF
the Nation Is What Is Needed.

Following Is tho full text or the re-
mort OF the History Committee of the
United Confederate Veterans Associa-
ton. submitted 20 that body at Nash
VILE by the chairman, General Stephen
D. Lee. and after some discussion
adopted
Nashville. Tenn, June p. 1897.
Maior-General George Norman, Adju-
tant-General and Chief-of-Staff, United
Confederate Veterans:
Ny Dear Sir,-Your committee, known
as the Historical Committee, and on
southern school history. appointed in
New Orleans, August 10, 1892, consisted
OF seven members. Upon the death Of
General r. Kirby Smith and Professor
Alonzo HILL Professor Garrett of Nash
vile. Tenn, and General Clement a.
Evans. OF Atlanta, Ga, were appointed
10 III the vacancies. This committee
under orders No. 147, of date August
!. 1885, was increased by eleven mem
bers so that every State and Territory
or separate division would be represented
in tie committee Exhaustive reports
were made at Birmingham, Houston
and Richmond, explaining in detail the
necessity for the appointment Of Com
mittee on History This necessity ex-
listed from the fact that owing TO the
unfortunate political conditions of the
Southern states incident 20 the collapse
OF the Confederacy In 1865. there would be
no organization of surviving Conleu-
crates earlier than 1889 without exciting
susnicion and distrust on the part of the
people OF the North. The histories or
the United States written for the irst
fifteen or twenty years after inc CLOSE
OF the war were very partisan ana I'M
friendly 10 the people Of the South, gene
rally misrepresenting their motives ana
a5r,s ir going into the war between the
States. branding the people OF the South
as orators" and "rebels." These MS
tories were OF such n character as 10
mike them unfit for general use in the
rubnc and private schools of the south
or Of any part of the nation.
In this condition Of affairs the United
Confederate Veterans felt II their duty
20 take immediate steps 10 see tnat
impartial histories should De proViueu
for use in the schools OF the SOUTH anu
inviting southern authors TO write these
t,istories rather for the purpose Of avoid
ING tho nartiality of northern writer's
,ban 70 have southern histories Tor the
south and northern histories Tor the
North The three reports already MADE
hova heen q gradual divergence, the
cover the period from the landlng OF
the first colonists In Virginia 10 the pre-
cont time. showing that the people OF
,bo south have been highly patriotic.
a,a have been a most important factor
en- making the history Of the United
states. in increasing its area, in fight
ing its battles, and in controlling ana
governing the country. 1t was painfully
evident 10 the committee that the writ
ing OF history had been left mainly TO
northern historians, showing sectional
bias in favor Of the North, and none or
them presenting the true motives OF the
south. From the earliest settlements
I'm this country for nearly go years there
have been q gradual divergence, the
development Of two civilizations causing
continual friction, and finally culminat-
ing in the greatest war Of modern
times. Common interests held the Colo
mics and States together for q time,
but the ties of union gradually diverged
as one section grew and overbalanced
IN numbers and wealth. and the con-
stitutonal rights and guarantees OF the
weaker section. embodied in the written
Constitution. after a successful union
and revolution. were trampled under foot
and finally brushed away by successful
war The reports already mace brought
ont the several epochs In the history
Of this country showing TO what ex-
tent the South had contributed to the
building up. governing. and development
Of the United states Of America.
Although they had recommended seye-
raj histories for use In the schools OF the
South they had never been advised that
the writing of n history should be In
trusted to one man. but invited everybody
10 do the work so that many minds would
be invoked instead of one. that the
work should assume various shapes. not
only IN the form OF standard and school
histories but also state histories, maya
zine articles, historical essays. local MS
tories. etc. They felt that no one man
could explore its wide field. and that no
one WORK could cover the ground. With
this Introduction and a full endorsement