Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-11

long time. He said that gentleman would
be good man TO write a history for us.
Captain Cussons: A school history?
| The witness: Yes.
Captain Cussons: Oh, dear, MOI / never
| said that John c. Ropes would be a good
man to write a school history, but / did
| say that If you could get man with his
| spirit of fairness, and his knowledge or
| the Constitution and the causes that led
up to the war, history written by such
a man would be more acceptable to the
| southern people than Barnes's ever would
| be. / had no more idea that John g..
Ropes would do publishers hack-work Of
| that character-a man Of worldwide repu-
| tation as an historian, the secretary or
| the Massachusetts Historical Society
! than that-(witness interrupts).
The witness: / am willing to accept
that; am willing TO take any statement
| you make as TO what you said. But L
| cannot agree with you that for man
to write a school history would be hack
| work. The ablest men in the country
the best men, and the purest men, have
| written school histories.
Captain CussonS: l grant you that. Fine
artists are now painting signs the
rocks Men OF great capacity have writ
ten school histories. But still there is
no man here who would think that John
c. Ropes, the secretary Of the Historical
Society of Massachusetts. would leave the
tasks before him and dedicate himself 10
work Of that character.
The witness: Well, was not aware Of
Mr.. Ropes. until you mentioned him. and
did not know the character of the work
he was doing.
TALKED ABOUT SHINNSS.
Captain Cussons: recollect your calling
my attention to Shinn's History. 1 told
you that there were errors in II, and that
did not think that the man had a good
grasp of the subject. You asked me what
sort of a book would be acceptable to the
southern people. | said book that will
give the causes that led up TO the war.
put I'm such shape that a child can
grasp them. and that gives the course OF
only cited Ropes for his fairness.
The witness: / will agree with you that
that was what you stated.
Captain Cussons: VIII you please state
who that gentlemen was that came with
you 10 my place at Glen Allen some time
ago?
A. No: never went there. You invited
me TO come up, and 1 told you / would
do SO, but didn't go.
Q. am mistaken, then. Do you recol-
lect when that was we talked about his
tories?
A. No; do. not.
Q. i recollect now. It was four years
ago. as soon as ] was put on the History
Committee. / want to make the point
that Mr.. Womack is entirely In error in
thinking that i recommended that his
house should apply TO such man as
John G. Ropes to write school history.
FROM AMERICAN STANDPOINT.
A. will take your correction. You may
not have intended that, but your remarks
about his being able TO write a good his
tory, and having fair grasp of the Con-
stitution, and understanding the question
from southern MISUNDERSTANDING
Captain Cussons: Not at all from the
southern standpoint; from the broad,
American standpoint. l don't care about
his point of view because he treats the
subjects correctly. Nevertheless, there is
bias which runs through his works,
which he has not been able TO shake Off
bias that would lead him 10 stand by
the idea that this federation of States was
really n uation; that the principles OF
Statehood really did not exist: Yet
he is a man that can correctly interpret
the southern idea; he has breadth enough
for that; and simply on that point, his
spirit Of fairness, l mentioned his name.
The witness: Yes, sir; that is all true.
1t was in that manner that you talked,
on those lines. l listened to you with a
great deal of interest, end called the at
tention of my house to it. They told me
that they knew John c. Ropes, and would
be very glad TO have such man write
a book; but In a conversation with me
afterwards they brought out the idea
that you now say-that he would not,
perhaps, write school history; that he
had too much business on hand. and they
dismissed the matter on that account.
Q. BY the Chairman: 1t has been de-
veloped that nothing passed between you
occurred in the presence of any man; is
that your statement?
a. Yes, sir.
WHERE THEY CAME FROM.
Q. Let US go back to the point at issue.
Have you any further statement to make
on that point?
A. / would like to have the gentleman
that gave those checks recalled, and ask
him where he got those checks from.
General Hundley: / would like for that
paper TO be read that was handed to the
committee.
The Chairman: I have not read the
paper; have you?
General Hundley: No, sir.
The Chairman; 1 would prefer to read
Mr.. Womack, that these checks We're
brought before the committee. and, on
the examination OF Colonel Stubs, their
genuineness was admitted. as was the
fact that he endorsed them and got the
money on them. This committee con-
ceiyes that II was their duty 10 deter
mine whether or not those checks in any
way connected Colonel Stubs with your
self as agent of the American Book Com
pany or with the American Book Com
pany. This committee conceived that,
after the checks were admitted to be
mitted, and also the fact OF money having
passed upon them, they had nothing 10
do with the source from which they came.
A lengthy Investigation might, perhaps;
make no difference with this committee
whether those checks were gotten legiti-
mately or surreptitiously, or whether
they were found. That Is not the subject
OF Investigation before this committee.
The checks are here, they are admitted
to be genuine and IL makes no difference
to this committee how they were obtain
ed. In view Of the fact that the checks
were admitted as genuine checks. and
everything on their face was admitted,
this committee did not think II was their
province to go into an investigation as
to where those checks came from, since
they were before us. That investigation
we consider clearly a collateral one
We can very we'll conceive how the
average citizen. and every man who has
heard the testimony. as a matter of Gu
riosity would like to know how those
checks were gotten. So far as this COM
mittee is concerned, II Is immaterial to
us whether those checks were found.
stolen, or gotten otherwise The checks
are here before us, and that Is ques-
ton we desire not to go into. We have
our own curiosity on that point, but we
do not propose to take up the time OF
the committee on matter that We think
Irrelevant.
GENERAL HUNDLEY PROTESTS.
General Hundley: l do not propose to |
say anything more at this point than
this-fhat ana unwilling that that state