Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-09-18
Five Years More of Trent.

charleston News and Courler)
The University Of the South has re-
elected Professor Trent as Professor OF
History for five years, and we sincerely
hope that his election will do the uni
versity no harm. II has had high aims.
and has accomplished much with very
small means, and perhaps its trustees
are wise TO disregard the feeling OF the
South, expressed through the press, with
out a known dissent and give evidence
of their broad and catholic spirit" CD
, by retaining one, the sole result Of whose
writings has been with 1ippant sneers
TO belittle. as far as he can, the men OF
the South and the past Of the South. No
one does or can object to a calm criticism
of any statesman of the country, whe-
Their from the North, East. south, or
West. This is always welcomed 1t
leads TO truth. But truth will never be
reached by sneers and flippancy.
That Calhoun 0o take one ex9mple)
appeared great 10 his contemporaries,
and especially to his graf compeers
Clay and Webster, a triumyirate who in
huenced the country as no other three
men had done before them or have done
sine may be a mistake OF theirs, and
Professor Trent sitting i'm his library
may have a tTuer measure Of Calhoun
and know that he was not a great states
man. Stll. 10 establish this, he should
not misrepresent facts, either by suppress
sion or misstatement For example,
take his account of Calhoun as Secretary
Of War. out Of his article Of some forty
pages he gives about the third OF a page
to this part Of Calhoun's life-viz.:
LAS Secretary OF War IN Monroes Adj
ministration, Calhoun seems 10 have shown
marked ability-not enough to save him
from criticism, most OF it captious, or
not enough 10 entitle him 10 claim the
possession OF executive powers of the
first rank, but sufficiently TO add mate
rally 10 his general reputation as a
statesman. II is easy 10 praise his re-
port on roads and canals, and, what Is
more 20 the point. 10 read Il. IL IS also
easy to agree with Or. Won Hoist that
his reports on Indian affairs are most
creditable TO his heart and 10 his mead.
Would any one recognize In the above
the War Minister VINO found his DEPART
ment in apparent hopeless confusion ana
DISCRIMINATION, and VINO In MS snort
ministry eight years. put II IN such
order that il Is managed to-day sub
stantlalIy as he left IL over seventy
wears ago-the War Minister who made
West Point the great military school II
is now one OF the first in the worldY
General Sherman, in a report made not
many years ago, could say this, and
saw that the few changes OF the rules
established by Calhoun were not GER
tainly improvements.
ANY historian aiming at the truth
would have mentioned this. especially
regarding the ignorant cry that all OF
Calhoun's work Is buried in the war Of
secession. Professor Trent, who glories
IN the defeat OF his State and exults that
the lives OF his fellow-citizens and
kinsnen 1--WE presume, az he Is Nir-
girian by birth. he had kinsmen in the
war though we do not recall ever see
ing the name mentioned). were ya!nly
sacrificed. might have gwen this small
credit TO the statesman who established
and really made the great school which
trained Grant, Sherman. Sheridan. Han
cock, etc, etc, 10 win the victory which
a 10 him the source OF such Joy and
triumph What General Sherman had
the truthfulness and manliness 10 mem
ton Trent could not. Sherman. It ~
true, was independent OF northern Cor
any other favor. His positioniw was nxai
This fact omitted. Professor Trent
says: 1T Is easy 10 praise his Gal
houn's) report on roads and canals" As
these recommended certain internal I'M
provements 10 which Calhoun was gene