The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-11-03
Prof. Wallace on Histories.
Thinks Publishers and Book
Agents Have Stirred the
Fire Of Patriotism
for Profit.
To the Editor of The State :

To the Editor of The State
1t is worthy aud commendable sen.
timent that cherisbes the hereism of
the soldiers of the Lost Cause. but this
sentiment is sadly perverted in any st
tempt to substitute sectionalism for
patriotism ia Che minds of our chill
dren.
Why this outcry against "partisan
histories in the schools? I'll tell you:
The time is drawing near for selecting
school books for another term of years,
aud booksellers are working southern
sentiment for all it is worth to then.
Circulars written by Gen. Gordon
against partisan" histories are being
scattered broadcast by publishers aud
agents Who have school history they
are trying to have adopted by State
boards Of education A mass meeting
was recently held in Richmond at the
instance Of Lee Camp of Confederate
veterans, to protest against partisan"
school histories. Virginia is soou to
select school books for four years
Prominent in the mass meeting was
man who has lately written school
history that be would like to have
adopted A mass meeting has been
called at Nashville by lot Of people
who are not educators to protest against
BIPARTISAN" histories in southern schools.
There is no doubt a hidden hand in
that proposed meeting also.
Do these people who are making SO
much stir about partisan" histories
really desire partisan histories
noo- partisan from every standpoint? ?
Ou the contrary, they are agitating for
histories that are intensely partisan-
partisan to the south. There are just
two classes of people agitating this
matter Those who have books to sell
and those who are being used by then
to help sell them.
Is there any real sense aud reason in
the cry for southern histories for south.
eru schools Must we have southern
history because it is southern :? l
know four school histories by southern
authors, and not one of them is good
text book. OF the twp now most
clamorously and pertiua5iously before
southern State boards Of education for
endorsement and adoption. ope is now
in use 10 the public schools Of this
State; the other, recently issoed, is
written by the so-called, Fighting
parson.'' The first named is undoubss
edly partisan. bat not intensely so. It's
chief fault is Its extreme heavi-
ness Of style. which renders
the reading of it labor to
any one and the study of it posi-
tive wearipess of the flesh to school
children. | cannot so nespass on your
space as to show this, but let me quote
here one or two representative sen
tences
..The domestic tranquility guaran-
teed by the constitution had not been
enjoyed (b5 the south) for many day.
and an interminable continuance Of
strife and discord seemed to be in store
for all. The idea had been slowly
shaping itself in the southern mind. that
Notwithstanding the affection for the
Union that the south had felt and mani
tested since the foundidg of the govern
meut, tranquil existence without the
government was preferable to continued
disturbance within" ("
The lighting parson" is intensely
aud bitterly partisaq BE discusses
the "causes Of the war" at great length.
rehashing arguments that have been
stale for 80 years and are about as iu-
teresting to school boy as last years
birdoest. Out Of 424 pages he gives
1873 to the civil war. His style is
totally uu6tted for a text book for
children. His sentences are long. in
volved and obscure Imagine chill
dren IL to Is years old making credit
able or even intelligent recitations from
extracts like che following:
..Yet even after this plain declara-
ton of the President to coerce sovereign
States who aad simply exercised their
'inaienable right as the Declaration
of Independence puts is) of choosing
their own form Of government and their
Own affiliations. the border States
waited the Confederate government
sent them commissioners to treat for
peace aud for the equitable settlement
of all properly rights aud other poiots
at issue aud Union men all through
the south. and many good men at the
north, hoped against hope and de-
voutly prayed that better couusels
might prevail. aud that the calamities
of war might be averted y
And again this:
"In Meade's army four general
oficers-Reynclds. Vine ut. Weed and