The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-20


There Is" he saws. zone point on which
/ you Insist too little which Is Nitai 20 w
young citizens 0f the South. THIS H. lhat
Lc shall not allow the dominant parry
{ TO teach him "a perverted history oi thc
past contests. This is mistake OF " H.
you are In imminent peril Mith an VIZ
aEfuls activity OF their race, our con-
uuprOrs strain every nerve 90 prc0ccupy
the ears 0l an America with ine iai1'
version OF afIalrs which suits int pht-
poses OF their usurpatlOn. WIN q Eltan-
tie sweep OF mCudacity this hleialuie
aims 10 falslfy or misreDrescni every
thing: The very facts Of history, me pilh-
Clplos OF the former Constitution as au,
mittcd IN the days OF freedom uy an
statesmen OF Oh parties. me 'naIact,lS
ana motives OF our patriots. NC pur-
poses Of parties the very essential names
or rights and virtues and vices. Ihe
whole sway Of their commercial ana poi-
fiCal aeccndency is cxertod 10 fN the
South With this false literature. It's sheets
come mp. liks the frogs OF Eeypi, snto
our houses. or bcdchamDers. our very
kneadin9 troughs. Now, against tala
dclucc ~ pCrNfrsions eolemnlN warn
young men Of the South. not Tor our
sokcs. but for their own. Even ii the
memory Of the defeated had no rights.
if historical truth had no prer0gaINes.
lf 20 were the same 10 YOU that the sircs
whose blood nlls your veins. ana whose
names you bear Doe written down as
traitors by the pen OF slandefous MS
tory. still it Isl essential 10 your own iu-
iure that YOU shall learn the history or
THAT Fatal CONTRACT"
I am told that we are pound by
fatal contract. which - one more ses-
sion. or half session. viii compel us 10
disregard this wise COUNSEL - do Fio9-
lcuce 90 our own convictions OF ishi.
tO ignore our obligations 90 the dead, ANA
Our duty 70 the liViur-
20 may De so. but if so. there is INC
I d. I'D. ..f fFf
| such concerted action as shall make lt
very sure that at the earliest possible
date each and every one OF the books
We now duOuncc shall De cast cut or
our schools ana out OF the state. For
myself. ! desire 10 see such action 4s
shall bo instantly effective. and instantly
replace the evil with tho good one
gentleman. connected witt the matter,
recently said 10 me that the cost OF one
dollar 60 each parent for the purchase
nf "a now book was serious oDSt10ie 70
q change in the histories. He may nearly
as well have said that IN he found in
school "a false and mutilated Pible he
would hesitate 20 make "a change because
the one which taught true religion cost
a dollar. For 20 my mind, next 10 teach
ing false rcligiOn-neXt ia injury done
and next in Criminality-is 10 teach
false history Of our Confederate cause.
Not long ago. when in Europe ] re-
called 20 mind the provinces which Ger
many. I'm 1870. Wrcsted from the thea Eu-
pirc of France. / learned thai in chat
beautiful country. Of which France was
once SO proud, the German language was
used by law. that German history was
taught In the schools. that love for the
Fatherland formed the web and wo3f ot
AN its teaching and ! felt how helpless
We're the people and how hopeless was
the return of Asace and Lorraine eVer
again 10 France. / dil not wonder. thtn.
one splendid autumn day as ] stood in
the Place de la ConcOrde. that the peO-
Pile there placed emblems Of death on the
beautiful statue which represented that
II lying Yankee history is TO be forced
upon our youth. and made To take TIE
place of truth let us drape with Grape
and habiiments Of death Our statues Ot
Lee and Jackson and the private solder,
for we as a people. are morally ie11.
! thank YOU for the great honor pf be-
ing selected TO preside over this assem-
bly, and viii not longer detain you from
your work and call on Grand commando
CussOns 20 explain with further detail thc
purpose OF our meeting.
Colonel John Cliss0ns was received with
applause and also read his address. say
ine:
COL. Ct SsONS ELOQUENT ADDRESS
Mr.. Chairman. Friends. Comrades. Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Seven years ago the Confederate Nete-
rams Of virginia. through their Grand
Camp. appointed Committee on His
the need for a textbook which should
give fair and impartial account of our
late war And &c was believed that the
appearance of such % work would at once
Danish from our schools the biased and
misleading histories which were then in
use
lhat hope has bee disappointed.
10 is true that able pens responded
promptly TO the committees call. and Viz
ginla to-day is notably rich in school his
tories of the very highest order And yet
these meritOriOus books have failed 10 dis
place the unworthy ones.
I'm literary ability Ga fidelity Of truth.
i'm lucidity OF narrative. Ina simplicity Of
style. in skill of compression. and I'm an the
mechanical qualities which comprise the
hookmakers' art. We shall nowhere nnd
anything superior TO the works Of our
own Virginia writers.
And these books have the widest range
of adaptaDility. They are suited TO pupils
of every age From Nrs Willamsons
Life OF Lee. % model OF historical biogra-
ply for the infant class-through the pri-
mary and advanced textbooks Of Maury,
ana Dr. Jones, and Mrs. PendletOn Lee,
and Miss Mary Tucker Magill-np TO the
scdate and scholarly exposition or J. /.
A. Curry. there Is absolutely NJ need
which has not been most abundanty met.
What. then. bars the way?
Why is it that we cannot get into the
hands Of own children these records of
our own authors?
Here is a symbol Of the power which
forhids II
1his is "A Brief History Of the United
States written by joel Dorman Steele and
Esther Baker Steele. and published by the
American Book Company Of New York.
Cincinnati and Chicago. 10 IS one OF q
series of eight historical works. an of
which are copyrighted by A. s. Barnes q
Co.. Of New York. These eight books
were written by different authors. and
yet there is q superstition abroad that
they are the only existing histories that
are toachabe"
And surely If "teachabllity" means an
aptitude for reaching false conclusions by
smooth and subtle ways-for making the
worse appear the better part-for blandly
distorung facts. and with an air Of can
dor perverting honest truths-then indeed
may this book be pronounced "teachablo"~
IN very eminent degree
Like some other evil things Il Is sugar
ed over with adulation. And where IL
most abounds In forid compliment IL is
most misleading and most dangerous Its
worst vices however are not of the gross
and obvious kind They are unobtrusive
They he beneath the surface But thev
are constant; and during the war period
they are close-woven into the very tex
ture OF the story. To adequately show
fl,f. Itf citations mould ~ . 49,