The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-16
Chairman Royal Submits Report to
Grand Camp History Committee.
TWO HISTORIES DENOUNCED.
Takes Exception TO the Lists of the
State Board Of Education-Jones'
and Lees Histories Urged and
Others Pronounced Unworthy

I'd
Chairman William L. Royal presenter
a report which after unanimous ADOPTION
was ordered given to the public at once
I'm order that IL may influence county
school boards which were now adopting
histories:
TEXT OF THE REPORT.
The report is as follows
To the Grand Camp Confederate Neter-
ans. Department OF Virginia:
Your Committee on History begs leave
TO submit the following report:
The former chairman having resigned
at the beginning Of March. 1898, the
Grand Commander appointed the pres
ent Chairman. lie Immediately called
meeting OF the committee. which was
held IN Richmond city. on March S. lsss.
The time when the School Board Of the
State was 10 meet and prescribe scnooi
books FOR some time 10 come being near
at hand IT was deemed eXpedient that
the committee should use its best endeav-
ors 20 have the objectionable histories
omitted from the lists and 10 place upon
them those which would teach the chill
dren Of Virginia a correct version OF our
great civil war and the causes That led up
10 it.
AT that meeting the following resolu-
lions were ad0pted-tO-wit.
COMMITTEES RESOLUTIONS
Resolved. That in the opinion OF this
committee IL expresses the sentiment OF
all the Confederate veterans and sons OF
veterans In this state and OF the over
whelming majority Of the people of the
State, Wnen 10 respectfully requests tne
Board of Education. as u now does, 10
use every measure under its control no
drive Barnes History out OF use IN the
schools OF this STATE, and,
Second That the Board Of Education
confne the public schools 90 the use oI
Jones and Lees histories OF the bniieA
States, for the present. az least.
Third. Whereas. r. has been creamy
represented TO this committee. as % be-
licves. that the book company obtaining
the contract 10 furnish histories or the
United states 20 our schools viii agree 20
take no an Of Barnes histories now IN tne
hands Of the scholars upon most reason
able terms, the Board Of Education Is
respectfully urged to require this or the
company TO which Il awards the contract.
But whether this IS done or not II rs
urged to forbid the further use OF
Barnes History in the schools. and 20
require the use OF Jones or Lee s, as ll
is the sense OF this committee that re
children of the State had better be taughl
no history than such pretended history
CONFERRED WITH THE BOARD.
ITpon a subsequent day your committee.
accompanied by large body Of leadlns
citizens OF Virginia. met The Board OF
Education and presented these resolu-
tions 10 them. The chairman OF the COM
mittce, other members Of H. ana some
of the citizens who mad accompanied me
committee addressed the Board, urging
the purpOrt OF the resolutions upon lti
and the committee Is happy 10 report 10
the Grand Camp that the Board Of kdu-
cation has dropped Barnes History from
the school lists and has placed the his
tories OF Messrs. Lee and Dr. Jones upon
them.
But the Board also placed upon the
school lists the history OF the Jnlted
States by John Fiske.
Your committee is Of opinion that this
book Is not one proper 10 be placed IN
the hands OF the children OF virginia. IL
Is a very admirable work in everything
except what pertains to the war and the
causes OF the war, but II is written by q
Northern man, who sympaihized intense
~ with the Northern side OF our quarrel.
and while he has written with an evident
desire TO be as fair as ho can be. ms ac-
count of the war and its causes IS inevi-
| tably cOl0red by his preferences.
a BAD INFLUENCE.
The result is, ne has written book
that will cause a Virginia child who learns
nothing of the war but what he reads DO
that book. TO think that the Southern
people who seeded from the Union were
rebels and traitors. and ne VIII also Iali
utterly 20 learn tho heroic character OF
the struggle which the Confederate sol
dicrs made in the war.
As evidence of this, we note first. that
in Mr. Fiske's view the war was "a Tee
bellion against the lawful authority OF
the United States. Elaborate CRITICISMS
OF the book would DE Out OF place here
but secondly, We note Mr. flske acc
cOun, OF the BrOoks-Sumner aidir as a
specimen OF the book Inspiration. lie
says pgecs $3.50.
'In 1876 Charles Sumner. Senator from
Massachusetts, made speech or an OK
asperating character. containing some
personal illusions 20 Senator Butler OF
-Outh Carolina. which we're not ln good
-aste. Soon afterwards, Preston BROOKS,
representative from south Carolina. and
nephew of Butler came mp behind SUM
ner while he was absorbed I'm Work at
his desk In the Senate chamber ana
struck him repeatedly on the mead Win
a stout cane Sumner was made dam
gerously ill., and did not regain his health
for three years. 4 motion was made TO
expel Brooks from Congress FOR ms dtro-
cious and cOwdTdly act, but u failed 10
secure the needful tNO-thirds vote, then
he resigned his seat and was instantly
reelected to Congress by vote that was
almost unanimous.
A DAMAGING INFERENCE.
Nothing could be more damaging 90 the
character of the Southern people than the
differences a child is expected 20. and Will
draw from this paragraph. The deed Us
represented as an atrociOus and cOwardly
act. yet the people OF South Carolina sent
the perpetrator back 20 Congress by a
unanimous vote
Your committee IS not called upon to
defend the action of Mr. Brooks, but ev-
erv one knows he did not come up be-
hind Mr. Sumner and strike him repeat
edly on the head with a stout cane, while
he was absorbed in his work, doing him
thereby a serious injury. lie confronted
a man who was more than his match,
physically and struck him from the
front with a light cane. Mr.. Brooks was
Incapable OF making a cowardly or un-
fair attack upon any one. he was an
honorable, brave gentleman, and however
we NAV condemn the prODriety Of his
act, we cannot fail 10 respect the mo-
tive that influenced him.
He was defending as his instincts sug-
gested an honored uncle who was gross
~ maligned and he was entirely ready
10 accent every consequence OF resisting
this assault upon his honored relative,
made in the open Senate, ana before the
A JUST DISCRIMINATION.
Your committee must not be understood
as defending Mr. Brooks act. BY no
means Violence IS not the proper re-
dress for an injury. But your commit
tee can discriminate between the violence
that proceeds from a generous nature,
spurned by injury, TO ungoVernable pas
sions. and the violence OF a sneak who
stealthily creeps up on his victim and as
saults him from behind with "a deadly
weapon. This sort OF malefactor the
South Is represented as giving its unani-
nous and enthusiastic support 10.
we do not think our children should
be taught that their fathers were people
OF this sort any more than that they We're
rebels against the best government the
world ever saw
Your committee thinks they had better
be taught nothing whatever about the
war and its causes than 10 be instructed
I'm such poisoned and partisan perversiOns
OF them as this.
Your committee had rather see our chill