Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-27

reached Great Britain through other than
the ordinary channels OF communication,
else professor Goodwin Smith possesses
in very high degree that fatal gltt OF
otherwise intelligent Englishmen when
enables them to misconceiVe ana ms
Interpret every event ana movement III
The American republic and which lmpeis
Them TO turn the map Of the United
States inside down. For. In a recent
number of Literature, Professor Smith Is
credited with the statement that a rlal
nov awaits the American historian III
his judicial character which it VIII not
he very easy for a native writer TO
,,,aat - tho reason being that "the South
h demanding a version of the history OF
the civil war rectifed in its interest ana
fitted to be taught In its schools.
II will be observed that the trlal
which our native writers VIII ma IL na.u
TO meet is not a desire that tney silai pe
fair and Just and truthful, but ueind,lu
from the South that history shail De
"rectified In it's interest" To breathe on
Professor Smiths candle is TO snun IL
ONT The only suggestion that has come
from the South is a sort OF peutlon IndO
the history Of the civil war shall be I'M
partialIv written, and the facts De set
dcvvn without partisan bias. The sugses-
ton Is both modest and patriotic.
To further illuminate this matter II Is
necessary to say that the discussion Whlcll
has lately taken place, having originated
NJ the North. is without doubt the result Oh
a very peculiar episode in when MT Joiiii
Bach McMaster himself historian, 70
credited with playing a leading part
though. for one. the writer hereof is Will
ing TO give him the benefit of the doubt.
IF seems that certain politicians attached
To the Grand Army OF the Republic uor
tho noliticians on both sides have mace
tho veterans organization their prey
conceived the idea that the school histo-
rios Of the war current at the North are
not absolute enough TO suit their tastes
Forthwith they began TO agitate the mat
ter. and the upshot of II taccordlhs u
the New York newspapers was that MI.
Johr Bach McMaster. author or work
entitled. "a History Of the People OF the
Irnifed States" was offered certain
sum of money to prepare school history
of the war sufficiently peppered WIN not
enithets and sailed with partisanshlp 10
satisfy the curious rancor OF the spirlts
tlfat began the agitation.
Ihe offer was accepted $50 the story
goes). and MIR. McMaster gave the poll
ticians OF the Grand Army a work cal
culated to make the rebels shake IN thelr
shoes IL they were alive and engaged IN
the old business. One New YORK news
paper credits Mr.. McMaster with BOAST
ing that he had not spared Robert r.
Lee. having fifty characterized the man
VINO could take an oath to support the
government, and then perjure himselt
bv taking up arms to destroy II. The
whole story about Mr.. McMaster Is hard
10 believe. and this part OF IL is hardest
of all. For II is impossible that man
who undertakes to write history should
he ignorant of the fact that the southern
neopIe those who favored the Union as
a matter of policy and those VINO We're
in favor OF secession, believed that the
Federal Union was a compact, from
which a state could withdraw as II had
entered. and by the same machinery.
1'hat theory. in some shape or other, mad
been the bone OF contention between OPP
posing parties from the foundation OF
the government Men were born and bred
in this theory or the opposing one. The
theories took the shape Of convictions
tbat could not be shaken. Hence, when
N5troinfa and other States adopted the Or
d,nance of secession Robert Lee felt abb
solved from his oath. He had sworn 10
support Of the Government Of the United
states. and the States were no longer
unified Public opinion Doth NOfth anu
south unites in paying homage to Lees
character as a man, just as both North
ana south pay homage to the genius,
character, and motives OF Abraham Lin
coin.
therefore, there is the best rea-
son in the world for disbelievlng
these statements about the partisan
Inability of Mr.. McMaster. No con-
sctentious historian could. by any pos
sibility, lend himself to such a scheme.
no do so would be TO discount In advance
his knowledge as well as the judicial
character and truth OF all his historical
writings. thereby DESTROYING their value.
True or false. the report OF the episode
has served a very good purpose. IL has
brought home 10 the Intelligent public
oninion of the whole country, as nothing
eise could have done. the supreme folly