Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-09

And. lastly, the committee have aimed
TO select books that are interesting ano
| teachabe. No bald, annalistic narrative
can interest d child. Dry bones are
| dreary. ghastly things and the commit
tee have preferred books In which the
skeleton of facts Is covered with living,
| throbbing flesh, nourished by warm, pull
sating blood.
HARNESS HISTORY IS UNFIT.
| Guided then, by the above principles.
| the committee have been compelled to
| reject most OF the books examined, ana,
indeed, are unable to give their unquali-
fed approval to any. They nave, now
| ever, selected two books as combining
! more good qualities, In spite OF some
| defects, than any of the others; and
| they recommend these two for use In the
| schools OF this State Before naming
| the authors of these books, however, II
is deemed wise to state briefly the rea-
| sons for rejecting a few of the others.
| Although Barnes's History is a teachable
| book, it is considered unfit for use in
| southern schools; first. for the reason
| that I'm both the Colonial and Revolu-
| tionary periods 1t magnifes the achieve
| ments of New England and minimizes
| those OF the South. while laying stress
| upon southern shortcomings and con-
| ceallng those of the North. Up to the
| date when the war was transferred 10
| the South, that section has apparently
| no serious share in the struggle. Patrick
| Henry's resolutions against the stamp
act are relegated to a fine-print foot
note, while George Rogers Clarke's
splendid conquest Of the Northwest is not
| mentioned at ALL The numerous Tories
In the Carolinas are spoken of, but no.
thing Is said of those I'm the North.
With respect to the subject OF slavery.
notification, secession, and the war for
southern independence the misrepresen-
tations are innumerable. The New Eng
land slave trade, Tor example iNnot al
luded to. nor the enslavement and sale
1
or me Pequ9d Indians, nor the vote OF
New England for the continuation of the
slave trade till 1893. Nor do we find
any mention of the fact that for fifty
years that section was a centre of null
LITIGATION and secession ideas. Lincoln
Is eulogized, while the character of JEFF
ferson Davis is virtually ignored, as is
also the fact that he was put in irons
by General Miles and subjected TO in
dignities disgraceful to civilized aCe.
And. as for the war, no southern boy
could gain from this book any true con
ception of the heroic struggle of the
South against overwhelming odds
OBJECTIONS TO SEVERAL OTHERS.
With qualifications, the same general
criticism applies to the books by Alex
ander Johnston and John Fiske, and
hence, In spite of their other merits.
especially the excellent literary style Of
F'iske's book. the committee cannot re-
commend that either of them be employed
to give southern children their first i'm
pressions Of American history. A better
book than either OF them Is that by
Charles Morris. Closely following Fiske's
in numerous passages, 1t Is admirably ar
ranged. and written in 80 lucid style as
to be eminently suited to the classroom,
while the concluding part Of the book on
Stages of Progress in the United
States" is valuable feature, not found
in other textbooks The author re-
Trains, too, from utilization of the South
But he also suppresses truths Whlcn
southern children ought to know, and
makes not few gross misstatements OF
facts. All he says, for example. OF the
treatment inflicted upon Jefferson Davis
after his capture is this: HE was Inn
prisoned I'm Fortress Monroe, but was
finally set at liberty without trlaL
Nothing is said to indicate that there
was anything improper in the destruction
OF supplies by Sherman, whose IA
nous" mot infamouS) march 10 the sea
is called zone Of the most remarkable
feats i'm modern military history" The
double dealing Of Seward with regard TO
Fort Sumter Is. of course, suppressed,
while the amazing assertion Is made tnat
John Browns raid not only met win
little sympathy I'm the North but that
"even extreme Abolitionists looked upon
il as useless folly" No reader would
imagine that the firing Of guns and other
manifestations OF sympathy, with many
eulogies I'M speeches. editorials, ana ser
mons, had .applauded John Browns glo-
riOus deed"
II may not be amiss to add that the
chairman OF this committee once
heard the president Of the Indiana
University NOW president of the Leland
Stanford University, openly compare
John Brown in a public lecture to Jesus
Christ. Mr.. Morris, of course. leaves us
TO form a very different impression as
TO the attitude of the North. without
mentioning the Virginia Peace Congress,
he tells his readers that many efforts to
paclfy the country were made by North
ern States. but none proved acceptable.
The committee cannot, then, recon-
mend even this book to our schools; but
they do feel that it would be well for
our teachers to have ii in their posses
sion for purposes of reference as a COM
paratively moderate book from the north
ern standpoint
DISPOSITION TO BE FAIR.
If the committee considered It worth
while TO recommend as many as three
books, they would give the third place
to the book by Cooper, Estill q Lem |
mon, who show a commendable desire to |
deal impartially with all questions of |
sectional controversy. In the hands of |
Intelligent and well-lnformed teachers it |
would be good textbook but taken |
by itself Ii does not seem TO US to give a |
just idea Of the late war and the causes |
leading up TO it. For the authors, who |
are southerners, are so anxious to be fair |
to the North that they have rendered |
cold and lifeless some OF the most striking |
events In our history; have sometimes |
obscured the truth; and have even pro- |
duced false Impressions. few examples /
may be mentioned: The surrender OF |
Mason and Slidell to England is called |
IAN important diplomatic victory" for |
Seward, Nothing is said of northern /
sympathy for John Brown; nothing of |
Stewards falsehoods or Of Sherman's
clared an unsettled question" whe-
Their Sheridan was justified in re-
duclng the Shenandoah Valley to a de-
sert, Inhabited by starving women and |
gina NIerrimac) and the Monitor is very |
enormously described and but fifteen |
lines are given to Jacksons immortal |
Valley Campaign.
JONESS AND LEES HISTORIES.
A number of other books have been ex-
amined by this committee: but it seems
needless TO mention any others by name, |
except the two which are recommended |
for use In our Virginia schools. The au-
thOrs Of these (named in alphabetical or
der) are the Rev. DR.. j. William Jones
and Mrs. Susan Perdleton Lee These
books the committee recommend as UNI
questionably better than the others 1t
Is necessary TO add, however. that they |
DO not endorse them in every d, tail |
Nevertheless 1t is believed that such de-
iects as they may have do not affect their
superiority; that the necessary changes |
can readily be made in future /
and, indeed. it may be mention
I'd that a revised. corrected, and improved
edition of DIR. Jones's work is now going
through the press. Without going into
needless details, il seems sufficient, then,
20 say that these two books give more
truthful accounts OF our history than the
others; that they do FULLER justice TO all
States and sections; that their accounts
IF the war between the States is not
)nly truer. but also more interesting and
ifelike than those in the other books;
hat the -Space devoted to southern and