The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-05-24

Ex-Governor 7. n. Chamberlain. .ta
Ina in 1s74-S. writes a communication
to The New York Times Saturday
Review" commenting upon Mr. Joe,
Chandler Harris's recent paper On civil
War Histories"-it was no civil MAR.
in any sense,-and thinks tnac hour
The Messenger contented, Il had not
come for its writing by any northern
scribe, unless by a New England ma
of letters. Governor Chamberlain IS
an able, scholarly man, who has writ
ten in much kindness Of the South AMI
has set a good example - his people
for moderation and fairness in iealing
with the South. He thinks of all men
II this country that Honorable Carl
Schurz is the man for the work. He
is a man Of very high abilities, and
has shown his great capability as a
writer Of admirable magazine and news
paper articles and addresses. ard in
his Life OF Henry Clay" a work we
have long ago praised, he produced a
fine example Of fairness, c1ndor in BIZ
ographical writing. He is a German,
but has lived most Of his Gays in this
country in the north n n public Of
flee. That he could really lift himself
above his influential Surroundings and
bias behind with a truthful, impartial
history OF the great four years war
@+-vAo - --a+a- /, V-a-v- I1tr3N F.t
When he came to that Of the causes and
results of the war he would strike one
Of the most dangerous OF snags. Mr..
| Chamberlain hardly ~exaggarataS Mr..
Schurz's fine intellectual parts when he
writes. TN capacity for historical re-
search and political philosophy, in
| catholicity Of mind, in intellectual SYM
pathy and comprehension, n moral
| elevation, in noble and true English,
who goes before him, or who equals
him? I am surely too Old ID 60 out
Of my way to pay mere compliments,
and Mr.. Schurz can be helped by no
mans compliments, nor hur::, let me
add, by any mans depra cations"
The South Will have to rely upon
some native son, who has the historic
talents necessary, and is both truth
lover and truth-teller, as Tennyson
wrote of the Duke of Wellington in his
most noble ode" on his death. 20 tell
the story, Of the nan holding his
stylus with a firm, equal and mastery
hand, showing the precise causes of
war, what really happened on the var
ious fields of battle, the Members of
the combatants on either side, II
what followed the war under the dead
march of reconstruction, when pillage
and scoundrelism and oppression ran
riot. Who but a Southern man
would even tell the real truth Of Bum
mer Sherman's Hateful and burning
march to the Sea-" of which the north
is so jboastfui and proud, WIN his
Corps of Bumrners?"
Let the South write it's own history.
1t cannot rely upon the North unless
Battle of Waterloo" the fairess study
ever written Of that Hateful and bloody
engagement, could be inducel to pre-
pare the work. There is one Southern
author Of distinguished abilities who
could write a history of the war with
great precision and accuracy of state
ment, and in a style that would be full
Of literary charm. If he undertook to
trace the causes Of the War he might
not be so successful. We think in
some of his writings We have discov-
cred the influence of Hamilton and the
old Federalists. 1t might be very diff
ficult for him to avoid extremes in his
discussion of causes because of perhaps
unconscious bias. But he could pro-
luce a work of high literary excellence
as his recent study of George Washing
ton shows very ~conclusively. We of
course could only refer ito Professor
Woodrow Wilson, CT the University of
Princeton. His volume of essays show
how acute a critic he is. His 'Con-
gressional Government" reveals the