The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-05-24
OPEN LETTER TO CEN. LEE
AN OLD CONFEDERATE VETERAN
CALLS ATTENTION TO MATTERS
FALsIFIED IN HISTORY.
A Constant Torrent Of Denuncia-
ton and Falsification Has
Poured Against the South.

Generality purpose in ad-
dressing you through the medium
of the press is to secure the
widest possible publicity for the
matter to which your attention is
directed, and consequently to
strengthen your hands in any
remedial measures that you, as
chairman Of the historical COM
mittee of the U. C. Y. organiza-
ton, may recommend for adop-
ton.
AS is generally known, the OBJ
iect which was most prominently
in view in the formation Of the
historical committee was to in
fluence, in the curriculum Of
Southern educational institutions
the use Of text books that could
be relied upon to impress upon
the minds OF our youth proper
appreciation Of the sincerity,
courage, constancy and devotion
Of their fathers and mothers in
the greatest struggle for civil lib
erty that the world has ever
known. This object, so impor-
tant in itself, was rendered doub-
ly so by the continuous. persist
ent and NAL gnant efforts of Nor
thern editors, authors, artists
and orators to falsify history to
the detriment and degradation of
all who espoused the Confederate
cause. From the pulpit and ros-
trum; in newspapers, magazines
and school books; from pen and
pencil and through every avenue
for reaching the public, con-
stant torrent of denunciation,
Justification and abuse was pour
ed forth against the South and
Southern institutions. Not an
offensive epithet in the vocabu-
larry of hate was omitted. School
text books were utilized as the
most effective vehicle Of creating
hostile and aggressive sentiments
toward us, and the youth of the
North were taught to believe that
Southern people were utterly
wanting in every attribute that
entitled them to the confidence,
respect and esteem of their fel
lowsbeings. BY dint Of constant
repetition, and in the absence Of
ali means of denial or defense,
vile accusations and baseless
ISLANDERS, during and Immediately
after the war, were accepted as
the truth
OF late years gratifying
change OF sentiment has been
observed and the hope was in
dulged that truthful narration
would follow the subsistence 81
the bitter feeling engendered by
the war. There has been obliter-
ated from Northern school books
much that was untruthful and
offensive to us, ana there has
been q manifest Improvement in
the historical text books used in
the schools Of the South. North
ern and Southern writer's, dis
cussing the great civil war, have
man tested but little sectiona.
prejudice or passion and have
united in tributes to the courage
constancy and devotion to duty
of both blue and gray. UE
to very recently there was every
reason to believe that no writel
of note, or no participant in tht
war, however great the inclina'
ton or inducement might be-
would willingly mar the era o
good feeling that was happily
dawning. Certainly not q sou
in the South anticipated that q
wearer Of the gray" would Prev
the agent Of defamation Of hi
comrades in arms and be tai
means Of presenting them, anC
the cause which they served, il
an untruthfui and degrading
light.
beg leave to invite your al
teniioa to q book published il
Washington, D. g., last yea
and emitted
"0fdsiai and Illustrated Wa
Record, Carefully Written ar,
Edited BY Gen, Marcus J
Wright, Commissioner Of Wa
Department, Col. Ben In Bree
and James P. Boyd, a. NJ.
This publication is announces
to be q comprehensive and in
partial history Of military ant
naval operations. = 1t is issue,
in handsome and attractiv
shape. Illustrations of battl