The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-10-15

lions the Hartford convention OF 1914.
Even our old enemy. Mr. Barnes, gives
the list IN a fine print note. The fact Is
these matters do not serve the purpose,
as none Of them could be depended upon
TO enlist the sentimental sympathy OF
the world against the South. Slavery and
Southern action thereupon must be, for
these historians. the cause Of the war.
There are people at home who. with
these men, ignore all this history and
accept and support their view. We are
glad they are few, but they exist ana,
therefore. Nirginans do not feel as they
did when At the touch OF hostile spear
the shield Of the state rang true: when
at the call OF honor the State Of Nir-
ginia stepped to the front. TO stay to
the end OF the war For all of us there
is cause 10 fear that our success in sup
pressing the more fragrant evils has les
sened our watchfulness against subter
forms which may prove harder to eNpol:
reason 20 apprehend that our people or
Virginia and other Southern states may
sink down into a blind content with a
situation which is still full Of danger.
IL you will look over the lists OF books
allowed in some Of our states you will be
amazed. The articles ana corruption
that secured their adoption would furnish
curious subject for a student of human
nature.
VIRGINIA'S HOPE.
Here in Virginia our hope IS In this
Grand Camp, with its allies among the
scholars i'm the state and in the men
upon whom the law has laid the heavy
responsibility belonging 10 our state Board
Of Education. We are glad to know that
these are good men and true: that they
have on the whole given the public
schools Of Virginia by far the best set Of
books they have ever had. So we are
glad 10 acknowledge the good work they
have done for the State. however strongly
we may dissent from and protest against
some Of their conclusions With respect
10 the situation abroad, it describes
It not unfairly If we say that the
reasons for the existence Of cur History
| Committee are. in a modified form. the
same that in 1861 brought into existence
and moved TO action the armies of the
South
In "The Sectional War" mot the civil
War" for that title acc6rds with the
extreme national concepuCs and admits
that we were not separate States)-we
were called upon TO resist an invasion OF
soldiers armed and sent into our country
by the concurrent purposes of several
fairly distinct parties then and now eX-
istng in the North. They came seeking
our injury and their own profit. A new
invasion, with like double purpose, is be-
| ing prosecuted by the lineal successors Of
some OF these parties Two OF them
| chiefly concern us and our work. The
one came--Or sent representatives, to the
! war-bent upon. the destruction Of our
| Southern civilization, the eradication Of
| the personal characteristics. opinions
| thought and mode of life which made our
|! men different. antagonistic and hateful
/ TO them. The other preferred war to the
| loss OF material prosperity, which they
| apprehended in case the South should
| attain a position beyond the reach Of
| Northern lawmakers and Northern tax
| collectors Mr. Lincoln represented the
| latter when, in reply TO Mr.. John Bald
| win and Mr. A. II. II. Stuart, WhO-as
| representatives Of the Virginia Conven-
| ton then I'm session-urged him 10 delay
| the action that opened the war; he asked
| what is 10 become of my revenue in
! New York If there is a ten per cent tariff
| at Charleston" The following incident
| points to the former: About the year
1850 a distinguished Northern statesman
| said to a party of Southern Congressman.
you gentlemen will have to go home
and beat your plow-shares into swords
and your pruning-hooks into spears, for
the Northern schoolmistresses are train
ing a generation to fgnt the south
AGAINST TWO PARTIES.
No longer concerning ourselves with
the sentimental unionists and honest
abolitionists-whose work seems TO be
oyer-we still struggle against the two
parties we have described These exist
In their successors to-day-their success
ors who strive to control the opinions Of
our people and those who seek 10 make
e,,f,, Irr tbafv aaeopfqfiou with
Cooperating with these and represent
ing motives common TO them all, Is
new form OF another party, which has
existed since sectionalism had its birth
the party which has always lab0red 10
convince the world that the North was
altogether right and righteous, and the
South wholly and wickedly wrong in the
sectional strife. This party IS to-day the
most distinctly defined and tlic most dan
gerous to as. Its chief representatives
are the historians against whose work we
are especially engaged.-We are enlisted
against an invasion organized and vigor-
ously prosecuted by all of these people.
They are actuated by all the motives we
have described; but they have two we'll
defined (and as to US, malignant pur-
poses. one of them IS 20 convince all
men, and especially our Southern children
that We were, as DR.. Curry expresses
their view. "a brave and rash people, de-
luded by bad men, who attempted in an
illegal and wicked manner 30 overthrow
the Union" The other purpose-and for
this especially they are laboring-is TO
have it believed that the Southern soldier,
however brave was actuated by no high
or motive than the desire TO retain the
money value of slave property. They
rightly believe that the world once con-
WINGED OF this, will hold us degraded rath-
err Than worthy Of honor, and that our
children instead of reverencing their
fathers-will be secretly if not openly
ashamed
They seek to carry out their purposes.
not now by the aid of armed soldiers
but through the active employment OF en-
ergies, agencies and agents, who are as
the caterpillar and canlSerworn for de
structiveness and as the locust for multi
tude. The whole force Of journalists
poets. orators and writer's Of all classes
is employed in their cause, especially the
Northern history makers, whose books
have been and are now, 70 some extent
i'm the hands Of Southern children.
LABORED FOR EVIL
The character OF the work has been IN
greater or less degree such as might nave
been expected. BY every variety or eI-
fort. from direct denunciaton 10 faint
nraise. by false statement and more sub
lie suggestion, by sophistry of reasoning
and unexoected Inference. by every sin
Of omission and commission. these writer's
IL. ..1.aU of