The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02

The Grand Army of the Republic, at its
recent encampment, took some action re-
garding subject that has come up more
than once in recent years, namely, al
legged inaccurate or biased accounts OF the
civil war in school histories. In this case
the action related to histories said to be
used in the public schools of some of the
Southern States. The report says:
The official declaration was made that the
histories have been written with the pur-
pose of perpetuating in the minds OF South
ern children the sectional preJudices OF the
days of 1861. Resolutions were adopted
calling on the public III the name Oh the
Grand Army, to Danish the books from
the schools of the country, and commit-l
tee was appointed to carry out the pro-
test. The aid of publishers and historical
writer's will be solicited.
In the absence of specifications or quo
tations it is not known what particular
histories are referred to, how far they are
obnoxious to the charge made, in what
States they are used. The action Of the
Grand Army having been called to the at
tention of Gen. John B. Gordon, command
er-in-chief of the Confederate Veterans.
that now loyal and patriotic statesman
says:
1t Is difficult for me TO believe that any
respectable Southern teacher is knowingly.
using any book that is intended to perpetu-
ate sectional prejudice in the minds OF
Southern children. More than twenty years
ago, with the hearty approval of Gen. *.
E. Lee, and, believe, with the sanction OF
our whole people, made earnest and per-
sistent efforts to have banished from
schools Of the South and of the North all
ax,d t,f.rt rs hinh
any faint of bitterness against either sec
ton. Every movement made by the United
Confederate Veterans and every recon-
mendation made by our historical commit
tee has been to find and sustain only sucn
books as gave the truth of history without
the slightest tinge of passion or prejudice
against either the North or the South. do
not hesitate to say, in the broadest and
most emphatic terms, that such is the
spirit Of an overwhelming majority OF the
Southern people.
Amy effort, however. to have books used
in schools, North or South which would
lower the self-respect of the children of
either section, their legitimate pride in
the motives which prompted the soldiers
of either army, or in their fathers achieve
mentS, had just as well be abandoned.
Such an effort will never succeed. 1t ought
not to succeed, because 1t would be directly
destructive Of the future manhood of our
country.
From this it appears that an honest eff
fort has been made by the Confederate
Veterans to exclude biased histories from
the Southern schools. No doubt mistakes
have been made on both sides in this mat
ter, though fewer in recent years than for
merly. The writer's of school histories are
not always wise or as we'll informed as
they should be, and they sometimes give
FOO much nerSopa1 colorinp IN facts More-
over, school boards and school officers are
sometimes very poor judges of the merits
of textbook. 1t should be the common
desire of all good citizens and of all edu-
Gators in the South, as well as in the North,
to have the school histories absolutely
truthful. as far as they go. and free from
any sectional or partisan bias. 1t would be
little less than crime to attempt to per-
petuate in the school histories of either
section any of the fallacies, errors, pas
sions or prejudices of the war period or to
present anything but the truth of history.
In this view of the case there is no reason
why the same history should not be used
in the schools of both sections. Such his
tory should state the origin of the civil war
and the motives of both sides with abso-
lutte fairness, give equal credit to both
sides for honesty of convictions and for
bravery in battle, and state the results of
the war in such way as to promote love
of country in the minds of the young in
both sections. No school nowadays should
use a distinctively Northern or distinc-
| lively Southern history. All should use a
| true American history, and there is no rea-
| son why all should not use the same one.