The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-10-09
SOUTHERN HISTORIES
VIII Teach Our Roys P~otrfotism OF
the Whole Country.

The resolutions recently passed by
the Grand Army of the Republic. pro-
testing against the use of histories by
southern authors in the public schools
Iof the south should be treated with 81
lent contempt However, We will VEN
lturea few remarks. 1t would be well
for mis- Grand Army Of pensioners to
sweep around their own doors before
they have the cheek and brass to say
what kind of text books should be used
in the public schools Of the south.
These busy-bodies will have enough to
do, and that which interests them very
much more, looking after the a day
lof the pension department., than busy
ling themselves about what the south
ern youth should be taught We would
mot foster sectional feelings, but teach
our boys patriotism from a high stand
point of the vh2le country. Yet we
will not fail to point to them with pride
the suffering. daring and heroism of
the confederate soldier, n the sacri-
flee of the southern women.
We would invite the attention of the
ALLY ~ d hAolOiS "IllICh ~
one d. H. Montgomery. On every page
of the late war his prejudice is shown
against the south. The publishers,
lGinn & Co., say hat it has been adopt
led in New England schools, and is
VERY satisfactory. We do not
this, which is a sufficient reason why
lit is not satisfactory here. In his pre-
face, he thanks Browns university,
Harvard, Massachusetts Historical So
lciety, and the Librarian of the Bos-
lton Anthenaeum for Valuabl assistance
but says nothing about anything outh-
Iern. Mr.. Montgomery makes special
mention that Henry WirZ, who COM
lmanded at Andersonville, was convict
led of cruelty to union soldiers and was
hanged, as he deserved. How does this
lphilosophic historian know? The fact
jim that Wirz was convicted On false
levidence and o much of that kind. 1t
has been clearly shown that the con-
lfederate government asked and even
begged for an exchange of prisoners,
but Mr.. Stanton refused, which was a
Ipalpable violation of the rules of war
between civilized people. The
lof Henry WirZ was as foul and base
Ia murder as was that of Mrs. Surratt.
He gives full page portraits Of Lin
lcoln, Grant, Farragut, Lee and many
lothers, but none at all of Davis, Steph-
lens or Joe Johnston. He says that the
union army did not ave at any n
thine more than LOCO, 900 men, n that
1.-THE confederate army had at one time
100, 900. This is not true. There were
lin the union army over 1000, 600 while
1.-THE southern army never did have 70O,-
1000. He says that the union bread must
have tasted sweet to the ebelS after
their long fast. He goes into raptureS
lover Sherman's march to the sea and
the burning Of Columbia, n calls it
Ia picnic. Who, but Mr.. Montgomery
land his kind, would call the wanton
burning of property, the distressing
lcries of mothers and children in night
apparel, fleeing from their burning
homes, a picnic? He speaks of Uncle
heart to the heart. and cant to be
levery one knows who knew anything
with monstrous fa~lsehoods-
Wonderful history that is so mighty
gratifying to the New England schools,
and we uppose to the Grand Army
lof the Republic also. We hope this
book is not used in any of the schools
lin the south, because it does not treat
the south with justice and fairness.
No history or any other kind of book
should be used in our schools that fails
Ito give the south justice n pay as
high respect to Jefferson Davis, Joe
Johnston and other southern heroes
las to Lincoln. Sherman and Grant.
]. D. EZELL,
SuptintendentDunn School.