The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-01
History of - ~
~ y Our Country.

hecenily a recognized authority on II
: eaiure and letters emphasized his be
J lict In the value OF brief studies in an,
derartmcnt Of education. and especial!
IN that OF history in 1.-THE Regimen
: Sistory OF our Country" thore Is much tina
Is connrmaiory Of This suggestion, mucl
that serves to Illustrate aud to exempt
~ A.
This little volume Is hy rrof. Harry II
hstill of the normal school nj Huntsville
and is the fruit cf several years OF careful
preparation and thoughtful revision. IT.
style is admirably simple, and direct. with
our aifecation and With no attempt e
write down" to the supposed level Of
ch'ld's comprehension. mistake often
mnde, and Invariably resulting In confusion
Of tongues, There is noticeable absence
Of dry chronological data and figures, on
omission 60 be colnmended; young chill
drcn do not remember dates; they would
mean nothing to them II they did.
The chapters on colonial history are in.
teresting and comprehensive being some
thing mote than brief biographical sketches
Of the famous mon Of that day while IN
/ the arrangement Of his data the author
has heon most happy, Ills grouping Of the
colonies, for example. Virginia and Her
| Ncghhors," Massachusetts and Her
| Neighbors. PENNSYLVANIA and Her Neigh
] hors," offers new and commendahle dc.
I parture from precedent in the construction
[ of a primary history. In thus presenting
/ a central figure ia the attention aud
memory Of the child he focuses these
upon the first aud parent State, and nat
uraly the connection With lbs collaterals
remains clearly IN the mind. lie has
wisely retained this method throughout his
hook sometimes Ignoring mere chronology
ic6l Sequence for the more imnortant re
SUIT of rivctlng salient points and conncc.
items upon the memory but never omittinc
any mpmtan, fact or incident which
should propcrlv have place in nrs.
book of history.
= -
Even wacu giving what might seem t.
relevant details, the author never losos
sight of the chief end IN view. clear
ecs, the fair and lust deductions to he
drawn In the contrasting pictures Of the
lives Of New England and Southern
LAD. We see that each is the logical prod.
net of influence ana environments
Another Illustration OF this Is 20 he
found I'm Tho story of tho TWO Kentucky
BOYS, Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson
Davis who were born in the sane State.
In less than 100 miles of each other. tn
only eight months difference lu their arcy
When Lincoln was Z years old 0ul Davis
even Younger the parents Of tho one moved
to Illinois and Of the other 10 Mississippi
hencetorth these twigs of q Parent state
were trained Systematically by diverse
conditions In opposite dlrect'ops. The au-
Thor siyS; Roth were mghmlnhe1, truth
full, generous. brayc--worthy examples to az
American boys I'm concluding the bio
giaPhlcai sketch OF Lincoln he says: III
Lincoln had lived. he would have saved
the Sowthernets from much OF the harsh
treatment they received Just after the
war. Today the memory OF Abraham Lin
coin is hcnored in all parts of our conn
try" And Of Davis, "Ilo died az his
home In Mississippi, at the age OF ST.
loved and revered by the people OF the
South respected by good men everywhere
~
Prof. Estill deals with the question of
slavery frankly aud fairly. Abiding briefly
Ia ms Introduction into the colonies by
Hhe Dutch he continues, referring to
day spent In Boston by New England
hoy; There was large new ship which
Joshla examined with great curiosity, Tor
some one told him IT was SLAYER which
lhen IT was being loaded with casks OF
rum This rum would be given to African
chiefs in exchange for negro men. vomon
aud children captured by them The cap /
tive negroes would be slowed away on
the SLAYER aud taken TO the Southern |
colonies where they would he sold as
slaves 20 work the tobacco rice and In /
digo plantations. While Joshla looked the !
governor carriage hurried by, driven by !
a negro slave But there were not many 4
slaves IN New England. The climate was
too cold for them, and they were best silt
ed . work on large plantations
In conclusion the author briefly and
clearly recaptulates the actual fact ,taat
the slave trade was "A recognized industry
in New England. and that the gradual
elimination Of slavery there was the result
Of climatic aud industrial conditions ana
to It's being Improbable, since lit was
cheaper to hire white workman than to
feed and clothe negro slave and care for
him In sickness
The right OF secession Capitalization OF
the government and slavery are presented
as the causes leading to the war, The
Iact that the North as well MS the South
acid the right to secede is not overlooked.