The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-05-15
BILL ARP REVIEWS A BOOK.
A Glance at Current History.

It is only little book-that the au-
thor sent me, but a perusal of It's
pages has impressed me profoundly
and has proved a real comfort in my
old age. I have read most of it aloud
to my wife and daughters and it has
established them more firmly in the
faith, if that were possible. This
book is only 6xS and contains 100 pages
in large print-very large-so that
veterans might read it without glass
es or strain of the optic nerve. Its
modest title is ga Glance at Current
History" by Colonel John Cussons,
of Glen Allen, Va. 1t is the work of
retired Confederate veteran, who is
known and loved by all Virginians and
who was grand commander of the
grand camp of Virginia Confederate
veterans and the intimate friend Of
Gen. Maury, DR.. Hunter Mcguire,
Fitzhugh Lee and Joseph E. john
ston. This book was written with no
selfish motive, neither for profit or
fame, nor with any desire of crimi-
nation, but rather to heal the
breach and at the same time pre-
serve the truth of history and hand
it down to our children. There is
not line of malice or revenge within
its pages, but a high-toned, digni-
fed, conservative appeal to his COM
rades to uphold the government that
is now nation and at the same time
defend the south from any saint upon
her honor. 1t is beautifully written
in thoughts that breath and words that
burn and no man, north or south, can
question statement contained within
it. [ wish that [ was millionaire. l
would place copy of this book IN the
home of every family in the south and
in the hands of every young man,
and [ would make it little text book
of history in every public school.
There are only six chapters, each not
more than ten minutes long, but there
is not wasted sentence nor a para
graph too much
The last chapter is defense of the
American Indian, for the author was
long a frontiersman and lived among
them and mingled with them for many
years, and as Gen. Maury said of him,
''He has more thoroughly studied the
Indian character than any man now
living" The first chapter is devoted
to review of a United States history
recently written and published by Prof.
Goldwin Smith, an Englishman, who
was for years a professor of history
in Cornell university and is now
doctor of canon law in Toronto, Cana
da. This history is published both in
London and New York, and is amaz-
ingly popular both in England and the
north. It is intensely venomous
against the south, and especially
against Virginia. Now listen for
few moments at some of his historical
utterances taken verbatim from his
book. Listen and wonder that such
book could find patrons anywhere:
"South Carolina got her start by COM
bining buccaneering with slave own
ing and making her ports shelter for
pirates and corsairs such as Capt Kidd
and Blackboard.
Georgia was the refuge of the pau
per and bankrupt. Her first. settlers
were good for nothings who had failed
in trade-a shiftless and lazy set-but
later on some better elements came in
-Highlanders, Moravians and perse-
cuted Protestants of Salzburg.
'The first settlers of Virginia were
an unpromising lot-lackeys, beggars,
broken down gentlemen and tapsters
out of job. To this crew of vaga-
bonds were added jailbirds. English
convicts were offered their choice be-
tween the gallows and Virginia, and
some were wise enough to choose the
gallows. Even their place of settle
ment-Jamestown-has long been
desolation. They were not such colo
nists as the Puritans. They made the
Indians work for them, while the Puri
tans worked for themselves. Many Of
them were kidnapped from the streets
of London and all were of depraved
character. Afterwards came African
slavery, the bane of Virginia and her
ultimate ruin. AS were the people SO
were their leaders. A chief fomentor
of the quarrel with England was Pat
rick Henry, man who had tried many
ways of earning living and had failed
in all. A bankrupt at twenty three,
he lounged in idleness till he found
he could live by his tongue. James
Madison was we'll meaning man, but
morally weak. Henry Clay was daz-
zling, but artful politician. John
Randolph had natural ability, but
lacked good sense and had no power of
self control He would enter the sen
ate with his hunting whip in his hand
and behave as if he were in his dog
kennel . He gives faint praise to
Washington, and much more to Bene-
dict Arnold, who, he says, was one
OF the best American generals and the
most daring of them all. He was
sighted and wronged by politicians
and had despaired Of the cause. - Ben
Franklin and Samuel Adams were
lacking in the ordinary traits of gen
tlemen, and as for Patrick Henry,
nothing better was to be expected, for
the character of an English gentleman
is not to be formed in the backwoods.
Concerning the civil war he says:
The Shareholders escaped military
service and thrust the poor people un-
der fire. Guards impressed men IN the
streets and conscripts were sent to
Lees army in chains. At the taking
OF Fort Pillow the negroes were nailed
to logs and burned alive The South