The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-05-09
BILL ARP REVIEWS A BOOK
- A Glance at Current History -
He Reads it to His Family.

" A Glance at Current History -
He Reads it to His Family.
1t is only little book~-a very little
book--that the author has sent to me
but perusal of its ragcs has I'M
pressed me profoundly and has proved
a real comfort in my old age. have
read most of it aloLtl to my wife and
daughters and it has c0mfortcd them
and established them more lilmly in
the faith, if that were possible. This
book is only GXS and contains 100
pages Ill large rrint--vcry laryc---s so
that the veterans might read it without
glasses or strain Of the optic nerve.
Its modest title is &" A Glance at Cur
rent History" by Colonel John Gus
sons, OF Glen Allen, Va. 1t is the
work OF retired Confederate veteran,
who IS known and loved by all Virgin
lans and who was grand commander of
the grand camp OF Virginia Confcd
crate veterans and the intimate friend
OF General Maury, DR.. Hunter Mayuirc
Fllzhugh Lee and Joseph T.. Johnston.
ms book was written with no selfish
motive, neither for profit or fame, nor
with any desire of crilninatu,n, but
rather to heal the breach and at the
same time preserve the truth Of history
and hand 1t down to our chldlcn.
There is not a line of malice or revenge
within its pages, but a high-toned, dig
mined, conservative appeal to his com
rades to uphold the government that
is now a nation aud at the same time
defend the South from any taint upon
L. l..
her honor. 1t is beautifully written in
thoughts that breathe and words that
burn and no man, North or South, can
question statement contained within
it. wish that was a millionaire. |
would place copy of tins book in the
home OF every family in the South and
III the hands OF every young man, and
would make ii Il little textbook of
history in every public school. There
are only six chapters, each not more
than ten minutes long, but there is moi,
Il wasted sentence nor il paragraph too
much.
The last chapter Is defense of ,hc
American Indian, for the author was
long frontiersman and lived among
them and mingled with them for many
years, and as General Maury said of
him, Il" He has more thoroughly studied
the Indian character than any man
now living" The first chapter is de-
voted TO review of a United States
history recently written and published
by Professor Goodwin Smith, an Eng
lshman, who was for yca,s a professor
OF history in Cornell university and is
now doctor of canon law in Toronto
Canada. This history is published
both in London and New York, and i.
amazingly popular both in Englan,
anu the North. 1t IS intensely ycno
nous against the South, and especial,
against Virginia. Now listen for
lew moments at some Of his historical
utterances taken verbatim from hi
book. Listen and wonder that such
book could find patrons anywhere
South Carolina got her start by com
Dining buccanecling with slave ownin
, and making her ports shelter fo
pirates and corsairs such as Captal
Kidd and Blackboard.
" Georgia was the refuge of tn
pauper and bankrupt. Her first settler
: were good for nothings who had failc
= IN trade-a shiftless and lazy set--bu
later on some better elements came i
l -Highlandcrs, Moravians and pei
8 secuted Protestants of Sazbury.
: The first settlers Of Virginia wcr
an unpromising lot-lacfeys, beggars
G broken down gentlemen and tapslcr
l out of job. 10 this crew of V. :"
| bonds were afterwards added jailbrls
English convicts were offered lhci
choice between the gallows and Vir
l ginla, and some were wise enough T.
choose the gaIlows. Even their plac
< OF settlemcnt--Jamcstown--has lon!
: been desolatlon. They were n
such colOnists as the Puritans. The,
made the Indians work for them, whil
. tho Puritans worked for themselves
| Many OF them were kidnapped from lh
g streets OF London and all were Of de
pravcd character. Afterwards cam
African slavery, the banc Of Virgins
: and her ultimate rum. AS were tn
I people so were their leaders. a chic
fomcntor of the quarrel with Englan'
8 was Patrick Henry, a man who ha
y tried many ways of earning Twin
: and had failed in all. a bankrupt q
0 twenty.threc, he lounyed in idlenefs ii
}, he found he could live by his tongue
n james Madison was well mean;n
l. man, but morally weak. Henry Cla
8 was dazzling, hut artful politician
# John Randolph had natural abi.'v, b,
v lacked Ooo1 aopeo opd boI 40 - -.