The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-02-20
wANTED-A SCHOOL HISTORY OF
MARYLAND.

! MARYLAND.
The Legislature of Maryland can
not do better, in the interest of local
patriotism, than to institute syste-
matte inspection of the histories stud
led in the public schools of the State
with view to excluding such as vir-
tually ignore the achievements of lr
people in Colonial, Revolutionary and
subsequent periods, while extolling
to the skies the comparatively trifiing
doings of others. No State has a
more picturesque and diversified his
tory than MARYLAND, and her work in
war and peace has been prominent,
important and distinguished. In the
Colonial Wars, in the War for indie
pendence, in the War of 1912. and
again in the Civil War, Maryland SOL
diers won the admiration of their
contemporaries by their courage and
dash. They alone of the Continen-
tails, thanks to the instructions of
Baron Steuben, were proficient in
bayonet charges, by means OF which
they saved the day on more than one
occasion. Yet Bunker Hill-a Brit
fish victory, by the way-is better
known, even to Maryland children,
than the famous charge of the Mary
landers on Long Island, and the
stealthy looting of teaship in Bos-
ton harbor is set forth in school books
at fulsome length, while the open
/ burning at Annapolis of the Peggy
Stewart, tea and all, is scarcely men
/ toned.
This results largely from the apa-
thy and neglect with which the State
Government treats the moral ele-
ment OF our resources. Books are
wanted to give incidents of Mary
lands history their proper proper
ton and prominence in the State and
Federal histories read in the public
schools. Children should learn first
the great deeds of their own progeni-
tors before going abroad for heroes.
Their pride in their own State should
be fostered by every legitimate means
not Systematically discouraged, or ut
terly suppressed, by putting into
their hands books that deal almost
exclusively with the three penny ex-
ploits of States that "sang small in
the times that tried mems souls"
/ but have since had an active Glitter
airy bureau and publishers to manu-
facture the patriotic legends in which
their local history was deficient. JUS
/ tice to the distinguished men of Mary
land, from the beginning until now,
requires that the present Legislature
should take steps to keep inspiring
example before the young We want
in our Maryland schools an impartial
history of Maryland. The present
ignorance is owing largely to the ne
| glect OF the Legislature to consider
one of the States chief interests. If
the right book is in existence its use
in our schools should be made COM
pulsory; if it is unwritten, induce
ments should be made to competent
writer's to write it.
The neglect of the State to spend
few thousand dollars has resulted in
the scattering and loss of invaluable
State and county records bearing up
on our provincial and colonial his
! tory Not a few of the States own
papers have been purloined and are
now found in private collections. Vir-
ginia and other States have publish
ed their old records and have thus
saved them, at the same time adding
to their legitimate fame. But Mary
land has largely neglected it's annals.
Few OF the present generation know,
for example, as the report on the
Maryland Society of the Sons of the
Revolution, just published. suggests,
that Kent Island was settled years
before Lord Baltimore landed at st.
Mary's, or that Providence Town an
tedated Annapolis. Something has
been done to resurrect Peggy Stew
arts Day, to mark the site of Old
Congress Hall, on Baltimore street,
to erect a monument on Long Island
to Maryland's Immortal Four Hun
dred, to mark the grave of Major
General Smallwood, to distinguish
the house ON Madison avenue in
which General Robert E. Lee resided,
and, very recently, to erect a monu-
ment to Revolutionary patriots in
Mount Royal Plaza. These memoir
ais impress those who see them, re-
calling great names and great deeds.
But a school book in the hands of the
children of the State will exert a wi
der and vastly more constant and
permanent influence to the advan.
tage alike of the people and the State.
Baltimore Sunday Sun.
PENSION BILL PASSES.