The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-03-03
DIXON MAKES HEATED
ANSWER TO CRITICS
HARMONY CAN'T BE GAINED
BY FALSEHOODS.
The "Clansman" Will Stand or Fall
On Portrayal Of Character
of Thaddeus Stevens.

man. is being very generally and
somewhat hea,edly discussed in the
north. has written a defense OF him
self and of his book which appears in
the New Yorl; Times Saturday Re-
view Of Books of February "a. Mr..
Dixon's letter is red hot. being couch
ed in the dramatic language of which
he is past master. 1t will be read
with great interest in this section.
New York Times Book Review:
Permit me Jew words Of reply
to some critics OF The Clansman."
Mr.. Edwin l. Shun1an OF the
Chicago Record-Herald, whom I re-
gard as one OF the best critics IN
America, says that my portrait Of
Thaddeus Stevens as "Austin Stone
man" is a gross caricature.
Will Mr.. Shunan print verbatim
the bill and speech OF Stevens which
provided for the confiscation OF the
property OF the south, its division
among the negroes and the reimburs-
ing of himself for his burned mills
and then defend his character? This
speech is on page 2o3, Congressional
Globe, March 1867, and was delivered
two years after the close Of the war
while the south was yet in her life
and death struggle with starvation.
(Henry Timrod, the poet, died Of in
sufficient nourishment in Columbia,
October 7, 1867
The following words will identify
this address:
The laws of wa7 authorize us to
taxi this property by Our sovereign
power. You behold at your feet a
conquered foe, an atrocious enemy!
We have the right to impose confis-
cation of all their property-to i'm
poverish them This is strict law and
good common sense. To this issue |
devote the small remnant Of my life"
No biographer OF Mr.. Stevens has
ever dared to print his speeches.
Why? This speech is the one su-
preme act Of his life-an act which
lights with the glare OF immortal in
fanny his whole character and career.
have not caricatured him. It was
necessary to soften, humanize aid
idealize his character to make it fit to
print. My own errors are on the s1oe
OF mercy. Let my critics put fin
ger on a single lone, page, scene or
insinuation in "The Clansman" in
which I do him injustice.
My book will stand or fall as con-
tribution to the history OF Recon-
struction on this character. Unless
I have sketched him with honesty
and accuracy I have committed a
crime. I rest the book on this issue.
The Outlook declares that I have
deliberately prostituted such talents
as I possess to arouse the worst pas
sions Of my readers, made case Of
all devils against all angels, and that
nv book will retard the harmony so
eminently desirable between the
north and south. Surely not! Could
literary take written by deliber-
ate intellectual prostitute, retard any
thing: 1t is psychological impossi-
bilitv for fakir to write a book Of
power unless endowed with superhu-
man mind. I protest against such
high praise.
Nor is the case Of all angels against
all devils true. I sketch five negro
characters. TWO good, two bad and
one humorous. | draw full length
the characters OF the TWO great re-
publican leaders-Lincoln and Stew
ens-one good and one bad. Should
a reviewer deliberately try to deceive
his readers even to promote harmony
between the north and the SOUTH
Can harmony be gained by false
hood:
The Outlook assumes that my
facts are true but says: Let's hush
il up-it's over now and we're asham-
ed of it," Is it so: Hear this choice
deliverance OF calm pfiloSophic crit