Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-04


tribute to her loyalty, has been the
theme for poets and dramatists, and
is seriously recorded in school histo
rics. Some there be who maintain
the truth of the story in detail but
members of the Frcitchic family de-
clare that the flag was waved ont of
the window to the Federal troops, ana
not In the faces OF the Confedcrates.
The story that General Lee gave his
sword to General Grant at Appomat.
toN ana that Grant returned Ii with n
pretty speech, worthy of Sir Walter
scott has bccn disproyed In every au.
thority. but it still persists and Is Of
ten taught to scnool children ms an
authentic story of the end of the Civil
war.
Ms Il matter Of fact, Lee went to
meet Grant. dressed IN n new uniform
ana wearing IL handsome sword. pre-.
pared doubtless TO offer his sword II
the Federal COMMANDER showed any
taste for hcrolcs. But Grant was in
II pain service uniform, the discus
sion was along common sense
grounds, ana when the two men talk.
ed of the spring blowing" they for.
got some old world military customs.
N'Sily iECS STORY
1t would be as easy to restore
Ilumpty-Dumpty to his original seat
on the wall as to stop the story of
George Washington and the cherry
tree. Nobody could have stopped It
but Washington himself. and, unfor.
tunatoly, he never heard It.
The story first appeared in the fifth
edition of Wcems' Life of Washing.
tom published In 1906. There littio
George is made to say the words
which are better known than any
words he really said: Il can't tell
lie, Pa: you know | can't tell II lie. |
did cut 1t with my little hatchct.,
The story was copied bodily from
an English gentlcman's sketch of his
son. which appeared In England In
1893. And yet there are thousands
ana thousands of American children
who believe the cherry tree story MS
devoutly MS they do that Washington
was tho first president.
a tablet set In the wall of store
In Boston sets forth the legend that
on that spot occurred the famous Dos.
ton massacre. a mistake in topogra.
ply was discovered too late and thu
true site Of the encounter was fixed
nj another spot. But the storekeepcr
would not permit the tablet to be re-
moved, for II was n good drawing
card. Tho historical society there
upon erected another tablet on the
true site. and their silent warfare con.
tinues until this day.
The story Of Paul Revere's midnight
ride Is n cherished bit of patriotic lore
which the iconoclnsts have not entire.
~ destroyed. The school histories say
the signal lights were hung In "Old
North church, on the present site of
Christ church, Boston, to announce
the arrival of the British. Recent au,
thoritics declare that the lanterns
were displayed In the Second
church. which was on North square.
William Dawes. who is said to have
ridden with Paul Revere. is rarely
mentioned In the legends. PERTAINS
because his name did not so readily
lend itself to rhyming
Good school histories arc much
needed II Is yet too early for n nor
fectly impartial history of the Civil
war period To be written. one which
VIII so into NIL the details of that
great struggle. and assign to their
proper places all the issues and men
involved. but 1t is not too soon to have
Il standard school history which will
prefer truth to fable. and which will
be fair to all sections OF a reunited
country. II Charles Francis Adams. n
Northerncr who is always fair to the
South. and President Woodrow Wilson
OF Princeton Sontherner. who is al.
ways fair to the North. would colnb.
ora'c, they would produce such n
short school history as is much need
cd Unless something like this be
done, the average man OF forty years
from now will still cling to the mis-.
taken notions of history gained in the
school histories in use today.
Frederic j. liaskin, in MINNEAPOLIS
Tribune