The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-08
LEE AND HIS CAUSE.
By pr. John R. 'Deerins.

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 Dr. John R. Deering, a settled min- ister of Lexington, Ky, has added to the fast growing literature touching upon the civil war. from a Southern standpoint, a remarkable little book of less than 200 pages, devoted to a dis cussion of Lee and his Cause. Many men before pr. Deering have come to the defense of the South and the the- ory of secession. but 1t is doubtful if in one small volume there has been condensed so straightforward, sincere and logical presentation of the matter. as Is contained between the covers of pr. Deering's book
 The little work really divides itself into two parts--a strong appreciation of the man whom the North and South today comedies to have been the Bay ard of his time--sans peur--sans re- proche--written by not unbiased but at the same time a fair and discrimi- hating judge. The man who served as a common soldier writes of the gen. eral he had idoiized, followed and all but prayed to.
 He handles the question without gloves and the truths he tells must leave an impress upon the minds of generations, who will look back upon the great civil conflict with curiosity if not with the interest that still im- presses us older men.
 Some idea of the scope of his argu- ment may be gained from the sub-ti- ties of his chapters: The Conflict Was Plainly Peoples War" Upon Tt Was a Great War;" Tt Was a Hopeless War
 pr. Deering plainly attributes to the North. the onus of starting the war. While he admits that Beauregard fired the first shot, he quotes Lincoln as having charged Medill of Chicago with being responsible for the conflict it. self. The author Is rather severe in his criticisms of the war President and his generals whom he charges with in- fiicting needless seventies upon the South.
 A novel feature of Dr .Deering's ar- Kunnent Is his assertion that for fifteen years, or from 1923 to 1s40. the Uni ted States taught the principle of se- cessipn to it's future generals at West Point. He quotes from qualified au- thority to show that Rawle's "view of the Constitution of the United States" was d text book at the Military Acad- emy. Rawle's View teaches the idea of the sovereignty of the individual State in its entirety. The author be- lieves that the fact as quoted should mitigate to 6 considerable extent the rather hambuoyant charge of treason ! which is made against those Southern military leaders who resigned from the | United States army and Joined the cause of the South.
 pr. Deering Is eminently qualifed tc | discuss his subject. He entered the l Southern army as a member of the l Claiborne Guards Company E, 18th | Regiment, Mississippi Volunteer In | fantry and participated in some of the | fierce struggles of the war in connec' | tion with the campaigns of the army l of Northern Virginia. Later he joined | ouirk's Scouts, division of Murgan'i | Cavalry. and joined in many cf the | forays of that celebrated raider. | Dr. Deering is unsparing in his de nunciations of what he calls the in, | sincerity of the North and it's leaders | He shows that Massachusetts itseli was the pioneer in the matter of thu | importation of slaves, furnishing tho | capital and the ships for that exten- | sive commerce.. He further shows thai ] that intolerance of negro equality fol which the South has been frequentls | criticized, really had its inception iS | New England where a woman who rar l a school for colored children was mob l bed and the school burned and thai 1 laws with a very strong "Jim Crow l flavor were placed upon the New Eng
 land statute books long before thu | war.
 | pr. Deering dedicates the book tC
 My Three Daughters and Six Som
 who have been faithfully taught thu
 truths of history, the nature of oul
 government and the love of our coun'
 try
 The book is published by the Neal'
 Publishing Company, New York ana
 Washington.