The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1911-01-25

prefer 70 t4Ke coa0cee WIN . Pueu'
monia case under IN umbrella out Of
doors in winter rather than in . stufy
house. But it isn't necessary to 60 to
unwarranted extremes in recognising
the fact that people were made to live
in the air, and that they don't give
Themselves . fair chance If they shut
themselves off from it, life giving
properties!-Kansas City Star.
HISTORIES TEACH HATRED.
One of the chief Obstacles in the way
of . better international understand
ing is the patriotic historian, who
brings intothe limelight the proves
and conquest of his own race or people
IS against rival races.
School histories have usually been
written by people who knew very little
history, and have thought it necessary
to provide strong meat for little minds
hence the lurid pictares of the past
which are forced upon the attention of
millions of young people.
The Revolution has been q fruitful
source of national hatred toward the
mother country. It was the great and
absorbing event in the history of
North America, down to the Civil
War; it was adorned with great names
it abounds in lofty principles. Ac-
cording to most of the American text.
books, the Revolution was an unpro.
voked attack upon the American PEG.
pie by the British people.
Entirely out of focus are the trifling
details that the colonists were English;
that they had the freest self govern.
ment then known to mankind; that at
least third of the people in the colo
mics were opposed to independence;
that no taxes were ever laid on the
colonies for the support ofgovernment
or military authorities outside of
America; that . strong minority in
England Vas opposed to the war.
Few thoughtful people ON either
side of the water would now dispute the
statement that the Revolution was, ON
the whole, IN advantage to the world;
because the Americans could render .
greater service to mankind as an indie
pendent nation than as . colony of
Great Britain. Nor would anyone
deny that the Revolutionary leaders
we're convinced that they were suffer-
ing from tyranny; apassionate feeling
ofresentment keyed up the Americans
to continue . struggle against what
seemed overwhelming odds. Never.
theless. dispassiouate historians nova.
days, whether English or American,
whether John Fiske or Trevelyn, fail
to find evidence of deliberate i'll usage
Of the colonists, or . denial of what, up
to that time has been supposed to be
the rights Of the people.
The Revolution was really part Of .
protest Of the English speaking race
against arbitrary and one sided govern.
ment. Sir Edward Thornton, when
minister of Great Britain to the Unit |
ed States in 1880, said in public: "All
Englishmen now recognize |
that you Americans were fighting our
battles"
In England the struggle finally
worked out into development of par.
|iamentary responsibility. and then
into a reformed electorate; in America
} somewhat eimilar constitutional
change resulted in the formation of
'tate and federal government ola diff.
rent type; but the Impulse was the
anne.
1t is one Of the worlds misfortunes
hat this struggle took the form of
uch division Of the English race Is
eft the seeds IF bitterness behind.
What is the use of trying to teach
title children to dislike . nation which
Includes millions of little children,
'ecause three or four generations ago
here was war between the two coun.
ries? The groundwork of Aoerican
Intellectual and political life is and ,
ill always remain English. The true |
in writing textbooks ought
D be to dwell upon our Curious hertz /,
&c of al of England down to the Re.
and much since that time.
hakespeare is our dramatist; Eliza.
eth was our queen; Tennyson is our 9
oct; Dickens Is our novelist. ,
We ought to recognize the fact that
Re English have been working out .
system of popular govern. i
tent on their own lines; that king,