The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-12
PEOPLES FORUM
of the Old South

Editor Of The Richmond NtrEinian:
sir@rhe writer has Just concluded a reading
o. Statesmen OF the Old South by Professor
W. r.. Dodd, and thinks the book sufficiently
interesting and important for students OF
Southern history to receive fuller notice tnan
has hitherto been given 1t In southern publ
cations, Unlike the preceding volumes written
by the author. the present work IS "a coiiection
OF three lectures delivered at various places on
Thomas Jefferson. John G. Calhoun and Jeher-
son psvis-three men to whose work Mr.. Dodd
has giv.n uninterrupted study for a decade. But
tho worn Is more than d series Of biographical
sketches, It is rather a keen and sympathetic
anaI3 SIS of the careers or three OF The most po-
tent personalities of our past. and with them
q kindly, though critical, Interpretation of the
history of tie South from the middle of the
eighteenth century to the civil War.
There have been several classes of historians
who have dealt with the lives of Southern he
roes and the history of the Southern people.
There was the hostile annalist from the North
seeing no good in Southern aims and personal
tiles and bent on proving that in the various
sectional controversies in this country the North
has been invariably right and the South inva-
riably wrong. On the other hand, there has
been a school of Southern historians who have
found all that is good south of Mason and DIX
on's line. and whose aim has been to prove
the blessedness of slavery and the righteousness
of the movement for secession. Thoughtful
mon nowadays reject the theories and arRu-
mcnts Of both Of these schools, not with anger.
but witt kindly amusement. and ask for an
attempt to state the real truth, regardless of
traditional views and cherished theories. These
same thoughtful men realize that real truth Is
TO be secured only by much painful labor, much
hunting for forgotten incident recorded in long
neglected book or pamphlet or manuscript. and
knowing at the same time that even with the
seVerest methods and the purest aims fallible
men make errors. will pardon the Inevitable
slip. provided the spirit of truthfuIness, indus
try and earnest scholarship be everywhere man.
fest, 1t Is for men of this type. who balance
and weigh, who accept nothing rashly. but viii
accept anything supported by sufficient evt-
dence. that Professor Dodd writes. And by
such men THE Statesmen of the Old South"
will be welcomed.
r three lectures included in this volume
aim to exhibit the evolution of thought In the
South from the radicalism OF Thornas Jefferson
to the conservative revolt Of JEFFERSON Davis.
Jefferson Is presented In a peculiarly fresh
and informing study as the apostle of Dsmoc-
racy, the exponent of the ideas Of dissenters
and back countrymen. tie small farmers; first
in his own State and then in the United States.
He and they stood for IKE dogma that all men
are free and equal. equality before the law, pop
ular suffrage. equal representation of equal
units of population in all legislatures. abolition
of negro slavery and the establishment Of re-
ligious freedom"
jefferson was the populist. the Bryan, the