The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-01-28
ROT IN SCHOOL HISTORIES.


Brigadier-Genera1 Clarence b Edwards told
only the truth when he declared that there has
never been such rot put into the form Of his.
tory" as in the books generally used in the
schools but If they have the effect of which
he complains there is some good after all in our
school histories
General Edwards complains that these books
teach the children of the cosntry that the United
States can lick creation and as a result the PEG
pie believe that we do not need a strong army
force and military establishments That the
United States cannot Hex creation, that the Re
evolutionary soldiers lost nearly every battle Of the
war, that American soldiers won but two land
engagements in the war of 1912. and that the
only thing that saved the North at Bull Run was
that that disorganzed mob, yclept the Union
army was defeated by another disorganized
mob demoralized by victory is all true to great
extent, and for teaching otherwise the school
histories are to blame, General Edwards how
ever. is not concerned about the ignorance of the
people OF the history Of our country but about
the results on the army. II the kind of school
histories to which he objects did nothing more
than TO make the people Of the country believe
that the United States does not need TO waste
huge sums OF money and keep thousands of -
ablebodied men in unproductiye labor in mill
tary establishments and large standing armies
and big fleets we are inclined to believe that there
is one instance at least, of good coming out of
ignorance.
General Edwards, however. is too sweeping in
his statements. The conduct Of the and unds-
cipined troops was not, as he says. disgrseeful
with one or two exceptions 1t was not pitiabe
in most cases 1t is true. that the Contineuta1s
usually lost in their battles aainst the trained
British regulars and that the campaign which
gave Washington his great reputation as a mill.
tary strategtst was a campaign of defeat IT is
true that the New England volunteers deserted
in droves and that they were frequently mu-
tinous II Is true that in several engagements
they behaved in a pltiable manner and that
Washinton once threatened TO resign his
nland Nevertheless. bravery and strategy was
not lacking and Valley Forge proved their
capacity to suffer. The behavior of the patriots
III Bunker Hill was the reverse of disgraceful,
and Lexington. though magnifed by New Eng
iand historians, was not a pltabe exhibition
New Jersey campaign, which all in all reflected
glory on none except Washington. In the South
there was nothing disgraoeful about Kings
Mountain and Guilford, nor even in the retreat
through the Carolinas
General Edwards idea was to demonstrate the
Fact that unframed volunteers cannot cope with
trained regulars and the to which he referred
ito ~ u
the disasters Of these wars were due more to the
incapacity of our commanders and the treachery
of some of them like Arnold and Charles Lee
and TO the jealousy OF others like Gage, than
to the lack OF training on the part of the troops.
More generals Ike the Southern Washington,
Harry Lee and Gre2ne and the imported Won
steuben and Lafayette in the Continental armies
would have made q great difference. General
Edwards did not need to exaggerate matters
10 prove the desirabilty of trained troops. but
TO make his point that we need larger armes
and navies he should have exaggerated more
The safety Of this country from foreign. ag
erosion is not dependent upon trained soldiers
and large armies and nayies. It is safe because
In spite of our military unpreparedness. our
citizens are capable OF becoming good soldiers
in time and because wars of modern days are
fought with money and We have the money The
wealth of the United States and the knowledge all
the world possesses that while we cannot whip
creation we can in the end emerge victorious
from any war with any two powers in the world
is our guarantee OF peace No nation on the
globe will 60 TO war with the United States unless
compelled to 90 SO Whether or not they are
to b. compelled to do it depends upon us and
we have no intention Of doing anything of the
kind. although TO hear the talk OF some of
those whose living is dependent upon the pros
poets Of war It might be assumed that we want
nothing more than the chance