The Twin City star., 1916-07-15

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Pieturized Psrmeates Life of Nation.
Jacksonville, IlL-There appeared II
q recent issue of the Jacksonville
Daily Journal what Is regarded here
and elsewhere by those who read Il
as the most forceful denunciation Of
the photo play known as "The Birth o1
Nation" as well as the most timely
compliment to the work Of the Negro
as citizen, that has yet been present
ed. The writer, j. Nj. Swales, is q
white man. The article in part reads
thus:
Perturbation of the events during the
reconstruction period from 1868 to 1877
Is one gigantic, colossal lie, gilded and
sugar coated, which makes it easy fol
the present generation to swallow. II
Is masterpiece of Misrepresentation
and q reflection on the Union soldier
who gave the best that was in him
and slipped off the four best years OF
his life. 1t is also reflection on the
character Of the real sons Of southern
chivalry" and the southern character
in general.
Those who lived through that period
Of the nations history know that the
Rev. Thomas Dixon, at one time an
eminent "sky pilot" quit the pulpit
and turned to the literary field be-
cause there was more in it for him
than trying to bring sinners to the
mourners' bench. Like many other Of
his fix he is out for the money.
He pictures the Kuklux Klan as a
band Of heroes composed of the best
blood of the south, when the truth Is
that the Klan was composed mostly Of
the riffraff and scum Of the south, a lot
Of cowardly ruffians who did all their
acts Of "heroism'' in the night, and the
blacker the night the better to carry
on their work Of assassination with
the dagger and bloody rope.
In the four years of the red reign of
the Kuklux scores and hundreds Of
innocent whites and blacks were done
to death by this gang of murderous
cutthroats because they dared to stand
for the Union and the flag that has
never yet been furled in the face of an
enemy.
The whole thing is the song of the
siren Of secession and disuniOn, waited
back to us from a thousand battle
fields and should be suppressed before
the poison picturized permeats the life
Of the nation-more especially the gen.
erations that have come upon the stage
Of action since the close of the reddest
period of our national ife-a war that
filed a million graves and caused riv.
ers Of tears to flow for loved ones who
laid down their lives, not for "the
birth of nation" but the salvation of
a nation born at Concord and Bunker
Hill and not in the brain Of the Rev.
Thomas Dixon.
The story is beautiful perversion of
history and as a screen production has
no parallel in the moving picture in
dustry. Therein lies the seductive dan
ger. This Is well known by the 'sky
pilot" who wrote the "Clansman" and
Mr.. Griffith. who put it on the screen.
But they are in for what they can get
out of gullible public.
The main features Of the film aim to
debase the Negro and stir up prejudice
against the colored race and keep up a
never ending strife between the whites
and blacks of the entire country. In
those farof days there were many
mean black men, and there were just
as many mean white men. In fact, the
white men were the meanest, because
they had better opportunities than the
bondsmen who had been under the do
minion Of slavery for centuries.
"The Birth of a Nation" should be
suppressed for the harm that it is do.
ing not only in perverting history, but
in inflaming the passions of those who
would like to forget the horrors Of that
awful period Of the sixties. especially
the unparalleled atrocities carried out
in AndersOnville and other dens of hor-
ror in the south which seem to have
escaped the notice Of the Rev. Mr..
Dixon, who eulOgizes the cutthrOat
gang Of night riders and redhanded
whose deeds blacken the
pages Of the history of the civil war
and are the means Of keeping alive the
strife engendered by and through the
very instrumentality he is trying to de
fend.
We seem to have reached the point
where it would be quite the proper ca.
per for the Union soldier to apologize
for the things he did when called to
eastern department, to designate al.
officer to represent the war department
on the occasion"
Major General Leonard Wood writes
II appreciate very much the good
work which has been done by Major
Young in Liberia. He was selected for
this work because Of his special quail
fications. good judgment and ability
II is great satisfaction to know he
has so fully met the requirements of
that difficult situation. His service In
In the army has been highly creditable
TO his race from every standpoint. and
beg you to transmit to him my sim
cere congratulations on the good work
which he has accomplished and the
well earned recognition which he has
received"