The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-06-06
w. c. ENE
Editor The Press and Banner

and satisfaction to read in The Press
and Banner Chief Justice Gary's
Classification of the South" which,
but for his modesty, he might have
entitled "a complete Refutatino Of
the Britannica's Slanderous indict-
ment of the South"
In historical statement it was as
strong and truthful as the Britanni-
cas- article was virulent and falsi-
flying. With his characteristic dill
gence and painstaking he had col
Iected and marshalled hsi authorities
which made his position impregna-
BE. Too young to fight under Lee
or Jackson, he has certainly in that
HJustifcation," full fifty years after
the war, done his "bit" for the
South. The Abbeville Daughters Of
the C%onfederacy T to be congratu-
lated on having heard Judge Gary's
admirable defense of the cause which
they hold so dear.
It may seem strange to them and
to %Southerners generally, that the
great British Encyclopedia should
have published an article so unjust,
20 eliminating, and showing such
gross ignorance and bitter animosity.
What would not have been surprising
rs coming from a Bostonian aboli-
ZIONIST, does cause establishment as
coming from an English writer,
whose views of the South are not sup
posd to be warped mad distorted by
inherited ti-Southern sentiment.
But let us reflect and see if this can
not be explained. We of the South
ern States must bear in mind that
all the great cities and centres of
population are in the North-that
al the great and leading American
newspapers that reach the outside
world are owned by Northerners and
printed in the North-that all the
great publishing houses are in the
North-that consequently all the in
fiuential magazines and nearly all
the enormous output of American
books and literature generally are
published in the North. Thus it is
that the people of Great Britain and
other European countries very sell
dom see a Southern newspaper, a
Southern magazine, or a book by a
Southern author. The result is that
they see the South only through
Northern spectacles which are by no
means clear, true, or colorless. The.
German propaganda against the AL
hes cannot compare in either efici-
ency or success with the anti-South-
ern propaganda carried on by the
abolitionists of New England and
the North, which did not entirely
a when the wal ended, and which
unduly and most unjustly still to
some extent, influences Northern and
European sentiment.
A genuine fact is always more
satisfying than a theory; and it hap
pens that an incident in my own ex
perience throws light on this subject.
I hope that my account OF it will
o interesting to the Daughters
Of the Confederacy and to other
readers of The Press and Banner. IT
In relating it I am obliged by the
circumstances to put myself forward
prominently, I trust that my
readers will not charge it against me
u egotism.
It happened in Scotland in 1877.
I was there on a visit to my birth
Place, Tillicoultry, with my young
bride. Strolling by a pub
BE hall one day I saw a large poster
which announced that the Rev. Mr..
Prisons, D. D.. Of Brighton, Eng
hnd, was to deliver a lecture in that
kal on "Reminiscences Of q Three
Months Tour in the Southern
8tates." OF course I must 60 to
hear that lecture; and I went, accom-
by my young wife, my moth
q, and my older brother, Hugh. On
account of my wife's inherited deaf
ness, we took front seats, close to
the platform. There was a large
of whom about half were
weavers and spinners, very intelli-
gent workingmen.
The chairman introduced the Rev.
DR.. Parsons, the lecturer. He was
tall, handsome man, of fine impos-
ing personal appearance, an ideal
platform lecturer. He had a fine
voice; he was an orator; he impress
ed you at once as an accomplished
speaker. He spoke for over
m hour. The audience applauded
him frequently. If I had not spent