Evening star., 1925-06-18

natural confusion of British captains
of vessels when they occa asionally, by
natural mistake, impressed native
Americans into British service to fight
the descendants of Lafayette. Mr..
Muzzey says:
If the British lieutenant conducted
his examination of an American crew
in a summary fashion, and impressed
a good many real Americans among
the suspected deserterS TO serve the
guns of the British frigates, he
thought he was erring on the right
side. After all, Englishmen and
Americans were not so easy to tell
apart"
The playful mistakes in impress
ment are officially computed to have
taken more than 10000 Americans
forcibly from American ships, and
when one protested and wanted to ap-
peal to an American consul, the prac-
tice was TO tie him to the mast and
lash all such desire out of his soul.
Mr.. Muzzey fails TO teach our rising
generation any of the story of vic
tories by Decatur, Porter, Perry. Rog-
ers or cambridge, or even by Jack
son at New Orleans. Who was Ma
than Hale?. Who was Hull. who COM
manded the Constitution and destroyed
the British frigate Gueriere-the first
great naval battle of the War of 1872?
VIII any student Of Muzzey's History
of the United States" answer? In the
1920 edition Mr.. Muzzey exalted the
British spy. Maj. Andre, but quite
overlooked the American spy, Nathan
Hale. who ascended the British gal
lows with the immortal regret that he
had but one life to give TO his coun-
try.
The Muzzey history has been re-
vised since the original edition of
1920. Some of the glaringly unpa-
triotic language has been modified.
Nevertheless, according to school of
ficials at headquarters, the 1920 edi-
tion is still used, more or less, by pu-
pills who have inherited copies from
older brothers and sisters, or bought
bargains" at secondhand stores.
The plea of eXtenuation Of the criti-
cism on the omission Of the names of
historic heroes from the high school
histories is made on the ground that
in the grade histories are stories
about persons, and that such are not
desirable in teaching grave and rev.
erend seniors"
Yet as to more modern public men,
that rule of omission does not hold.
for Blaine was a somewhat discred-
tied Speaker of the House" though
"by far the most prominent man in
the Republican party" He was 'un-
der the reproach of shady dealings"
and was in alliance with the most
unscrupulous men of his party
Cleveland was nominated against
him (Blaine) because of the demand
for an honest candidate" Further
more, according to the text book of
history in the Washington schools:
Grant, at Appomattox, had been no.
ble," but as President he was 'unduly
susceptible to the influence of men
who had made millions" Hayes had
fraud written across his brow" and
when Guiteau shot Garfield, 1t was in
order "to rid his country of a traitor"
Cleveland regarded the protective
tariff as a ruthless extortion' of the
inequitable," and he was a man of
directness and decision of character,
"but Harrison and Mckinley were
put in power by the interests"
One of the last letters written by
President Harding was addressed to
Mr.. Wallace McCamant, president Of
the Sons of the Revolution, and the
man who made the speech putting
Calvin Coolidge in nomination for
Vice President in 1920. President
Harding said in that letter:
'I trust you will not weary in we'll
doing and that your efforts in behalf
of a better presentation and under
standing of the truths of our ma
tional history may produce the good
results that we all so much desire"
The Piney Branch Citizens Asso-
citation, by its committee, headed by
S. T. Cameron, attorney, is agi-
tating the reform so indorsed by
President Harding, but some of the
teachers of history in our high
schools express themselves satisfied,
lCopyright. 1925. BIZ Paul Y. OalliasA