THE SOUTHERNER AS AMERICAN

This series of nine essays strives to account for the conduct of the Southerner with an upper-case S. Written by men who were all brought up in the South and have gained varying degrees of academic stature, these reasonably short pieces bear down on the society that 100 years ago comprised the Confederacy and now dissect such topics as history, Southern statesmen, slavery, segregation, reconstruction, politics, the Confederate soldier and literature. In general, this collection reflects the work of scholarly men (there are many quotations, footnotes, etc.) who have given grave thought to the problems of their homeland. They examine the South's past and attempt to place in historical and social perspective the troubling events that have followed the Supreme Court's 1954 decision. Anyone who believes that the color of a man's skin should not be a criterion for judging him will not find here an excuse for those who do. But the open-minded reader from the North will find an explanation. And the Southerner may discover the historical and cultural roots of his own uncomfortable posture. Doubtless, neither Northerners nor Southerners will be satisfied with all they find here, but they should be led to deeper reflection upon the tragic implications of the South's past and rational consideration of its future. Informative, thought-provoking treatment of an important theme, seriously written for serious minds.