Should offensive terms be edited out of classic literary works?

I just read this story on cnn.com about a new edition of Huckleberry Finn that will have the terms “nigger” and “injun” edited out. “Nigger” will be replaced by the term ‘slave.” Obviously, it is an offensive term but my first reaction is that it should not be – err, whitewashed out but left in for the integrity of the work and as a departure point for discussion. Clearly, this is a provocative subject. What are your thoughts?