, 1866-12-12
THOUGHTS on HISTORY, II,


IL u lui lucl AFlIcle We m0de bUtle fEmA rkH
on the general credlbi.lty OF history, shown:
the Misrepresentation to which events aud
arc liable when reported either
By the persona concerned, or by those who
write afterwards from original authorities.
No points Of history arc more impressive
than the mott, or striking expressions, which
have dropped from the mouths Of great men
OH memorable occasions. These, being brief
and 60 pnngent as to stick like burrs In the
memory, one might suppose TO have been
caught and reported by history.
Yet not ono In q hundred Of these famous
sayings was probably ever uttered by the
tncn With whose names they are labelled.
SO long as the star-spangled banner con-
tinues to wave, and heroIsm to be admired,
Amcncans viii continue To believe that Gen-
eEal Taylor, at the crisis Of Buena Vista,
called out "a little more grape, Captain
Bragg r. And equally 'fmposslb1e will It be
to make them disbelieyc that General Jack
son fought ut New Orleans behind breast
works Of cotton. Yet Captain Bragg asserts
that the !" little more grape" like the
schoo!boy's whistle, produced ttself-in
other words. is q poetic fiction; and "Old
Hickory" always denied the cotton bale
49, " ~ - 80. '0'a.t - now'
tfun for II was the fact that few bales Of
cotton goods were 0npE into the brcastwork,
forming bnt an Insignificant part Of the ma
tctlnl. Again, how often do our political
orators round a period with the famous cry
oi tic British. ut the same battle OF New Or
leans, viz: "Bcauty aud booty" though 1t
has been declared by every surviving
ection psr,,o,s NJ h.,n ~ .as,.,.
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3,-ana I'D ers, ~ sub,,ma ,ttsrnncas - rh,a,, s ~
e.,.er ,,t+ersa .s Jnr5 Es,.nn r. en,,th..,s
.s,n,,sh,a nc - ~ -, !, T. .s,ess ~
-,,sn ro;n1 M ~ ~ - ~. ."4t1s "r ,1,a S:,o css
t.1n 49,, Ss,son,s ,scnn5 - ~ =, cann..a 49, ; ear
ta,d 49,. 1,sn and ,.s n,ahaht. -a.1a,.. 80 "s
a.r,.,ra,l r.;,h t,.nsrn,t r. 49, s,oae..s a.1
wt.t ~, ,I,a .ror,5 ~. 81; .tTh..o ~ ~
~ ,ha cnse ), ren,1ca Te,s,, :. tnst ~ sb.y,
- ~ sAos' w. ~. sna'' -
sueceeo Il ce1sa1a' "no may ave 10 teil Inc
t1ors Is sef5 dl1esent quesaon'' NJ Massey
lnotes Inc sao1s III us history OF Inc reign
of ueofge ~, ana aaas, we are assured,
on tne aulao1''S u laplalo nerry ntmseh'
'Lat no suen scene tooh place. AGAIN, who
has not ADMIRED 1-I simple majesty OF The
sen.'nient expressed IN toe osdef o. Nelson
AZ trafalgar, Hhlcn ms oeen 70 olten the
battle-cFi OF bfifannia's eops on land and
sea England e1pecs every man 10
GO h's ousy =: fet the real order
wah, Atssom e5peets every man 10
10 ~ ou'F, tof when Tue iofmer was
,heep'ohe.s suesttated oy Tue Queer whose
business ~ was 10 teiegsaph the ofaef 70 Inc
accs' hlulp'y because he eoula una no nsg oy
winch 10 telegraph the word Nelson. Once
mofe-whose sohi haa moi been thf'heo by
sue eoo1he eeu1lmeut OF tne reply "ltn
"h'cn 'ne saahe nero Is sa.u 10 hase s'!eheea
ue aAect1ohatc opportunities OF LIS oacess.
Wien tley entfeated hlm 10 conceal the
.tafs On nle ofeasl AT lfo1a'Gaf: IN honof
gained taem, ahu IN honor wa! die VIII
theua! History hns recorded lew noolcl
sentiments, lhan which Iaettus could not
Lave put timer into the mouth Of Agricola,
But It's merit Is purely imaginative. The
iaets atc, As Dr. Arnold gathered them from
Sir Thomas Hardy, that Nelson wore On the
tlny Of the battle the same coat which be
l,ad worn for weeks, having the Order of the
Bath embroidered upon IT. and when hii
trisnae expressed some icats Regarding the
uapEer, Nclson answered. that LIT was awar.
o1 tae aanees' ou' tna1 " "as 1oo Ate ther
10 snht coat. l.,
". Eua'as' "na al e'n y Aeh "iu a
", Mays pe!'e'' ~ Law oee" We eAsla'nataoh
Ms1l'nston, "nsie lucy ieel iii interest ln th'
s'ofS VI Nate!:2o, IN spite ot the OnSc's
| protest TINT lie uttered no such nonsense
nna Just as imphcatiy "iil they be!leve th
| tally'ng statement. that the Imperial Guard
| uttered 1ne bfaSaao, La 9arde meurf, ct II
se ftnde Pa' - Which 1s purely myth, alaei
50 dramatically introduced ~ Victor Hug
IN his picture Of tie battle In A>es -uisera6'ea
and 1nscrioeo, TOO, On the monument at Nan
ies' The last bombasttc phrase was pur1
Invention OF French journalist two day