The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1867-01-23
Sayings Of Great Men.

No points Of history are more impress
slvc than the mots, or striking express
sions, which have dropped from the
mouths of great men on memorial occa-
sions. These, being brief and so pun
gent rs to sick like burrs IN the memory
one might suppose TO have been aca.
ratcly caught and reported by history.
Yet MT one in hundred Of t,,rse fa.
nous sayings was probably ever uttered
by the men with whose names they are
labelled.
Perhaps no hero Of ancient or modern
times has been credited with so many
grand and even sublime uLlcrancrs whlcl,
he never uttered rs Lord Nelson. In
Southry's admirable life Of the hero, it is
related that when going into the battle
Of the Nile, Captain Berry, Nelson's
second in command, was told the plan
and its probable results, and exclaimed
| with transport, il we succeed, what
will the world say2" There is no If in
the case" replied Nelson; ''that we
shall succccd>ls certain. Who may live
to tell the story is a very different q,lcs.
ton"
Mr.. Massey quotes the story in his
history ofthc reign OF George ~, and
adds: Eve are assured, on the authori.
ty OF Captain Berry himself, tha, 10 such
scene took place" Again who has not
admired the simple majesty Of The scnli.
mcnt expressed in The order Of Nelson
at Trafalgar, which has been so often
the battle cry of Britannia sons on land
and sea "lGngland expects every man
TO do his duty!" Yet the real order
was "Nelsom expects every man 4 do
his duty for which the former vas in-
gpniously substituted by the officer whose
business i. was to telegraph the order TO
The fleet, simply because he could fnd
no flag 10 telegraph the word Nelson.
Once morc--whosc soul has not thrilled
by the sublime sentiment Of the reply
with which the same hero is said TO have
slonccd tho allcctonalc opportunities Of
his officers when they cntrcatcd linn to
conceal the stars on his dress at Trafal
gar: ''In honor gained them, and in
honor / will die with them !" History
1S rScG9lSA FEY SyS n0hSSr hS SSss9eGpp}s hHsq haq
into the mouth Of A gricola. But it's
merit is purely imaginative. The facts
are, as DR.. Arnold gathered them from
st. Thomas Hardy, that Nelson wore
on the day OF The battle the same coat
he had worn for weeks, having the Or.
der Of tho l}alh embroidered unon it !;
and, when his friends expressed some
fears regarding the danger, Nelson an
swcrcd that he was aware OF the danger,
but that it was 100 late then to shift a
coat"
Cup guards, and at EN- :" men will
always believe 10 have been The cxcla
nation of Wellington while they feel an
interest in the story Of Waterloo in
spite Of the Dukes protest That he utter.
cd no such nonsense and just as implic.
lily will they believe The tallying state
mcnt that tho Imperial Guard uttered
tho hravado, "La gar1c mewt ct ne Sc
rend pas (which is purely myth, al
though inscribed, too, on the monument
Of Nantes. The last bombaslic phrase
was pure invention of a French joun.
alSt two days after tho battle. What
was really said Victor Hugo makes
known in les MiseruLhs. A less mem,
orablc French mot is the cry of Philip,
when, flying from the battle of Crcc,,y,
he arrived before The gates Of tho Castle
OF Brayc, and exclaimed, "Ouuyez, ou-
prez, c'cst. fortune tie hu TanceW (Open,
open to the fortunes of Francc.) Turn
ing to Froissart, the original author Of
the anccdotc, we find what2 Instead
OF the fine sentiment last quoted, By
which tho King emboaics in himself the
stricken fortunes Of his couutry-only
tho tamo exclamation, "Ouv,cx, ourrcz
cest ftnfortunee Roi dc France" (Opcn,
open; It's the unfortunate King of
France.) Will any one, who knows the
intensity Of Frenchman's love for
"oilects," be surprised to hear that Cha
teaubrland, having misrelated this story
in his History Of France, refused, on
being informed Of his error to correct il Z?
Or is it strange that, with the same Nv
ble scorn for strict accuracy and cSclu-
sivc regard for artistic effect, Vol,airc,
on being asked where he found certtin
startling fact, replied, ut is frol;c Of
my Imagination ~
For three centuries historians have
delighted to repeat the heroic sentiment
expressed by francis 1 while writing
to his mother from the battle fcll Of
favia: "All is lost but honor" Bnt
how runs the real letter which the
King wrote on the occasion, and which
has been preserved? Instead of tho
pltly cpigramic communication, as .crss
rs telegram, which Francis is said to.
have dispatched from the battlefield, and
which so electrifcs tho reader as tile
grand ouburst Of spirit in sudden nd.
Verslty, 1t turns OFT that French mon
arch wrote in prison, by permission, a
long letter, in which, after describing
the battle, he says prosaicaly: "WiE
regard to the remaining details of nv
misfortune, honor and life which ia safs,
are all that is left NO." &C., sc. Hardly
less diluted in the original is tho sonton
tions dispatch Henry w. is said to have
written to ono Of his mobiles after tho
battle OF Ar0u0s. "IIare tbyself fbravo