The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-08-28
S. c..
Sunday Morning. August %. 1870.
The Pervcrsion or Words,

Since the original tempter succeeded
in convincing the first man that evil was
good and good was evil, it may be safely
averred that much of the evil which has
come upon mankind has resulted from
some great fallacy put upon their under
standings by perversion of language.
Words are the signs and symbols of
things, and without them the common
business of the world could not be car
ried on. In all national and political
affairs, in secular and even religious
controversies, and in social and everyday
life, words arc often used with powerful
execution to The injury Of mankind.
The management and manipulation OF
words constitute q great art, of which
every diplomatist must be o master. Tai
leyrand, one of the shrewdest of this
vocation, is said to have declared that
language was given to man to conceal
his ideas, though this was but modifi-
cation of the remark of great English
man long before his time, that men
acted as if language were actually given
,7for such q purpose. When we remem-
; ber that the most of mankind look no
further than words, and are governed by
tho sound rather than the sense, we can
see how potent an engine of mischief
The abuse of words may be made. How
many nations have been "worded out"
of their liberties, their peace and pros
perity, by rattling phrases of glory,
freedom, nationality and other mischiev-
GUS slang and gibberish. Ginning in with
the prevalent popular passion of the
time. We have seen among ourselves
an appreciation of the political potency
of such phrases as 'loyal men," the
''party of moral ideas" 'Amcrican inte
rests" and the like, NIL covering as de-
monstrable shams and impostures as any
that can be conceived. For it is nppa-
rent that loyalty and morality are not
confined to any one party, and that
american interests" as thus employed,
means the interests Of monopolists, and
not of the American people. Yet the
power of such phrases over the popular
mind is not to be denied, and the dccep-
tive words pass as current in the public
market as if they were not vile counter
feits. fit only to be nailed to the coun-
ter. At the shrine of so-called "Ameri-
can interests" all the chief real interests
of the country arc sacrificed, so that, in
the midst Of q great war now going on,
American commerce and shipping arc
counted out as if they never had an cx-
istence, and the American navy is con-
ceded to be unable, in case Of need, to
defend its flag from insult and outrage.
AS for "loyalty," we know what it has
done and is doing in North Carolina and
other Southern States; what incompe-
tent and evil men it puts into every de-
partment Of their governments, degrad-
ing even the Judiciary, from the highest
to the lowest places, so that, rs was once
said of former social disorganization in
England, men have been made judges
sswho had nothing to do with justice,
but so far as they were fit to be objects
OF it," The exclamation of Madame
Roland, ooh, Liberty, what crimes have
been committed in thy name," might
apply to other countries besides France.
How often even in this enlightened re-
public, has liberty meant the liberty OF
q party to put its foot upon the neck of
the prostrate people and compel them to
undergo any penalty and pay any tax
their oppressors might see fit to impose!
Thus it is that men have always been de-
luded, and it is much to be feared always
will be. Even in UNCONVENTIONAL rival
ries there is sometimes employed a
creeping, whining, sanctifed dialect,
like that so common among the Round
heads in Cromwell's time, and which no
one knew-better than he how to ronder
available for worldly designs When
Hugh Peters complained to him that the
soldiers about Saint Albans wero bocom-
ing discontentod, he directed him to
''fox thom little more With religion. "
Indeed at that time names played an i'm
portant part, not only in disgusting