Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-07-05
Characteristic Sayings of Americans
From the columbu, fobIol Jourpal,

Some one with good memory for
such, might make very readable ar
ticle from the best remembered and
most characteristic sayings of Amer
leans. Here are q few which may
serve as specimens of what might be
done with time and opportunity:
Samuel Adams, known for many
things, seldom has his name associat-
ed with the phrase first applied by
him to DISQUALIFICATION of shop
keepers"
1t was John Wesley, and not
Charles Sumner, who first spoke of
slavery (the slave trade) as "the sum
of all villanies."
Franklin said many things which
have passed into maxims, but moth
ing that is better known and remem-
bered than-"He has paid dear, very
dear, for his whistle"
Washington made few epigram-
matte speeches. Here is one: "To
be prepared for war is one Of the
most effectual means of preserving
peace"
Did you ever hear of John Dickin-
son. Well, he wrote of Americans,
in 1868, "By uniting we stand, divid-
ing We fall"
Patrick Henry, as every school
boy knows, gave US "Give me liber-
ty or give me DEATH" and off this be
treason, make the most of it,"
Ehomas Paine had many quotable
epigrammatic sentences: "Times
that try mems souls !" "One step
from sublime to ridiculous" &c.
Jefferson's writings are SO be-
sprinkled that it is difficult to select.
In despair we jump at ''Few die and
mono resign" certainly as applicable
to office holders now rs in Jefferson's
time.
Josiah Quincy. Jr., said, where
soever, whatsoever, or howsoever we
shall be called on to make our exit,
we will die freemen."
Henry Lee gave Washington his
immortal title of "First in war, first
in peace, and first in the hearts of his
countrymen."
Charles Cotcsworth Pinckney de-
clared in. favor of "Millions for de-
tense, but not one cent for tribute"
"Peaceably if we can, forcibly. if
we must" is from Josiah Quincy,
1911.
John Adams did not say-"Live or
die, survive or perish, I'm for the
Constitution"-but Daniel Webster
did say it for him.
The revolutionary age alone would
give us our article, had we time to
gather the pearls. Coming down we
pass greater but not more lannon's
men, for
Davy Crockett, the iIlustrious au-
thor of "Be sure you are right, then
go ahead"
Andrew Jackson gave us-"The
Union-It must be preserved"
Benton almost lost his original
identity in "Old Bullion" from his
"hard money" doctrines.
Gov. Throop, of Now York was
called "Small light Throop" for
years, from a phrase.in Thanksgiv-
ing proclamation.
Scott's "hasty plate of soup" last
ed his lifetime.
Taylor's battle order-"a little
more grape Captain Bragg" will be
quoted after he is forgotten "by all
the world and the rest of mankind"
Seward is known for the "irrepress-
ible conflict" wherever the English
language is spoken.
Marcy's patched brooches are as
we'll remembered as his State papers.
Rufus Choate gave US "glittering
generalities."
Our own Billy Allen. the "Chinese
Gong" is responsible for ''54 40 or
fight"
Tom Corwin's "weIcome with
bloody hands TO hospitable graves"
one Of his noblest utterances, gave
him more unenviable criticism than
any other saying of his life.
Calhoun gave US States rights"
as a most pernicious and absurd
equivalent for national supremacy
under the Constitution.
Douglas applied "squatter sover-
eighty" though it is probable that
Cass invented and Calhoun named
it.
Stringfellow was the original "Bor-
der Ruffian."
War times gave us no end of cpl
grammatic utterances. Those of
Lincoln alone would fill a volume.
Chief among these is that noble, god
like sentiment-"With charity for all
and malice toward none"
McClellan's chief exploit was to
make US acquainted with the phrase,
"change of base"
Grant gave us eight it out on this
line" unconditional surrender" 81
propose to move Immediately upon
your works" "bottled up" and a
hundred others. 1t seems to have
escaped notice that Grant is respons-
ible for more of these characteriz-
ing, elementary, crystalizations of
thought than any military leader of
modern times.
Sherman first gave utterance to
the great truth, showing at once
craftsmanship and military sagacity,
"The Confederacy is shell" and he
had the rare felicity of demonstrating
his own theorem by the "March to
the Sea-"
Sheridan's character and his style
of fighting are expressed by "Sent
them whirling up the Valley"
Butler, more ihcisive with the pen
than the sword. cut through one of
the knottiest problems of the war
with the name "Contraband."
But the war cannot be worked
up" in this article, with the devil
waiting for copy, and "Pap Thomas"
'FightingJoe Hooker" "Old Brains, I"
"Crook," "The Foot Cavalryman,"
"Old Rosey," and brigade of other
illustrious names to draw upon to
say nothing of the whole Confeder-