The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1873-02-13
Sarcasm as an Accomplishment.


bowie-knives, and policemen's clubs The
traveller on Montana highways likes to have
an assortment of firearms and cutlery. So
there are occasions when sarcasm is an ex.
cellent weapon. We all have seen an OBJ
streperous, pompous, overbearing man who
needed to have his head amputated-fgura-
lively speaking. And we have seen the per-
son, some gcntle-voiced man or woman doubt
less, who knew how 10 do it. Quick, kneen,
and glittcring was the blade of wit by which
the impertinent fellow was beheaded and
you could only laugh and applaud when it
was done. 1t was needed to be done for
the protection of society from an outlaw.
When sarcasm serves police purposes it is
admirable, and there are some people who
arc at once benevolent and sarcastic, who
are too noble to use this dangerous weapon
upon people that do not deserve it, but who
take an exquisite pleasure in finishing the
fellow that overbearingly treads on every one
about him. We know one or two ladies in
particular whose biting sarcasm is an inesti-
mablc blessing, shelter to the weak, and
certain destruction to the oppressor.
But the sarcastic people who usc their
gift for the good of their kind are precious
few. Generally speaking, the most intoler
able man or woman in company is the man
or woman who thinks it is the most delight
full thing in the world to hurt other people
with the poisoned arrows ofill-natured speech.
What such people call conversation is death
to their victims Indeed, the pleasures Of a
sarcastic person are indentcal with the re
fined joy Of a party of urchins pclting pond
of frogs to death The frogs cannot help
themselves, and it is such fun to kill them
For, you will take notice, the man of
biting speech, never "takes a feller Of his
SIZE" as the boys have it. People whose
words are of the oqua: forts SORT generally
have no scruples in selecting victims easily
handled. But the dog who can whip the
town is Immediately well-bch,ved when
bigger and more active dog comes into his
beat And it is always. delightful to see Il
pretty tyrant who has reigncd by the terror
of what his associates Cor hers) have felt Of
the severity of speech always at command
it is always delightful to see such an one
''come up with. Let another person OF
superior gifts in the direction ofsaying mean
things in witty way. come into the circle
of the one whose sceptre is sharp tongue:
How mild the sarcastic one becomes Mild
to his superior, while he wreaks his vengence
on those who are weak-rather who are not
his equals in verbal bullying,
For a sort Of barbarous verbal bullying 1t
is. Touiahtwks and bowie. .knieves are not
carried nowadays, but the savage spirit is
by no means extinct, and people are TOM
ahawked and bowie-kniycd in nearly every
company And there are boastful social
savages, who tell over the bitter things they
have said, who show the scalps hanging at
their belts in the spirit of the true Apaches.
When Mr.. John Randolph Of Roanoke,
stood on the floor of the House, the terror Of
all weaker men, it was the spirit of his Indian
great grandmother, Pocohontas, that gave
edge to his word. When feeble gentleman
remarked deprecatingly, Mr.. Randolph, |
passed your house today" and Randolph
squeaked back at him. II hope you always
will. sir :" the sarcastic man felt the same
sort of savage Joy that old Powhattan would
have had in Draining his captive, John
Smith. But there is many savage making
deadly and incessant war on the complacency
of his fellows who has not excuse OF an In
dian parentagc.
There are worse men and meaner women
than these Apaches Of the drawing room
There are the savages of the household !;
men who are shockc d at reading an account
of wfe-beating in England, but who are
guilty of sort of incessant pretty torment OF
wife and children, which must be vastly
worse than an occasional beating with a
stout tick. And then they excuse them
selves on the ground that it is all done for
fun it is only play. As if anything could
be more selfish and devlish than the getting
of ones amusement at the expense OF anoth-
er's peace Of mind. Swear to love and cher
ish woman. and then let it be your most ex-
ouisite pleasure to torture her with an lnces-
SAINT fire of mean witticisms and smal! ridi,
cule. "But she shouldn't be so sensitive,
4 wife beater might suggest that she needn t
make such a fuss-she shouldn't be so scnsl-
tive. 1t is the sensitvcncss Of the victim that
makes sarcasm amusing. Husbands are not
the only o..es who destroy the peace by lrri-
ta,ing sarcasm. 1t is especially the oiien-
siye weapon of some smart womcn-"ho
never seem to know how they manage to over
throw their own domestic happiness by what
they call playiulness ,
The young man, who, early in married
life begins to say teasing things just tor fun,
is not only selfish and crucl, but is like one
setting fire to his house for amusement. 1t
is very expensive play. And many man,
and many woman too, has walked up IN al
fer wears to the consciousness OF having
triacd away the great happiness Of life.
There is no such prodigality as that which
wastes the domestic peace Of lifetime for
the sake of Il little ungcncrous amusement
,t the expense of the wounded selt-love OF a
husband or wife. And what shall we say Of
the parent who finds his pleasure in annoy
inc his children with cutting remarks
low many children are by this means