Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-14
Bully Kennebtt Journal.
Augusta, Friday Morning, Mar IA, 1879,
From the New y ork Tribune.
More "GOd Forbid" Business.


especially those who are in public life and
who edit newspapers. never would have
done with the Observation-Disclosures
business. 1t must be that they have a
constitutional incapacity to understand
how it sounds to ordinary people. We
find going the rounds of the Northern
press an extract from the democratic news
paper printed in Augusta, Ca, comment
ing upon the recent debate III the Senate,
on the case of Jefferson Davis rs pen
sioner, in which this adiuration is used in
the slap-dash way which no doubt seems
forcible to the writer, but is entirely in
comprehensive to any one else. "Shall
cation, task pardon for that, and in a
bondsman's key?" and then he pulls his
ADMIRATION on the startled reader like an
abrupt horse-pstol. Forbid it, Almighty
God y Now that is the sort of thing that
is generally supposed to add weight to
remark. 1t is ordinarily used for that pur-
pose. It's form of expression, however,
which should be INDUCED in sparingly, as
it will not bear being made common. 1t
is too weighty for ordinary occasions. and
persons who are not in the habit of bring
ing all their intellectual resources into ac
ton on the skirmish lines usually hold
this, with one or two sulphurous impreca-
4 a.
some supreme emergency. Here at the
North, either because we are naturally
economical of Divine interference, or not
on sufficiently easy terms with the Deity to
feel justified in brading in invocations
with our familiar speech, very little of this
style of rhetoric is INDUCED in. 1t conse-
quently sounds strangely to our unaccus-
toned ears We conclude at once when
we strike upon "Forbidit, Almighty God"
in a speech or a newspaper that something
serious threatens the moral universe, and
we proceed Immediately to inquire, in cur
rent phrase-"What's up?" Things are
different of course, with people of impul
sive natures and generous dispositions,
who fairly throw away "So-help-me Gods"
in common conversation-thus elevating
that exercise to the rank Of a judicial pro-
ceeding; and who very early in an argu-
ment blow their adversary's brains oht-
thus raising friendly debate to the digni-
ty of pitched battle. Doubtless the Diff
ference is in the frugal disposition, on the
one side TO husband the resources of the
tongue and hand on the other, to be prod
igal of and exhaust them.
In the present case the Georgia editors
forbid it," etc, as'been very extensive
ly copied as an illustration of the lurid
style which occasionally prevails. in that
section of the country, and which seems
to have broken out with more violence
than usual since the debate in the Senate
in which objection was raised to making
Jefferson Davis a pensioner upon the Gov
ernment. The suggestion was made in
the course of that debate that in justice
to its own dignity, the Government could
hardly reward with pension man who
had not only conspicuotslv conspired
against it, but had refused to express re-
greet for 1t even in so indirect a way as by
asking it to be restored to the privi-
leges of citizenship. 1t was this apparent
ly harmless, and certainly not unnatural
suggestion, that evoked the Georgia APP
peal and admiration. 1.-The ex-President
of the Confederacy." says the writer, in a
fine tropical outburst, "lras the sacred
trust of not dishonoring in his own per-
son. by craven petition for forgiveness,
the holy cause OF the South, which, though |
trampled upon, is not lost, and never shall
be while there's an echo left to air."
And after more of it he calls ON AL |
mighty God to forbid it, because the worst
thing that could befall the South would be |
SO shameful degradation in the person
of JEFF Davis" Thisis language that indi-
Gates excitement; the kind of language
that man uses in bar-room-where APP
peals to the Deity are most common Just !
before he throws a tumbler. One NATURAL !
ly inquiries what it is that jeff Davis is |
called upon to do which will be such |
shameful degradation" that the Almighty
is specially invoked to forbid it. We real
ly cannot see that he has been called upon,l
to do anything whatever. IT was said that I
he had done certain things which thou
sands of citizens of the South had done
without thinking it involved ~shameful
degradation" and it was thought TO be |
due the dignity Of the Government that
until he should do them he should not be
made pensioner upon the Government
bounty. Is there anything in this to eaH
out this 'Forbid-it-Almighty-God" explo-
siona Would it not have been better to !
hold this call in reserve against some more |,
thrilling crisis9
As to Mr.. Davis, if we may be permit |
ted to express an opinion of him, we
should say that there is nothing in his
character or record, or public services. to