Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-27
SOME HISTORICAL REM ARKs.


Although the newspapers often
print paragraphs about familiar phm-
ses and their misplaced authorship,
tho mistakes, ~ general rule, con.
tinuo to he made. There Ia that story
Of Wellington at Waterloo, which
originated, according TO tho Buffalo
Courier, with Allison, the historian.
The French having at last broken, 20
the tails goes. the IRON duke cried to his
reserves; Cup, guards, aud at theml"
In the face Of ffCquont denialf, ny
Wellington himself, that he ever gave
such command, IL he repeated 10 this
Jay as historical fact. Al artist
once went to the duke aud begged TO
be allowed 10 paint him In the very
attitude be took when no uttered these
stirring words. $50 TO tue dovil,D
said the duke. Again, n dowsgor
asked him II he really did say "Up,
guards, and ut themW To this thu
duke Taplied: 81 couldn't have said It,
madame; II would have been absurd.
What l probably did say 10 my stat
officers was something like this!
'Gentlemen, you will now move upon
noohoulyfh hkuh
Only short whilo agoa New York
paper repeated M authentic the story
that Marshal Butcher, while Visiting
London, and looking down ON tho city
from the dome Of ~. Paul's, exclaimed;
"Was fuer plundeil" This expression
would conveylto the mind unAcquainltd
| with tho German idium tho IDEA Of,
"What place to loOt.O The fact ",
/ hAW IA
"plundeI" IL used In sense wholly
different from that OF "plunderD Ia
English. The German w0rd opium
der" means "uash," "wOrlhltsi
nnery,n "tinsol, !" anu the phrase "wns
fuor plumber" signifies "what tra.h,O
"what rubbish.0 But tho use uf
"plunder" even In this sense isteslriol.
ou, 90 that Butcher would not nave
uAed II In q cOntemptuous way, ~ zig.
nifying that the city spread out beneath
him wns rubbish. He would have ueul
another word. 30, German who
hears this remark attributed to Butcher
II 10th 10 believe II, knowing that In
similar circumstances he would never
utter II himself. Almost everybody
believes that It was Napoleon who
said; "G0d always favOrs the heaviest
]
Tacitus was the first who II known "
have used the phrase, and Vollaito and
Nine. Seylgne uttered II In exactly tue
manner credited 10 Napoleon. That
other familiar one, "rhe guard dies,
bat never surfondop," was attributed
10 Cambronne, VINO was made
prisoner nj Waterloo. II was actually
Invented by Rougemont, an author OF
witty sayings, two days after the fsht
These instances or misoTedited quo.
talions arc by no means confined 10
tlmes In tho remote past. During tho
campaign OF 1880 the reporter Of
newspaper In Patterson, Nj, put Into
tho mouth OF General Hancock the
statement that "ths tarlii IL a local
Issue" II was Instantly seized upon
by the Republican,, anu although II was
Immediately conlTadioted, tho presi.
dental candidate was NO generally
credited with II that mauy Democrats
even came 10 believe that tho phrase
was uttered by him. There Isl phrase
almost universally attributed 10 Grover
Cleveland, which he din not originate
namely, "Publlc office Ia n public
trust" The author OF this terse truth
was Daniel 3. Lamont, and II was ilrst
used by him In y campaign sketch OF
Mr.. Cleveland's public caresr. But
while this fact might be repeated every
day from now to the crack Of doom, It
Ia likely that the President will have
the credit for the saying, patty because
II "a0unds like him." and partly be.
cause II Ia known 10 opitomi2s his
views regarding the occupancy Of
political Office.