The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10

being ready with two or three dozen more
With which 70 prop IL up. and for each
OF these subsidiary lies they may have
20 coin still others. a task which they
never shirk and through which they go
with supreme grace and consummate
skill To accomplish this demands con-
structive talent Of the highest order. and
where this is absent the strain upon the
mind and imagination is so great that
the person Is liable TO break down and
10 make that false step which brings
down the whole deifce TO the ground
POSSIBLY II IS because there IS strongly
developed touch Of the oriental in their
composition that the Russians enjoy the
reputation Of being the most accomplished
and artistic liars of Europe. and one OF
their most famous diplomats and states
men, Gen. Count Ignatieff, now president
OF the powerful Pan-Slavist Society, ac-
tually earned for himself while ambassa-
dor at Constantinople. and subsequently
as minister Of the interior at St. Peters
burg, the nickname Of The Father Of
Lies. The late ear. who was the most
straightforward and truthful man Of the
entire Russian empire. on one occasion
taxed the count with this, and asked how
he had managed TO acquire such an I'M
enviable sobriquet. "Au service de votre
majestic Gin the service OF your majesty,
replied the general with a low bow, and
the car had nothing more to say, though
ne took the earliest opportunity after
ward OF dismissing Ignaueff from office.
Most people make a distinction between
what they are pleased to call immoral
lies and white lies. But they are at a con-
siderable fault to define where the one
ends and the others begin. and tire is
no doubt that the acceptance Of the So
called society lies has contributed In no
small measure to deaden our qualms OF
conscience with regard to untruths of
a more serious description. And yet.
what would we DO without these white
lies? How could society exist IL there
were not some such formula as Not
at homer" And what a number Of disa-
greeable invitations we should be forced
to accept did we not have at our beck
and call the conventional lie with regard
TO a previous engagement" Balls would
become a source of torture rather than of
pleasure to the fair sex were they obliged
to dance with every awkward swain who
considered it to be his duty to ask them:
and how, when demanded by your host
for your opinion with regard to his chill
dren, his wines or his cigars, can you
possibly tell him the plain, unvarnished
and, in nine cases out of ten, disagreeable
truth? In fact, the whole routine of So
ciety as at present constituted is moth
ing more or less than one continual, long
drawn-out lie, the only excuse for which
thdt can pc oIefed IS that the main OBJ
ject Of al this hypocrisy and mendacity
is to avoid giving pain. And, as in the
British House Of Commons, so is II in
society; a mans success and popularity
depends to a great extent on the talent
which he displays in artistically and
agreeably disdguring the truth. We have
not quite reached the stage where a man
can boast Of his success as liar, where
he can taste the sweets Of fame by touch
ing one of his victims on the arm and
saying: You think me an honest and
respectable man? am not. 1 am
colossal and accomplished liar! Gaze on
me and admiret But we are getting
there. And the English translation of
those solemn Latin words, "Requiescat
in pace" which figure on nearly every
tomb, are acquiring a new significance,
since double meaning can be applied
to the phrase, Let lie undsturbed."