The herald., 1897-07-31
GREAT MEN WHO SWORE
Now Common Habit, but Distin-
guished Precedents Are Disputed

Inc ny and the mosquito season, un.
usually ripe, suggests the subject of pro-
family. Not that the subject is depend
ent on any season, only there are times
when some of us are more or less indif-
ferent to it. A large portion of the words
we overhear as we pass along the streets
| IN summer or winter, are oaths coming
10 be uttered almost unconsciously by
boys and men and coming to fall almost
unheeded on the ears of the listener
They are more plentiful than the lies
they frequently are intended to orna-
ment; from being the mere decorat ton
they nave become the superstructure
the lie meanwhile maintaining its orig
inal proportions.
Debating societies which continue 10
discuss, rs a lie ever justifiable?" never
take up the same question for swear
words 1t would be a vast of time. View
it as we may, from the aesthetic or the
moral standpoint, oaths have passed into
the every minute language of a large
per cent of the male population. 1t
would be necessary to modify the ques-
ton for debate so as to read this way:
can an oath under certain conditions
be pardonable?" Then the conditions
might be such as are suggested by the
mosquito season, typographical errors,
a slump In the market, legislative inter
ference with the states well-being
teaching billiards Greek or rowing and
the like. In all debates of this kind
II our memory serves us, the argument
is clinched by going into history and
hunting out precedents
Thus, the father of his country, who
never told a lie, is on traditions record
as having uttered an oath. As we look
around we find that we have to stick
pretty close to American history for our
presidents, inasmuch as Mon Dieu"
"Gott in Himmel" and "sacristi" across
the water are considered not to count
Passing, then, through the sulphurous
atmosphere which is said to have sur
rounded "Old Hickory" we come down
to modern times without many anthem
ticated cases. The civil war was pro-
Life, however. 1t furnished two. One
was when General Sherman was called
forward to see personally what it was
that INSTRUCTED the path of his army.
He had discountenanced profanity in
general. When he reached the spot in
question he found a team of obstinate
army mules, their driver not using "cuss
words" because in the hearing of the
general, and they themselves firm as the
everlasting hills. After an aid had ex-
planned, the driver was allowed to swear.
The mules Immediately resumed their
journey, and from that time the general
is said to have believed in severe Ian
guage as necessary part of a muleteer's
equipment. That's the story.
immortal poem, Sheridan Ride" How
the declaiming school boy will forever
ring out those words, He dashed down
the line with terrible oath" Sheridan
was inspiring a whole army, he was
turning a crushing defeat into a famous
victory, he was winning undNing fame.
Many an otherwise clean mouthed Off
Ger or trainer has said that in emergen-
cies a good OATH is all that will bring
men to their senses. But here comes
General George A. Forsyth in the July
Harper's and puts Poet Read in the class
of fiction writers. As young aid Gen.
Forsyth was with Gen. Sheridan most
of the time on that memorable day at
Cedar Creek. He was close to him as
he dashed down that reformed line, and
he takes occasion to say emphatically
that there was no terrible oath" or any
other kind of oath. Sheridan had
word of cheer for officers and men here
and there, and they were inspired to
their heroic deeds by the very sight of
their leader
So it may be that the story of Wash
ington's oath is hypothetical, Jackson
may have INDUCED in sulphur and Sher-
man may never have given his sanction
to language prescribed in decent soci-
ETY.. And thus therefore, it may be that
just as much can be accomplished with
mosquitoes or men or type or legislatures
without profanity, and the conditions
under which it is admissible may ex-
list only in the fancy of the benighted
Hartford Courant.