Daily camera., 1897-10-12
PROFANE AMERICANS.
Great Men Who Occasionally
Swore,
Even the Father Of His Country 10
Recorded ns Having Uttered an
Oath-What History

The fly and the mosquito season. un-
usually ripe, suggests the subject OF
profanity. Not that the subject is de-
pendent on any season, only there are
times when some of us are more or less
indifferent to it. A large portion OF
the words we overhear as we pass along
the streets, in summer or winter, are
oaths, coming to be uttered almost un-
consciously by boys and men and coming
to fall almost unheeded on the ears OF
me listener. They are more plentiful
than the lies they frequently are in
tended to ornament; from being the
mere decoration they have become the
iuperstructure, the lie meanwhile
maintaining its original proportions.
Debating societies which continue to
discuss: "Is lie ever justifiable? r
never take up the same question for
swear words. It would be waste OF
time. View it as we may, from the
,sthetic or the moral standpoint, oaths
Gave passed into the every minute Ian
guage of large per cent. OF the male
population. 1t would be necessary to
modify the question for debate so as to
cad this way: Can an oath under cer-
ain conditions be pardonable?' Then
he conditions might be such as are
;uggested by the mosquito season,
geographical errors, slump in the
market, legislative interference with
lhe states well-being, teaching dull
ards Greek or rowing and the like. In
ali debates of this kind, if 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 lie, is on traditions record
rs having uttered an oath. AS we look
round we find that we have to stick
pretty closely to American history for
our precedents, inasmuch as "Mon
Dieu," "Gott in Himmer and "sacristi'
across the water are considered not to
.ount. Passing, then, through the sui
Jhurous atmosphere which is said to
nave surrounded "Old Hickory" we
come down to modern times without
many authenticated cases. The civi!
war was prolific, however. 1t furnished
twS. One was when Gen. Sherman
was called forward to see personally
that it vas that obstructed the path of
ais army He had discountenanced pro-
:anity in general. When he reached the
pot in question he found team of OBJ
stirate army mules, their driver not US
ineS'cuss words" because within the
hearing of the general, and they them
elves firm as the everlasting hills.
ifter. an aid had explained the driver
was allowed to swear. The mules i'm
mediately resumed their journey and
from that time the general is said to
have believed severe language was a
necessary part of muleteer's equip
ment. That's the story.
The other instance is preserved in an
immortal poem, "Sheridau's Ride"
Tow the deciaiming schoOlboy will for
ever ring out those words: He dashed
down the line with a terrible oath"
Sheridan was inspiring a whole army,
he was turning a crushing defeat into a
famous victory, he was winning undy-
ilg fame. Many an otherwise clean
;nouthed officer or trainer has said
that in emergencies good oath" is all
hat viii bring men to their senses. But
here comes Gen. George \. Forsyth in
HGrper's and puts Poet Read in the
class Of fiction writers. As a young aid,
Gen. Forsyth was with Gen. Sheridan
most of the time on that memora ole 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 a
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 hypocritical, Jackson
may have INDUCED in sulphur and Sher-
man may never have given his sanction
to language prescribed in decent So
ciety. And thus, therefore, it may be
that just as much can be accomplished
with mosquitoes or men or type or leg
islatures without profanity, and the
conditions under which it is admissible
may exist only in the fancy of the be-
nighted.-Hartford Courant.
Eel Blood for Snakes.
Some wears apo tho nafurolicf Aocoo