San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-09-20
PROFANE AMERICANS.
Great Men Who Occasionally
Swore.
Even the Father of His Country L.
Recorded as Having Uttered an
Oath-What History .ts.

| line ny anu tue uOSquito SSoSoh, W.
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 andmen andcoming
to fall almost unheeded on the ears OF
the listener. They are more plentiful
than the lies they frequently are in
tended to ornament; from being the
mere decoration they have become the
superstructure, the lie meanwhile
maintaining its original proportions.
Debating societies which continue to
discuss: "Is lie ever justifiable?''
never take up the same question for
swear words. 1t would be waste OF
time. View it as we may. from the
esthetic or the moral standpoint, oaths
have passed into the every minute lam
guage of large per cent. of the male
population. 1t would be necessary to
modify the question for debate SO as to
read this way: "Can an oath under GER
tain conditions be pardonable?" Then
the conditions might be such as are
suggested by the mosquito season.
typographical errors, a slump in the
market, legislative interference with
the states well-being, teaching dull
ards Greek or rowing and the like. In
all 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
as having uttered an oath. AS we look
around we find that we have to stick
pretty closely to American history for
our precedents, inasmuch as Mon
Dieu," Scott in Himmep and "sacristi''
across the water are considered not to
count. Passing, then, through the sui
phurous atmosphere which is said to
have surrounded "Old Hickory" we
come down to modern times without
many authenticated cases. The civil
war was prolific, however. Itfurnished
two. One was when Gen. Sherman
was called forward to see personally
what it was that INSTRUCTED the path of
his army. He had discountenancedp pro-
family in general. When he reached the
spot in question he found team of OBJ
stinate army mules, their driver not us
ing "cuss words" because within the
hearing of the general, and they them
selves firm as the everlasting hills.
After 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 o
necessary part of muleteer's equip
ment. That's the story.
The other instance is preserved in an
immortal poem, "Sheridan's Ride"
How the declaiming 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 crushing defeat into a
famous victory, he was winning INDY
ing fame. Many an otherwise clean
mouthed officer or trainer has said
that in emergencies good oath" is all
that will bring men to their senses. But
here comes Gen. George A. Forsyth in
Harper'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 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 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.
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