The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-19
"INFELICITOUs ENGLISH"

Inc phrase, lnIellcllOuS EnSHSn, winch
Chaplain Christensen used in an interview
with the News relative to his alleged inter-
views in the Sentinel, seems to open the
way for a few observations upon those al
together remarkable utterances which got
into the double columns of the latter paper
tributed to Chaplain Christensen by the Sen
tinel is the following:
1t was as bad or worse in the medical
department. When we went to Chickamuga
we found that our corps surgeon, the man
who was the general-in-chief of the medical
service of 80, 600 men, the man who was
charged with the immense responsibility of
caring for me health and fighting off dis
ease from that many men, was a veterinary
surgeon, who had devoted his life to doctor
ing horses and mules and had never prac-
ticed among human beings. Who was re-
spOnsible for his appointment? President
Mckinley appointed him.
How much of the above is the "infelicit-
Gus English of the Sentinel, for which the
chaplain declares in the News that he sis
not chargeable,' and what are 1.-The other
inaccuracies, which, although slight, seem
to have been the means of conveying a
wrong impression? To facilitate the discov-
cry of the 'infelicIlous English and the
inaccuracies" of which the chaplain COM
plains to the reporter of the News atten-
ton is called to one glaring difference. 1t
is this: Mr.. Christensen said to the News
reporter in answer to an inquiry if DR..
Huidekoper is medical practitioner Il
have never denied that he was. because /
do not know, but 1 have never heard that
he was a medical practitioner" In the
fiamboyant declaration attributed to the
chaplain in the Sentinel of the 18th inst,
quoted above. are the words: 1.-THE general
in-chief of the medical service was a veter-
mary surgeon, who has devoted all his life
to doctoring horses and mules, and had
never practiced among human beings
1t is not necessary to remark that there
is plain and unequivocal contradiction be-
tween the chaplain's statement to the re-
porter of the News and his startling proc
lamation in the Sentinel, to which the most
callous of the ungodly would, in plain
.Anglo-Saxon, apply an ugly little word
spelled with three letters. This emphatic
statement and the equally emphatic
denial Of the chaplain is, to say the least,
clare that "a man never practiced among
human beings" and then to deny that he
said anything of the sort will be regarded
by the public as no slight matter when the
reputation of reputable man, much less a
clergyman. is involved.
Now, the question which the public will
ask is: did Mr.. Christensen declare that
n
human beings or is that one of the mac
curacies' which the chaplain characterizes
as Slight p" AS it now stands, the assump-
ton will be permitted for the hour that the
Sentinel put the words had never prac-
ticed among human beings" into Mr.. Car
stensens mouth, but such an assumption
will be useful to him only until he has time
to take the declarations attributed to him
in the Sentinel of the 18th inst. and point
out the portion of them which is his and
the portion which is the invention of the
Sentinel.
The public has been led to take some in
.terest in this matter. 1t will take more in
terest in it now that the chaplain has denied
a statement which the Sentinel gave as his.
1t will be amazed if. in the ethics of Mr..
Christensen, the placing of man before
the public as making a grave charge, which
he denies, is slight inaccuracy or Gin
felicitous English" Either a great wrong
has been done Mr.. Christensen publicly or it
has not. Silence on his part will compel the
fair-minded public to conclude that he dare
not face the Sentinel on this question of
veracity which he has raised No honorable
man, much less the rector of a large church,
can afford to force such an impression upon
the public mind. Thou shalt not bear false
witness against thy neighbor is not a
Slight inaccuracy to Ne CLOSED over by
such phrase as "infelicitous English" Two
or three papers will undoubtedly be more
than willing to publish any article which
Chaplain Christensen may write to set him.
self right. Silence, however, will not do I'M
less he is willing to bear all the odium of
contradicting himself.