Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-05-27
Wisee1Iaaeulls 8eadina.
FALSE WAR REPORTS.
Since the Dawn Of History People
Have Tried to Fool Themselves.


Have Tried to Fool Themselves.
Everything is fair in love and war"
says the old adage. Morally consider
ed, this may not be true except upon
the theory that the end justifles the
means, yet 1t cannot be denied that
both individuals and nations have act
ed upon the theory from time imme-
mortal. Just at present two great ma
tions are engaged in war and incident
ally illustrating their belief that a
falsehood will sometimes serve their
purpose as we'll as the truth. Almost
daily the newspapers chronicle some
great Japanese or Russian victory by
land or sea; the next day the entire
story is flatly contradicted. This state
of uncertainty and untrustworthy in
formation is often due to measures
taken by the military commanders, who
sometimes regard false reports as
strategem Of war. To Catherine Of
Medici has been ascribed the maxim,
"A false report II believed during three
days may be Of great service to a gov
ernment," and I. Dlsraeli, in speaking
of false political reports" says that
between solid lying and disguised truth
there is a difference known to writers
skilled in "the art of governing man
kind by deceiving them" History
shows the temporary and sometimes
lasting advantages Of spreading ru-
mors designed to disguise or to coun-
teract the real state Of things.
"Such reports set a-going," says
Disraeli serve to break down the
sharp and fatal point of panic, which
might instantly occur; in this way the
public is saved from the horrors Of
CONSERVATION and the stupefaction Of
despair. These rumors give breath
ing time to prepare for the disaster,
which is doled out cautiously, and, as
might be shown, in some cases these
first reports have left an event In 80
ambiguous a state that doubt may
still arise whether these reports were
really destitute Of truth! Such re-
ports, once printed, enter into our his
tory and perplex the honest historian.
OF battle fought in remote situa-
tion both parties for long time at
home may dispute the victory after the
event and the pen may prolong what
the sword has long since decided. A
Lskirmish has been often raised into an
arranged battle and defeat concealed
in an account Of the killed and wound
ed, while victory has been claimed by
both parties"
History shows that Villeroi, In all
his encounters with Marlborough, al
ways sent home dispatches by which
no one could suspect he was discom-
fitted. Pompey, after his fatal battle
with Caesar, sent letters to all the pro-
yinces and cities Of the Romans, de-
scribing it with greater courage than
he had fought, so that report gener-
ally prevailed that Caesar had lost the
battle. Plutarch informs us that 300
writer's had described the battle Of
Marathon. In looking over collection
Of letters Of the times Of James 1. one
is struck by the contradictory reports
of the result Of the battle Of Lutzen,
so glorious and so fatal to Gustavus
Adolphus. The victory was sometimes
reported to have been obtained by the
Swedes, but a general uncertainty. a
sort of mystery. agitated the majority
of the nation. This state Of anxious
suspense lasted a considerable time.
The fatal truth gradually came out In
reports changing in their progress.
The historian Of Gustavus Adolphus
observes on this occasion that rev
couriers were better received than
those who conveyed the accounts OF the
kings death to declared enemies or
concealed i'll wishers; nor did the re-
port greatly displease the Court OF
Whitehall, where the ministry-as 1t
usually happens in cases Of timidity-
had it's degree of apprehensions for fear
the event should not be true, and as l
have learned from good authority i'm
posed silence on the news writers and
intimated the same to the pulpit IN
case any funeral encomium might pro-
ceed from that quarter"
The same circumstance occurred on
another important occasion when an in
vention to spread terror against party
was too gross and the city of London
was one day alarmed that the royalists
were occupied with a plan Of blowing
up the River Thames by an immense
quantity of powder warehoused at the
riverside and that there existed an or
ganized, though invisible brotherhood
of many thousands, with consecrated
knives, and those who hestitated to
give credit to such rumors were brand
ed as malignants who took not the
danger of the parliament to heart.
Forged conspiracies and reports OF
great but distant victories were In
ventions to keep up the spirits of a
party, but oftener prognosticated some
intended change In the government.
When they were desirous Of augment
ing the army or introducing new gar
risons or using an extreme measure
with the city or the royalists there was
always a new conspiracy set afloat, or
when any great affair was to be carried
in parliament letters Of great victories
were published to dishearten the OPP
position and infuse additional boldness
in their own party. If the report last
ed only few days it obtained its pur-
pose and verified the observation or
Catherine Medici.
The art of deceiving the public Is