The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-05-04

the who uttered them rises in the mind Of
the nearer.
So Davy Crockett unconsciously perhaps was
guaranteeing his Immortality when he adopted
as his motto "Be always sure you are right, then
go ahead" 1t was a particularly apt motto for
his time. In Crockett's day America, and partic-
ularly the American frontiersman, was "going
ahead" He had but recently surged over the
barrier of the Alleghanies He was engaged in
the conquest of the great interior basin of North
America, the Mississippi valley. He was already
gazing longingly across the Father of Waters to-
ward the western plains and another huge bar
rier, the Rockies. Lewis and Clark had proved
that that barrier could be scaled, so nothing less
than the Pacific ocean was the ultimate goal Of
this westward-faring white man.
And he was sure of his rightness in doing all
this. The mere fact that the original inhabitants
of all this country, the Indian, opposed him
wasn't enough to change that belief. From that
period of our history dates our Indian policy
of taking the red mans land by any means. fair
foul. For this the beginning of an era of
treaties made only to be broken and of Indian
wars" which seem always to have broken OUT
just after the white man had discovered another
bit of particularly desirable country.
If Davy's motto was apt one for his times
1t seems to be equally so for the America of to-
day, even though we may have lost sight Of its
true meaning. For a belief, amounting almost to
a certainty, in the rightness of country In all
things seems to be essential part of the
American credo We like to think that we are
the greatest nation earth, that we have "gone
ahead of every other nation We have trans
lated Davys ego ahead" into "get ahead" and
that we have conservatives as ruthlessy as
did the frontiersmen of his time. But whether
we have interpreted his motto wrongly or right
~ the fact that he gave il to us and that we as
sociate the admonition In II with his name is
perhaps another reason why he is so well re-
membered.
When did Crockett first use this motto? Miss
Rourke In her book dates 1t from shortly after
the close of the War of 1872 Crockett home
from service under Jackson against the Creeks
had settled on new land near Shoal creek in
western Tennessee. II was wild country with
dangerous characters. both red and white roam
ing through it A regiment of militia was organ
lied by the settlers and Crockett was elected
colonel. little later they decided to set ND
form of local government and urged Davy to &C
cept the position of magistrate
This will be hard business for me. 1 can Just
barely write my NAME" he told them. But he
accepted and he soon proved that their faith In
him was justified. THAT mans judgments stick
like wax plaster" was the admiring comment
of one Of ths settlers. Says Miss Rourke:
Finding that he would be obliged not only TO
write his name but to make out warrants and
keep record Of his proceedings, Crockett began
10 read whatever he could find and to practice
the art Of handwriting. This was slow work. but
he made progress. II was at this time that he
began to inscribe motto at the end Of docu-