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Story
October 9, 1874
The State Journal
Jefferson City, Cole County, Missouri
What is this article about?
Georgia Gov. Smith, in a speech at Marietta, ridicules fiery Southern orators threatening war, recounts an anecdote of a man who failed to fight when provoked at a South Carolina inn, and advises against resorting to arms, calling it the dictate of bad whisky.
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OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
GOV. SMITH, OF GEORGIA.
He Denounces and Ridicules the
Fiery Orators A La Garishe.
In a speech at Marietta, Ga., the other
day, Gov. Smith said: "Blatant orators
are firing the Southern heart with heroic
threats of what they could and would do.
Some of these are threatening to do now
what they failed to do when they had a
chance. These doughty warriors who are
so keen to fight now, and did so little
fighting when the time for fighting was
at hand, remind me of a scene I witnessed
once in South Carolina. I was stopping
at a little road-side inn, kept by a clever
old Dutch lady. She had a little bar attached, and sold liquors. Well, I was sitting in her bar, when there came in a
couple of men, seemingly much excited,
and a burly fellow called the other some
opprobrious name when he caught him by
the nose and gave it a good pull, saying
'Resent it if you dare, you scoundrel you!'
The other very quietly submitted until his
tormentor loosed his nose and left the
room in disgust. After he had been gone
some ten or fifteen minutes, the other began walking the room in high dudgeon,
twisting his hands and shaking his head
with all the fury of a mad bull, and soon
he began to rant with his mouth, and
swore that he could and would whip the
infernal scoundrel for treating him so. At
this the good old lady rose up and cried
out in all her womanly indignation, 'Vell
why didn't you fight de man ven he vas
here? Vy you get mad now?' Let me
tell you, my friends, those of you who
have smelled blood, there is no fun in fighting. It is a dangerous, a destructive and
a sad resort. I tell you frankly that I am
not anxious to ever engage in another war.
There is nothing to be gained by it; nothing can be accomplished by force, and no
sober, sensible, prudent man, who regards
the interest of the state and his people,
would counsel it. It is all the dictates of
bad whisky--the counsel of General Bad
Whisky. We must not be led into trouble
by it. We cannot afford to trifle with the
destinies of our people. We can gain
nothing by a resort to arms, and everything by preserving law and order."
He Denounces and Ridicules the
Fiery Orators A La Garishe.
In a speech at Marietta, Ga., the other
day, Gov. Smith said: "Blatant orators
are firing the Southern heart with heroic
threats of what they could and would do.
Some of these are threatening to do now
what they failed to do when they had a
chance. These doughty warriors who are
so keen to fight now, and did so little
fighting when the time for fighting was
at hand, remind me of a scene I witnessed
once in South Carolina. I was stopping
at a little road-side inn, kept by a clever
old Dutch lady. She had a little bar attached, and sold liquors. Well, I was sitting in her bar, when there came in a
couple of men, seemingly much excited,
and a burly fellow called the other some
opprobrious name when he caught him by
the nose and gave it a good pull, saying
'Resent it if you dare, you scoundrel you!'
The other very quietly submitted until his
tormentor loosed his nose and left the
room in disgust. After he had been gone
some ten or fifteen minutes, the other began walking the room in high dudgeon,
twisting his hands and shaking his head
with all the fury of a mad bull, and soon
he began to rant with his mouth, and
swore that he could and would whip the
infernal scoundrel for treating him so. At
this the good old lady rose up and cried
out in all her womanly indignation, 'Vell
why didn't you fight de man ven he vas
here? Vy you get mad now?' Let me
tell you, my friends, those of you who
have smelled blood, there is no fun in fighting. It is a dangerous, a destructive and
a sad resort. I tell you frankly that I am
not anxious to ever engage in another war.
There is nothing to be gained by it; nothing can be accomplished by force, and no
sober, sensible, prudent man, who regards
the interest of the state and his people,
would counsel it. It is all the dictates of
bad whisky--the counsel of General Bad
Whisky. We must not be led into trouble
by it. We cannot afford to trifle with the
destinies of our people. We can gain
nothing by a resort to arms, and everything by preserving law and order."
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Gov Smith
Georgia Speech
Fiery Orators
South Carolina Anecdote
Anti War Advice
Cowardice Story
What entities or persons were involved?
Gov. Smith
Where did it happen?
Marietta, Ga.
Story Details
Key Persons
Gov. Smith
Location
Marietta, Ga.
Event Date
The Other Day
Story Details
Gov. Smith denounces orators inciting Southerners to war with empty threats, recounts witnessing a man in South Carolina who submitted to nasal assault but ranted after the aggressor left, prompting the innkeeper to question his delayed anger, and concludes that fighting is destructive and urges preserving law and order over force.