Here is a passage from "The Devil's Racetrack:Mark Twain's great dark
writings," published by the University of California Press in 1980:

Passage from "Glances at History" 375
This republic's life is not in peril. The nation has sold its honor for
a phrase. It has swung itself loose from its safe anchorage and is drifting,
its helm is in pirate hands. The stupid phrase needed help, and it
got another one: "Even if the war be wrong we are in it and must fight
it out: we cannot retire from it without dishonor." w'hy, not even
a burglar could have said it better. We cannot withdraw from this
sordid raid because to grant peace to those little people upon their
terms-independence would dishonor us. You have flung away
Adam's phrase- you should take it up and examine it again. He
said, "An inglorious peace is better than a dishonorable war."
You have planted a seed, and it will grow.
(early 1900s)




On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 9:14 PM, Rick Talbot <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Hal Holbrook, while portraying MARK TWAIN in MARK TWAIN TONIGHT cited this.
>
> Richard Talbot
> 1531 West Idaho Avenue
> Falcon Heights, MN 55108-2118
> (651) 646-6624
> (651) 280 8734
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mike Stone
> Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 4:50 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Unknown MT film footage?
>
> Richard, the burglar quote is priceless!  Do you have a cite for that?
>
> Michel L. Stone
> STONE & SUTTON, P.A.
> 116 East Fourth Street
> Panama City, Florida  32401
> (850) 785-7272  office
> (850) 785-7094   fax
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rick Talbot
> Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 12:49 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Unknown MT film footage?
>
> "'My country right or wrong.' "Why even a burglar couldn't have said that
> better."
>
> Richard Talbot
> 1531 West Idaho Avenue
> Falcon Heights, MN 55108-2118
> (651) 646-6624
> (651) 280 8734
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alan
> Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 11:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Unknown MT film footage?
>
> "War is the abomination of all abominations."
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Stone <[log in to unmask]>
> To: TWAIN-L <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tue, Sep 10, 2013 11:53 am
> Subject: Unknown MT film footage?
>
>
> What would MT have said about our current threat of war against Syria?
> About our wars in the Middle East generally?
>
> =20
>
> Michel L. Stone
>
> STONE & SUTTON, P.A.
>
> 116 East 4th Street
>
> Panama City, Florida 32401
>
> (850) 785-7272
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> =20
>
> Check out my new play, Mark Twain Interruption:
>
>
> http://www.stageplays.com/products/mark_twain_interruptioncategorycyberpres=
> s
> code417
>
> =20
>
> =20
>
> =20
>
> =20
>



-- 


Terry Ballard
Author and Leisure Studies Manager
http://www.terryballard.org
Author of the book "Google this"
http://googlethis.com<http://googlethisforlibraries.com/>

"My memory has a mind of its own."