The burglar quotation is from "Papers of the Adam Family" in "Letters
From the Earth," ed. Bernard DeVoto:

	"'Even if the war be wrong we are in it and must fight it out:  we cannot
retire from it without dishonor.'  Why, not even a burglar could have said
it better" (p. 98).

	Twain appears here to speaking of the occupation of the Philippines by
the U. S. at the turn of the century, and he is ridiculing the phrase,
"Our country, right or wrong."  And doing so quite effectively, by the way.

Best regards,

Bill Cosgrove
Professor Emeritus of English

North Dakota State University
6104 Tracy Ave. So.
Edina, MN 55436
952-929-1393
[log in to unmask]
Good site: www.brainpickings.org
 


On 9/10/13 4:50 PM, "Mike Stone" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:


>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_interruptioncategorycyberpre
>s=
>s
>code417
>
>=20
>
>=20
>
>=20
>
>=20
>