Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true.
Interpretation
Wars create fictional tales that are often accepted as truth over time.
This quote highlights how the narratives surrounding wars can become distorted over time, leading to the creation of stories that, while initially fanciful or fictional, might eventually be accepted as historical fact. It reflects on the power of storytelling and the human tendency to believe in tales that resonate with cultural or national identities, regardless of their factual accuracy.
In practice
In a speech about the impact of war on society.
The great bulk of the legal voters of the South were men who owned no slaves; their homes were generally in the hills and poor country; their facilities for educating their children, even up to the point of reading and writing, were very limited; their interest in the contest was very meagre--what there was, if they had been capable of seeing it, was with the North; they too needed emancipation.
Hold fast to the Bible. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for all the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future.
Let us labor for the security of free thought, free speech, pure morals, unfettered religious sentiments, and equal rights and privileges for all men, irrespective of nationality, color, or religion;.... leave the matter of religious teaching to the family altar, the church, and the private school, supported entirely by private contribution. Keep church and state forever separate.
When news of the surrender first reached our lines our men commenced firing a salute of a hundred guns in honor of the victory. I at once sent word, however, to have it stopped. The Confederates were now our prisoners, and we did not want to exult over their downfall.
I have made it a rule of my life to trust a man long after other people gave him up, but I don't see how I can ever trust any human being again.
A hero does for others. He would do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better. I am not that kind of person, but I want you to be. You could give something to her, to me, to those children in the quarter. You could give something I never could ... The white people out there are saying you don't have it-that you're a hog, not a man. But I know they are wrong.
If there's ever an example that military power alone cannot be successful in Afghanistan, I think it was the Soviet experience.
We must never forget that Black History is American History. The achievements of African Americans have contributed to our nation's greatness.
If you read about millions of people doing this and millions of people doing that, history seems remote and inaccessible.
Before the Civil War, there were no national cemeteries, no processes for identifying the dead in the battle. There weren't any dog tags, and there was no next-of-kin notification. You didn't necessarily even hear what the fate of your loved ones had been. It was up to their comrades to write and inform you.
Well into the 20th century, black people spoke of their flight from Mississippi in much the same manner as their runagate ancestors had.
Strange as it may seem, George Washington's life has now been so minutely documented that we know far more about him than did his own friends, family, and contemporaries.
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