Deathbed Quote: This Is No Time for Making New Enemies

[Garson O'Toole]

Wonderful! Thanks for taking the time to look, Stephen, and thanks for
pointing to the information about Campbell. Inspired by your success I
used some additional search queries and pushed the date a little
further back.

Cite: 1856 April 30, Springfield Republican, Political Miscellanies,
Page 2, Column 1, Springfield, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)

The text gives the same "dying Irishman" joke with the same Lewis D.
Campbell anecdote.
Garson

On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 7:11 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Deathbed Quote: This Is No Time for Making New Enemies
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Of Lewis D. Campbell (and non-commitment) wikipedia has : "Over his successful political career he was elected as a Whig, Know-Nothing, Republican and Democrat."
> ________________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Stephen Goranson [goranson at DUKE.EDU]
> Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 6:52 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Deathbed Quote: This Is No Time for Making New Enemies
>
> Slightly earlier:
>
> At a social party in Washington, Lewis D. Campbell was trying to explain away to his Republican friends the bad looks of his attendance and speaking at a Fillmore ratification meeting. He said he had not committed himself to the American nominations. "Yes," replied Seward, "I see what you mean, Campbell. You remind me of a dying Irishman, who was asked by his confessor if he was ready to renounce the devil and his works--"Oh, your honor,' said Pat, "don't ask me that; I'm going into a strange country, and I don't want to make myself enemies!" Campbell laughed as if he rather appreciated the joke.
>
> Paper: Salem Register; Date: 05-08-1856; Page: 2; col. 6 Location: Salem, Massachusetts
> America's Historical Newspapers
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org