A Transient Record of Individual Opinion
By Ambrose Bierce
“No snakes in the Klondyke? That shows ‘twas god’s plan
to give to the snake better sense than to man.”
There is a genius up in Juneau whom it would pay some newspaper owner to
catch and put at work. He is already sending news, and under date of August
3 relates that some of the ingoing gold-hunters, disrelishing the Canadian
customs officers, threaten to “ignore” them,” peaceably if possible, forcibly
if necessary.” Among the several and various blessings which the Creator
has bestowed on Man without, apparently, depriving Himself of anything
the power forcibly to ignore has not hitherto been counted. It was Coleridge
that invented the word “ignore”; if not incommunicado he will please have
the goodness to hand up a decision as to what he meant by it. The notion
of ignoring by force and arms reminds one of the Irishman who treated a
constable with silent contempt by knocking him through a plate-glass window.”