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Mark Twain in German-Language Newspapers and Periodicals

What is Man?

After the manuscript of What Is Man? was completed in 1905, 250 copies of the book were published anonymously by De Vinne Press in New York in August 1906. Shortly after Clemens's death, the New York Tribune printed an article entitled "Clemens's Secret Book," informing its readers about the background of its genesis and reprinting short excerpts from it. | New-York Tribune (New York [N.Y.]), 23 April 1910. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress, p. 7, c. 3. See also "Mark Twain's Secret Book Gives Startling Views," The New York Times, May 1, 1910 and Rasmussen 2007, 555.

This page is referenced by:

[Catholic perspective on MT’s work] | 07 June 1910

Luxemburger gazette. [volume] (Dubuque, Iowa), 07 June 1910. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84027101/1910-06-07/ed-1/seq-8/>

Transcription	English Translation
Mark Twain, ohne Zweifel der größte amerikanische Humorist, wurde im Leben und im Tode auch als solcher allgemein anerkannt und geehrt. In religiöser Beziehung war er ein Freigeist, obschon es erst jetzt bekannt geworden, daß er auch ein Buch über Religion verfaßt hat. 26 Jahre, von 1880 bis 1906 soll er an dem Werke gearbeitet haben. Er ließ bloß 250 Exemplare davon drucken und privatim unter seine Freunde vertheilen. Nach Ansicht der New York „Tribune“ wagte er es nicht, es auf den Markt zu bringen, weil die Welt Alles, was er sagte oder schrieb, als einen Scherz aufnahm. Das Werk soll eine Art Religionsphilosophie darstellen und nach demselben ist alle Religion das Ergebniß von Erziehung und Umgebung. Alle Religionen und Religionsbekenntnisse werden in einen Topf geworfen und indirekt wird alle wahre Religion geleugnet und verspottet. Und da will der „Outlook“ sagen, Mark Twain sei ernst und gerecht gewesen in seinem Urtheil. Die „Sacred Heart Review“ führt dem gegenüber aus, daß viele Stellen in Twain's Schriften die katholische Kirche in gröblicher Weise verspotten und längst widerlegte Lügen und Verleumdungen wieder aufwärmen und zum Gegenstande der Satyre machen. Mark Twaine [sic] oder Samuel Longhorne [sic] Clemens, wie er eigentlich heißt, war nicht bloß ein Freigeist, sondern auch ein Entsteller der katholischen Lehre und ein Spötter über die katholische Kirche. -	Mark Twain, without doubt the greatest American humorist, was universally recognized and honored as such in life and in death. He was a free spirit in religious matters, although it has only now become known that he also wrote a book about religion. He is said to have worked on the piece for 26 years, from 1880 to 1906. He had only 250 copies printed and distributed privately among his friends. According to the New York “Tribune”, he did not dare to put it on the market because the world took everything he said or wrote as a joke. The work is supposed to be a kind of philosophy of religion and according to it all religion is the result of education and environment. All religions and religious creeds are lumped together and indirectly all true religion is denied and ridiculed. And then the “Outlook” wants to claim that Mark Twain was serious and just in his judgment. The "Sacred Heart Review," on the other hand, points out that many passages in Twain's writings crudely mock the Catholic Church and rehash long-disproved lies and slanders and make them the object of satire.[1] Mark Twaine [sic] or Samuel Longhorne [sic] Clemens, as he is actually called, was not merely a free spirit, but also a desecrator of Catholic doctrine and a mocker of the Catholic Church. -
„Nord-Amerika.“	“Nord-Amerika.”

Transcription

English Translation

Mark Twain, ohne Zweifel der größte amerikanische Humorist, wurde im Leben und im Tode auch als solcher allgemein anerkannt und geehrt. In religiöser Beziehung war er ein Freigeist, obschon es erst jetzt bekannt geworden, daß er auch ein Buch über Religion verfaßt hat. 26 Jahre, von 1880 bis 1906 soll er an dem Werke gearbeitet haben. Er ließ bloß 250 Exemplare davon drucken und privatim unter seine Freunde vertheilen. Nach Ansicht der New York „Tribune“ wagte er es nicht, es auf den Markt zu bringen, weil die Welt Alles, was er sagte oder schrieb, als einen Scherz aufnahm. Das Werk soll eine Art Religionsphilosophie darstellen und nach demselben ist alle Religion das Ergebniß von Erziehung und Umgebung. Alle Religionen und Religionsbekenntnisse werden in einen Topf geworfen und indirekt wird alle wahre Religion geleugnet und verspottet. Und da will der „Outlook“ sagen, Mark Twain sei ernst und gerecht gewesen in seinem Urtheil. Die „Sacred Heart Review“ führt dem gegenüber aus, daß viele Stellen in Twain's Schriften die katholische Kirche in gröblicher Weise verspotten und längst widerlegte Lügen und Verleumdungen wieder aufwärmen und zum Gegenstande der Satyre machen. Mark Twaine [sic] oder Samuel Longhorne [sic] Clemens, wie er eigentlich heißt, war nicht bloß ein Freigeist, sondern auch ein Entsteller der katholischen Lehre und ein Spötter über die katholische Kirche. -

Mark Twain, without doubt the greatest American humorist, was universally recognized and honored as such in life and in death. He was a free spirit in religious matters, although it has only now become known that he also wrote a book about religion. He is said to have worked on the piece for 26 years, from 1880 to 1906. He had only 250 copies printed and distributed privately among his friends. According to the New York “Tribune”, he did not dare to put it on the market because the world took everything he said or wrote as a joke. The work is supposed to be a kind of philosophy of religion and according to it all religion is the result of education and environment. All religions and religious creeds are lumped together and indirectly all true religion is denied and ridiculed. And then the “Outlook” wants to claim that Mark Twain was serious and just in his judgment. The "Sacred Heart Review," on the other hand, points out that many passages in Twain's writings crudely mock the Catholic Church and rehash long-disproved lies and slanders and make them the object of satire.[1] Mark Twaine [sic] or Samuel Longhorne [sic] Clemens, as he is actually called, was not merely a free spirit, but also a desecrator of Catholic doctrine and a mocker of the Catholic Church. -

„Nord-Amerika.“

“Nord-Amerika.”

Notes
[1] Full text of from The Sacred Heart Review 43:19, 30 April 1910, p. 301, c. 3.
The Other Side of Mark Twain.
The death of Mark Twain has been the signal for a great deal of adulation of the humorist. We hate to sound a jarring note in this chorus of praise—but let us have the truth about Samuel Langhorne Clemens. George Eliot calls those who parody lofty themes "debasers of moral currency." What shall we say then of Mark Twain who tries to make the Church of God the butt of his ridicule? The sight of the Coliseum in Rome recalls to him the time when the pagan emperors "were wont to put Christians in that arena and turn the wild beasts on them for a show. The beasts tore the victims limb from limb and made poor mangled corpses of them in the twinkling of an eye." This pagan way of treating Christians, however, he declares to be far less cruel than the treatment meted out to them subsequently by the Church. " When holy Mother Church," he says, " became mistress of the barbarians, she taught them the error of their ways by no such means. No, she put them in this pleasant Inquisition and pointed to the Blessed Redeemer, Who was so gentle and so merciful toward all men, and they [the Church] urged the barbarians to love Him; and they did all they could to persuade them to love and honor Him—first by twisting their thumbs out of joint with a screw; then by nipping their flesh with pincers— red-hot ones, because they are more comfortable in cold weather; then by skinning them alive a little,and finally by roasting them in public. These methods always convinced those barbarians. The true religion properly administered as the good Mother Church used to administer it, is very, very soothing. It is wonderfully persuasive, also." This one passage—not to mention others, —this attempt to misrepresent and to cover with ridicule the most sacred and beneficent institution on this earth, will forever render infamous Mark Twain's memory. --- [All quotations used in this article are from Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad, ch. 26.] ↩