The whole thing of “said” or “never said” is really a hard one to pin down in my opinion. If someone were referring to me, how could they, with any authority ever decree what I’ve said and what I haven’t said? Heck, I can’t even do that myself!
When they use the word “said” do they mean “wrote it down on paper themselves”? Or do they count it if someone that was present in a crowd wrote it down after they heard it? If so, did that person hear it and quote it correctly?
Even in a world with millions of recording devices, newspapers are still willing to “quote” people with words the speaker never said (as we well know). So when I see these kinds of articles, I have to ask, “How can you REALLY know whether someone 200 years ago said something or not?” You can’t.
Ask not what your country can do for you. ..JFK
He stole it from Henry Ford who said company not country.
Bartlett’s always seemed to know the difference between attributed and authenticated.
Here’s another one that got mis-attributed (which I really wished he ACTUALLY SAID ):
“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. . . . in her fertile fields and bound less forests—and it was not there. . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there. . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”
— NOT Alexis D’ Tocqueville