The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-22 00:00:00

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THE REV. Mlt. MARSH.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING POST.
Sir,—l cannot but think that Mr. Marsh has been
somewhat hardly dealt with. Ido not desire to ex-
tenuate the immorality of which he has been confessedly
guilty; but a deeper, degree of culpability has been
imputed to him, and, as it appears to me, on insufficient
grounds.
What has been established against Mr. Marsh, with
respect to the unhappy woman, the subject of the late
trial, in a short immoral connexion, more than four
years ago, with a very brief renewal of it, not sought by
him, but forced upon him, through the power :she had
acquired from his dread of exposure ; and this last
nearly three years ago. None subsequent was even
alleged, and none certainly ever took place.
Whether, under these circumstances, the proceeding to
trial was judicious, or otherwise, can hardly be judged of
satisfactorily but by those who are acquainted -with the
prevalent impressions which it was thus sought to re-
move. Theyoman had established herself in his village
and neighbourhood, frequented his church, and indus-
triously circulated abominable imputations against him,
amongst others, that of his having administered to her
drugs to procure abortion. He was unwilling to, take
steps against her, which would give greater notoriety
to circumstances:of which he had long heartily repented.
But his remaining quiet, coupled with her confident
assertions, and imposing manner and appearance,
at length caused a belief that these charges must
be true. It was in consequence represented to him,
by very respectable persons in the vicinity, that he must
institute some proceedings against her, as the only means
of disabusing the public mind, and putting an end to the
scandal of her presence. He had no alternative; or was
advised that he had none. On this ground he was, in-
duced to abide the issue of a trial; but in no case Is it to
be inferred that Mr. Marsh thought lightly of the dis-
grace he should bring upon his profession and himself.
The contrary is strictly true. That Chief-Justice Tin-
dal, who tried this case, considered the prosecutiOn, how-
ever lamentable in its exposures. nether censurable, nor
unnecessary, may fairly be inferred from his; having,
upon the acquittal of the prisoner, allowed the Whole of
the costs applied for on the part of the prosecutor.
It further appeared on the trial, from the evidence of
Mr. Marsh, that about the period of his acquaintance
with the prisoner, he had occasionally visited tiale house
where he unhappily made her acquaintance. This sad
circumstance lam far from desiring to extenuate. But
he solemnly denied, upon his oath, that even at that time
it was his habit to frequent that or any other such place.
No immorality
_ whatever was proved, or even insinuated
against Mr. Marsh of any later date.
I cannot hello, therefore, expressing my feeling that
the Bishop of Peterborough (if I may trust the report of
his speech in the House of Lords) a little overstepped
the obligation of his part, when he said that Mr. Marsh
was " frequently absent from his residence, unhappily, in
this metropolis and in Paris." (I quote om the Times
newspaper.)
The Bishop-ovraa.esaled upon to censure, and td Censure
with severity., what has been proved against Mr. Marsh.
But surely it was unkind and uncalled for to heap odium
upon him, by the introduction of an extraneous topic,
and of facts merely presumed.
The Bishop cannot know where Mr. Marsh is when
absent from his home. The fact, moreover, is not as the
Bishop allowed himself to surmise. Mr. Marsh has not
been in Paris during the last four years, and was never
there but twice in his life--in 1837 and in 1839 ; nor has he,
for the greater part of that time, been in London, unless on
the occasions when compelled by the unhappy woman in
question, to negotiate her payments. Since 1842 be has
scarcely been there at all, until her coming into the
neighbourhood of Barnack, in last September. When
absent from home, it has chiefly been on visits to' fami-
lies of the highest respectability, with whom he is on
terms of intimacy.
The truth is, that these vicious indulgences were re-
gretted and resisted even at the very time referred to,
and he soon determined to keep out of the way of
temptation. To make his name more attractive to him,
he induced his mother (a lady, of whom I may perhaps
be forgiven for saying, that she is not more venera-
ble for her years and station, than fq her
eminent virtues and high intellectual endow-
ments) to take up her abode with him in the cottntry ;
which she did, at some sacrifice to herself. This was
not a companion likely to be selected by an abandoned
debauchee. Since that time he has been but little absent,
and then never in Paris, and rarely, and but for:short
intervals, in London. One who, without pretending to
account for his every hour, is well acquainted with the
general tenor of his life, vouches for these assertions.
In his neighbourhood Mr. Marsh's conduct has been
without reproach. Towards the poor under his charge
he has been careful and liberal in ministering to 'their
wants, and in supplying the means of education to theist
children. Accordingly, he is very popular with his
parishioners.
Soon after this scandal arose, he placed himself in the
hands of a clergyman, much his senior, an intimate and
confidential friend of the Bishop, undeitaking to follow
his suggestions, and to abide by any wish the Bishop
might entertain; though he was aware, or at least firmly
believed, that, by lapse of time, no formal penalty could
be imposed by him.
When the trial was over, he determined to write to
the Bishop, in the persuasion that, as no steps could be
taken against him, his sincerity was not. Bible to be
called in question. His intention was to express his deep
sorrow at the disgrace he had brought on his profession
and himself, his remorse at the sinfulness of the conduct
which had entailed it, and his, wish to abstain for a
lengthened time from the exercise of his functions, and
to withdraw from his residence. The unexpected nptice
taken of the affair made him withhold the letter ; but it
was seen by friends, and the intention to send it known.
One circumstance, which has brought censure upon
Mr. Marsh, is yet unnoticed. When asked, on the trial,
if he had received any communication from the Bishop,
he replied,—" Only,mediately." A comparison of this
expression with the Bishop's letter,, to the Times news-
paper, has caused Mr. Marsh to be taxed with prevari-
cation.
The truth is, he 'night with,perfect sincerity have an-
swered " none whatever.", But as the• friend alluded to
had advised him to continue what he had already begun
of his own accord, namely, to abstain from any pro-
fessional duties, he, tbianght it probable that he was in
possession of the Bisbop's,wishes, though he had not an-
nounced them ; and, therefore, with proper caution, he
replied as he did ; but surely Ma spirit the very opposite
to that imputed to him.
The Bishop has, no doubt, expressed his feelings, in
confidence, to the gentleman in question, and has felt
persuaded that advice would be given and acted upon in
accordance with them. This was enough for him. But
it is hard thathe should so have expressed hiniself, as
to cast an unnecessary slur upon Mr. Marsh.
So far from his having the direct knowledge of an in-
terdict from the Bishop, it happened that, when this
same friend urged his return to Barnack to silence the
suspicions before alluded to, he stated also, that as it was
understoodthe Bishop had not interfered, Mr. Marsh's
abstaining from his sacred functions when 'on the spot,
would be regarded, as an act of self-condemnation and
self-abasement, and be becoming and useful.
There is much, very much,lo lament and to condemn
in the conduct of which Mr. Marsh had been confessedly
guilty; but is there anything in it for which a man is to
be hunted out of society? Is it a case to call for new
laws, or for stretching the existing ones, to visit it? Are
the Bishops now accustomed to deal with cases of equal
or greater enormity, when recent, and properly put
before them, with extreme severity? If not, is it right
to yield to a clamour, partly, at least, grounded on erro-
neous impressions?
Here has been no aggravating circumstance of seduc-
tion or adultery. Ido not, for one, regard Church pre-
ferment as a freehold. There is a cure of souls attached
to it, which justly imposes a strictness of moral con-
duct: at the same time it should be borne in mind that
a clergyman, deprived of his preferment, is debarred by
his orders from every other source of livelihood. This
is a motive, certainly, for increased circumspection in
him, but also for some unwillingness to proceed to
extremity, except where the offence is heinous, or the
character of the party is irreclaimable. I submit that
neither condition is established against Mr. Marsh.
lam his brother. I venture to hope that, from one in
my position, this statement will not be considered unbe-
coming or uncalled for. It is long, but I have found it
difficult to curtail it, without taking from it its proper
efficacy. Space lies not been grudged in other quarters
for censure ; i trust 'to your generosity and sense of .1113-