American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-12-18

BACK BITING.-MiND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
The idea of venomous serpents in the wild and
untrodden haunts of the forest, is familiar to
all-and it carries a species of shrinking alarm,
at the thought of ever venturing where such
reptiles abound But there are snakes in the
social circle, as venomous, as deadly, and as
full of fierce enmity to man, as the revolving
thing upon which the early curse Of God de-
scended-but who cause none of that whole
some terror, and wakeful caution, which the
physical danger will arouse. And yet their
iangs arc more to be dreaded, their poison is
more subtle and fatal, and their slime more Of
fensive, than the willy animal that makes its
coil in solitary places. The "back-biter," the
whispering sanderer, strikes not his victim by
visible blow; but he kills your good name, in
tilcts the fatal sting upon your character, IN
secret, by stealth, the more fatal that it is hid
den from open view. Such is the secret SLAM
derer, the snake who whispers, who revcls in
the agonies Of his victims, tortured by wounds
from an unknown source. Such creatures are
infinitely moro TO be dreaded, than the crawl
ing serpent of the woods.
There is another class of back-biters, not as
deliberately vcnomous, but whose path is track
cd by the misery of those whom their gabbIlng
tongues have made wretched. These are your
cions, and a zeal for nsinuating, and limiting,
and drawing strained conclusions, so deterlnin-
ed, that time only adds to its virulcnce. They
have bull dog tenacity of bite; and when they
once get upon the trail, they never cease until
the poor victim is sacri6ced and then comes
current of hypocrtical sympathes, and regrets,
that "Miss - should have behaved so"-
or "that Mr.. -- should turn out such a bad
man." This class of ''back -biters" swarm in
every circle. They sit at your tables, minglc
in the family, and have the ear of all whose
wondering credulity finds ready vent in their
hasty tongues. They are of keen scent, and
snuff up the contamination Of thousand indi
vidual errors, that never were committed, eX-
cept in their own minds. They are permitted
to 90 unchecke4, and thus are the innocent and
the unsuspectng ruined, friends estranged af-
fectionate hearts severed, and families made the
scene Of anger and discord. Such is your Cos
slipping ''bach-biter."
There is another class of "back biters" who
take their course for the newsapers-and there
are ed tors of the same stamp. They general
ly "pig together" This class must NEEDLE
with the business Of every prominent man or
assocation-muSt blacken a reputation or de-
fame good work, not because it is any Of
their business, or that they are under any obi
CATION to do this-but it is the work of n ma
tural proclvty to meddling and ''back biting"
From these classes of 'back biters," come half
the difficulties of society, and it would be well
if the world would set about hunting them
back to their proper insignifcanCe. Let all
men, and women, be content to mind their
own business, and be less anxious to regulate
the concerns of others Each one will then
have plenty to do and will have no time to
attend to their neighbors. Above ALL beware
of the ''back bitter" When he whispers his
lying insinuation in your ear, turn from him
in disgust; and while you careful to guard
yourself from him, take care that you do not
''back bite" Also and that you do mind your
o,cn business, exclusively.