Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1856-05-15
For the Banner,

Who steals my purse steals trash; tits some
thing, nothing,
Twas mine, Ills his and has been slave 10
thousands;
Blu, he that fiches from me my good name,
Ro' S me OF tina. which not eErlcbeS him,
And makes ne poor indeed.
The passage selected as heading for
this article is found i'm Shakspeare's
Othello, and TO the mind accustomed 30
reflection. il is full of matter TO excite
thought--and especially is it overlooking
with meaning TO one who, being poor in
purse. proud in spirit. has no other armor
bat a good name with which To enter the
battle of life. An ancient writer Of
some reputation for wisdom. has said "a
good name is rather TO be chosen than
great riches;" and inasmuch as men gen
orally are so very sensitive 10 eny refec
tions having an unfavora bic bearing upon
;heir characters. and partaking myself OF
this universal seDsitiventss. think ! am
justified in uttering what follows.
II is not that l have a disposition 10
complain Of the usage received from the
world as body. for believe people gen.
orally do about ms neat right as circum-
stances will admit: but most unfortun-
aiely for the peace OF this place, there is
a class Of impairment meddIers who
make it their very particular business 10
pry into and snperintend the domestic
bs we'll as all other private matters spper-
tanning to the affairs of their neighbors.
Indeed these superinte udents Of our III
dividual business have become an intol
cradle nuisance Curiosity must be graft.
fled al all hszards-no m1,ter what the
expense to private characler--ani as
thsse persons always like TO believe the
worst that can be said of another. the
private business of no man. woman or
family is exempt from their malignant
iutrusions.
These are The dislurbers of the peace
OF neighborhoods who are seldom reach
ed by the law. although they perpetrate
more and worse crimes than the pirate or
murderer-burglavs, breaking into and
urbing the domestic tranquility OF
fsmilies-gamblers. creating differences
and perpetuating bitter. degrading ami
mosities between individuals which but
for them might be healed-rohbers of the
good name ond reputation OF these who
would do rish,--assassins of the
character OF the pure and defense
less. Scarcely a man can leave his
home for week 5u; he is branded as
n absconding debtor; foil scope is given
to the tOn8ue-seanial stalks rampant
through the town-suspicion is aroused
concerning The integrity of the man-but
he returns to endure the effects which
this unfeeling malignity renders impossi-
bic for him 10 escape.
But began this article with The in;en-
tion of being somewhs! pointed and par.
tieular. and If any person or persons feel
like making home application of whst
i hnye said OF may say, l shall feel that
have written TO some purpose Such
as are not made sore will OF course not
feel disturbed.
BY personal gr;evsnces shall be stated
In general terms; and iuasmuch as the
general statement includes all the parti-
calars, shall be very brief now--but If
anything more specific seems 10 be called
for, will present it In another article.
And FIRST, | claim 10 be an honorable
man. and appeal TO the men of Plymouth
who have. since my residence here, been
mos. intimate with me. to designate the
first instance where | have acted other.
wise than uprighlly.
If these meddlers are in possession Of
Information having bearing unfavorabie
on my character ss man. I invite them
to give the public the facts. or a, least
to inform those who know me best, that
I may be either crushed at once or else
have an opportunity to repel the charges
own am bankrupt ia fortune. Some
of nay traducsrs are In q fix no better
possibly worse. In character am not
entirely bankrupt in the estimation of The
batter class of Plymouth. Can these
sisnderers say as much?
The public have no business to know
nught of my domestic difficulties, These
are my private affairs. in which outsiders
have no concern. / do, however, saw
that was never unkind to my wife. as
these talking. walking newspapers Save
admitted, and now if ! have done any
thing crim;nal--if ! was ever otherwise
than indulgent in my family. or other.
wise than gcntlemsnly in demesnor in