The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-03-06
VOLUME xIII-NUMBER 10.


, its weapon; that, ~ 70 each climc, pertains
its own peculiar dialect. 90 has Il It's jnstru.
, ment Of offence or defence. The current
jargon Of the hour gives to the Southern
section Of our republic the bowic-kniie-to
the Northern, the fsts.. It is IN error
Both North and South have distinctly IN
American pccularity; q peculiarity com.
mon in some measure to every people, but
nowhere We fully believe 20 generally preva'
lent as in this country. A peculiarity
which magni6cs itself into social error II
not a social crime. A peculiarity which
uttered in Whisper esn equals in 'sdel.
cterious influence the Kissing rcProachcs Of
thousands. A popularity which is In itself
u weapon, perhaps the most Potent that
could be employed against 81 brother man."
This popularity is simPly-'iander.
The covert whispers, the open allegations,
are uttered every day. There Is apparently
hut triae Of disguise. Wherever there is
u chance to blast reputation or injcrc q
character, let the venom be spread and
thousands Of busy tongues are ready to give
it currency. 1t is dressed up n, 1t passe,
from mouth to mouth. and it would p'oba.
bly, astoni,h the originator to hear how
much his story had improved by travelling.
Woman's fame is light thing with Amyr.
ican. 1t has been truly said that females
reputation is mirror Of such delicate fabri.
cation that breath will tarnish 1t forever.
The lishtest whisper is often sufficient to
blast lady's character, and the shrug of
the shoulders, or the raising of the eyebrows,
sometimes conveys Us much rs u hundred
words. We boast Of our national ci,iIity
to women, We cay that woman can travel
alone from Maine to California. and yet the
peopl" of no country hold womans honor
in less lngual regard. And ifshe be in q
public capacity-if she be singer, or an
actrcss-God help her! Be she Us chaste
rs snow, as pure as Ice, assuredly she shall
not escape calumny. ..
The levelins disposition is peculiar to
Americans. They are not willing to ac-
knowledge any supcrios, either mentally or
physically. Slander is potent weapon
with the leyelcr and he never fails to employ
i. And IL the slanderer be a person Of
prominence, the tit.bit Is the more greedily
swallowed. A recent instance in our own
community is too familiar to need spcci6ca-
ton. 1t seems pleasure 10 US 10 treasure
up all those little imperfections in great men
which prove that they arc merely human.
The press-a portion Of tho press-l too
ready to give circulation to reports ola de-
iamatory character, not rejecting that thu
temporary noioriety they may thus gain by
panlering to a morbid appetite isa perma-
nent injury, not only to themselves, but in
some mCasurc to their more guarded associ-
ates. There is wide difference between
giving the main facts in an affair Of disgrac-
ful publicity, and entering into certain de.
tails calculated to improve neither the head
nor the heart.
The novel and the stase-two powerful
engines with majority ofthe people Of this
republie-have each IN their way been made
subservisnt to the promptinss of SANDER
When family matters are made the basis Of
q fiction or drama, the story is sure to sell,
and tho play is certain to draw. 'Tis true,
It's pity, and pity It's ii, true.
Wsare all ready to deny, to refuse, 10
challenge proof, when the slandcrcd party
is u relative or personal friend. let US BE-
rs careful with regard 10 Others let MS In
quiro into the truth Of story, before We
believe it--much less before we rcpcat IT,
That simple prccaution would prevent
great deal of needless suffering, and very
many regulations would thereby be presery.
ed int ct from the venom OF the tongue.
Shakespeare, the great master who knew
every chord Of the human hcart. and could
play upon it, never uttered truer words than
when hc wrote
"rbc evil that men do live. amer them
The goods on inferred with their bones"