Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-10-19
2aNits' Department.


Thou Shalt Repeat No canoa
Scandal Is a sweet morsel, mischieVous Cos
ain l. an appetizing relish to almost every So
c;sI circle How strange 1t is that we are so
nrons 10 speak evil Of our associates and init
nate friends, when in our own hearts we
know how much better it is to do good ana
not evil to speak pleasant things concerning
our fenow.men, than il is to use traducing
language. But men, and women too, seem
20 Cael and TO act upon the feeling, that when
they hear Of one among their friends VINO mas
fallen from praises TO reproach, or whose VIZ
tue has made a slip, it is their bounded duty
10 explain the affair with provoking partlcu-
lsrity to all their acquaintances. If black
SPOT has been discovered upon the reputation
oil very dear friend, in an instant, in the
twinkling of an eye, as IL were, q life long re-
cord Of kindly charities, Of domestic and So
elal virtues, and warm-hearted actions, is blot
ted out, and the one black spot, not so big as
nman's hand, becomes magni6ed to observers
into an oyershadowing cloud. The inquiry
is never made, is this report truef but 1t Is
circulated without a knogledge Of tn. the t truth,
" that the poison from a cobra is circula-
ted through the system. 1t is not the truth
scandal-monger wants, it is the scandal.
The love of scandal is a monster evil OF
civilization. You will not find it among the
children Of nature. But in civilized life, you
may 20 into what circle of society you
please, and you will find it hourishing as
rank as a weed upon a hot bed. 1t is an ap-
petite that is acquired, for we do not do our
human nature so much injustice as to hold
that scandal loving is of a natural growth
Like all acquired habits, it is hard to be Grad
icated. II is a stimulant to social life, a
pickles are to q dinner, or mustard to a col
corned-beeE
The worst feature in the progress of scar
dial is, that while it grows it circulates, jus
as the SNOWFALL increases the longer 1t
rolled. vet those whom IL most concerns al
the last TO hear Of II. Hence it not unfr
quently happens that parties against who
abominable scandals have been circulated, &c
sip over other scandals which are in vog'
against absentees and the departed, utterly u
conscious that their own names have been
freely used as they themselves have used OF
err names. This discloses the inefably me-
features of scandal its cowardice, its want
moral courage; its cordiality to its victi
while II Is seeking to plant a stab under Il
Hah rib. Scandal is the destroyer of con
dence, and scandal-mongers can place no r
lance in one another. Besides, they WI
lose Il, voluntarily reduce themselves to D
come spies and informers and petty inquis
secrets; untoskheir assembly, nlnss hbaO.;s
not thou united"
SO grievous has this scandal gossip becor
that the lao has had to be called in to suppr
II, or to hold the guilty responsible for W
their mischievous lips utter. The Supre
Court Of one of our States, in the trial
scandal case, has laid down the law in
following positive language Let the 81
dAl-monger read and beware:
ut is no answer, in any form, to say
she only reported the story as she hearC
If the story was false and slanderous,
must repeat it at her peril. There is sa
in no other rule. Often the origin of S
dor cannot be traced. He who gives it
c%ulation gives it its power of mischief. ]
the successive repetition that does the W,
A falsehood often repeated, gets to be bel
cd. A man cannot say that there is a 81
in circulation that A.. poisoned his wife, O
picked C.'s pocket, and relate the story,
when called upon to answer, say,-''Tl
was such q report in circulation l but rel
cd what I heard, and had no design to ci
late or confirm it." for two very plain
sons-that the repetition Of the story IN
in the nature of things, give it a currer
and the repetition without the expressio
disbelief, will confirm il. The danger
obvious one, and long since pointed out
II is, that bad men may not give currenC
slanderous reports, and then find in that
rency that protection from the just &C
auences OF q repetition