Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-04-02

the twinkling Of an eye, as 1t were, lifelong
record of kindly charities, Of domestic and So
cal virtues, and warm-hearted actions is blotted
out and the one black spot, not so big as a
mans hand, becomes magnified to observers
into an overshadowing cloud The inquiry is
never made, is this report truep but it is calcu-
lated without a knowledge of the truth, with no
foundation In truth, with the celerity that the
poison from a cobra is circulated through the
system. 1t is not the truth scandal-monger
wants, 1t is the scandal.
The love of scandal is a monster evil of civ
ilization. You will not find it among the chill
dren of nature. But in civilized life, YOU may
go into what circles of society you please and
you will find it Aourisfing as rank as a weed
upon hot-bed 1t is an appetite that is ac-
quired, for we would not do our human nature
so much injustice as to hold that scandal loving
Is Of a natural growth. Like all acquired hab-
its it is hard to be eradicated. II is a stimuant
TO social life, as pickles are to dinner or mus
tard to cold corned beef. Accustom your pal
ate to them and if they are not served up. the
food is insipid. Unhappily the smaller com
munity is, the more scandal hourishes. 1t is
for this reason that scandal is more noticeable
IN villages and in compact towns than in large
cities; 1t is for this reason, too that it is more
prominent in coteries and select classes which.
being bound up in their own little affairs, are
apt to seize with avidity upon any little circum-
stance happening among themselves, which will
give pungcncy to their small talk.
The worst feature in the progress of scandal
is, that while it grows as it circulates. lust as
the SNOWFALL increases the longer it is rolled,
yet those whom it most concerns are the last to
hear OF it. Hence it not unfrequently happens
that parties against whom abominable scandals
have been circulated, meet the parties who have
circulated them, gossip over other scandals
which are IN vogue against absentees and de-
part utterly unconscious that their own names
have been as freely used as they themselves
have used other names. This discloses the in
etfably mean features of scandal its cowardice :
its want of moral courage; its cordially to its
victim while it is seeking to plant stab under
the fifth rib. Scandal is the destroyer of conf
dence, and scandal-mongers can place no reli-
ance in one another. Besides, they who love
it, voluntarily reduce themselves to become
spies and informers and petty inquisitors into
the life and conversation of their associates
any soul, come not thou into their secrets un-
to their assembly, mine honor, be not thou
united"
But new commandment hath been given
unto the lovers of scandal which they will do
well to give heed to and obey, lest, peradven-
ture, the penalties of the law lay hold of them
and they find themselves mulcted of money
they can Ill spare for the qualification of mean
habit 1t hath been declared by the Supreme
Court Of Massachusetts that no man, or woman
either. may repeat scandal and be held blame
less. The principle of this decision is the same
that is expressed in the legal proposition "a re-
cciver is as bad as thief" 1t was left for
Judge Thomas to decide authoritatively that,
when woman repeats a slandcr, having no
other defence than that she repeated only what
was currently reported, she is as guilty as
though she originated the report, nay, more
guilty, because, by the reiteraton, she gave it
its power Of mischief. Judge Thomas Ian
guage is -
II is no answer, in any forum, to say that she
only reported the story as she heard it. If the
story was false and slanderous, she must repeat
it at her peril. There is safety in no other rule
Often the origin of SANDER cannot be traced.
He who gives it circulation gives it its power of
mischief. 1t is the successive repetition that
does the work. A falsehood often repeated,
gets 10 De Ueneyed. A man cannot say there
is story in circulation that A. poisoned his
wife, or b. picked C.'s pocket, and relate the
story, and when called upon to answer, say
There was such report in circulation; | but
reported what heard, and had no design to
circulate or confirm it !" for two very plain rea-
sons-that the repetition of the story must, in
the nature of things give it currency; and the
repetition without the expression Of disbelief,
will confirm it. The danger is an obvious one,
and long since pointed OUT and it is, that bad
men may give currency to slanderous reports.
and then find in that currency their own protec-
ton from the just consequences of repeti-
tion.'