The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-06-21
Deal gently. with the Character Of your
Neighbor.

Deal gently with tne CnaIaCLeT VI yout
Neighbor. I
Dame Rumor is pest to society, and
in DO civilized country does she exert so
powerful an Influence as in our own. we
are an inquisitive people, gaping ever TOT
excitement, and we care but little how
we do wrong to the feelings OF another II
We bnt realize the sensation we seek
We are apt to forget how dependant we
are upon one smother for all that makes
life worth living for, and We traduce and
reyile as though We we're created for this
purpose. The command which TOO n1a"y
obev, and dictated By their own vile hearts.
il. Love chosen few and bate all the
rest of mankind" 0, what a mistsken'
view of justice, Of right, Of humanity Is
this! What o ,horny, restless pillow
uust this be to those who practice the
precept through the day and then he
down to rest upon it throug b the night
We pity such but the sympathies of our
hearts 20 out more after those who nust
bear their venom and their hate. A Per
sons character is his all, 10 this country,
and when the assailer attacks this sacred
structure he strikes at the root oil hope
and happiness of him whom he would
tread down into the depths of infamy and
shame. 1t is true the innocent cannot be
made guilty by any thing the traducer
may say, still it is laneutablc fact that
We, as a people, are too hasty IN forming
our opinions in every case where charac-
ter is contested. This is the reason Why
the revier does so much injury. Our
iudgme too often goes against the inno-
cent because our wicked hearts incline to
wards their side. Now is this fair is il
right! Do not our laws, our courts ol
Justice, look upon a man as innocent 10
til be is proved guilty of the crime for
which he stands arraignedl Can not We,
ought not We to exercise the same feirness
in all those little cases which cone be
| fore usi We deal with too liberal hand
from the store OF our opinions. forgetting
how we may BARN others whilst We dc
ourselves no good at ali. We throw il
our opinions as gratis, and arc even anx
ious to deal them out thus seeming )
cheap when We ought to place very
high duty upon them aud deal just here
With a ehary hand. Liberslity, in this
is most dangerous in its consequences t.
all parties, and every honest mind mus
so understand it. 1t matters not wba
the circumstances" arc; let US knOac th
facts and then, if our judgment aciU do an!
good let US give it, but with all kindness
EspecisIly among church members sboui'
We expect to see this charity exercised
but is it sol Do We not often see thos
even a0h0 belong TO tie same cltarch work
ing to put down a te5lOac member, and on
Iy because, to ueir minds, circumstance
point towards himl Does such church
protection afford any protection Doe
this tie "bind together! If members c
the same church so often act upon tbl
: hateful principle towards one another
is no wonder that the great union of a
churches and Christians is so slowly pro
crossing. Christ teaches US to =" tore on
another" the devil tells US to hate ou
fellow beings, and We too often obey th
! devil rather than Christ. | regret TIA
c while stand up for truth and for bunar
b ity | must talk thus plainly and thus cer
surably of my common brotherhood, br
shonld we not look at the facts and DEF
honestly with theml We have slime
d tbOugifzeSSly, I hope, in this N after rattle
!, than petlfitlLy. If 20, with the plain fac
before US, we will act honestly and "si
no more"
SPECTATOR.
It Stroudsburg, June IA, 1860.