The New York herald., 1869-12-08
THE RICHARDSON -M'fARLAND CASE.
The Voice OF tho People Concerning tho Xiii.
ing OF Richardson and tho ssNla.rriage Core.

ing OF richardson and tho ssNlsrriage Core.
mony.0
The Richardson tragedy has evidently taken q
deep hold upon the great mass OF the people who
read tho papers, ana who have thus besn enabled 70
follow the case In all It's details since that fatal night
when Mcfarland shot Richardson In the Tribune
otnce. The mock marriage ceremony which usnered
the soul OF the dying mau 10 judgment beyond the
grave has especially aroused IN the Christian portion
OF the community feeling OF the most Intense IN
dignation against the ministers who took part Ia
what they call the "farcen OF matriM0uy. The fol.
lowing communications have been received, in
which the writer's express themselves very freely
upon the tragedy
BEsoHER A caERD TO HIMSELF.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HRRALD:--
IL is my decided oDinion that the ministers who
took part in that farclca marriage between Richard
son and Mrs. Mcfarland wero not over particular
the techncalities OF the law which stood in tho
way ofiis Legality. Every one who has read news
paper for the past year must know tnat parfs al
vorces obtained In Icdana by parties VINO DO not give
the defendant notice to defend himself are worth
nothing in any State outside OF Indiana and when
lhey procured bV persons who are not actual resi-
dents OF the state they void even In Indiana The
minister who married this man may only have been
Negligent In not using scrutlny ~ TO those he
married, but how Is It with Mr. Beecher who
knew all the particulars aud all tho parties Z
terian Methodnt church would NOS dare do
such tnlng. But Mr. Beecnsr belongs to no sect or
ever that means It's creed Ia the aermo ns "a mi xure
OF ethics and politicsl which he pr0mugateS weekly
In orange street. Brooklyn. lie u law unto him.
fogy resrains OF bishops. councils, synods presby
sefies &c. II no thinks himself amenabIe TO no
church, law or government, public OPINION will be
ms judge. lie and the parties no married were we'll
met. 1ney hold the modern ana seeding views on
tho old subjects OF marriage and divorce, and had
become q II
afiinitIes. &c. Tho minister who married them Is
one or the modern seceders among that class OF
Protestants no ara daily setting up new creeds and
building dissenting churches. 1t appears that Air.
Mcfarland kept his marriage vow to MS wle-to
love ner to the end and II he broke Of the
say ne saae - 0'0 n0' '''aA 40. susTIoE TID
PULPIT ELoQUHNCE AND PURITANICAL DEMAaoGUE-
TO THE EDITOR OF THR HERALD:-
The columns OF your journal detailing and cri,i.
cising the acts Of the socaed clerical dlvlnes who
have acted 80 conspicuous part In tho Richardson
Mcfarland tragedy, calls forth Q hearty approval,
and all, with one accord, proclaim, "serve them
right" One mother or family OF interesting young
iadies exciams ''To what are We tendinyi" Would
1t not be maulfesSy dangerous for OF nv daugh-
ters to visit the sanct uary where such unholy and
blasphemOus principles are prOmulgatedS IL ls pre-
sumed tnat good per oentage OF tho w0rshippers
tiOnB of serving their Creator in humble and Gevout
prayer; others, fascinated by the eloquent language
OF preacher who can pervert religious truths
10 POLITICAL ends and others with no higher aim In
view than serving the God OF Mamm0n by q vain
display Of tInseed nnery and aristocratic gew gaw
Ism. Truly we are standing on the brink Of dan.
gerous chasm. ana we naturally trembie for the
iate OF our wives and daughters when such men
as Beecher and rockingham, clothed with the garD
OF sancty and protesting to follow in the footsteps
OF our Redeemer and teach HIS moral precepts, call
down and invoke the blessing OF our Heavenly
Father on two guilty breakers who openly
Vt0lated the commandments.
In this nineteenth century. when civilization Is
making such rapid advencemenk it 10 to be
regretted tnat c0mmuni ties should suffer from ths
te achings Of such demagogues, whose minds have
become viilated by the taint OF free elovcism-and
that csnonical law dogs not come TO our AID In
snenclng taem-and fiereoy preserve our homes
theories. A FATHER.
RICHARDSON'S DEATHBED-A FEW SUGGESTIONS.
TO THE EDrTOR or THB HERALD:--
The pubic press, In its structures on the course
pursued by the reyerend gentlemen who figured
around the deathbed Of unfortunate Richardson.
seem to have overlooked one great ana important
feature-namely, the total absence of all effort on
the part OF tnoso ministers (wnose only duty In
that Chamber was) to prepare the dying man for
that awful uibunal before wnlch he was about to
appear, tribunal on the decs on Of which depended
the loss or saving OF his immortal soul for all
eternity.
prayer or induce him 10 humoly ask forgiveness OF
AN 0nended aud mefcfui Cod. He died with bom-
bast worldly speeches ringing In his ears and the.
atrical marriage liked upon MS memory. The great
end, the one tnIng necessary-eternal savatiOn-was
lost sgntof. Mcfarland Will have TO answer for the
murder Of his body, but Messrs. Beecher anu Froth-
A CHRISTIAN.
SLAVERY MARRIAGE AND THE uloHHn LAW.
To THs EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
Throughout the slavery agitation, 80 terrible
in It's consequences to the country, certain gentle
men warred-rlghtly. perhaps-against slavery as
being an institution which set at defiance Q higher
thaa human law. Now, however. when the slavery
question has gone down to "the grave OF all the
Capuets .'the advocates OF the higher law seem
strangely inclined 70 waive It's lpreIsnslons Else
how Is 1t that certain clergymen, who ut one time
were very clamorous for conformity to tho higher
law In The case OF slavery, have become OF late go
marveousy Indifferent 10 Its tsrequirements IN regard
10 marrlagei Does tho higher law sanction divorce
legal or liiegalf ClNIS.
To rHg EDITOR OF THE HEsARD:-
IL TO me that the acts aud utterances OF two
distinguished dlvInes in connection with the
Richardson tragedy deserve the reprobaton OF In
dividuals we'll or the more liberal portion OF
the press that remarkable speech In the chamber Of
death, Of man, whose sphere OF action Is the pulpit
OF q CHRISTIAN church and whose simplest and sill.
Hest expressions are received BY many with on
thusastic plaudts, seems to me SO dangerous, un
just and abhorrent to the moral OF the commu
nifty that silence OF the public should not be allowed
to misead the speaker into the belief that his action
Ii approved. Under the circumstances were not tho
marriage anu tho funeral nike shocking TO
the sense OF an enlightened peopley Was there not
Indecent haste IN these two gentlemen to justify
or did taey attempt sucn justification in
ignorance of ali factsf Yet the speaker
does form ana express tho opinion that ''ln
the main' the co duct OF the dead and the
living lately united by him had been yirtuous aud
rignt Did he at the solemn moment and in that
memorable scene feel that even he must orer
apology for HIS part place therein and does he
mean that no Will defend whatever act OF any one,
VINO took the right part IN great national strug
gle, whether he be the patriotic. unseltsh soldier
mercy camp follower Is not his Christian mantle
OF charity broad enough to cover the unfor-
tunate man now In the prison cell whose
sympathy in that struggle was as earnestly
on the same sdeS Did MIR. Beecher forget at tnat
impressive hour the alleged guilty connection the
long, unwearied EFFORT to win back the pledged affec
tlon OF wile and tho custody OF an idozcd child;
.4Ixau