The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-20
THE WHIPPING.POST.
An Assault on our New Castle Correspond

An Assault on our our Ney Castle Correspondents,
We have received from person residing in
Wilmington, Del, the following communication
in reference to the recent letter of our New
Castle correspondent describing the public fog
gtng which transpired in that town on Friday
last
10 the Editor Of The EUenirg Telegraph
Your correspondent "WAsHTBNAw," in depicting
the barbarities Of the whippingpost at New Castle
(Which, by-the-way, there very many persons in
Delaware who earnestly deplore), is guilty of
breach OF gentty and likewise OF truth when he at
tacks Christian minister and his congregation
tneither OF whom need extenuaton at my hands, in
the following language, which appears in your paper
OF last evening"
"If the Rev Alfred Goodman, formerly Of Phiad elpha
but now stationed at Grace Church Wilmington one OF
to rise in hi his seESH PSps t and half whisper
~ ~ rronor a acs In tbe nid,t ~ % r,arIo 90
to have surrendered themselves the ohrstianzns and
refining influences Of the gospel the chances that
would in turn receive very loud ntmatpns from the
Of labor"
Now sir, such scurrnous innuendo, cast at a man
whose voice ever the pulpit and out OF it, raised
in fearless denunciation OF cruelty, wrong and in
justice OF every shade and against congregation
nine-tenths OF whom stand with him shoulder to
shoulder in his advanced ideas Of liberty and pro-
gress is q shame to the man who wrote it, and it is
charity to him to suppose him utterly ignorant of
the people upon whom he comments 80 unjustly,
getting his text, perhaps, from some of the very,
very few in this community, whom "lean-visaged
envy" prompts to such uncharitable and unjust in
situations. TRUTH.
Wilmington, Del, May 49, 1869.
In answer to the above mild-tempered attack
upon our correspondent we present his own re-
sponse, as follows:-
BY very dexterous Of the scissors the 'truth-
ful" gentleman who is a member of Grace Church
hos vad N from lafta of
last Saturday, which, taken by itself, may be con-
torted into reflection upon the Rev. Alfred Cook
man. Nothing further from my intention in
writing the sentence quoted by ''rruth;' and when
the whole paragraph is read consecutivey, nobody
but model Delaware Christian could comfort it
as to cause any reflection upon Mr. Goodman, whom
know from frequent attendance upon his pulpit
minisrations in this city, to be "a man whose voice
is ever in the pulpit and out of it, raised in fearless
denunciation of cruelty wrong and Injustice of every
shade"
Yet was informed, on authority which I chose to
regard reliable, and still regard that Mr.. Cook
man has not yet had word to say about the Della
ware system of justice l do not and cannot believe
that he has become an advocate or apologst of the
piory and the lash and do not regard his silence
in the pulpit as proof Of it. But am assured that
very large proportion of Mr.. Cookmans congrega-
ton are fiery advocates OF the instruments OF
ture, and '"ruth" himself confesses that one-tenth
of the congregation are little lukewarm when they
are summoned to stand shoulder to shoulder with
their pastor Sin his advanced ideas of liberty and
progress" One-tenth Of congregation, even in
such an elegant structure as that in which the
Grace Church people worship, could create great
deal of 'unpeasantness," in case they had occasion
listen to the promulgation OF views upon the sub
ject of 'wooping niggers and mean white people"
not entirely in harmony with their own. Two and
two when put together in the usual way, generally
make four, and the people Of Grace Church are to
be themselves the judges Of what sort OF doctrines
they will listen to, and what sort of doctrines they
will not listen to.
The case of Grace Church was cited by me merely
to illustrate the point which made in my New
Castle letter, and which no man who subscrbes him
self "Truth" gainsay, by the freest use OF
such words ''scurrlity," "breach of gentity and
truth" and 'shame" that 1t is not only respectable
and Christian to advocate the whippngpost and the
pillory in Delaware, but intensely respectable and
Christian to do so. Moreover, when newspaper
correspondent drops down upon Delaware from Phi
ladelphia or New York, and touches up the beastly
scenes enacted every six months In the jaiyard at
New Castle in coors approaching the truth, he
meets with reception at the hands of the venerable
antedluvian Christians Of that locality which is quite
the Of hospitabe. Prsd facie he is ''ying
carpet-bagger," and prira tacie case.s generally
satisfactory to Delaware jury, who do not care to
trouble themselves about details OF evidence espe-
cialy when these details might operate against their
prejudces place their devOtons at the shrine Of
st. Pillory in a rather unenviabe light
In conclusion, will commend to the attention Of
''Truth" the following extract from recent number
OF the New York Methodist
"whipping is an economical punishment, nasmuoh as
it saves the expense of decent Jail And the negro
wench who steals ham or robs hen roost must
with the sheris cato nine tails We have
ourselves white sentenced in Delaware for lar
ceny Imprisonment and thirty nine lashes And yet tho
Judge was a gentleman and Christian, and seemed
conscious of the barbary of the Law which he admins
tered Yes rebuild the piory but the culprit who will
stand there first last and always spectacle to the
try, will be-DelawaTe."
ta orthn oha in, Mnfhn
dist eyes, and yet regards the pillory ht subject
for the denuncation OF the Church
WASHTENAW.
SssfIi Auo fIar( nj nj mi md