The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-02-11
Mr HEARERS 1 shall preach t.

01sc0urse-unlike the cabinet-maker
who SO smoothes, polishes, stains and
vafnishes his articles that it is difficult
to tell what Kind of wood they arr
composed ofE-I shall be 50 plain IN
Prosody and simple in Syntax, that
you can hardly help understanding
what intend to say.
To commence That there is a
wild and untamableslnst forever lurk-
ing in the breast of man to publish
his neighbor's shame is as correct as
calculation for an eclipseso Why it is,
that you, like flies, which take pains
to light upon, ones sores, should de-
light in saeking out the errors and
petit sins of your brotherinl blood, is
more than can nationally explain-
but true it is, you all have an itching
thusward and no moral physic nor
external application can allaylit. Let
an individual in the humble walks of
life who makes no professions to SUI
perior piety, but sustains fair repu-
tationcrae1a an T ypncemmenly praise
worthy deed, and the report of.H dies
like an echo upon a sand hill. Then
let him accidentally tread upon lit
tie violet of modesty, or thoughtlessly
pluch.a singla brig glft BIZ 6ss6m fF6fn the
garland of virtue, and it is trumpeted
abroad oteb his everlasting Disgrace
His indiscreetness may at first be only
known TO one-and he a fiiend-bat
this friend has, in common, with you
all, devil within him the same as the
most mellow and fairest looking apple
has a worni, at its core, He alone
knowing of the missteps of his init
mate, feeiain duty bound to. keep it
secret; but, at the same time, he is
afflicted with an irresistible inelina7
tion to tell 0fSittofsoneIone. He tells
II, se6hfdentially, to an acquaintance;
he to fourth and, finally, it becomes
as publicas tire doiags of Congress-
These confidential dams can no more
stop the stream of scandal when it has
once ]foEeil loose from its foaHtain-
head, than bear-trap can catch the
rn1easi ea5eas - fSEsTo - sfssh esfyss fas4sai0
My friends: 1t is impossible for you
to know, at the moment, how your
regulations are being unraveled by
Mr.. Medd ddlesomes Mrs. 0Chatterbox,
and Miss Tittletattle. My hearers,
you are not aware at first how, badly
your backs are bitten by these blood
suckers gormandizers upon the good
names of Others. 81 But when time
causes the wounds they ainf1ict to fes-I
ter, you begin to feel sore indeed, and
are ready to exclaim: Fhe sisnasiS
eIs te9th il, eqnallyT as poisonous to
ones soul as the fang Of d serpent to
the flesh" The reason why you glory
in publishing your,neighbor's shame is
as plain to me as the garb of a Quaker
ess. Hy hearers,iyou know that you
are all addicted to error, sin and folly,
and OonseqneItly yeu areDal~ays on
the lockout to discover disgraces in
others that will outweigh your own.
When you find such, you use your ;it-
mostexertions to increase the enormi-
ty, in order that contrast may aid your
own wickedness to escape upnoticed.
BUTT won't answer. It is very m6cb
like pot circulating the report that the
character of the kettle is covered with
crock. - - - = . II II - ~
My hearers, you have no right to /!
tear mans character to opieces for the
sake of patching up your own tattered
trowsers of morality, and you have no
business to know what he d does Sri
vately, if be does not publicly set
pefhici6hsi e1anfp 51S6,ouiy friends,
it should be with regard to the parson
of your village. if he. gives you good
advice from the pulpit, efcodrage ges tie
Christian in his pious career, warns
siniiers'to repentance, and points out
the dangers that beset the path of the
transgressor; if he goes about doing
good; comforting the widow and or
phan in their sorrows visits the sick,
and endeavors to alleviategthe suffer-
ings, and tighten the burdens of the
heavy-laden and weary; enters the
house of adversity, and calms the
souls troubled Nv aterss with q penny
worth Of the OH Of peace; gives hope
and consolation to him who is about
setTsail Rpoho the ocean sof f,eternity;
accompanies him to the dock of death,
shakes hands aud sees him safely off
with ardent wishes for his eternal
welfare to the spirit land. Ny hear
ePs aud beloved friends, if your good /
and christian-like parson does all these
thingssit iss poneef your business, if
he takes All occasional glass Of brandy
and water and little sugar behind his
own door. andsif some of you should
happen to disco Yersitr and aeiroulate it
through the village, you makeAa fuss
about it, and discharge him from the
ministry.ai 1Nowu what gisq the conse-
quence :? Why, the poor man,Tpot
conscious of a single fault, but pierced
to the heart with the arrows of public
opinion, takes sto1th bottle to drown
his grisf1 sf1not remorse, for he has done
nothing fo1bel ashamed % and feels
his way in fog to the tomb as fast as
heiean.o 8, And You, my dear. friends
aid Beloved brethren are the mntrrder-
ers of this unfortunate man. Truly,
all his vfrtuoas actions were born but
to, die for want of that protection and
nourish1nent which a foolish and mig
gardly. community was 3never known
TO afford.
NY hearers and beloved friends,
you are too apt to annihilate good
andyirtnons Areputation-as we min
listers are-merefy because you fancy
you can discover a'smalF stain upon it |
which, after all, generally amounts to
no more thalEa 81 speck upona . clean
table-cloth.. This is wrong, decidedly