The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-11-07
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
A Word Ahnnt NIandar.

Call no man happy until he is
dead" is the substance of an old and
suggestive adage. 1t IS far harder to
lose wealth or fame than never pos
sess them. Disappointed ambition is
bad enough, but low station is more
t0lerable to one who has always occu-
pied it than to one who has reached it
by fall from above. The higher the
eminenoe the mole disastrous the de-
scent. Had Napoleon III. been de-
feated In his coup d'ctdt of 1851, and
confined aG some such palace as his
present abode at Wilhelmshoehe, he
might have chafed against the gilded
bars of his cage, but he could not have
mourned such liberty as he now has
lost.
Sad as is the fate of the victim of
political reVersea, 1t bears no COMPARE
son with that Of the person who finds
himself driven from society by Islander,
or the object of disgraceful suspicious
which he can not prove to be false.
That lively and INSCRIPTIONS jester,
Samuel Foote, was accused of afro
oious wickedness uDjustly no doubt,
and died of shame, showing himself
far more sensitive than his reckless
lampoons of others seemed to indicate.
The fate of Lady Flora Hastings, one
of Vietoria's maids of honor, is re-
membered by many Of our readers.
The victim of dropsical disease, she
was, thougtlessly If not maliciously,
charged with departure from the path
of maidenly purity and driven from
| Court This outrage to her sensibili-
| ties purssed her TO the grave, and her
innocence was established when rep
aration was no longer possible.
An instance, net unlike those we
have quoted, has just been made pub
| lie In our own country. The Rev.
George Richards, q man past fifty
years of age, an industrious student
and excellent preacher, was settled
| over a Congregational Church in
Bridgeport, Connecticut. He had
previously occupied similar positions
| in Litchfield and Boston, and was
universally respected. Not long ago
he was denounced for over familiarity
with the female members of his flock.
No criminality was pretended, but il
was alleged that he had cOmplimented
young ladies on their pretty feet and
other personal attractions. There
might have been imprudenee in this,
but the age of Mr.. Richards and the
facts In the case were such that his
church found no reason for blame.
When, also, it was clearly shown that
the personal malice of one or two
members Of his church had inspired
The charges their authors would have
been excommunicated had not their
subject begged that they should be
let alone.
1t was easier, however, to.deueunce
than to eXculpate a man, in this as in
other cases. Perverted and exagger-
ated versions of the affair found their
wayinto print, and drove MIR. Richards
nearly to frenzy. He resigned his DO
| sition, broken in health and spirits.
A few months of rest seemed to ben
eht him, and he was induced to re-
sumo his duties. but the blow had
struck too heavily, and a week or two
ago he died.
The estimation in which he was
held was proved by the attendance If
nearly all the citizens of Bridgenorl
at his funeral; by the appearances of
the various Protestant ministers as
bearers, and by their publication of
tribute of respect to his memory in
tho city papers. His &ccusers are now
on trial before tie church It is al
legged that the sole ground for their
moVememens against him was his dis
agreement with them on matters of
church policy.
Were VIC to seek for further Illus
trations Of our subject the material
could be found in abundance, but
enough has been adduced to show the
delicacy of human sebsibilities to ma
lignant assaults. Had Dir. Richards
or Lady Flora Hastings been really
guilty, no tribunal would have inaict-
ed the death penalty for their miscon-
duct. The slow torture of SANDER
Is certainly more dreadful punish
men than the gallows, and its author
IS more Inhuman than the assassin.
whether conscious Of it or not,
w ben one reads the iniuuities that
are charged against candidates for no
itical office, it seems wonderful thar
they can bear up under tho shame
The reason for their apparent inse,.
sibilitiy is doubtless found in tha;r |
Consciousness that the public recognize /
the stories as only campaign capital /
Cutting out of tongues was often in