The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-20


Revelation altogether, or than the Catholics
who sse the Bible, but beiinc in the Pope
S6d his ogma& mp sPeq z. NJ
''Bcccher i great but ~ is m}e|
intelectu satisi - in 10 ing p an.
evangelical orthodox clergyman, or rad.
ical come outer, for both of these classes are
logical and consistent He confessed his
weakness in this sermon. He said: " You
call pc = minister, aed yps think { susht y
know cxcEythiaG. Well knox xaEE litls;
less than many of you. I cannot answer all
ofthe<e difficult questions, but l know that
God is love" These are nearly his uortk.
On the ground Of modesty they ase COM
mendable, bot Mr.. Bescher cannot be permit
ted to dodge the question in this way. He
is one Of the giants Of the church, and Il he
cannot fortify his belief, what Is 70 bscome
of ordinary norsals? He said he believed
all men would be saved every ono Gods
love was sufficient for all But he also said
or implied that most Iersons who aooept the
Bible and ground their faith upon ii believe
that only small fraction of humanity will
escape hell. 10 fti, r- v.b =.
Having made these brief but j,Aa criticisms
I ask all Who can 70 get copies Of this ser
mon, when printed, preached Oct. I'd. His
prevailing thought was generous, noble and
Chrislike, and it must have carried comfort
to hundreds who we're weary in spirit. And
the prayer was higher than the sermon.
- D. W. W.
Ne N0Fesis. &.
From the Citizen and Round Tablet
IL we are " judge by the tone in which
the press and pulpit are accustomed to speak
Of the dead, we have a greater assortment Of
saints in the United States than any other
country can boast. No sooner does = noted
man-whether he be politician, Journal
ist, or a private citi1en-die, than We hear
on all sides nothing but his praises. A poll
tician may have been VIGOROUSLY immoral
and unblushingly CORRUPT and yet when his
fortunate fellow -countrymen hear the news
of his death they Immediately proceed to
praise him as \ scco0d Washington. Not
only the press Of his particular party, bat
also those clergymcn who arc accustomed to
"improvc" the occasion Of the week, sud-
denly find that he was great statesman, and
a man of wonderful nobility Of character.
He may have been rs grossly immoral as
Thadde,ls Stevens, a brutally tyrannical as
Stanton, or as corrupt as Jim Lane, bat new
ertheless his disinterested patriotism, his per-
soDal integrity and his broad and brilliant
statesmanslip are made the subjects Of col
umns Of e,Ilogy. The conclusion is inevita-
bic. Either nil our public men are models
of morality and patterns Of patriotism, or
else we falsify history, and make a mlockery
of public and private virtue. Z
So, too, when any man who has obtained
notice as journalist or a man of letters,
dies, the press at once discovers that he was
one of the ornaments of the profession. The
drunken Bohemian and the hardworking
honest gentleman receive precisely the same
measure Of praise. The dead man may have
been avoided AZ nuisance during his life
fine Ivy the very journalist who writes his
obituary, bat he is a. certain Of praise as
though he had been the Chevalier Bayard
of the pres. II this pernicious practice does
not convince those who are just entering the
profession that drunkenness and sObriety,
dishonesty and integrity, are equally praise
worthy, the boosted influence of the press
must be vastly overrated.
During the past week, two men, who for
some years have been connected with city
journalism, suddenly died. One was man
who, during his whole career, had been dis
tinguished chiefly BY his wilfal abuse Of the
talents which had been given him. His ex-
crllent father had died brOken-hearted because
of his sons misconduct; his wife had been
forced to apply to the law for release from
his companionship; he earned the distinc-
ton of having brought to notice and popular
lied form Of drunknes previously all but
known in this country. As an author, his
two most successful books were devoted to
the details of his experience as an eater Of
hasheesh and smoker ofopium. As a jOurn-
alist, his statements were VIGOROUSLY un-
trustworthy. His character and habits were
perfectly we'll known to nine-tenths of the
community, and the news Of his death had
long been anticipated by those who knew the
inrOads that hasheesh, opium and brandy
had made upon his constitution.
The other was one who had steadily risen
in his profession by hard work and conscien-
tious discharge of his duties. He was a
high minded, chivalrous gentleman, kind
and courteous to those with whom he came
in contact, faithful to his friends and to the
interests Of his employers. lie was truthful,
honorable and upright. 1t would be diff
cult to find a man more universally respected
and esteemed. And vet, if we are to pant our
faith i'm obituary notices, the man who made
wilfnl shipwreck of his life deserved not a
whit l..s praise than was given to De Witt
Van Buren.
There are often times when it is wise, As
well as kind, TO adopt the maxim. De NOR
this nil nisi bonum. II is never wise nor
kind to confound the distinction between
right and wrong, 10 give the same honor to
the dissolutc as 10 the well-spent life.
The above strikes us as quite healthy
view Of the topic discussed. And yet it is an
unpleasant task to review the character Of a
dead man, who bore the general rel't'saiion
If being slave TO some base appetite or pro-
pensity. Particularly is this the case when
the deceased, when alive manifested nn-
usually active and potent mental energies
who WAS brilliant and scholarly M a writer,
or great and strong as thinker. And yet,
the method Of stating the examples which
have apparently furnished the writer Of the
Round Table with his text we object to.
Why not give the name Of the Journalist,
whose life and character are SO vigorously
treated? That would much better fortify the
appearance Of boklness and fearless criti-
cism which that paper advertises. We sup
pose, Of course, that the other pary-the
other dead n,an-whicll the above article
fails to name, is Fitz Hugh Ludlow, who
died at Geneva, Switzerland, recently. We
trust, the fine writer's Of the Round Table will
correct this defect in their manifestation of
reform in obituary mention.
Our Railroad Peas.
To the Editor II the Times:
The gentlemen composing the two distinct
and separate railroad corporations Missouri
River and L. 4. & n. w. Il. X. Companies
are called to meet on 18th and ratify q
lease approved bv the Mo. Pacific II, X,