The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-16

Clergymen-A Contribution 60 Chris
tian Unity.
Some Of our exchanges are dissatisfied with
the HERALD for its publication of the sermons
delivered every Sunday We are told by our
critics that this must have the effect OF bring
ing religion into contempt; that our clergy
men will become worldly minded and crave
the applause of men more than that approval
of the inner conscience and the heavenly
powers which is understood to be the full
reward of the servants of the Divine Master,
and moro anxious for the commentator of
the press than of their congregations. One
criticism is that no printed newspaper report
can do justice to the spirit and fervor of the
spoken word, and it is argued that, upon the
whole, the business of o newspaper is secular,
and should not embrace religion within its
province.
A few weeks ago. when the venerable and
illustrious Guizot was conversing with cor
respondent of the HERALD and giving this
journal his views on current affairs in France,
the question was asked, els the HERALD
Christian newspaper" When our CORE
spondent explained our policy of a weekly pub
lication of sermons and theological essays,
reported as fully and conscientiously as the
speeches of MIR. Sumner or Mr.. Conkling, or
even Mr.. Guizot himself, the great statesman
accepted the fact as an illustration of Chris
tan progress and respect for religion and
morality among the American people, contrast
ing sadly, as it did, with the strange, irrational
customs of the Continent. We might rest our
reply to our critics with the authority of
Guizot but as the HERALD accepts and cheer
fully discusses any criticisms made upon it's
policy, let us see what higher considerations
ore involved in our course towards the pulpit
and how journalism and the public welfare
are affected by our custom of making sermons
and religious essays matters of news. We
may say, in passing that these objections
recall objections made when the HERALD,
in the earlier part of its career,
took new departures in journalism. When
the money market report was first printed in
these columns the gamblers and spectators on
Wall street objected. They had an immunity
in their calling They could make their
corners their financial combinations and
conspiracies against national and private
credit-and the general outside world had
nothing to say. When the HERALD made
daily record of their transactions they de-
claimed against it as a violation of business
conference.-the invasion of O province that
did not belong to the press. When the in
come returns we're copied from the assessors
books and printed there was a feverish ex-
clamation of horror at the violation of pri-
vate rights. But it was observed that in
comes were more carefully paid and the
government made money. When we began to
collect ship news in our own vessels all whose
interest was that ship news should not be col
lected were grieved at what was called our
persistent audacity. When our war cor
respondents rode with the army col
umns to tell the men and women at home
what the brave boys were doing in the field
there were generals who believed in hanging
our press heroes rs spies. We might multiply
illustrations; but the history of all progress
is full of them. We have no doubt there are
when it was regarded as breach of privilege
to report Parliamentary debates Old Sam
Johnson was compelled to write his reports as
though they were of some imaginary Parlia-
ment in Greece or Rome. And even now
there is an English lava lingering remnant
OF this conservative perod-which gives any
member of the House of Commons the right
to order every reporter out of the gallery. That
this law is not dead letter was shown very
recently when member of the House exer-
cised his privilege.
Therefore we must not vehemently object to
the criticisms of our friends, who think ser
mons too sacred for the columns of q news
paper. We do not think the wise men who
disbelieved in steam and telegraphy were sound
in their views; but they held them honestly,
and so far commanded respect But how
does our course affect the clergymen? With
all honor to the clerical calling, we must re-
member that the time was when to be clergy
man was to be something between servant
and gentleman. History shows that clergy
men attained the eminence and power of
Richelieu and Wolsey, but this was when the
Church Of Rome was supreme. The clergy
man of the last century, as seen in Eng
lish novels and comedies was character in
spring feeling between contempt and pity.
To drink ale with the squire when he was
home from the chase, to say grace at table and
leave before the custards were brought in, to
marry my ladys waiting maid or the damsel
who had outgrown my lords affect ton, to
swear and shoot and gamble and follow the
hounds, and lie in Jail for his debts and cheat
at cards-this character of clergymen per-
vades our English literature from Dryden to
Thackeray. In America as we'll as England
the profession has grown. Public respect has
increased with higher civilization, and clergy
men show themselves more and more worthy
of public respect. Nor is anything calculated
TO encourage this more than the HERALD Gus