The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-01-10
POPULAR CAPACIrY FOR SCANDAL.

ture ever makes of itself, is in it's
greedy credulity touching all reports of
the misdemeanors of good men. If a
man stands high as a moral force in the
community if he stand as the rebuker
and denOUncer of social and political
sin +; if he be looked up to by any con-
siderble number of people as an ex-
ample of virtue if the whole trend and
power of his life be in a high and pure
direction; if his personality and infu-
enee render any allegation against his
character most improbable, then most
readily does any such allegation find
eager believers. It matters not from
what source the slander may come.
Multitudcs viii be influenced by a re
port against n good mans character
from one who would not be believed on
oath in any matter involving the pecu-
mary interest of fifty cents. The SIAN
derer may be notoriously base-may be
a panderer to the worst passions and the
lowest vices--may be shameless sinner
against social virtue-may be a thief,
a notorious liar, drunkard, libertine,
or harIot-au this matters nothing.
The engine that throws the mud is not
regarded The white object at which
the discharges are aimed is only seen ;
and the delight of the by-standers and
lookers-on is measured by the success
of the stain sought to be inflicted
A. I II
man who processes to be guided by
Christian motives, all this is natural
enough. The man bound up in
his sensual delights, who sees a
Christian fall, or hears the report that
he has fallen, is naturally comforted in
the belief that, after all, men are alike
that no one of them, however much he
may profess, is better than another. 1t
is quite essential to his comfort that he
cherish and fortify himself in his con-
vietiOn. So, when any great scandal arises
in quarters where he has found himself
and his course of life condemned, he
listens with ready ears, and is unmis-
takably glad. We say this is natural,
however base and malignant it may
be ; but whenpeOple reputed good-nay,
people pressing to be Christian-shrug
their virtuOus shoulders and shake their
feeble heads, while a foul scandal
touches vitaIly the character of one of
their own number, and menaces the ex-
tinguishment of an influence, higher or
humbles, by which the world is made
better, we hang our heads with shame,
or raise them with indignation. If such
a thing as this is natural, it proves just
one thing, viz, that these men are
hypocrites. There is no man, Christian
or Pagan, who can rejoice in the faintest
degree over the reputed fall of any
other man from rectitude, without being
Mt heart a scamp. All this readiness to
believe evil of others, especially of
those who have been reputed to be emi-
nently good, is an evidence of conscious
procliyity to vice that finds comfort in
eminent companionship.
There is no better test of purity and
true goodness than reluctance to think
evil of ones neighbor, and absolute in
capacity to believe an evil report about
good men except upon the most trust
worthy testimony. Alas, that this large
and lovely charity is so rare But it
is only with those who possess this
charity that men accused of sins against
society have an equal chance with those
accused, under forms of law, of crime.
Every man brought to trial for crime Is
presumed to be innocent until he is
proved to be guilty; but with the world
at large, every man slandered is pre-
sumed to be guilty until he proves
himself to be innocent, and even then
it takes the liberty of doubling the
testimony. Every man who reioices in
a scandal advertises the fact of his own
untrustworthiness and every man who
Is panied by it, and refused to be i'm
pressed by it, unconscioUsly reveals his
own purity. He cannot believe a bad
thing done by one whom he regards as a
good man, simply because he knows he
would not do it himself. He cannot be
lieve a bad thing done by one whom he
regards as good man, simply because
he knows he would not do it himself.
He gives credit to others for the virtue
that is consciously in his own posses
sion, while the base men around him,
whether Christian in name or not, with
hold the credit because they cannot be-
lieve in the existenca of virtue of
which they are consciously empty.
When the Master uttered these words,
''Let him that is without sin among you
first cast a stone at her, he knew that
none but conscious delinquents would
have the disposition to do so and when,
under this rebuke, every fierce accuser
retired overwhelmed. He, the sinIess,
wrote the woman's crime In the sand for
the heavenly rains to efface. IF He
could do this in a case of guilt not dis
puted, it certainly becomes his followers
to stand together around every one of
their number whom malice or revenge
assails with ISLANDERS to which his or her
whole life gives the lie.
In, a world full of Influences and ten
denotes to evil, where every good force
is needed, and needs to be iealously
cherished and guarded there is
no choicer treasure and no more
benefcent power than sound charac-
ter. This is not only the highest result
of the best forces of our civilization,
but it is the builder of those forces in
/ society and the State. Society cannot
afford to have it wasted or destroyed ;
and its instinct of f-preservation de
mands that It shall not be suffered