Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-09-26
The Popular Capacity for Scandal.

One Of the most sadleniug and humliating
exhibitions which human nature ever makes
of itself, is in its greedy credulty touching all
reports of the misdcmeanors Of good men. |
n man stand high as moral force in the cum-
munitv il he stand as the rebuker and denoun-
Ger oC social and political sin; il he be looked
w to by any considerable number Of people as
an example of virtne it the whole power Of his
Ii be in high and pure direction il his per-
sonality aud influence render any allegation
against his character most improbable, then
most readily does any such allegation fad eS-
ger believers. 1t matters not from what source
the slandcr may cone MultituIcs viii bo in-
flueucsd by report against good mans
character from one who would not be believed
under oath in any matter involving the pecuni-
airy interest Of fifty cents, The slandprcr may
be notoIiuusly base--mny be paudcrcr to the
worst passions and the lowest vces-mny be n
shameless sinner against social virtue may DO
a notorious liar, drunkHri, liberine or n
harlOt-ali this matters nothing. The engine
that throws the mud is not regarded. The
white object at which the foul discharges are
aimed is only seen, and the delight Of the by
cess of the stain sought To be inflicted.
As between the wurdliug aud the man who
prof sses to be guided and controlled by Chris
/ tian motives, nll this is natural enough The
nan bound up in his selfish and sensual de-
lights, who sees Christian fall or hears tie
reports that he has fallen, is naturally comf,rt-
ed that after all, men are alike-that no one o.
them, no matter how much he may profess, Is
better than another. 1t is quite essential to his
comfort that he chcriS and fortify himself in
/ this conviction. So, when any great scandal
arises in quarters where hc has found himself
and his course of life condemned, he listens
with ready ears and is unmistakably glad We
! say this is natural, however base anl malig-
nant it may b.; but when people reputel good
! nay, people protesting to be Christians
shrug their virtuous shoulders and shake their
feeble heads, while foul scandal touches vi.
tally the character of one Of their own number
aud menaces the exiinguishment Of IN influence
higher ar humDler, by which the world Is mt,lr
better. we hang our heads with shame, "r raise
ttem with Indignation. Ii such thing as this
is natural, il proves just one thing, viz that
these m"n are hypocrltes. There is II" min,
Christian nT Pagan, who can rejoice in the faint
est degree over the fall uf any other man from
rectitude, without being scamp at heart. All
this readiness to believe evil Of Others especial
, ly Of those who have been reputed tn be emf
nently good, Is an evidence Of Conscious pro.
cliviiy tn vice that fuds comfort in eminent
| cumpaninnsip.
There is no better test of purity and true
! gandhcss than reluctance to think evil of ones
neighbnr, anl utter incapacty to believe an
evil report against goud men except upon the
most trustworthy testimony. Alas, that this
"A Il nt, artHaE Il
only with Those who possess this CHARITY that
men accused of sins against society have an
, equal chance with those accused, nn1cr thr
D. forms of law, of crime. Every man brought tu
trial for n crime is presumed to be innocent un-
I'll he is proved guilty but with the world NJ
large, every man sanderrd is presumed to he
guilty until lie proves himself innocent, and
even then it takes the liberty of duubting the
testimony. Every man who rejnices in scindd II
thereby adverliscs his own untrusiwo,thi-
ness, ana every man who is pnined by it aud
refuses 20 be impressed bv it uncnnsciously re-
reals his own parity. He caRnnt believe bad
! thing duuc by one whom lie regards as good
man, simply because lie knows he would not
do il himself. He gives credit to others for that
/ virtue which Is uncunsciOuSly in his own pos
session. while the bnse men around him, Sheth-
I e. Christian in name or not, withhold that cred
[ IL because they cannot believe in the existence
Of II virtue 0f which they are consciously empty.
When the Master uttered the words, LET him
that is without sin among you first cast n stone
al her," lie knew that none but conscious dcin-
qucnts would have the disposition to do 81 and
when, under this rebuke every fierce accus'r
retired overwhelmed, lie, the sinlcss, wrote the
wuman's crime in the sand for the heavenly
rains TO cHicc. Ii He could do this in case of
guilt not disputed, it certainly becomes His fol-
lovers to stand together around every one of
their number whom malice or revenge Rssals
with sander to which his or her whole life gives
the lie.
In a world full Of Influences and ten lGncies
to evil, where every good lurcc is needed and
needs Ia be jealuIsly cherished and guarded
there is no ehniccr treasure and no mOie hrne-
fcient power than sound character. This is
MT only the highest result of all best forces Oi
our civilization but il is the builder Of those
forces in sncietY aud the State. Society cannot
afford Ia have ii wasted or DESTROYED aud its
instinct Of self-preservalion demands that this
shall not be suffered. There Is n-thing sen
sitive anl unlhing 50 sacred as character aud
every tender charity, and loyal friendship, aud
chvarnus affection, And manly sentiment and
impulse ought tu iutreuch themselves around
every true character in the community 81 thor
oughy dat a breath Of calumny shall be MS
harmless as the idle wind. II they cannot Il,
this, then no man is safe who refuses to make
terms with the devil, and he is at liberty to pi,
his victims where he will.-ScriJners WOAhiy
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