The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-01-16
p0pULAR cApACIrY FoR SCANDAL
From Scrlbnor's Magazine,

HllllUllllB tAlllblVlolln Nlll'li h'H'"'' ~"
ture ever makes of itself, is in its
greedy credulity touching all reports OF
the misdcmeanors of good men. II II
man stands high rs moral force III the
community if he stand as the rebukcr
and dcnounccr of social and political
sin if he be looked up to by any con-
sidcrble number of people as an cX-
ample of virtue if the whole trend and
power of his life be in high and pure
direction if his personality and inllu-
ence render any allegation against his
character most improbable then most
readily does any such allegation find
eager believers 1t matters not from
what source the SANDER may come.
Multitudcs will be influenced by re-
port against II 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
dcrcr may be notoriously basc-may be
pandcrer to the worst passions and the
lowest vices may be shameless sinner
against social virtuc-may be timer,
a notorious liar, It drunkard, libcrtinc,
or harlot-all 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-standcS and
looicrs-on is measured by the success
of the stain sought to be inflicted.
As between the wording and the
man who processes to be guided by
Christian motives, all this is natural
enough The man bound up i'll
his sensual delights, who sees
Christian fall, or hears the report that
he has fallen, is naturally comtortcd IN
the belief that. after all, men are alike
that no one of them, however much he
may profess, is better than another. 1t
il quite essential to his comfort that he
cherish and fortity himself i'll his con-
viction. So, when any great scandaIansc
in quarters where he has found himself
and his course of life condemned, he
listens with ready cars, and is unmls-
tallably glad. We say this is natural,
however base and malignant it may
be but whcnpcoplc rcputcd good-nay,
people pressing to be Christian -Shrug
their yirtuous shoulders and shake their
feeble heads, while foul scandal
touches vitally the character OF one OF
their own number, and mcnaccs the cX-
tinguishment of IN influence, higher or
humblcs, by which the world IS made
better. we hang our heads with shame,
or raise them with Indignation. If such
thing as this is natural, it proves Just
one thing, viz, that these men are
hvpocritcs. There is no man, Christian
or Pagan, who can rejoice in the faintcst
degree over tie rcputcd fall OF any
other man from rcctitudc, without being
Mt heart a scamp. All this readiness to
believe evil of others, especially of
those who have been rcputcd to be cmi-
nentIy good, is an evidence Of conscious
procliyity to vice that finds comfort in
eminent companiOnshlp.
There is no better test Of purity and
true goodness than reluctance to think
evil of ones ncighbor and absolute i'll
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 1t
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 slandcrcd is pre-
sumcd to be guilty until he proves
himself to be innocent, and even then
it takes the liberty of doubling the
testimony. Every man who reloices III
n scandal advertiScS the fact of his own
untrustworthincss 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 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 bad thing done by one whom he
regards us 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-
lieye i'll the existenca OF virtue OF
which they are consciously empty.
When the Master uttered these words,
"I.et him that is without sin among you
first cast stone at her, he knew that
none but conscious delinquents would
have the disposition to do so; and when,
under this rebule, every fierce accuscr
retired overwhelmed. lie, the sinlcss,
wrote the womm'a crime in the sand for
the heavenly rains to clince. If He
could do this in ease of guilt not dis
pute,l, 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 piycs the lie.