The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-09-03

this mother took the child away brought out
the present story.
Under this title the EUe,.inq Post expends
column Of invective upon q recent article In
the HERALD, and exhibits zeal unchecked by
courtesy and scarcely bridled by decorum.
We will not initiate our contemporaries rude
discourtesy, but We trust we may set it an
example of social and moral discrimination
by which it may profit in its future attempts
to reason on subjects of this class. 1t objects
to our suggestion that it would be safe and
prudent rule for married clergymen to be ac-
companied by their wives in making pastoral
visits ct hours when the male members of the
family are absent, calling it "a scandalous
LIBEL on the clerical profession and their
female parishioners. We are unable to per-
cevc that there would be the slightest indie
corum in clergyman making o call on o
female member Of his flock attended by his
wife. We do not doubt that Mr.. Beecher will
regret as long as he lives that he did not
either abstain from his frequent visits to Mrs.
his lecturing tours, or take his wife
with him to share in the pastoral
intercourse What the Post calls ''the
scurvy story of Mr. Beecher's relations
with the Tilton family" could never have
arisen to poison the social atmosphere if he
had protected himself by either of these wise
precautions. If minister Of Mr. Beecher's
great emnence is not, under the present sys-
tenn of pastoral intercourse, safe from such
revolving scandals as have poured their dis
gushing tide through the newspapers for the
last five weeks it is time that some measures
were adopted to shield innocence from unjust
attacks and prevent guilt. 1t is a point of
Christian ethics to give up the most harmless
indulgences if the example is injurious to
weaker brethren. IF meat make my brother
to offend" says st. Paul, 81 will eat no flesh
while the world standeth, lest I make my
brother to Offend Not that he thought it
sinful to eat flesh, but a Christian oblga-
of others.
The Post, in denouncing our suggestion
as Insulting" overlooks the most ordinary
distinctions that prevail in social reasoning.
Nobody's self-respect is ever injured by con-
forming to an established code of social
etiquette. The rule. as soon as social usage
has sanctioned it, is q complete protection to
individual sense of character as we'll as bull
wark to the evil against which it is intended
to guard We will make this plain by one or
two illustrations. 1t Is an accepted point Of
manners that lady does not receive the visits
of gentleman in her sleeping apartment with
the door closed. In ninety-nine cases out of
hundred no harm would result if this rule
were abrogated; but so priceless and sensi-
tive is female honor, that we presume the
rule will always stand. But if it did not
exist, if it were the ordinary custom for
lady to admit a gentleman guest to
her bedchamber and shut the door, then
it would no doubt, be an insult,
in any individual case, to demonstrate
with lady and forbid her to receive such
visits. 1t would be reflection on her per-
sonal character, implying that her virtue could
not be trusted in circumstances under which
that Of others was deemed SAFE The exist
ence Of the rule as part of the accepted code
OF manners protects her against every such
implication. So far as we are aware no young
lady with proper respect for social opinion
would make long pleasure excursion with
her betrothed, spending days with him at he
tells, without other acquaintance in the party.
If the custom were different it would be an i'm
parchment of her character for her friends to OBJ
ject; but we do not doubt that society is pretty
unanimous in regarding it as, on the whole,
prudent and wholesome custom. In the light
of these instances-w which might be multiplied
indefnitely-we submit that the Posts quota
ton from Don Quixote that s'no bars secure
maiden so well as her own reserve" is not
pertinent, and that the application the Post
makes Of it is not in consonance with the set
tied usages of society. clergyman's sexual
honor is as precious and sensitive as a wo-
mans, and social usage should be equally
careful lest the winds of defamation ssvisit it
too roughly"
recent able writer-Lecky, in his His
tory of European Morals in his candid and
interesting description Of the relative advan-
tages Of the Catholic and Protestant tenets
respecting the celibacy or marriage of the
clergy, pays beautiful tribute to those
gentle clerical households that stud Protestant
countries, which Coleridge described as sthe
one idyll of modern life Lecky closes that
attractive encomium with the following state