Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-02
LOCAL IMPRESSIONS. I
Reeeher ana me Chnrcnt..


EDITORS APPEAL-YOur readers will
no doubt conclude, from reading the
widely-eXtended notices Of the "Beeeh-
er scandal" that it must be the all-ab-
sorbing theme of conversation and con-
sideration among all classes of people
here, and that the affair is regretted by
all persons as an injury to the cause of
religion and morality. There is no
doubt that the newspapers generally, not
only in New York and Brooklyn, but at
remote distance from this center, are
endeavoring TO impress this belief on the
public mind. Such is not the case. On
the contrary, all well-eslanced minds
and decent people regard the matter in
exactly the reverse light. You will OBJ
serve that none of the orthodox churches
hold any regret that the thing has oc-
CURED. They have ample cause to con-
gratulate themselves that as the cloud
storm purifies the physical atmosphere
Of unwholesome vspOrs, so this storm of
scandal will tend to purify the moral
atmosphere OF the corrupting taint of
free-love and its coneomitant heresies,
so long promulgated from the pulpit of
Plymouth church, and which may be
called by the generic name of Beecher-
ism. Religion and morality cannot suf-
fer because heresy is exposed and de-
nounced. The scandal is nothing but
the natural offshoet of the vile princi-
pie from which il springs, and all hon
est, intelligent men and women every
where must rejoice that the insidious
monster, Vice, so long commended by
Beecher and his disciples TO the love and
embraces Of the people, under q guise OF
sophistry, has at last been shOrn of its
disguise, and presented to the public in
ell its hideous deformity. vINDEX.
NEW YORK, July p, 1874.
Beecher, the Churches and "Justice.s
EDITORS APPEAL-Your correspond
ent "Justiceu suggests that il may be
about time husbands and parents begun
to suspect that churches were the worst
public place for their wives and daugh-
ters; and this for the reason that few
free-loving people are.said to have bsen
behaving badly. Now nothing can be
more unfair than to charge upon 1.-THE
churches, "Mr. Beecher's fault, or Mrs. Til
toms or, anybody's fault. Thissame cor
respondent is of opinion that Mr.. Beecher
ought to take his place among the scien-
fists, that he ought to have done this
long ago, and 70 have renounced bis re-
ligiOn. For one 1 do not feel prepared
" AlSt DCCCEIl EllOul1 llhNt
done this. In fact do not know bat thst
this is the very thing he practically did.
Since the religion he processes does
not teach him either libertinism or lying,
but ON the contrary distinctly and in
plain terms forbids both, he Is guilty, il
at all, not account of his religion, but in
opposite it. But see where "Justice" puts
himself. BeecheT ought 10 have been
a scientist-nOt because it might have
made him purer man, but for consist
ency's sake. A scientist can play tricks
on his neighbor and nobody bat the
neighbor himself cares about it. Once
recognized as one of these he could
browse in any pasture aud not be talked
about, there would be nothing venerable
which he would be bound to respect,
sacred in virtue or purity which
he would be bound to reverence. / !
grant it might he some gain TO him to
have his conduct made consistent with
his profession, but then think, suppos-
ing him to be guilty as charged, that
it is the conduct rather than the pro-
fessiOn which made the doctoring. Our
churches are not going TO hurt our
wives and daughters. Nothing will il
we can protect them against men who,
ia the church or out Of it, hold
either formally or practically the princi-
pies which "Justice" would commend to
Mr.. Beecher. G.C.H.