The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-08-06
The atmosphere Of much of northern society

Skeptcism OF biblical religion which, under the
scientists teachings and the broad latitude of
construction, alured the pastors of congrega-
lions to be applied to the cearest sentences of
Holy Notwithstanding, modifying ministers re-
jactiifg them, to suit the tastes and caprces
OF fashion, folly and vitiated taste. have g adj
ually undermined the foundations of the Apos-
tolic Builders, and puerile sentsmentalisms, and
unholy desire are beginning to be allowed to
harmonic with the plan OF salvation taught in |
the beautiful simplicity Of the saciom''s pre-
eepts. The TiNon-Beeczer scandal case devel-
OPS and illustrates the verify of this conclu-
sion. We infer but 10 not argue that the above
view is correct, merely from the fact that Hen
ry Ward Beecher, the great pulpit orator, has
become involved in the meshes of gross iinpro-
prlety-perhaps sin. Better men than Beecher
have fallen; and mans liability is the recog-
nized rule Of the Bible-the inevitable conse-
quence of the fall of Adam The most prom
inent characters of the Bible have displayed
flaw in their characters, and the INTELLECTUALLY |
OF a man does not save him from giving way to
the temptations which the world presents.
We argue from more palpable facts, and these
are the avidity, the gloating pleasure, with |
which the public press North seizes on so re-
Voting a scandal and holds it up to their men,
women and children as a picture to be gazed
at.
If Beecher is the guilty man that is asserted,
the church members should manage the case,
and retain the disgraceful particulars within
the orbit of their own action. Beecher could
be elected f ON his pulpit, if he sinned, and
could be retained, if he was innocent, without
parading before the youth Of the country the
details of social manners, and relations between
church membership and the preacher. which
would be a blot on the bar6arism Of the heath
en- in his darkest ignorance.
We do not care just here to trace the history
of this dereliction of northern churches from
the time they began to break away from the
old landmarks of duty to God, and that from
the pulpit Of politics, and the hundred and one
various. isms that have sprung up among the
people in that portion of the Union. down TO
the downfall of christianity itself in these
churches, and the getting up in it's stead Of g,
br0zen faced, flushed and tinselled IDOL the Gre
alton of mans own morbid fancies. We write
with no pleasure even OF the result, but with
| sorrow, and only point to it as the rock which
| those in our country. given to dabbling in mis-
ty conjectures, and to varying the plain old
style Of the Bible, should avoi.,. We know too,
that the South has not been free from the mis-
haps which the Eeecher case precipitated in
the Plymouth Church, and that there has been
too much OF that gaping curiosity which savors
iogd rl,t in bn al In do
lection from the faith of those who should have
stood firm and true to the end. But in the last
instances, the difficulty arose out of the moral
corruption of the man as a man, and was not
probable result of system of church govern
ment, latitutlnarian construction, and the dis
gushing familiarity Of relations between church
members. because Of that membership and the.
PASTORAL head.
The people down here in Virginia may con-
graduate themselves, that, visited by war, fam
inc and fire as they have been, yet they have
never had so withering q blight to nang over
their societies and communities, as that which
eliminated i'll the disgracefal publications and
obscene illusions of the Beecher scandal. We
may not, though whilst rejoicing at our escape
from this calamity, rejoice in the comparison
which makes the northern church manner
isms and customs Objectionable. AS we have
written we can but observe this detection with
sorrow The people are part of this fane-gre.;.,
community that make up the Uniteu States
They have common heritage with us in the
traditions OF the Government. as recorded in
the revo sionary days. and in the events
J Which crowded one after another so quickly
upon the country in the march Of the nation to
the glory reflected from her civilization in the
days of Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton and
the elder Adams.
Every act of wrong committed by man
north of the Potomac is damaging to every
man in the South, because of the unity of inter
est which exists between all citizens in the
common government and the prosperity of the
Sou h is important to the North oo.bacause Of
this unity.
We hope for a.speedy reaction in the relig-
4 ious, moral methods of our northern brethren,
that they will go back to the old style of preach
1 ing, and learning, moral precepts and religious
truths from Paul, and Peter, and John and Che
old teachers, whom Christ endorsed, and not
search for illustration, example and truth in
GIlC VI novel, UI0 WOISb OI u
bad schools Catherine Gaunt, character of
felton,, in whatever Of virtues she developed
was sustained, and governed by the words of
him who rebuked the mnltitudes who would
have stoned to death the Magdalene with, ssLet
him who is without sin cast the first stone.''
4 The Baltimore American advises all peacea-
bic, law-abiding citizens, who dislike being a.
rested, not to take their sons Of ten or twelve
years Of age ON a tour through any rural neigh
borhood in which they are not known; there
are SO many deputy sherifs, constables, town
bailffs, and other officers Of the peace who are
carrying photograph of little Charlie Ross in
their pockets, and every strange lad they see
bears a striking likeness to the picture and it
adds: Gypsies and organ grinders who have
small children had better cease their peregrina-
lions until little Charlie is found, or at least
until the excitement Of his disappearance blows
over. -
ANOTHER COMET DIscvERED.-AIr Ste
phens telegraphs from Paris that at 2 O'Clock
P. NJ, on the night Of Sunday, the 2sth inst,
Borell at Marseilles, discovered another COM
ct. He gives its right ascension 15hrs. 52nin.
lSsec. Polar distance 800. 1t can, therefore.
be seen in our latitude. Borslli describes it's