The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-06-29

heV. Ur, BACON, belongs 10 history and
Is In every way a legitimate subject Of
public critlciGm." AS such we NOW must
say word about Il. We are sure that
no high.spirited and honorable man can
have risen from the perusal Of 1t without
feelings Of unlimited contempt for It's ati-
thor. That Is q matter Of small conse.
quence. We fear that not few high
spirited and honorable men may have
risen from the perusal Of with feelings
also Of scorn for the pretensions Of the
religion Of which It's author represents
himself as a disciple and Of which the
Rev. Dr.. Bacon is generally accepted az
On authoritative teacher and preacher.
That Is matter Of q good deal Of con.
Sequence. Two years ago, q weekly
paper, then published in New York, q
Il paper Of perfectly infamous character,
edited, to the casual eye, BY the notorious
woman Of whom Mr.. Theodore Tilton
had previously made himself the biog-
rapher, but, as both this woman and The.
odore Tilton asserted themselves to be-
i lieve, spiritually edited by the ghost oil
! Demosthenes, made public disgusting
impeaching Of the coDjugal fidelity Of the
pastor Of plymouth Church, The paper
was shortly alterward Spfesented TO the
District Attorney Of the United States Tor
another ofense OF the suit Of another per-
SOD, and suppressed as an obscene and
scurrilous sheet. OF course no right.
minded person, whatever might have
been his or her opinions as to the wisdom
or unwisdom Of Mr.. Bsecher's course
within and without the pale Of his pro-
lessional duties, ever attached the slightest
importance 10 this story. It came
through tainted channel from 3 troubled
source. 1twas distinctly claimed for It
that the allegations 1t contained had been
dishonorably communicated to the low
women who published It by Mr.. Theo-
dore Tilton. For our own part We held
the filthy tale, which was tnll, DO 1t OBJ;
served, Of improbabili:ies as Of indecen-
cies, TO be Of one warp and wool, though
Of baser stuff, with the crazy engender.
ings oil Its reputed author and It's avowed
publisher concerning the interl erence OF
the ghost Of DemOsthenes in the Wall
street operations Of Jay Gould. - +
We are not Of one household Of faith
either in matters spiritual or matters tenn.
poral with Mr.. Beecher. We have had In
the past, and we fear we are likely In the
future TO have many occasions 10 chal.
lenge his utterances on public questions.
We have often thought him, as We have
no doubt he has often thought us, blind
and unsafe guide Of the public mind. But
we have always recognized In him an
earnestness and manliness Of nature as
thoroughly fitted to command the respect
OF all honorable antagonists, as to conquer
the passionate devotion Of those who
think with him the same things concern
ing the service Of God or OF the State.
And as the spectacle Of brave man beset
by yagrant and NANCY ours in the dark,
or drenched in passing through the public
streets by malicious drudges emptying
vessels oil dishonor from On upper win.
dow, Is not, to our thinking, spectacle
conducive to the public veal, we sim
ply averted our face from the scam
dial and passed on. It Is to the
credit Of Mr.. Beecher that so far as APP
pears he has never condeScended, then or
since, to enter into any warfare with his
dlHeputable assallants. Dis alter piSam.
The divines took another view Of the
STORY. II was discussed and debated
among them like new article Of belief;
and at last there was council about 1t,
and, in the words already quoted OF DR..
Bacon, It became Legitimate subject OF
public criticism" AT the Council the
churches which had called the Council
were plainly informed by Plymouth
Church that the matter was none OF their
business; that whatever grievances MIR.
Tilton might have had or supposed him
self 10 have against Mr.. Beecher had
been long ago settled between them with
out in any way affordlng ground for be-
liet in the Infamous story out OF which
all this trouble had grown, and which,
indeed, at this late day Mr.. Tilton himself
pronounces 10 be "a wicked and horrible
SANDER" that Mr.. Tilton had lett Ply
mouth Church; and that Plymouth
Church neither wished 10 concern itseli
any more with him nor desired that other
churches should trouble It or It's pastor
about him.
After this, honorable men Of the world
would assuredly have dropped the sub
! ject altogether. Not so, however, did the
Rev. DR.. Bacon and his evangelical
. brethren. These gentlemen seem 10 have
been as much annoyed and irritated BY
their failure to bring about scandal
: Gus collision between Mr.. Beechel
| and the original author Of Mrs
Woodhulps story, now pronounced
by Its original author 10 be "a
!, wicked and horrible SANDER" as Mr..
] Payne, Of the Niaety.seyenth, was In the
Q Plckwlck Papers when DR.. Slammer and
Q Mr.. Wrinkle came to an understanding on
!. the ground without exchanging a shot.
DR.. Bacon, addressing o company oil
his clerical brethren shortly after the dis.
!. banding Of the Council, in Language
+ (which certainly sounds oddly like sar-
d casm, described Mr.. Beecher's nmag-
{ nanimty" In the matter as "unspeakable,'
J and said: II think Mr.. Beecher woult
!. have dono better to have let vengeance
r come on the head Of the slauderers." MeI
h OF the world who have read In the Scrip.
. lures which DR.. Bacon d supposed to &C
0 cept as a rule Of life, higher than earthl!
. codes Of honor, the solemn words
Q vengeance d mine; / will repay, saitl
J. the Lord can hardly be much blamed
= il they AJAX themselves In what practlca
o respect DR.. Bacon's theories Of social con
]. duct have been modified by those words
9. Certain II Is that DR.. Bacon has contriv'
y cd, with no great trouble apparently, 4
10 sting Mr.. Theodore Tiltou into provinI
, that his own "mAgnanimity," unlike Mi
d Beechers, Is decidedly "speakable." I'll
!. under the stress Of DR.. Bacon's tauns tbs
d Mr.. Tilton now reviyes, without proving
!. all the imputatious upon the character 1
]; the first place Of his own wife, and In III
4 nnnnnh ,IAlanA nf Mr. Rannhnr rhinh "a.