Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-01

of overpowering impulse. He put him
self deliberately to ssduce the wife OF
| friend. The most dissolute rOGe never
piled vile purpose with more persist
ent and pains-taking baseness. All the
intent with which plotting murder has
led its victims to the grave and the hall
ter, is but momentary impulse in con-
trast with the long, steady siege of liber-
tine purpose with which Mr.. Beecher
brought Mrs. Tilton 90 her and his undo
ing. And when he was living in the
daily overshadowing presence of his own
great sin, there was no remorseful cry of
an earnest, sincere soul, sitting in judg-
ment upon the th-elldom 10 which il
found itself. There was no trying to
break away from his fault. After his
passion was stated, ct least one would
have thought that such man as Beech
er, one moment after his fault, would
have cast out the evil spirit of his lust,
as those oid-time devils, even to the
rending and tearing of the body of
which it had taken possession. But
preparing his victim to his use with the
utmost deliberation of dissolute arts, he
lived in this one case year and a-half
a seducer, de6Guche and adulterer, hyp-
ocritically and basely claiming for his
crime the sanction Of religion aud NOR
ality!
From the Indianapolis JournaLl
Whatever may be the facts, or the ul-
Innate verdict OF the public, concerning
the s'great scandal which /, now con-
vulsing American society, the general
judgment will demand mod Fl ;ation of
the social relations which fashion has
established between Protestant clergy
men aud the female members OF their
congregations. The pastoral visits ex-
acted from ministers Of fashionable
congregations IN large cities are prJduc-
tive Of incalculahle harm, and the good
they accomplish is so H. tie in compare
son that no sound reason can be urgel
10 their favor. The man who taxes
upon himself the sacred Office of min
lister OF the gospel retains ali the desires
aud passi ions of a man, he is subject TO
all the temptations which beset the
paths Of other men, and the members of
hi- church have no right to multiply the
snaIes which beset bis feet by furnish
ing unlimited opportunities for wrong,
doing.
From the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Eag,e.l
And what of the effect upon society
for good or for evil Of this Beecher- -Tilt0n
exposure? The revolving story is tele-
try and throughout the civilized WOhd,
and with all its details simultaneously
published in thousands of newspapers,
circulated by millions of copies, and read
by scores of millions of people. The pure
and impure, educated and comparative
ly ignorant, refined and gross, and SEN
sual are reading it, and discussing it ac-
cording to their several convictions, their
tastes, and their degrees OF prurience. 1t
IS doing missionary work of some sort.
It is educating millions to what she calls
the "higher plane" if Mrs. WOCdhulPs
"social philosophy" is aught but icOno-
clasm and decentralization, and is worthy
to be called a philosophy" 1t is min
istering TO depraved tastes, it is an inde-
cent exposure, and is debauching to the
public mind, if the teachings of the re-
ligions of men and the institutions of
civilized society are sacred and holy, and
worthy of conservation.
From the New York Witness (EvangelieaDJ
Deeply as all will feel such fall, if
fall it be, we think christendom can get
on without Mr.. Reecher or any other
man, and that christianity can stand
even his detection, whether from the
faith once delivered TO the saints or from
the decalogue. There is no doubt that
he is great preacher, but he has never
been regarded as q sound preacher, and
his errors have latterly been becoming
more and more apparent, until they cul-
minated recently in discrediting the sto-
~ of Eden, which be calls parable or
fable. With that story, Of course, goes
the fall of man and the need OF redemp-
ton by the blood Of Christ, and, in fact,
all the foundations OF the system COM
mO6ly called evangelical christianity.
The grief of the followers Of Tyndal over
anything that discredits Mr.. Beecher's
preaching is likely to be more poignant
than that Of earnest en- .istians, although
the latter will doubtless feel more deeply
for him, and pray more earnestly for his
recovery from error of all kinds.