The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-28
MORE AGGRESSIVE WEAPONS
NEEDED.


Is it possible that in all Brooklyn, Henry
Ward Bcccher has not one strong, true
friend. One friend true enough AMI brave
enough to advise him to do right, to take
the only right, straightforward course? Is
each and every member of Plymouth church
so afraid of him that they dare not advise
him? 1t cannot be possible that they all re-
frain from advice because they believe him
to be guilty; yet their present course hardly
seems consistent with sincere belief in
his innocence and hearty desire to see
him again the proud head of Plymouth
church, welding the immense power with
which he formerly swayed almost the
whole country. and making the church it.
self center of interest il not a national
institution. We are bound to believe that
they do not withhold proper advice on ac-
count of his being headstrong man, de-
termined to pursue his own way in spite of
obstacles, because his own statement shows
him to be one of the most tractable and
yielding of men. In this, Frank Moul-
tons statement fully corroborates his, and
We are, therefore, bound to believe Moul-
ton SO far, and to regard Beechcr as any
thing but hcadstrong man. 1t seems to
us that looking at the case, either from the
standpoint of n belief in his in
nocence or guilt, he is sadly in
need OF good, strong, safe, wise
friend and adviser. The matter can no
longer be disguised; whether he is guilty
or innocent, he is fast losing public conf
denee, and rapidly slipping down from
that high plane he occupied only q few
days ago. Guilty or innocent, he Is PROV
ing himself the weakest and most frivolous
of mankind. If the great crime with which
he is charged is true, this is obvious. Is it
not equally SO, if he is innocent An or
binary man, a politician, or a statesman
can afford to remain quiet under certain
class of ISLANDERS and lbels, but this is diff
ferent. Henry Ward Beecher, recognized
as the greatest pulpit orator of the age,
" the great preacher" man whose iniu'
ence in his day and generation has been
cqualled by that of no man and cannot be
estimated, his name dragged through the
mirc and filth as it has been, and he con-
tenting himself with n mere explanatory
denial is that enough? Far from it. As
has been said ten thousand times, it would
have killed the scandal as dead as stone
if uttered four years ago 1t is too late
now. He Is dealing with aggressive men
every sentence of Titons and Moulton's
statements is aggressive. Beecher must be
on the aggressive. 1t will not do for him
to simply parry the blows and then rush
off to the White Mountains and indulge in
croquet and other frivolities. If Beecher
falls, he falls through his own non action.
If he is guilty, perhaps he is pursuing the
wisest course. But to those of us who
still trust and believe In his innocence, his
action and non action looks like weakness
and frivollty. Then there is the meanness
toward those whose names have been con-
nected with his in the alleged crime,
toward his church and his friends. We
need not enlarge upon this, because it is
self evident. We wish there was one man
IN Plymouth church wise. and bold enough
to tell Beecher to stop playing croquet and
play with more aggressive weapons in
| Brooklyn.