The New York herald., 1874-08-01
Plymouth Perfume.

FROM the New YORK FreeTnan'S Journal
The utterances OF Henry Ward Beecher, ever
since he loomed on that large and demOraliZed
portion OF the community that has supported him,
have been for the destruction of the traditions of
Christianity OF late years. il prenotlng that his
personal misdolngs were too fagrant to be long
hidden, he has been hewing, with frantic efforts.
at the system of morals that even among Pagans,
it has been considered necessary to maintain in
theory however departed from in TACT. He stood,
with his brother rockingham, at the death bed OF
the unrepentant deoauche, one Of them pronounc-
ing the ridiculous formula Of q marriage ceremony
between him and a female who had aduterously
lett her husband, and the other, in q blasphemous
prayer, thanking God "for what these two had
been to each other.n
The outrages of Henry Ward Beechers outgiv.
ings, on his mOuntebank's platform in plymouth
church," especially during these last years, in
which the demands OF Tllton, as the price of the
latter's dishonored silence, have been haunting
him, have been, srudiedly, to make hcentiousness
and lawess passion appear respectable and manly,
and to turn into ridicule all the traditions Of
elation. HIS shameful arguments have been given
under the guIse OF religious sermons, as the hor-
riDle crimes against nature practised by the wives
and mothers the Romans in the days OF Cicero on
the least oil Fauna, were called "the chaste and ves
tai sacrifices OF women for the prosperity OF ROme,n
for The purity" OF which it was required that no
male should be present The sworn supporters OF
with the worship and to desire to keep Its sacred
secret But Tilton mas proved the Clodius Pnl,
chcr, who, dressed IN female garb has penetrated
the sacred portals" ana we have
Nota Bon@ secreta Dea!
Nor is the "chaste" Fulvia wanting, nor the
"chaste" Pompeia. IL IS tempting theme, to run
ism. The materials and the occasion invite. But
we almost ask our readers pardon-and our own,
shame even to speak ol''-vn, the mysteries of
plymouth church" and the 'mysterles' of the
Bona Ded-wnich mutually recall eacn other.
The more practical matter is to draw attention
to the banded, persistent and impudent attempt
OF an indeiatigaby busy cotere of Puritans, by
every means, from threatening those they can
nurt to licking the boots OF those that mold them
In contempt, to try and stine the expression Of
pubic opinion, especially IN the public press
He that would gloat over the open shame that
has fallen even on so vulgar and offensive a char.
latan as Henry Ward Beecher would be paltry
man. But when, in the abused name Of religion,
it Is sought to bolster him up on a showing tnat
ought to overw helm both him and every one that
utter more blasphemes and to work on tor the de-
structlon o all that remains OF Christian traditions
among Pr0testants-there arises another ques-
ton. Let H. W. Beecher appear next Sunday on
his bouncing-board IN plymouth church" and
take for his text verse from less disreputable
man than he is-vlz.: you know how 1t is your
selfl' Then. let all who admire his teachings OF
the past, ana, like Tton, think he Is yet "a great
God-like man." applaud him and stick to him.
Then the lines Will be drawn. The sham and the
mask will be dropped-and we can drop Beecher
Let him cease to pretend to be In any sense a
Christian. Let him invoke Cupid TO make him
once more agreeable to new trends; or, in his
meeting house, OFFER sacrifices 10 AstarOth. Then
the "wayfarlng man, though fool" will not MIS-
take him.
But it is duty we cannot disregard to try and
save the country we live In and the society from
which no citizen can separate himself altogether
from It's most imminent perils. Human So
clety Is not the creation Of man. 1t Is
the work OF God. II is built by God on the
family. Messrs. Beecher and Tilton, like q great
many men cleverer than either OF them, have tried
TO reconstruct the creation OF GOD and to rebuild
society, not on the family but on the brothei But
society not only cannot be built on the Drothel;
but when built rhe brothel cannot be substituted
Tor the family without Just 40 Tar undermining So
clety. Messrs. Beecher and 1ilton can give up
their own families or swap them or according To
their socialistc theory OF attractions and destl-
MES, and can go OF into the other kind OF house
hunting, and society, so far ron suffering, will be
relieved There Is one thing, however, for the
sake OF pubhc morals they must cease to do-that
Is, 10 parade their leagues their quarrels, or
their proposed amcable arrangements, as being
any part OF the 0cee1nQs OF honest society Let
them connne their iut6re quarrels and cooIngs to
woodruff Clafin's bulletins. and let society and
the pubic be relieved from nearing any tnng more
abOut them.