New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-10
A HEARING For BOTH SIDES.

AN EARNEST PLEA FOR MR.. BRECHER-A CALL ron
CHARITY AND NOT MAUDILN SENTIMENT.
To the EditOr Of The Trtoune.
SIR: There is a charity, or rather sentl-
mental leniency toward crime and criminals when oen
usrps that name, which, conseryator OF the pube
morals press has right to exercise while II shonh
never lose sight OF true charity very different and far
more robust trait Evidently, charity should be mani
tested whenever floating affecting the reputation
OF individuals and originating in dscredtaDIe sources,
begin to circulate like poisonous mlasIna IN the ar
charitable press will ignore such scanda0ns rhmors,
and in consequence they will stop where they begin and
the public mind be left untantod No greater harm can
be done community than TO have the press seize WIN
ayidy on such vile reports dwelling the rossest de-
tails and by utterng nnuendOes and sneers, and
persstently publishing haftuths, keeping out OF zSh'
the corresponding half which would change the whole
aspect OF the case, produce false IMPRESSION anu
thus lead the public mind to believe the worst before 10
has any nibe evidence on which TO base an OPINION
Unfortunately, there is low element in human nature
which reisbes sue nSnuaiOns and gladly accepts them
a. truths go that while is scarcely less than dabolcaI
10 cater this morbid taste, the paper which II Wiling
thus 10 demean Itself will be pretty sure OF certain kind
OF popularity especially II II has srevd Dghi way OF
putting things. Common sense and Justice leaving char'
y out OF the question: demand that man be considered
Innocent till he proved guilty, and sleers ana rnm"rs
are surely not PROOF When positive evidence II given
charity will then put favorable construction on IL a.
truth and justice VIII permit
There never was a farer field for the exercise of the
spirit of true charity than in Mr. Beechers ease Here
was man whose life for forty years had been lying Ike
an open before the world read a. few lives ever are
OF all men; a man whose superabundant abilities and
energies had all been consecrated to patriotism and PHI
lanthropy, and who had done more probably than any
other living exalt purity, integrity and righteous
ness, and lit the weak and Oppressed OF eSey
color sect and heON ed aud feNtren"ed Dy w"
best men Of this and other lands Was he to be- consd
erred debaucher liar, perjurerf Or III men, suIeN
Henry Ward Beecher should have D.eh DeeNeu !" DC III
nocent till proved guilty.
CRADLE course IN regard 10 him; while coneedlng tnat
such man might fall they have maintained thai me
Ior rerutatin based ON noble living ought count for
soretbjn, AMI nsDire confidence and inter
probation Of his words aud acts SUM- lhsie "si' oh'r
papers which, from the beginning seemed 10 goat over
every detail Of the scandal selecting tue most vulgar
items and ngeniOusly perverng them into evidence or
Mr. Brecher Ault rolling them under their own tongues
tOothsone mor'el, ana presenting lhsn 10 ,ber
readers the choicest td-bt; indeed, hdh th'y peti
paid agents of Mr. Tllion. some OF these paper- eohN
scarcely have worked more lndeiatgaDy IMAM thS nav"
n Mr. Beecier be- proved guilty ~ the crime MT
TtOn charges him with then he VIII he no ordinary
villain, and 10 will he No time Tor nanny "hN shli
ment. II he is guilty la II dOubJ dyed ana stfcd ia
crime. II Henry Ward Boecher lbcrtAe De = also
liar. a periurpr. basplemrr VINO tnrou-h every ho"f
OF ms examination has been heapng mesh glt upon NJ
soul standing before tle world he mast Dc ynbl'i!
fuded and FOR the Of ~ that il most sacred IN Our
homes and our churches let maudln weakness sicn''
the voice Of lustIce Good men VIII indeed DOW t'r
G,s IN liffr rs and sorrow al the fail u such
but the less should they protest that srh bY-
critic should not poide Our most holy tngS'or longer
minister Gods altar IL r. false estimate 81 chatly
would be hushed. but II the Man las guilty heart within
him il should be- hushrd for IT. power lay IN s purify
You rightly say, Mr. Editor that whit Tie es1se II IN
progress discussions OF Mr BcccAcrs gut "a ihD"',
are not Oricr; but. FOR one, should IKE 70 pl",
my hrm belief in hts entire Innocence amt trGthta,n.''
Is not that III order! MA->A1hLNLiir'
NOrthdlnptOH Aprl 20, $50.