The Republican journal., 1875-02-18
AMuitias.

In these days when our breakfast table read
ing is, in considerable part, composed OF tle
cross-eXamination of Theodore Tilton, and the
examination-in-chief of the mutual friend Moui-
ton and our eggs and buckwheat cakes are
alternated with the comments of the neWspa-
pers on the progress in the trial Of the great
Beecher-Tilton scandal suit. the ranks of the
rlatonists grow thin, and the few followers OF
the ancient philosopher who still cling TO the |
faith that there is Il pure and spiritual affection |
subsStins between the sexes, unmlXed with |
carnal desires, and regarding the mlnd only |
and its eXceences, are not loud III the promul- |
CATION of that faith, but appear to be Wiling 10
wait until more convenient season TO sing the |
praises of Platonic love. 1t is, Also bad year |
for aftinties Persons of only average under |
standings are impressed with the notion that |
there are no atfjuities which are greatly and
TRULY innocent, except chemical affinities.
The freelovers anguish Maiden ladies of GER
tain or uncertain age, who heretofore have
developed the greatest genius for the genuine
Platonic are much exercised III their minds,
some by the fear that their motives may be sus-
pected others because no amount of delicate
attentions, worsted work and exhibitions of
trustfl confidence sut1ices to keep their lavorite
gentleman friend up to the mark; and the most
promising case Of the pure Paonlc VIII droop
and die, without an occasional interview be-
tween the subjects or Disciples two are as
necessary to it as to a dialogue.
But the things of this world are not going
to everlasting smash because the great teacher,
VINO has been. for so long time, "a burnlh
an Shnn light to a this place Is found TO
be unable TO run ''naural affinity anu ii
'sPlaton;c affection side by side. in double hal-
ness. as it wcre and hitched to the same vehicle.
A gentleman who has been out on the flatbuSh
and Coney Island roads 50 often as he, ought
to have known that such hitch-np could not
be safe Either fily is docile enough IN single
h.r,oso but Johu himself could not have hand
led them together, and il is not recorded that he
ever ventured upon the experiment. The re-
suit Of the error, into which the reverend train
er has fallen, is a lamentable ''spill' disastrous
in il, consequences in many directions. The
damage TO the vehicle is irreparablc; 1t is an
utter wreck The driver is almost certain to
be ruled off the course or track. by the tribunal
which has his case under advisement: the asso-
through him; and the future drivers of Ma
tural Affinity" and trainers Of 'Platonic Alice
| ton" will gather up the reins with nervous
ness and intirmty of purpose which may re-
! suit in further catasrophes
! 1t i, unnecessary, however, for The disciples
| of Plato to hide their heads in shame. The
| true believers in that pure and spiritual affec-
| =; L.. IN sb or
OF an accident for which they are in no wise to
blame. If the actors in the case now before
the public had been of the number of the faith
| full, or worthy of place in the little band OF
| true and devoted followers OF the precepts OF
the great philosopher, there would have been
| no case, and the faith in human nature and
trust in religious teachers, of the rising genera
| ton, would not have been jeoparded. Is there
no such attribute of man, in nature, as an affec-
ton which may be called Platonic? Was 1t
never possible, or has it ceased to be possible
for a man to regard Il woman with tender
| friendship such as he might have for a delicate
and sensitive youth of his own sex. who, with
mental and moral power equal to his own,
! should sometimes need the aid Of a stronger
| arm TO help him on life's road: Has nature
made man so bestial that this thing cannot be:
Doubtless we can, all of Us, call to mind in
| stances of the beginnings of such friendships,
| buds Of promise which, sooner or later, shew
| signs Of the rayage of he worm, or the touch
of frost, and never cane to the maturity Of full
blown friendships. In the mythic ticlions, all
| such friendships between the gods and god
! desses terminated unfortunately or shamefllly,
and the cases which might be cited among dis
| tinguished French women who maintained So
called Platonic attachments, all occurred after
| both parties had grown Old, and jaded with the
worlds pleasures and when they were drawn
together solely by the love OF, and almost neces-
| sity for q daily encounter of wits. We con-
| strained to believe that ''Platonic Affections
are. As the Scotch say, "Kittle cattle" and re-
| Jure the most careful management TO insure
| owners Of them against mishaps hut we are
| not quite convinced of the impossibity of their
existence.
Neither have the believers in what is called
| natural affinity any cause to be abashed, be-
cause their pet has behaved badly when joined
| with Platonc affection, and has helped to bring
low those who stood in high places. The AZ
| lists. We are all of us believers in affnitieS,
natural and chemical. We believe in affinity be-
tween man and his fellow, between woman and
her sister woman and between man and wo-
| man. What more charming and innocent than
the allinityiw hicl: draws Corydon and Strephon,
those gentle shepherds to The woong of Chloe
and Phyllis with strains of the rustic pipe and
bashtul offers of love Which will be patient
and enduring when the passion Of the cit shall
have burned to cinders. This alluring attrac-
ton, which, though natural, is subtle, and be-
gan among the bucolics within sound of purl-
ing brooks and sight of howery meads beneath
the shade of hawthorn trees leading stout
Calaon and sweet Flora hand in hand through
the green glades, pursuing traunt focks, now
lives among the jewellers in towns in almost
its primitive force and virtue, in spite of many
artificial surroundings. Without this engag-
ing and winning force there would be fewer
marriages, and still fewer happy ones, for the
greater number of matings, or mis-matinos,
would come into the category Of ''bargains and
sales and divorces would increase in the land
Surely, it is 4 sad business when two unfortu-
mates, led astray by the mistaken belief that
tlle Slilloul VI paSSlon was tie true annlty,
have been tied together only to find themselves
struggling against their bonds in the midst of a
great desert of hate and aversion with OCCASION
al glimpses above the horizon of a mirage of
their anticipated joys. The Courts, however,
IN these days have great discretionary powers.
and such cases are remarkable.
But when man finds that he has IA natural
affinity for his neighbor's wife, and at the
same time detects within himself disposition
to call it "a Platonc Affection" the best thing
for him to do is to whistle clown brakes" and
hang out lantern made of red glass. He
must NOT deceive himself. He cannot manage
the two. They are as incompatible as the SER
vice of God and Mammon. Where the natural
affinity exists, there can be no Platonic afec-
ton. And where the latter is possible, the
former is impossible. B.