The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-05
Mr.. Evarts Keeping the Wit
ness Within Bounds.
POETRY AND PROSE.
The Golden Age" of Litera-
ture and Ethics.
AN EDITORS RESPONSIBILITIES.
The Law OF Libel VS.. The Law
on Evidence.

There is seen every morning on each ferryooat,
as the hour o, eleven approaches. at least one
person oil a guileless exterior. He has taken I'M
usual pains TO disguise himself with an afectation
Of worldnness HIS white stock has become
glarng tie, nt for JOCKEY. His long and clerical
apparel Is reduced to q sack coat, and he
carries. perhaps cane. AS he stands on the for
ward deck ana contemplates the city OF Brooklyn
= nervous depression OF expectancy rises 10 MS
face IKE that he might show II from the hump OF
o camel he saw the walls and pronounced In the
truly CLERICAL novitIale way the name Of Je-ru-
salem.
This, we need NOT add. is the American theo-
logan, on mis- way 70 the Brooklyn trial. He Is
there daily, to the number oil score or more.
Sometimes he passes In as q member OF the rural
bar; again. by courtesy. the editor OF MISSION
ry Journal. or more often by pass pro-
cured by some Brooklyn pastor on nis behalf
He draws long breath as he ventures to look
around him. Perhaps at his elbow is another
preacher whom be mistakes Tor q Brooklyn Alder
man or some other man OF sin. Before him are
number OF newspaper reporters who bear in his
mind q singular mblance 10 those irrevcrent
boys who covered the prophet Elisha with the
head line OF "Go up, thou oald-head!" he often
mistakes the dignided Clerk Madison for the Judge
buu - ustVuioucu w u-ot thos heASsaSnoAJ
crack joke with the reporters.
When our clerical friend sees the real Judge
appear he falls into sense OF rapture. That
lightly that simplicity, the bearing o! the host
and the magistrate together, his ententiousness
never curt, his iucidity always deferential,
ais decision often procrastlnating. as II
be did not mean to change It, but to postpone the
argument about 1t. All these things impress our
clerical friend as something In the line OF Sir
Matthew Hale and the prophet Nathan.
He sees the jury drop in one by one, each man
having consulted with his wife during the night,
who has opinion OF course. Our clergyman
polls them steadily in the light OF what kind OF
vestrymen they might make He 10 sure that
shere are Jour or i've men there who viii make the
verdict q subject OF PRAYER. This gives him q
leep satisfaction and assures MIN that
everything will be well, although the coun-
try has been IN great danger There are
two or {! rec young men in the jury about whose
habits Of piety he would Ike information out
ss perceives that there are as many grave and
sonsiderate men around them who cannot be car.
Red away. Next he sees one singular spectator
sitting In court with glove the top OF his bald
Bconce. This somewhat troubles him, and he
thinks the man may be spirtualist as he has
heard that In Brooklyn current theology Is mixed
mp with great many isms. Perhaps the man ex-
poets an unseen spirit which must presently show
lts hand to be lowering about that glove In order
20 preserve Its tncogntto, Or the man may be Q
great Brooklyn philanthropist who does not want
his right hand TO know what his bald head doeth.
Looking lurther the clergyman from a distance
fses. Plymouth church enter the court room.
There they come, old and young diligent, indivi-
dual, bright-eyed people. and take their seats In
the rear Of two tall chairs yet empty, which ne
knows 10 be intended Tor their pastor and his
-.
Cal liberal Christians, to see II they diner In any
respect from pew-nolders In general, and although
be is himself a strict constructionist, he thinks
there can DO no seli.respectng Tophet
without good warm IRE Kinoled beneath IT,
ret reviewing their consistent earnestness
and charity, doing the right az God
gives them to see the right, he invariably remarks
that on the whole, with all their eccentricities,
they have perhaps little more good In their ua-
lures than the same number or people collected
together an, where IN the world-of course, since
the times OF the cary Christians, to whose Rraces
We must all defer. When he remarks Brother
Caldwell pointing them oil to their seats he II
seized with the smItude OF modern justice to
any well ordered parish church Nothing seems
requisite to the performance bus two plates tt
take mp the collection and little more Formally
about The vestments. The more secular an
dlence In rothing resembles what he hat
read about the Old Bailey ana the tria
OF Richard Bunyan. In short, be will make Il hi!
purpose. wnen ne returns to OILS congregation, to
state that all these stories about the depravty O
Justice and the corruption OF courts are uncon
sentative and unjust; that, although 1t 10 dread
Iul thing to get before jury and Judge, 1t u a
least com ;ortable for o spectator. sense o
human love irradiates our friend that be has 20
. seat with such ease and ne thinks IL must ol
ani~t
appearance.
And. ct last, when oil the court 10 iun and the
presence OF the Judge has some what discouraged
whispering and hat wearing, behold . die o.
ladies modesrly enter ana take their seats. the
tears would rush to his eyes, II be had more
than enc handkerchief and did not desire
70 attract attention. 70 DE told tina,
the smaller and more childliKe or these 10 the
apple Of contention between two drsadluIiy intel.
iecsual contestants. he 10 nsensiby reminded Of
scene In proiane history when two great chief.
tains-Agamemnon and Hector--made an immense
war over one small Helen. For the nrst time IL
occurs to him that there really we're . siege OF
Troy. wooden horse ana the Laoc5on. DE MAKES
. mental note OF this Tor the home congregation.
And then the lawyers Gle In. ana they are
pointsd out to him. The imposing Beach. seeing
nothing but the invisible law winch noats In toe
AR; the small and corrugated Eyarts, the mite
giant OF secular poemics: tho towering Tracy
like an enraged Achilles: the natty snearman. al
full Of books and tin boxes az 0 coiporteur; the
ambrosal Morris, to wnom everything In natur'
V constituents or client, or both; Pryor. wnt
has the look or decision OF one who had Jus
wadsd the East River. bearing an tmportan
authority; Hill, with his measuring eye. Ike
surveyors tripod fattened up and moving on
ward. and Fullerton. coming along on sipsos, viii
an eysQiase pAlauced from nig thumb and fore
nnger and ingenuity 10 every wink. seeing a
these, our clerical trend feels &c last that the 10
10 awful numerous ana costly.
strange strange" he says, "that 1t takes ~
many lawyers 10 Ok the status OF one small lady
whose husband docs not want TO give her up
wnlis his opponent has put In 10 claim TO nsrr'
Tnsn 10 shs court II drummed 70 order. sno
Ne jary poi,sd. oar clerical frisnd sees ssssrina