The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-05-13

ask him to come to the defense OF his
side of the issue. And, If he comes to
it's defense, we ask him to communicate
directly with US, that we may be the
better anabled to do him justice.
In speaking of Teachers Salaries j..
p. B. says: "This We admit is incorrect,
but dc not admit your right to critlclse
lit publicly" This sentence furnishes
the key to the proper understanding or
what Mr.. Briggs has written and the
animus by which be has been actuated.
The sentences or phrases from the
Educational and School Journals came
through him and we wTots the criticisms
without ever thinking that he woll9
think IL unjust or be offended. Admit
ting the Journals to be wrong, be claims
that we had no right to criticlse them
publicly. And in support of this position
he says: at is principle which every
man assumes, that one man has no qsght
to criticise his neighbor for what he,
himself, is guilty of. Christ taught the
same doctrine when he said, LET him
that is whole cast The first stone. !" We
believe that Christ never used the words
here quoted as coming from him, or i f
he did that they are not in the New
Testiment record. But admitting that
he did, what is Mr.. Briggs position?
Clearly that we haven right to point
out the inaccuracies or wrongs of Others
unless we are freefrcm similar Inaccuracies
or wrcngs ourselves
To become a teacher and to point out the
inaccuracies Of others one must DE whole
irnc al Hnr no free fr0n
must be perfect. This seems to be the
j. p. Briggs doctrine. Apply his doctrine
to himself and where would he be-.
La what is he perfect and In what is
he not guilty of inaccuracies and
imperfections. Apply the rule to himself as
Journalist, and 1t would close uphia official
action. Apply the rule to teachers and
it would close up their teaching. apply it
generally, and We shoula retrograde into
barbarsm. We remember an incident i'll
the history of the same Christ from whom
Mr.. Briggs attempted to quote. "And be-
hold, one came, and said unto him, Good
Master, what good thing shall do, that
may have eternal life And he said unto
him, Why callest thou me good there is
none good, but one, that is, God: But if
thou wilt enter into lite, keep the command
ments." Now, as none is good but God,
and, according to the j. P. Briggs doctrine,
none Dub Gue SOOu nave FlSuG 10 l&acu
others to be good, 40 man, no spirit, no
angel, no archangel, no seraph, no cherub,
has right TO teach others to be good.
God only has the right to teach goodness.
Carried out, such are the logical results of
the J.P. Briggs doctrine. and from them we
pray, Good Lord deliver US And we shall
deliver the Telegraph.
The remaining part of Mr.. Briggs communica-
ton, having no right to be, and admitted because
it is in connection with the first pars and to let
him have cut his say, we let pass without farther
notice. When we said, eff any of our education
al friends think our criticisms are unjust they
at liberty to come to the defense OF the journals,
we had no thought of giving license TO any one
to come to the censure Of the Telegraph or our
SELF 1t is evident that Mr.. Briggs pcrverts liber
ty to come to the defense of the journals into
license to come to the censure of the Telegraph
and its editor. In none of his three comm unica
tions has be furnished anything in defense of the
Journals but he has flied them all with censure
of tae Telegraph and ourself. These three com
m unicatlons filled with censure must suffice. Ana
now, this pervarsien of liberty into license, and
censure, must come to a close There can no
more oft appear in the Telegraph.