National Republican., 1877-05-02
SLIyDERERS AND SCANDA L-NOy
GERS

It is a strange perverseness OF nature
that gives mankind so strong a tendency to
evil ways, and fills society with loathing in
consequence of its own uncleanness. and
with horror that there Is no Sloan for Ito
publication. There is not community 10
all the world that does not suffer from the
innate depravity Of Its members, whose
defilement contaminates the whole body In
greater or less degree from contact either
immediate or remote. Nor is 1t the grosser
vices from which morals, public and pri.
vate, suffer most for these, reeking with
nffense, shock and repel the finer feelings
Of all but the personally deprsved, and are
of that class of hideous mien which to be
mated need but to be seen. It's the milder
forms that seek the destruction of chsrac-
rer in the many. and prepare the way
% total depravity in the few; and
among these there are none more alluring
md productive of mischief and misery
than the unspeakable mesnness Of the
slsnderer and scandsl-monger. 1t Is the
office of these to defame virtue and despoil
worth; to feed on the failings of the good
and atten on the follies Of the weak. Vile
themselves, without sentiment of honor
,r decency, they cannot endure to see
others respected for traits they do not pos
Sess, or beloved for conduct Of which they
are incapable. Hence they make the estate
nf purity the prey of their piracies and the
object oftheir plunder. Nothing is so sacred
Is to deter them, and no eminence is be-
yond their attack. Is there man who
stands high in the estimation OF the public
Wy reason of the excellence Of his character
md the quality OF his endowments, they
res, not until they have smirched the one
md disparsged the other by the deviliAh
ievrces ofinnunendo and insinuatiop, which
constitute the weapons Of the guilty am
hush they keep in perpetual reserve fol
hose they dare not openly assail for fear o.
| popular resentment. Lives there woman
whose fair fame transcends the plane of or
| binary attainment, because of special at
tributes, accomplishments and graces, al
he precedents of successful calumny and
d,lsehood are ransacked for suggestion o.
means to depose and humiliate her, with
l out subjecting the authors of the detractior
| 10 the punishment they deserve.
So goes the world, one portion Of it
Inhabitants striving to be worthy of thu
| general esteem and to achieve the highest
blessings of life for all, while the othel
portion strains every nerve to pull tht
| .spring down to the baser level OF vulgsl
| existence and vile employments itseii
| ,ttains and enjoys. And increasingly hav'
the good in all ages lsbored to solve th,
| oroblen Of morals involved in human in
stiucts and agencies, hoping ever and snOi
| To arrive at such a knowledge Of the sub
| ject as should enable them to lift up th'
debssed and reclaim the fallen, and to es
tablish such associations and institution
among men as should ultimately remov'
class sntagonism in so far as to admit o
brethren dwelling together in unity. snC
| to secure general peace and fellowship
| But we fear that while man remains NOR
tai, and therefore frail, this consummatioI
so devoutly to be wished will remain ii
abeyance, and the good with which philos
sphers and philanthropists would crow
the happiness of the world will be re
served for the eternal possession. w
have no such hope as that which animate
the Utopian believer and the great obsta
Gle in the way of the realization Is th'
spirit of envy which prompts the tongu
Of the slanderer. Jealousy is the disturbe
of the harmony of all human interests. an
unless by the interposition of ProvideDc
men are made better by supplemental In
spiration it will continue to tear down a
fast as love and labor shall build up, an
the purposes and pleasures of the goo
must be forever marred by the will an,
wickedaess of the bad. Forever must vii
tue suffer from the whispered Estimation
Of vice, and honor bow before the impu
taiious of shame.
But there is one consolation for thos
who are made the objects of the shafts q
envy thrown by secret enemies, which
that in the estimation of those with whor
alone they can do harm, they who cas-
rher are commonly believed to be tn
sneaks and liars they always are. N
honorable man or virtuOus woman Ca
hear evil spoken of Others in their absenC
| vithont farming this opinion of the utterel