, 1879-08-22

NOT PROVED"
Fl The F.fitar ~ The 5'ytIttt.

To the tEH1F ~ 1at 3F!hhHfs
ARcoLA, H., Aug. 1a.-1t IL certainly nnf0r- |
tu,late boil, for aenntor CanklIn!, nni Mrs.. |
Hprnrue tl.at slcir friends ffIould hare souyht
to break the force o. publtcup!n!an In respect to
te recent scandal ~ rlncing their dctanse upon
the grounds Of political enmlty. Political |
rarcos and The accumulated hate at many
years, more tnsensc bcenuso suppressed, may
ho,ind both these pcrsons With relentless venom.
now th,t circumstances have placed them IN the
Aor!al pilorv to bo shot at; hut that either n3-
1!ttcal hate, OK tntriguet or conspiracy conI1
have rrcefuElntel the Sayracantcit fier dcnous-
,ncnt Ia absurd. Mr.. CunkiIng was free tocoulo
aud go. So fnr a. bis visit 10 Narragansett Pier
and to the hotsc of Mr.. sprague ss conecrnal,
he sas absolutely a free agent Thcrs was no
influence In Washington or outside that had The
slightest power to inpol one way ot tue other.
lie went to Narragunsott attop1Y because TIC
wanted 10 90, or, possibly, because Mrs.
spraguc desired hin, to CONF.
II the consequences ofls going were unplcas-
nnt, that WAS hin misfortune TIC cf1ort to
nuke hin d political martyr certainly will not
tlctract from tic odlum Of Tie sra;yla II there
ts anY odum attached 10 1t, nor from that nor
lion whicl, nIny cling to hin.
/ tio not wish to be understood as attempting
thu defense OF n man who ought to he abuna.
ling has thought hest to maintain silence. Tic
doubtless understands tho situation, But there
Is woman In the cnse whose reputation may
t,c hopclcssly nm!rchcd. It seems 10 nc that
VIC arc going soo fnst,-tsrlt We aro reversing
| the usual process on which judgment. to bc OF
value. Is hascd. I may be In hopeless minority
| but believe Mr.. Conksng to he innocent Of
| tho "grcat tgansgresston." Certainly ills guilt
has not been proved; nntl that is The k!ndlcs,
the lostrr rule Of life, think, which allows lnno
ccncc until guilt IL established. Tint planc of
feeling which would tlerirc satisfaction frnm tho
guilt Of these eofnewhat historical ncssonages Is
certainly not to ba commended ur cnyIed. Tho
| feelings s'n,uld have nothing 10 do In making up
lie n,1hlic Judgment upon The cnsc, an.l he
tnuss they do obtain ~ essctltas 'aetors no fhr
| bring opprobtium oil American sentiment rs
respects social questions. divided tllat part
Of mankind which, believed in Mr. beeeher's
wcre utterly unnble 70 eonlorshcnl Mr.:
| l3crcl,cr, either in bis intellectual or Inarnl
nature: second, tho class Win eli'ed Or hated
hint,-whn cuvieI becansc lie stool OH 4 different
plu,ic, aud who hated eecaaisc l'e tali lashcd
thcm through the press Or IRON tue forum;
tl!r,l, thlt yrrv considerable portion III hiatt
kind wslo were morally certain t!lat, With ont
frIc,M's laonur. do not seek to make M ap-
plcation Vi this classification to Tue present
acai!dal. for thr Inequalities Of tic intellectual
md moral plane Of tue Two men nre Ton marked,
axn]aln!ng tin ti"tycrsal hue md cry which has
! followed tllr Narragnnsctt explosion.
This almost universal assent in tic guilt Of
theeo persons Is tstscrcdahlc alike to Tic norAls
theory OF guilt is perfectly irreconctlable with
the flcts rs they appear, uni It y not our busi-
nces ''to 70 bcs'nl tllo returns" 1t is tncon-
ccisabe to me now q guilty man could !' have
of u man whose honor he had betrayed. for The
purposo Of taking up bis atotlc, When !le must
Know tlmt his presence is n continual sne,,acn
sas' @ nsasf sSost e ex]p"sSa ] rs @ aS NoS
tastcn srannnl and ntamy upotl two homes.
Mr Conrllng Is credited with bon. q ,nan OF
uncomfortable ci1FonteEv, hut hc IL not, ecrtas,'-
witch l,as accorded him Msh ranK MS n lo!i-
ttcIan aild atatcsmau Is thu most cgscgor.s
fai!urc our history has 50 far recorded Us re-
, spcrts public men. II he Is guilty, Ills trip 10
| Natragansctt rrr prove. him tn 10 thr most
hopeless and tsrc.lecmnble idiot on thu Anert:
: cas1 Cnutncnt 11e tnuat have kuown II lug lad
! se,,sc enough to talso him there without bcIng
ctlctkctl through rs naGGaEct lltit us slslt Wou
c.ly. The least OF whose effects would be IL TIE
crlppIfnE Of his career as public man. ihG
: theory Of 1n!nuAtlot, however valuable ns
theory, Will hnrtlir explain % oct which involved
the surrender Of a,l ambition which oiust b
! more to Roscoe ConkInE tllaH thnusatl katt
Sprngucs, however al!uEinE Of fascinating. Mr.
Eunk!ing lives In Its ambition, atM[ lie Is tht
farthcst posslhle remove from TUT elasaete' q
. which sacrifices fau!v Tor passion, Ills enemies
| cold, Intriguing, ant houndiest!y anb'tlons
n lhcsc ana'itses, 10 lar Ie2El .eaulls mn ~
Moua Keep Hl.u ,u, .',,,, ~. Las, ~; '''"su
T'' ,,a n,,"nfart "n,,ortm,ty for sy,rryii3r ot,
iiaison in washington City. Only reckless as!
vcuturcr or stupii tmoccile would hayc nraye!