Morning journal and courier., 1880-12-20
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. SARAH BERNHARDT. An Open Challenge to Her
 Traducers. SLANDERERS TO BE HELD LIABLE. An Active Warfare Against
 their Abuse. Conkling's Dispute with Bayard. The Matter to be Brought into
 Congress.
NEW ENGLAND.

Sarah Bernhardt's DetractOrs-The French Actress Indignant-She Will
 Hold Them CriminalIy Responsible. BOSTON, Dec. 19.-Mile. Sarah Bernhardt passed Sunday quietly at the Hotel Vendome, l receiving few callers. Tomorrow morning
 she will leave for New Haven, where she will appear in the evening. She accorded an in | terview to Globe reporter to-day, in the
 course of which she made some interesting statements. Referring to the attacks on her from the pulpit she said: They are extra ordinary, these attacks on me, are they not :? Why should be singled out from all the other actresses as the victim of the clergy. Is it not because members of the latter pro- fession (that is many of them) running short of ideas seize upon the topic most prominent ly before the public as a subject for sensa- tional discourse by which they may concsn- trate attention on themselves and fill their pocket with money. comparison of the morals of the clerical fraternity with those of actors and actresses would be by no means unfavorable to the latter. A great many occu- ponts of the pulpit are simple showmen. What for instance is the essential difference
 between the calling of an actress like myself and that of the montebank Talmadge, always on the scent for the freshest bit of scandal This single but important difference: I supp port myself by Interpreting to the people the grandest thoughts of the grandest men who ever lived, while he gains his living by pour ing into the public ear his own verbose non- sense. But though in this sense his profes- sion is certainly the same as mine, I can scarcely consider him ''50n canad7ude" ]"
 ''Shall you take any steps to prevent these outrageous attacks on you in future ?" Ger tainly When I first reached New York I was greeted by the appearance of an infa- nous book regarding my life which not even the immense sum of money I should have been obliged to pay MT. Abbey for 8 release from my contract with him would have de- tered me from answering by an instant de- parture from the United States had it not been for the earnest and encouraging pro- tests of MT. Jarrett and others. Then I sug- gested to Mir. Abbey the propriety of insti- tuting legal proceedings against my slanderers of the pulpit and the press, but as yet this step has not been resorted to. Hereafter I proposeSto take the matter into my own hands and any person, be he clergyman or other wise, who attempts from this time forth to blacken my reputation by proclaiming and circulating false reports about my life, of which he knows and can know nothing, will q give him fair warning) be summarily brought into court to answer to criminal charge To fasten the proof in cases of this kind have engaged two stenographers in each of the large cities which I soon shall visit professionally to watch for the slightest breath of islander coming from any pulpit and take verbatim report of the reckless words uttered. There is no reason why a islander from the pulpit should be outside the jurisdiction of the law any more than slan- der from any other quarter, and have my rights as good as others.''
 "I presume, Mile. Bernhardt, the pretended bitterness of feeling against you in the churches has not prevented the church peo- pie from applying to you for financial aid" Mot in the least. Apart from the ordinary applications for charity that I receive by mail, numbering over fifty almost daily, some of them coming from as far as San Francis co, members of churches are constantly be- sieging me with their subscription books, asking money for the poor, missions, church. es, and for everything My first answer to them always is: Evidently charity does not begin in the pulpit D