Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-12-01
CLEARFlELD, PA.
THE LATTICE AT SUNRISE.
THE LESSON OF TWO LIVES

A writer in a sectarian journal takes
occasion to speak OF the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher as "one oe the noblest
men of our age" He knows Of "no
life 80 aflluent in all the elements of
moral grandeur as that Of the Ply.
mouth pastor"
Mr.. Beecher possesses some ele-
ments of intellectual greatness. That
is undoniable. He is member OF a
remarkable family. Lyman Beecher
was u strong man, one OF the ablest OF
New England thcologians at time
when there were giants in the pulpit
of that section. All his children in.
herited something of his intellectual
character. All have taken rank far
above modest mediocrity, and in some
attributes of greatness the pastor OF
Plymouth church is the superior Of
any of bis race, This much is bis due.
But the writer who finds elements
of moral grandeur in the lie of this
man has either failed to study his sub
jcct or is too much prejudiced in his
favor to set him down honestly.
Mr.. Beecher is not morally great,
but sadly the reverse, and religious
journal is making bad use of its col
umns when it puts such life before
the young men Of this country as the
fittest model for their imitation. In
the almost universal conviction Of un-
prejudiced minds. Mr., Beecher has
been guilty Of such crimes as make
social outcasts Of those who commit
them. He was morally weak enough
to yield to temptation, and moral
cowardice involved him in an intricate
network of falsehood and deception
such as shocked the moral sense of the
civilized world
If the eulogist from whom we have
quoted had been honestly and intelli-
gently looking for man on whom 10
bestow commcndation, he might have
found him in the person whose name
is indlssolubly associated with that OF
Henry Ward Beecher. There are ele-
ments Of moral grandeur in the quiet,
manly life Of Theodore Tilton. Ii he
has not borne himself grandly, we
know of no man who has His home
was destroyed by his friend, his pastor
the man who had ofiiciated at the
founding of that home by his nnion
with the woman of his choice. Gath
ering the fragments of his wrecked
life, he calmly and bravely faced a
dreary future, made ten times harder
than it should have been by the perse'
cution OF Mr.. Beocher's friends. From
that day to this the life OF Theodore
Tilton has been n grand, heroic strug.
gle He has discharged all the obli'
cations of good citizen, wise father
and the husband of a wife who con.
fesses to infdelity. He has given his
children all the advantages Of liberal
education and the most careful train.
ing. He has quietly and unobtrusively
provided for the wants of his chill
dren's mother. In no respect has he
failed TO perform all the duties of his
high standard of manhood. A weak
man would have been crushed by the
blows that fell on Tilton and his home
A bad man would have been driven tc
O life of crime. Intellectual and mora
strength enabled this man to bear up
against unexampled wrongs and give
the world the lesson of noble life
evolved from apparent ruin.
1t is due to common honesty to pro.
test against the presentation of Henry
Ward Beechors character as one
which American youth should initiate
1t Is due to justice to say that the vic.
tim OF Beecher's moral infrmities has
shown how a great nature can triumph
over the most cruel wrongs and build
on a wreck the solid structure of a
well. ordered life Washington Post.