Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-01-25
eureka Dailp Sentinel.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY IS. 1882.
A SHAMELESS sLANDER.


There are still some people left to
admire and conide in the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher. To say that he is a great
man would be only to repeat a truism.
That his extraordinary and singular
powers should excite and hold the adj
miration of the world is but natural.
This concession to genius is universal.
Were he but mediocre in talent, now
ever, his moral character would be with
out a shield, and be painted as sombre as
it is. While he is unquestionably the
most eloquent preacher in America, II
not in the world, he is not a worthy fol
lower of his meek and lowly Master.
He is not a safe man for the brothers
and sisters to lean on. Without any
seeming necessity for it, he occasionally
stirs up a vile sensation, which has the
effect of still further advertising him,
and, of course, packs his church with
prurient crowds. He started the New
Year with a characteristic sermon, in
which he used these words, referring to
some Encouragement in the Brooklyn
Public Schools
"wEat shall l say" he asked. "of the
men vino. mako tile~teuching OF our chill
dren the means Of ministering to their
lust: who make the loss of virtue the con-
dition of giving q placer
He was directly called to account for
the use of such language, and an ex-
PLANTATION was demanded by the Brooklyn
Board of Education of this startling
charge. He ignored the communication,
and did not vouchsafe any response I'M
til the Sabbath following, when he made
this utterance from the pulpit:
A sentence in a recent discourse deliv-
cred by me in,this place has been widely
construed as rendering liable to suspicion
q large body of citizens holding official re-
lations under our municipal government.
/ regard the sentences as fairly liable to
such criticism, and | therefor disavow any
such intent and annul the sentences. Es-
pecislly dc ! reject with emphasis any such
construction Of my language as shall
tAAOW a hPOAA tAC "a tk<
large and honorable band of women, who
teach in our public schools, whose labori-
GUS and often thankless service l have
never failed to admire and commend. The
more emphatically to disclaim all wish OF
intent to bring innocent parties under sus-
picion, I revoke such sentences, and de-
sire that they should be as if they had
never been uttered. / do it unsolicited by
any party aggrieved, of my own desire, az
publicly as I made them. and in the sam
place. Amenl
In his mind, no doubt, that ~unctuous
expletive with which the last sentence
closes put him at ease with conscience
and re-established HMM popularity with
his congregation. The criticisms on this
very bad break by the Brooklyn pastor
by the Sun are plain and just:
Mr.. Beecher's original statement could
not be understood only in one way. TIC
say, as he does, that it is fairly liable tc
the construction which has been put upon
1t is to admit too little. The language was
not capable of any other Interpretation. II
ia said to the public in substance thai
their children were being taught by
women without virtue, appointed to Office
by libertines.
And how does this ordained minister OF
the Christian religion conduct himself
when called upon for the proofs?
Nobody would find any fault with him
for making the charge il it were true. Or
the contrary he would be a public benefac.
tor. Nor would he be condemned If hi
had made it with reasonable cause to be
lieve 1t to be true. But what should the
people say Of q clergyman who makes his
ermon IN indictment Of the virtue Of
hundreds Of women and scores Of men,
without q particle Of proof to sustain his
vile accusation, and then recants 1t with,
out an expression Of regret for the injury
he has inficted9
10 there anything sacred in the eyes o.
such o man? We think not. He told his
congregation on Sunday that il David had
had q better conception OF God, "and be-
lieved as ! do, he would never have whined
through some Of the psalms he wrote. >
TIL most brilliant characters in Scripture
history, like the poor school teachers in
his own city, meet with the same ribald
treatment in the pulpit Of Henry Ward
Beecher.