Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-03-28
A. l.a.s..sss,. Oasraxe.

The Rev. Mr.. Chase, on Sunday
last, acquitted himself Of very
extraordinary performance. The
HHRALD yields to no one in re-
spsct for the large and influential
denomination to which Mr.. Chase
belongs. In passing in review the
people of this community who are
noted for their business enterprise,
their large, charitable aud snlight.
ened views and the amenity of their
mAnrers, the conviction 10 borne
In upon US that very large pro-
portion belong to the Methodist
Episcopal church. We do not be-
lisvs that the great body, or even
: considerable portion, OF that
denomination approve Of what we
must call the blackguard departure
ofthe Rev. Mr.. Chase on the ocsa-
sion to which we alluds. The jury
has always been looked upon ~
the Palladium Of the liberties Of all
Esglish speaking peoples. To the
decision OF twelve men, on any
given question. both Americans
and Englishmen have always
bowed, without repining and with
out vltupsratlon. 1t remains for
the Rev. Mr.. Chase to start the
new and offensive departure from
thlsimmemorial rule OF decency. In
his sermon Sunday evening he ia.
vaded that time-honorsd prescrip-
tion which has always shielded the
personality of the juror. He not
only rent the veil which decsrum
had set up from time whereof the
memory OF man runneth not to
the contrary, but he proceeded to
invsigh against three of the five
members Of the Philippi jury in
language which wsuld be far more
Atting in the mouth of fishwife
or . blackguard than of clergy
man. "They were," says this ex.
smplary Christian, "a Jew, a Mex
''ican and an Irishman-a Trinity
s'ei He'll. One Of them ought to
"bs expiating his offences behind
''ths bars Of the States Prison"
Here is the language of the good
citizen and the long suffering
Christian, with q vengeance! The
three races inveighed against can
we'll afford to despise this belit-
Ting language of distsmpsred
minister Of the gospel. We warn
Mr.. Chase that the age of bigotry
has passed; and that, if it had not,
California, and Los Angeles in
particular, 10 bad thsater for the
display Of the most rabid phases of
1t. We commend him to the illus.
trious example of John Wesley, the
founder OF his creed. This gentle
man was one OF the score or go of
the mo1t admirable men who have
ever lived. He abounded in char
ity. Words Of bitterness and vi
tupsration were foreign to his
salntIy tongue and gentle nature.
When, with special malisnity,
Mr.. Chase hissed out his arraign-
mont o; the Irishman who was one
of the jury In the Pnilippi case,
he ought to have remembered that
whom John Wesley was nearly
broken Ia health and spirit by the
brutal persecution which he en-
countered In England, he made a
trip to Ireland. Let Mr.. Chase re-
cur to the passages la John Wee
lsy's writings in which that illus
trious man poured out his undying
love for the Irish people. Nowhere,
during his long journsyings in
that kingdom, did he encounter
one wsrd Of obluquy or insult. His
tribute to the gentle and hospit-
able character Of the .psor Irish
Catholics did him eternal honor.
No, Mr.. Chase! We are
not living fn an age of blgotry and
blackguardism! Even in Ireland
to-day the Catholic priest and the
Protestant minister stand cheek
BY jowl, shoulder to shoulder,
on the same platform, in the asser.
tion OF human rights. Certainly
the enlightened Methodist Episco-
pal community OF Los Angeles are
very poorly represented in their
pastor just now. The Reverend
gentleman evidently needs q
reformation both in manners and
morals.