The Russellville Democrat., 1883-09-13
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
Islander and Detraction.

American Register.
 Blackstone says that there is no wrong without remedy. But can either the civil law or social regula- tons afford any adequate protection against, or redress for, the serious wrongs done by islander and detrac- tion? Men are not only prsne to listen with credulity to the whispers of fancy, but still more so to the art fally devised statements of envy, hatred and malice. And the inju- ries thus inflicted, either In business affairs, or upon mans reputation, even moro sacred and valuable to him than property, may he ruinous in their consequences. Here is fia- grant wrong; but where is the rem edy? The ordinary suit for slander has become disreputable, and almost obsolete. Besides this it is wholly inapplicable or unavailable in the most serious cases. The slanderer often approaches the parties he de signs to influence in the garb of friendship and confidence, pretend ing falsely to be giving information for the benefit of, and out of friend ship for the parties to whom the ma licious and false communications are made. So that the victim of the slander and defamation is often not allowed even to know the source from which the injury originates. And the wrong. often inures the par ty to whom the islander and detrac- ton are communicated as much and sometimes even more than the vic- tim of the malice himself. Indeed, the slander is often deslgnated to produce variances, and to injure both.
 As no adequate remedy can exist for such wrongs by suit, protection can only be found in higher tone, and more rigid conservatism in so- cial and business affairs. Sander, detraction, and defamation should be scorned, eschewcd, and frowned down; and credulity should be with held from all attempts at defamation, however plausible and covered under disguise of professed friendship. The methods of islander are often subtle and most imposing. Cicero said, ''There is nothing which wings it's flight so swiftly as calumny; nothing which is uttered with more ease; nothing IS listened to with more readiness, and nothing dis persed more widely" Dean Swift said, "The worthiest people are the most injured by slan- der, as we usually find that to be the best frui. which the birds have been pecking at the most" Peter the Great is said to have remarked to a man speaking ill of another in his presence, "It is easy to splash mud; but 1 would rather help man to keep his coat clean" Madame Roland exclaimed, "What indulgence does the world extend to those evil-speakers, who, under the mask of friendship, stab indis- criminately with the keen though rusty blade of slander.' In the language of St. Bernard, islander is poison which extin- gulshes charity, both in the slandcr- CT and in the person who listens to it."
 And in the words of Leighton, ''Calumny would soon die of itself if nobody took it in and gave it lode- ing"
 Cowper says
 'sThe man that dares traduce because he can With safety to himself, is not a man"
 In the language of Shakespeare: :: 'The jewel, best cnamellcd, 1 W i'll lose it's beauty, and so no man that hath name,
 But falsehood and corruption doth it's shsme.'
 And, again:
 ..No might nor greatness in morality
 Can cepsure 'scape; back -woupding caiumny 1 The whitest virtue strikes"
 The only protection which can be provided against this greatest of all pests to society and the world, is to elevate the manners and bearing of men, cultivate an abhorrence for the foul spirit of defamation, and utterly eschew detraction, and refuse all at tention and credence to it's disgust ing details.