The Washington times., 1894-04-08
Breokinridgiana
and POllardiana.

! by the disclosure made during the past week.
| Whatever be the issue Of yonder trial, the
fearful depravity Of the defendant has been
admitted. The W. c. P. Breckinridge pict-
ured by his lawyer and described by himself
on the witness stand is not the W. G. P.
Breckinridge that the country has known for
twenty years. The country has thought Of
Breckinridge as man of strong personality,
Of brilliant parts, Of clean life. The Breck-
inridge disclosed by yonder trial is a man
| of impure heart, Of unclean life, OF moral
turpitude Think Of the spectacle of that
| gray-haired Congressman admitting that
| he established unlawful relations with a
| young woman during the lifetime Of his late
| wife; that he kept them up during her life,
| that he continued them after her death and
until he was married again; and that all this
] long continued offense against decency, OF
| gross marital inndeity, Of fragrant violation
| OF moral law, he pursued under the cover of
respectability and assumed religious observ-
| ances.
For such character have no soft names
| or smooth words or excusing phrases. Vices
| of this kind are all too common and it is
time that men should speak in no uncertain
language against the blighters OF our homes
and the rapacious devourers Of our happiness
and purity.
81 denounce Breckinridge, not because he
| is found out. His sin Is no more hideous to-
| day than it was before the exposure. Hon.
| ored names cannot make crime honorable.
Sacred names cannot sanctify sins. There is
| no more honored name in the annals Of Pres
| byterianism than that OF Breckinridge. but
that does not make the sin of Breckinridge
any less damnable. Sinners wearing honor
| able names and of respectable surroundings
| are the curse Of society. Col. Breckinridge
was living in unlawful relations with the
woman who is now his accuser. You judge
the man not by the orthodoxy OF his
creed, but by his life. The creed
does not count when the life is set
over against it. Religion does not con-
sist in subscription to scriptural creed, but
in reproducing that creed in the living ac-
tions of everyday life. The pewholder must
be honest and moral and pure, and SO be
free frcm the guilt Of partaking Of other
mems sins.
"Breckinridge introduced this woman into
certain circles in Washington society. But
why not? Had she not as much right to
move in any society as had he? She was no
more fallen than was he. We speak Of the
woman who has gone astray as fallen; we do
not speak SO of the man."
In the Lexington cemetery, says the New
York Recorder, are buried all the dead of the
branch Of the Breckenridge family repre-
~ L.
inridge. Resting in the Breckinridge lots are
Robert ]. and Kate Morrison Breckinridge.
the father and mother of the present Con-
gresham, several of their children, and
Letitia Clay Breckinridge and Issa Desha
Breckenridge, the first and second wives Of the
Congressman.
The former died at the age Of 81 years, and
was a granddaughter OF Henry Clay. The
latter died in Washington on July IA, 1892.
On her gravestone are these words:
The most important business of my life is love.
Col. Breckenridge was born in Baltimore
about flfty-six years ago, at which time his
| father the Rev. Robert J. Breckinridge, was
a Presbyterian minister in that city. Breck-
| inridge was preparing himself for the min
istry in lthe Presbyterian church when the
war broke out.
He had preached q number OF sermons, but
had never been ordained. Ee gave up
preaching as a profession when he went into
| the Confederate army. but he was accustomed
| to conduct religious services for his COM
mand. His friends and comrades were de-
voted to him and thought him an excellent
/ man.
Col. Breckenridge. says the Capital, would
not introduce the woman he had ruined into
his own family. He would never let her enter
| his house or meet his wife, whom he was
during all that time wronging great deal
more deeply. And yet ne did introduce her
| to another good woman, Mrs. Blackburn,
without apparent scruple. This phase of the
case cannot but be peculiarly repellent to men
| who are more or less truthful and to women
| who try TO believe in men. We are told by
Mr.. Breckinridge himself, with countless
shameless repetitions. that be did introduce
| his mistress to Mrs. Blackburn as respecta-
bic woman; that he did tell her Miss Pollard
was dear friend of his; that he did finally
tell her that they were TO be married. and asked
| her to use. her influence in introducing
her to her friends. We are told with the same
| breath by the gallant Kentuckian that Miss
| Pollard was not only his mistress, but worse,
| the worst. Whether we believe this or not,
he wishes US to. and he makes these two state
ments together. Every day makes our opinion
OF Col Breckinridge's character somewhat
| lower ami we are beginning TO wonder how
much longer the trial will last, and to surrnise
| if there are any possibilities Of depravity that
| he has not encompassed, and We have not
endured the hearing of.
Concerning the letters which Mrs. Cuthbert
| Bullitt and others sent to the Louisville Times
| in regard to the Breckinridge-Pollards scandal,
writes Marian Evans TO the New York World.
my pen tingles to say few words concern
| ing the mistakes of Mrs. Bullitt and others.
| They say that the chivalrous colonel is rs
much to blame as Miss Pollard. but the man
is respectfully alluded to as Col. Breckin-
| ridge" while the woman in the case is ''the
| Pollard woman" then why is the man not
| referred to as ''the Breckinridge MANI" II
| the woman is to be called a 'brazen brute"
who was avowedly young enough to be the
daughter of the man who is alleged to have
| wrought her ruin. then is he not also the
same? All through Mrs. Bullitt's note and
| others they cling 10 the time-worn doctrine
of the different standard of morality for the
| woman.
| There is no necessity for the admonition to
| women to be sterner to their faltering sisters,
| for that woudin most cases be a moral i'm
possibility. "Wben a woman falls into a pit
| the other women will 90 and fetch long poles
and push her to the bottom" 1t is not stern
ness that is such necessity. but charity-such
| charity as the Saviour showed in such q case
| will do more good than harshness. The
nearer approach to a solution to such prob
lens should be the equal standard OF morality
| for both men and women.
| Women are willing to condone too much in
| d man because he is man and therefore has
| no morals--or needs none When a woman
| marries it is her business to find out that the
| man has character. II she takes him know
ing that he has none, then she will have to
| suffer the consequences. and oftent1mes the
| consequences are very bitter.
A witness testified in the Breckinridge-
Pollard case yesterday whose evidence, as
| far as she gave any of importance, was in
favor Of the defendant. 1t was not Of much
moment either way, but the gentlemanly
| manner of obtaining it, so like Col. Breckin-
| ridges habitual gallant manner. now become
| famous. perhaps deserves to serve as an
| illustr ,tion. The witness is a clerk in one of
| the government offices. Col. Brecktnridge
| called personally for her in his carriage. She