Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1899-04-21
Calumny-Part !.
from The Je6ersonian, by j. l.. LODGE,
ID. d., Editor.


Slander, the loulest whep OF sin.-P0lt0ck.
AT every word reputation dies.-I0pe.
Ranking, as this vulgar sin does, among
the greatest OF crimes, IT is duty to expose
its origin, and indicate the treatment oest
adapted to nullity its injurious intention.
1t originates in the baseness OF the natural
heart, which loves not its neighbor as itself,
but entertains thoughts OF murder for its
fellowmen. IL was the teaching OF an old
philosopher that there is in all men tiend
ish disposition TO derive secret pleasure from
disaster falling upon others. Limited OBJ
servation and cynical nature favor this
rash conclusion. There is much in this
world, at present largely ruled by the prince
OF darkness, To give color ~ the sentiment
but there is enough OF true goodness, estab-
lished and nurtured by the Spirit Of God, in
the hearts of men TO disprove the universal,
without denying the particular. There is
too much evidence of sincere pity, sympathy
which is pain, lacerated hearts bleeding Tor
woes not personal, OF eagerly protfered help,
aud devoted mlnsterlug TO every KIND ol
suffering, 10 make the thought other than
utterly Iepugnaul 10 the genue mind. A
later delverance ID, that no man, however
benevoenL and Narrowing the appearance
OF his conduct, ever acts without secret
selfish motive. Application OF this prnci-
pie, il true, would completely eradicate every
trace vi godlikness from the human lace rs
we'll as heart IL Is cause Tor wonder that
the holder oi such belief docs not see what
Satan's image he stamps upon himself, and
how much filter than Tor anything else he
is TO be- "dry nurse 10 some sucking devil"
Ii the phrase be- qualified by SOME no one
will dispute the truth Ol either judgment
Envous jealousy Oi the prominent, OF
those ielt TO DC superior, manilesLs itseIl IN
attempts 10 diminish reputation and impair
Influence. SANDER 10 tue taxes levied by
the mean upon eminenCe. Lord LytLon has
u passage In which he points out that the
detects III men OF the patflclan order are not
80 readily forgiven rs those marking men
In the lower ranks, and that the former mud
il more difficult 10 become Illustrlous, even
TO posIerlly, clIlng as examples Burns rs an
object ol tolerance, Byron aud Bohngbroke
as subjects OF censuIe. But men ol high
rank are less obnoxious To mean men on az
count oil their faults than Tor their con
splCuOus merit. In their mlTrOred excel
lence they see IN too strong light thelf own
poverty OF all attributes that conduce 10
greatness. This klndles enmity; and, as
hatred, which Is murder, dare not always
| take that practical form, 1t selects the saer,
but not less guilty, shape, OF lying. The
design OF the detractOT Is to gain some re-
pute Tor himself by lcssening the fame oil
the great. Wherein Is the confession oil
conscious littleness. For, the whole world
knows that all great men are sincere and
generous admirers and euiOgists OF the great
and the greater On the principle, first, that
intellect Is the gilt oil God, who dispenses 10
every man as He will, putting no RESPONSE
bIlIty and no blame upon the man except
Tor his use or abuse Ol opportunity for de
velopmeEt; and, second, that gratitude ior
the measure oil his own gifts 10 abundant
ground with every man Tor rcVerent re-
loicing in the talents OF brother. IL Is easy
70 see how this humble reference OF the
whole matter to omnipOtent dIspensatlon
precludes the possibility OF envy. 1t en-
genders sympathy Tor such rs lacked not
original TALENT but were hlndered by lack
OF advantage. There Is not case upon
earth where the man Of vast faculty Is not
distrustiul OF personal qualifications, or who
does not humbly confess that the scale Oh
greatness does not terminate IN himself.
Besides, the Infinite variety OF gifts, Illus
trating the law OF compensation, places all
spen0ld mentality very much upon the
same plane So that there ID no room lor
jealousy, but only for mutual congratula-
lion. Sir Christopher Wren, the great arch
iteci, possessed AZ great mind as perhaps |
any priest that ever oiliciaLcd at st. Peters, |
or st. Paul's; only OF different order.
The microscopic atom OF humanity shaped |
like man uoes not see all this. There are |
not many mansions in his head. What lew |
are there are vaCuOus. The attempt 10
conceal that TACT leads 10 exposure and rldi' |
cule. Seli-aggrandzemcnt meets hidden |
obstacles Unworthy methods OF attracting |
attention eud Ia shame and disaster. NO |
worm crawling upon earths surface ID 30 |
repusive as the mendiCant Tor popular laVOr
No man pIeases 30 many as he VINO makes
no effort 10 please any Very small men |
carry greatly swollen heads. Their delv.
FRANCES are disgustlngly egotistlcaI. Safe
leaders laboriuusly in yestlgate, leel their way |
along labyrnthine paths, descend cautious
ly "the well ut the bottom OF which lies
truth" and modestly announce their con
illusions The seli-cOnfident Zee no utility |
ia this reserve oil caution, but with pOmpous
uLterance pile Peion on Ossa oil ignorance
and error. "FOOls rush ia where angels lear
TO tread" BOmbast is mistaken tor power,
impotence tor force. The diarrhBt OF words
pleases the uncultIvated, while the cOmpe-
tent analyst marks the painful consti patton
OF ideas. The iervld orator hurts torrent
OF reduplicated adectves at the un0fend'
ing audience In way To sutfocate and stlile
all thought, and the weary hearer retires
relieved that he hears no more the rush OF
water through a sieve. Just where genuine
ability contrasts with Vapldlty, is generated
malice. No matter how unassunlng, be-
neyOlent II may be, IL has no hope OF escape.
Indeed, the more self contained, Judiclous,
really helpful the character, the more IT IN
flames the envy Of the small. The chiel cx-
citant OF vltuperatlon IL the fact that the sun
cannot be kept from shining, and that all
but sycophants refuse TO out out Their eyes.
The very worst thing about the slanderer
Is that he Is often Ostensibly friendly to
his unsuspectlDg victim. IL has been
thousand times proved that identity Of ideas,
coincidence in TASTE exact similarity OF be.
lief, are not absolutely essential 10 deep and
enduring friendship There are two abb
solute essentials: 1 he man you can love
must be a gentleman, and utterly sincere.
There Is no other requirement Men may
differ strongly and cOnscientiously on mat
ters OF theology--over which men fight more
hercely than from any cause-and yet be
life long and loving friends Is it not often
true that differences OF opinion, tempera-
ment, and other things, which require con-
cession, compromise conserving principle,
repression Of utteTances unnecessary, weld
and strengthen purest iriendshipY You know
what To do with an open enemy. He laces
you and strikes at the breast, not the back.
But no man yet could defend himself from
the serpents fangs. Especially contempt
BILE ia the plea OF the slanderer that though |
"the poison Of asps is under his tongue;" |
his object Is 10 help you. Like Mrs Camp |
lin Martin Chuzzlewit who, when remon-
strsted with for brutal treatment Of her |
patients, answered "Even II one calls EN- |
IA 10 a -