Year: 1873




/ From scribner's Magazine


One of the most saddening and hu,


initiating exhibitions which human ma
ture ever makes Of itself, is in its
greedy credulity touching all reports of
the misdemeanors of good men. If q


man stands high as moral force in the
community if he stand as the rebuker
and denouneer of social and political
sin !; if he be looked up to by any con
siderble number of people as an ex-
ample of virtue if the whole trend and
power of his life be in high and pure
direction; if his personality and infiu-
ence render any allegation against his
character most improbable, then most
readily does any such allegation find
eager believers. It matters not from
what source the slander may come
Multitudes viii be Influenced by re-
port against a good mans character
from one who would not be believed on
oath in any matter involving the pecu-
mary interest of fifty cents. The slam
derermay be notoriously base-may be
a panderer to the worst passions and the
| lowest vices--may be a shameless sinner
against social virtue-may be thief,
a notorious liar, drunkard, fibertine,
or a harlot-all this matters nothing.
| The engine that throws the mud is not
regarded. The white object at which
| the discharges are aimed is only seen;
and the delight of the by-standers and
lookers-on is measured by the success
of the stain sought to be inflicted.


As. between the worIdling and the
man who processes to be guided by
Christian motives, all this is natural
enough. The man bound up in
his sensual delights, who sees a
Christian fall, or hears the report that
he has fallen, is naturally comforted in
the belief that, after all, men are alike
that no one of them, however much he
may profess, is better than another 1t
is quite essential to his comfort that he
cherish and fortify himself in his con-
viction. So, when any great scandal arises
ia quarters where he has found himself
and his course of life condemned, he
listens with ready ears, and is unmis-
takably glad. We say this is natural,
however base and malignant it may
be I; but when people reputed good-nay,
people pressing to be Christian -shrug
| their virtuous shoulders and shake their
feeble heads, while a foul scandal
touches .Yitally the character of one of
their owninunber, and menaees the ex-
| tinguishment of an influence, higher or
humbles, by which the world is made
better, we hang our heads with shame,
or raise them with Indignation If such
a thing as this is natural, it proves just
one thing, viz, that these men are
hypocrites. There is no man, Christian
or Pagan, who can rejoice in the faintest
degree over the reputed fall of any
| other man from reetitude, without being
at heart a scamp. All this readiness to
| believe evil of others. especially Of
| those who have been rePuted to be emi-
nently good, is an evidence of conscious
7proclivity to vice that finds comfort in
eminent companionship. -


There is no better test of purity and
true goodness than reluctance to think
evil of ones neighbor, and absolute in
capacity to believe an, eviIreport about
good men except upon the most trust
worthy testimony. Alas, that this large
and lovely charity is so rare But it
is only with those who possess this
| charity that men accused of sins against
society have an equal chance with those
accused, under forms of law, of crime
Every man brought to trial for crime is
presumed to be innocent until he is
| proved to be guilty; but with the world
at large, every man slandered is pre-
sumed to be guilty until he proves
himself to be innocent, and even then
1t takes the liberty of doubling the
testimony. Every man who rejoices in
a scandal advertises the fact of his own
untrustworthiness and every man who
is panied by it, and refused to be i'm
pressed by it, unconsciously reveals his
own purity. He cannot believe a bad
thing done by one whom heregards as a
good man, simply because he knows he
would not do it himself He cannot be-
lieve a bad thing done by one whom he
regards as good man, simply because
.he knows he would not do it himself.
He gives credit to others for the virtue
| that is consciously in his own posses
sion, while the base men around him,
whether Christian in name or not, with
hold the credit because they cannot be-
lieye in the existenea of virtue of
which they are consciously empty.
| When the Master uttered these words,
"Let him that is without sin among you
first cast a,stone at her." he knew that
none but conscious delnquents would
have the disposition to do so; and when,
under this rebuke, every fierce accuser
retired overwhelmed. He, the sinless,
wrote the woman's crime IA the sand for
/ the heavenly rains to efface If He
could do this in case of guilt not dis
puted, it certainly becomes his followers
to stand together around every one of
their number whom malice or revenge
assails Nth ISLANDERS to which his or her
whole life gives the lie.


In a world full of influences and ten
denotes 10 evil, where every good force
tfs yneeieis and needs tozbe jealously
IcherishedA and guarded there as
no choicer treasure and no more
benefcent power than a.sound charae-
4 ter. This 1slnoSpnly the highest result
i Of The. best forces of our civilization,
| but it is the builder OF those forces In
society and the State. Society cannot
afford to have it wasted or destroyed
and its instinct of self-preservation de
mands. that il. shall not be suffered.
There is nothing 50 sensitive and moth
ing 50 sacred IS character; and every
tender charity, loyal friendship, and
chivalrous affection, and manly senti-
ment and impulse, ought to intrench.
themselves around every true character