CHAPTER XIV.

ON THOSE MOST PARTICULARLY EXPOSED TO DEFAMATION.

"THERE is no rule without an exception," says the proverb, and though I firmly believe in the truth of my own system, that competition is the most abundant source of detraction, and often of defamation, still there are instances of both, which can not be imputed to competition and rivalry.

Temper is a great provocative to defamation, and often does its work without the goad of competition, since few tempers aro so sweet as not to take pleasure in venting bad feelings in bitter sayings. But when the feeling of unsuccessful competition is united to ill-governed temper, then are the consequences often frightful to contemplate, for they have sometimes led not only to defamation, but to murderous revenge. The defamer and the murderer, have undoubtedly some feelings in common, particularly such as deal in anonymous and secret slander; perhaps, nameless calumniators who wield their pen secretly and se

ely against those whom they hate or envy,

would, if they dared, assail their persons with the knife of the assassin.

Party spirit is one never-failing source of positive defamation, and partizans of all ranks and classes are amongst the most prominent objects of it-for instance, the competition which results from an election leads to unwarrantable judgments, and infamous calumnies. There is no slander, however improbable, that the friends of one candidate will not believe and propagate of the friends of the other, and the candidates themselves are not only falsely accused at this present time, but are sure to have even their long-forgotten, and perhaps, falsely imputed faults in days that are past, brought forward in array against them. And how powerful are party names to excite illiberal judgment? 1 have often heard whigs declare that there never was an honest tory, and tories assert that all whigs were rogues; and whence this narrow-minded, and other as mischievous defamation, but from the bad temper produced by party spirit? this therefore is an instance to confirm the truth of my assertion, that when competition is united to ill-governed temper, the results are formidable, and lead to fatal consequences. I have said before, that all public characters are exposed to the temptations of detraction incident to competition; but I must further observe, that ministers, members of parliament, and all public functionaries, together with kings, princes, and persons of high rank, are the objects of constant defamation, even where the utterers can

be in no competition with them; namely, amongst the middle classes in society. I have known individuals in private life, who would scruple to spread a report to the disadvantage of an acquaintance or neighbour, willing to believe and eager to propagate a slander against a royal personage, or a ministerial or opposition leader. Sometimes, perhaps, this also may be accounted for by party spirit, but not always, as princesses, and women of high rank who are not politically prominent, are also the subjects of their calumnious reports.. Perhaps this is sometimes occasioned by vanity; the speakers may wish to appear conversant with royal and titled persons themselves, or with those who associate with them.

But a spotless reputation is, no doubt, as precious to princes and princesses, and members of the aristocracy of the country, as to others. It is, therefore, a remarkable instance of the inconsistency of human nature, that scrupulous and conscientious persons should believe and propagate almost impossible slander against the royal and the high born, which the speakers would neither credit nor report of those in their own rank of life; nor is the instigation of vanity, nor even a sense of general competition, sufficient to account, entirely, for this obliquity. Kings are worse off in this respect than any of their subjects, for though it is treason to devise aught against the life of a king, there is no punishment, that I know of, for taking away his moral character; and as it is thought particularly base and cowardly to

insult a clergyman, because his profession prevents him from taking what the world calls the satisfaction of a gentleman, it is equally so to propagate reports against one whose promi. nent situation in society exposes him to particular remark, and who is prevented by his elevated station from gaining redress for the injurious defamation to which his rank makes him peculiarly liable. There is one consideration, however, which may reconcile us to these highly aimed shafts of detraction and defamation; namely, the belief, that as kings, princes, and nobles, are made of the same corrupt nature as ourselves, there is little doubt but that they in their turn believe, and propagate, evil reports of each other, and even of those below them, and that therefore, when they are hardly judged and ungenerously defamed, it may often be deserved retribution.

There is one question which I feel it imperative upon me to put to my readers of every description, who believe the commandments to be of divine authority, whether they be in the world or separated from it, whether they be members of the church of England, or sectarians, jew or gentile; namely:

How is it that you, who would shrink with virtuous horror from being even supposed capable of violating the 6th, 7th, or 8th commandments, should have no scruple against violating the 9th?

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.'

Yet, taking up and propagating reports, the

truth of which we can not prove, is a positive violation of the ninth commandment, and he who gave them requires the same obedience to them all. Therefore, though it is certainly more difficult for many of us to keep the 9th, than the 6th, 7th, and 8th commandments, no one who has any real religious belief can deny that it is equally imperative on us; and I doubt not, but at the day of final and righteous retribution, the cold-blooded malignity of the murderers of reputations will be as awfully dealt with, as the more violent passions of the ruffian and the assassin, by the DIVINE JUSTICE.

I shall conclude this chapter with some admirable extracts on "Lying Defamation," from the Government of the Tongue.

"As in the case of stealing it is proverbially said, that if there were no receivers there would be no thieves; so in this of slander, if there were fewer spreaders, there would be fewer forgers of libels; the manufacture would be discouraged, if it had not these retailers to put off the wares. Now to apply these practices to our rule of duty, there will need no very close inspection to discern the obliquity. The most superficial glance will evidence these several degrees of slanderers to do what they would not be willing to suffer.

"And indeed, it is observable, that those who make the greatest havoc of other men's reputation, are the most nicely tender of their own; which sets this sin of calumny in a most diametrical opposition to the evangelical precept of loving our neighbours as ourselves.