You don't like to have any one bear false witness against you, or help
to ruin your character or reputation: then why should you do it to
others? How public men are slandered in this country! None escape,
whether good or bad. Judgment is passed upon them, their family, their
character, by the press and by individuals who know little or nothing
about them. If one tenth that is said and written about our public men
was true, half of them should be hung. Slander has been called "tongue
murder." Slanderers are compared to flies that always settle on sores,
but do not touch a man's good parts.
If the archangel Gabriel should come down to earth and mix in human
affairs, I believe his character would be assailed inside of
forty-eight hours. Slander called Christ a gluttonous man and a
winebibber. He claimed to be the Truth, but instead of worshipping
Him, men took Him and crucified Him.
When any one spoke evil of another in the presence of Peter the Great,
he used promptly to stop him, and say:
"Well, now, has he not got a bright side? Tell me what you know good
of him. It is easy to splash mud, but I would rather help a man to
keep his coat clean."
I need not stop to run through the whole catalogue of sins that are
related to these three. Falserumor--exaggeration--misrepresentation
--insinuation--gossip--equivocation--holding back of the truth when
it is due and right to tell it--disparagement--perversion of meaning:
these are common transgressions of this ninth commandment, differing
in form and degree of guilt according to the motive or manner of their
expression. They bear false witness against a man before the tribunal
of public opinion--a court whose judgment none of us escape. As so
much of our life is passed in public view, any untruth that leads to
a false judgment is a grievous wrong.