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Show NO PRECEDENT. Mr. Thomas Kinsella, the editor of the Brooklyn Kayle, is a politician and a man of tho world. He has recently figured as the defendant in a suit for the seduction of hia neighbor's wife, and has been found guilty and condemned to pay $15,000 for the misdeed. But he published the proceedings pro-ceedings in his paper, and treata the whole affair with cool indiflerence, just as though there was nothing in it injurious either to his peace of mind or his standing in the community. No doubt this ia shieird on his part. And while such a crime for crime it certainly is must diminish the esteem in which he is held by a large proportion of the publie, a still larger proportion perhaps look upon it with tolerance, or even with a sort ol envy. At any rate, Mr. Kinsella is not destroyed de-stroyed by it in the eneral opinion. He remains a man of power and influence in-fluence after the verdict, as he was before. But this result in his case affords no precedent for the other momentous moment-ous one now on trial before tue city court. There the accusation is the same, but the defendant is a clergyman, clergy-man, a preacher and teacher ot christian morality and the christian religion. He cannot -come out ot such an ordeal as a man of the world can, because he ia judged by a different differ-ent and a more- rigorous standard. Mr. Kinsella is pronounced guilty, and people shrug their shouldere and sav he is at least no hvDocrite. He has never lied or prevaricated, or perjured per-jured himself about the aflajr, and he pays the penalty like a man. But the christian minister who has taught that such sins belong to hell, and lay hold on damnation, who with the law of the Most High iu his hand has de-j nouueed upon them an awful and ! enduring punishment, is bound above ' other men to be free from the guilt of their commission; and when auch wickedness is brought home to him, he is condemned oy public opiuion with a heavier condemnation. The lenity of the general judgment judg-ment toward Mr. Kinsella forms no precedent for Mr. Beecher; but let us hope also that tho proof of guilt in the former case may form no precedent prece-dent for the conclusion of the present one. Every honest heart must desire that Mr. Beecher may come out pure and spotless from this perilous and alarming trial. N. Y. Sun. |