Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-06-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
From he baltimore Patriot.


An occurrence which took place during my late
visit to Your city Of { ties, requires some public
notice. On the evening al Sunday last, whilst
walking Broadway, IN company with my friend,
Gen. Geo. ". " ilham,on, OF this city, | eNproS-
sed a curiosity 10 sec /" Tammany Hail." which
had heard spoken OF rs Your treat dftea for public
discussion. We accordingly proceeded ihither and
on entering the Hail. discovered 10 our surprise n
large audience assembled, lis,cnine apparently with
wrapt attention, 10 speaker who was addressing
them from pulpit At one extremity OF the Hall.
he door keeper required oi us Stf ponce each. rs
the price OF admission, which pad, and took
our seats on one OF the back henehes. On looking
round, discovered that Of the audience Which
nearly filled the larec Hall, about one halt consist
ed OF respectfully dressed females, OF all ages
from the young elrl Just blooming into Womanhood
10 the aged matron. immediately ON the left of
the pulpit, on the front bench, were seated mum
Der OF venerable old men, some bald from agc, and
Others with seanty locks, which had been whitencd
by the frost OF many score Of winters IN the rear
OF them, were a number OF persons, with musical
instruments IN their hands and nearl, fronting the
pulpit, was Il gentleman in appearance, with hean
tn and most interesting boy, apparently about
tre Years Of age, in his arms, whose youthful
glance appeared 10 be directed, with fascinated in
llnence, to the speaker in the pulpit. The rest OF
q
them youths from sixteen 10 ciehieen years Of noe
After MAKING this rapid survey, and directing our
attention TO the speaker, our prepossc>Sons were N
once excited in his iaNof--lle Wis apparently Il
bout - or 80 years OF are: OF handsome person.
al ppenrance-winnng address-nlisenl voice
and exhibiting great powers OF elocutlon. He was
passing III review the different systems Of Theology
o the various sccts and nations of the world, shcw-
ing much historical research aud ,sincng much
taent.--Wc were delighted and CONGRATULATED
each other on having zone 10 the Hall rcNulsion
Of feeling, however. soon tool, place, when on his
making practical application Of what he had been
reviewing, the result OF all his facts and reasoning
was l\FlDELlTN, IN its most undsgused, ma
kcd and disgusting lorm.--W hen lc finished his
address, which evidently n prepared one he
resigned his place in the pulpit to an elderly man,
OF rude manners and most unprcpossessne exterior,
who read from n book several verses which were
sung by most of the principal, by the
iemilcs--accompanicd by the musical instruments.
The same person then commenced and delivered
an address, which occupied about thirty minutes,
and which for eros, ribadry, impiev, aud the most
revolving profanity, WAS never exceeded during the
widest eSecsscs OF the French Revolution. | viii
not enter into the Disgusting dttdH of MI he said
but merely state few of his doctrines. lie boldly
ridiculcd and denied the Existence NJ a God: de
clarcd with emphasis that the Uoiy BibAe was
Uumbng, and that all Professors Of Rcie,oa were
willy Hypoerites, whose sole object was 10 fiji their
bellies with beefand pudding. | listened with hor-
ror and astonishment--lorror that any civilized or
human being should openly profess a bcliel in such
doctrines-astonlshmen that the pronunciation Of
them, should be tolerated IN any community. |
looked round at the audience. The old men no l.
ded assent even to the most ultra oi his doctrines
the females whose scnsiiivcness, feeling and live
" imagnatons, too often make them the victims
of designing men, listened with a,ldily, and some
OF them responded with LAUGH 10 his erosscst
ribaldry youth of not more than 10, next TO
whom sat, in response TO some OF the doctrines
exclaimed " that is true - and the beautiful little
boy, in the of his father near the front of the
pulpit, whose ductilc mind and warm iiantile feel
ings were prepared TO receive any Impression
for good or for baldwin opened mouth, and eyes
beamipg with interest and intelligence, drank in tho
polluted stream from that old mans lips.
am no anatic-I am no bieof-I an not
what is callcda Proiossorof Religion. Thopeha-
tachcd member TO the Church Of my iorcla-
Tiers, | am not, as yet, a communicate though
trust the time is not far distant when all be able
10 realize the pleasure, and assume the response
bties of one The leading principles Of chris
tlanty, however, were insted into me from my
earliest youth. Reason and reflection have CON
lrrncd their truth. The whole niserse-ihe Stars
in the lrmamcnt--thc mountains aud the yallcys-
the land and the ocean with their countless inhabi-
tans--all nature, animate and nanimate--pro-
claim with one voice the existence OF Supreme
Being. The idea is implanted in our very nature.
1t is incorporated with all orr Institutions whether
religious, political or social. Ii is the substratun
upon which the constitution OF free Govern
mcnt rests. The responsibtic, which il imposes,
and the duties j, inculcatcs in all the relations OF
life, are the grand cement which keeps society to-
gctl,cr.
Entertaining these opinions, my feelings revolt
ed AT the doctrines which heard so shameIessly
proclaimed. As citizen Of a free country. whose
best institutions would wlhcr under the poisoning
influence of the ipas Tree Of HfdeiUg: As a
meeting and controlling bonds would be broken
through; were they not sustained by the obligations
which are ineulcated by the Bible As . philan-
tlropist, who could not youth and old are
trembling the verge OF "A prccip1cc, without rais-
ing warning cry, and extending forth helping
hand to them from pffdition determined To
enter my protest against the doctrines had heard.
was ii father. The aec--ibc beautY--thc intel
gent look---of that HHte bay, spoke 10 my heart
in language it well understood. 1t reminded me
of my hnie boy--my only son-oi the same apo
the same bcauty--thc same INSTRUMENTATION
the Divine Being, whose etiStence these mcndcnicd,
thought proper, in his Providence, to take to him.
self. Thank God ms infant mind was never pol
lutcd by the MANI of INrIDELIrY and the best
consolation which have for his loss, is in the cer