Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-05-14


Let the reader imagine it is Sunday morning
The bells are tollng, and the good church going
people of Boston are vending their way to the
various places of worship which are open to re-
| ligious services. Suppose we spend an hour
this forenoon at the Melodeon, and hear the
celebrated philanthropist who usually breaches
| there
Mr.. Parker is seated in an arm chair on the
platform. A Bible and bunch of flowers are
on the table in front of him; and it is difficult to
| say beforehand from which of the two he will
select his text. He will doubles glorify the fra
grant and beautiful blossoms, and condemn some
parts of the inspired volume, before he concludes
| his address See him rise slowly and walk gent
| ly toward the desk. He now leans upon it clos
es his eyes, clasps his hands, and commences
| prayer in an inaudible voice. Now the hoarse
whisper becomes u low, murmurirg sound
! Now you hear words, and a whole sentence &C.
casonally, and wish you had come earlier so
as to have obtained seat near the preacher-
Now, by opening your ears and watching his
lips attentively, you can hear his PRAYER; but if
God is not present, there is no one there who
understands it, 1t abounds with smart maxims
deep philosophical reflections, pious acknowl-
edgments, earnest invocations, and reverental
promises
lie has taken his text, and commenced read
ing his manuscript. His voice is rather husky,
and his thick lips seem willing to part. lie now
speaks louder and more distinctly; his lead-like
eyes begin to glow with genius, and his bald head
seems to shine transparency with thought, while
he utters, in choice and classical English, seDti-
ments so new, so strange, so mighty, and so
mad with radicalism that ncOrrigible cOnserva-
tives are offended. He is q moral Columbus,
who discovers whole continents of thoughts, and
Is sure to cause mutlny in the ship he sails in,
because he ventures so far from the dry land on
which most men build their hopes Indeed, he
is regarded as a theological corNair, and most of
our great guns have been levelled at him, but he
sails on uninjured, amid the roar of their OPP
position, although he frequently endangers his
own immortal life by installing whales back
for green island. His philosophy and his d.
yinity do not agree, for his philosophy is more
divine than his divinity. He has but little faith
in any part of Scripture that is not apparently
susceptible of interpretations favorable to his
peculiar views Of religious duty, and does not
hesitate to ridlcule those passages which comes
in collision with his 'utopian' doctrines In this
way he unintentionally destroys, in the minds of
many, all reverence for religion, and obliierates
the sense 0! moral obligation. If his hearers
were all learned philosophers, his lectures would
be invaluable to them; but they consist of all
classes. The wise who sitt the wheat from the
chah, may live under his teaching; but the
mass, who swallow every thing he offers, are in
danger OF suffering all the pangs of spiritual star
walton.
lie is true and thorough reformcr, and ad-
vocates with great ZEAL and greater ability, the
peace reform, the temperance reform, the anti
slavery and anli-hangng reforms. In the course
OF his sermon. he il sure To apply the rod 70 in
Gle Sans prize fighters, the Army and the Ma
Wy. The old autocrat Alcohol will be hagellated
the South will receive a blow here-the
Church will get Whacb there-and the GalloWs
will be kicked over yonder. lie reminds one of
the school-masters of ancient times but he
serves great men as they did little boys. States
men, clergymeu, arisocrats, are called up and
publicly chastsed, i! they do not say their les
sons correctly. A few days ago, Daniel Webster
had to hold out his hand and feel the ferule-
General Cass Is frequently compelled to stand on
the duncc-block at the Mclodcon-Foote has To
wear the cap and bells, every time he threatens
to hang or shoot his fellow-Senators he pats
Benton on the shoulders, by way of encourage
ment, when he speaks for freedom-John p.
Hale he thinks is precocious child of great
pronise-Ralp phi Waldo Emerson is so far advanc-
ed in knowledge, he would employ him as usher
in his school.
Mr.. Parker's matter is more fascinating than
his manner Indeed, he is often awkward in his
gestures, and indistinct in his utterance, but he
las the happy faculty of COMPRISING a vol
ume OF meaning into a few simple words. lie
never appears before an aud Cnce, without Civ
ing his hearers at least one drop OF fragrance
which contains the concentrated essence of q
whole garden OF roses.
He is the poor mans friend, although he re-
cards poverty as an unmitlrated Cursc,-and
L. ,,-l
the other side when humautyis PROSTATE, bleed
ing, and beseeching help. He has an extraordi-
nary share of moral courage, and wages war
like hero against the kingdom of scoundreldom.
He is fond of the company of the gods, and talks
about Mars, Jupitur, Neptune, as though they
had been his school-mates is a modern among
the ancients, an ancient amongst the modcrns
will tell you, with perfect GOODNESS, that Paul
was not so good writer as socrates; that Je
sus was perfect man; that by-and-by there
will be other men as perfect as Jesus and that
the statutes of Moses are not equal to those Of
Massachusetts. He seems to spurn what he can
not fatkom, and To condemn what he cannot com
prehend. He doubts whether Christ could per
form miracles, because he cannot perform mira
Giles himself; thinks inspiration is reason mag
netized,-the Bible an Interesting, but not al
ways reliable history Of the Jews the popu-
lar ItLIO OA LlIE lliIlc u utiuH4EC SINH IDNtS
to trace human progress from the barbarous
ages to the present time, and then look forward
10 golden future. Were he to manifest more
reverence for the truths ofrcvelation, and show
that he put as much faith in God as he does in
man, be would with his varied learning and great
talents, accomplish an immeasurable amount of
Of good and many young men who have
more faith in a newspaper than they have in
the New Testament, would endorse its senti-
nenis and follow the precePts Of that heavenly
guide
Mr. Parker is chaste and elegant writer
his works are widely circulated and read by
scholars on both continents Although he is
denounced as an ;nfie By his opponents, he
certainly behaves like Christian in his private
intercourse with his felIow-men. He thinks there
is nothing in the world 50 sacred as man, which
accounts for the fact that he hates flogging in
the Navy, and is opposed to hanging, and oPpres-
sion, and incompetence, and the bGtchery OF the
battlefield
He is upwards Of forty years Of age, rather
under the medium stature, head large and bald,
and his face dull, until ne becomes animated be-
fore an audience; is quite popular as lyceum
lecturer and is in great demand during the lect-
uring season.
The subject Of this sketch, though wrong in
theory. is right in practice, and has courage
enough to seize the sucial and public evils by