Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-06-18
Convention Of inssoA..

The New Y ork Times thus merciessly
cuts up the insane rawlings of the late In6del
convention ut Hartford
This Hartford affair is really too despicabe
for serious notice. AS it, by proyidential ar.
rangement, its members we're drafted from
class of persons, who have long since lost all
standing in the community for soundness Of
wit; and exposed themselves to shrewd sus-
picions Of pursuing dishonest aims from bad
motives. 1t is mere sink of scepticism fed
from the impurest sources. Abolitionsm
poured in its little tide; a streamlet OF mag
netism was duly contributed clairvoyance
trlckled in unobtrusively; and the rspparees
turned thither the Stygian waters, agreeabiy
to an alphabetical agreement with Charon
and the ghosts of Hades The only oualifi-
cation required for membership of the in6del
convention was ridiculous credu.ty evinced by
consistent life. Disbelief of the Bible leaves
vast vacuum In the human mind, which all
manner of demons and chimeras troop in to
occupy.
So these people met upon common plat.
form Of 6elusions, after meritorious struggles
in the cause Of general religious and social
disorganization. The one had previously
urged warfare upon the constitution of the
Union as his distinct speciality. Another has
selected the Constitution of Society as his pc
culiar target, and proposed reconstruction up.
on the principles of Owen, ST. Simon or Four.
ier. The dissolution of family order was
portion of his scheme. A third had enjoyed
the posthumous teachings of Thomas Paine
in the world spirits, until his arm was might
| lily strengthened to assault Church organiza-
| f;anc nd nyarfbra,r 80 ~ 4
desk; and demolish bell, book and candle
without morse of remorse. A fourth had
voyaged among the planets, gathering super.
human reason for disbelief Every man had
had bis diploma for preparatory mischief a.
chieved before he ventured upon his antibib-
lcal crusade; and, fortunately, every one has
cravat branded upon him, SO that the simp-
lie should rofuse to trust him.
The deliberations of the Convention have
be6tted She membership. The widest rant,
the abandonment at the very outset of an at
tempt at sequent discussion defamation
without substance; denuncation without
point; ignorance presumption folly nom
sense, are the only phrases fairly answering
to the merits of he case. From first to last
no valid ground Of objections to the canon
was, we believe announced.
There are scores ofsceptics in the country,
who, from the exhaus:less stores of their r.
religious logic, could have supplied volumes
of plausibilities, mere half dozen of which
would have saved the character of the
Convention by just the distance that vicious
ingenuity is removed from vicious imbecility.
But these people were the most conceited of
blunderers. The profession of religious scep.
ticisp, which they avowed. they do not seem
to have understood, even fundamentally. In
all the proceedings we can detect nothing bet
ter than sincere aversion to the object Of
attack; irrational, inconsistent end quite un-
Ijustiiable, a pitiable anxiety to do mischief,
without the power; personal displays prompt
ed by vanity and evincing fatuity.