The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-11-09
RIC II nj 0 Nd, VA
oNEsDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER ., 1aso
The End of the World.

We had supposed that the Millerite delu,
sion was long ago exploded, especially as the
venerable Father Miller, tired of waiting for
the world to end, had come to an end himself,
and gone to his long account. But humbugs
do not die with their originators The fanat-
icism which gave Importance to Millerism
existed before his time, and viii live for ages
after his name is forgotten, giving birth to
fresh as'ns, and cheating mankind with ever
varying and everending delusions. The
disciples of Miller have now fixed upon the
10th of May, 1854, for the destruction of the
world. They win consent to no farther post
ponen,ent. On that day there is to be one
star LEES in this planetary system The peo-
pie OF the other orbs will behold grand
contagration, and their midnight sky will be
quite lurid with the shower of sparks and
fragments. For many long night afterwards
they will look out from their windows, if win
dows are in use in those worlds, and they will
wonder what has become of the beautiful
star, whose modest but radiant form used to
adorn their horizon. But no one will be able
to tell them. They win never more see that
little star; its orbit viii be forever lonely.
dark and silent; the tiny creatures that in
habited it, consumed in the fierce blaze, can
tell no tales Ages viii pass, and this orb so
huge In the eyes of man, will be forgotten,
like grain of sand which has been washed
away by the enc-oaching tide. and there will
remain of human things nothing but the i'm
material and indestructible soul.
A memorable period fixed by the Millerites
for burning up the world was the 23d of May,
1s4s. They had been deceived in their cal
culations before, but there was to be no mis-
take about it upon that day Their deluded
followers, comprising considerable number
of foolish and ignorant men and women,
pitched their tents and prepared ascension
robes, in readiness for the final eonsumma-
ton. The day arrived; the sun rose, bright
and beautiful, as when fresh from its creator S
hand, it commenced its royal march in hea
ven; it Travelled calmly through the long and
weary hours and when it set it smiled be-
nignantly upon the Millerites and upon all
| mankind. The earth awoke the next morn
ing full of life and gladness, and the Miller.
ties dispersed, some to Bedlam, and some,
like the patriarch himself, left the world in
disgust, and went off to seek more infam-
mable region, pursuit in which they were
possibly more successful than in their at
tempts at prophecy.
This excessive soGcitude of human nature
TO lift the veil that hides the land of spirits
and the future, manifests itself in thousand
ways; now in ghost stories, then in Millerism
and anon in spirit-rappings. 1t is curious
fact, too, that most of the believers in all
these isms, are too smart to believe the only
Revelation which has been made of the char
acter of God and the destiny of man. That
Revelation, unfortunately, makes a demand
upon practice as well as faith, and hence it is
unceremoniously rejected by people who
greedlly swallow the grossest ia bles of mod
ern superstition. Let the rappers and the
Millerites learn patience and contentment-
| Both will be ghosts themselves quite as soon
| as they can DESIRE and to both and all of us,
! the day is near enough at hand, when this
bright globe shall fade from our eyes as com
pletely as if an Almighty hand had reduced
| it to original nothingness