Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1854-04-25


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position nioeniefthe lists Of controversy upor
this subjeci, but we woaldlike 70 suggest lt
our brethren, that. IN our fjudgmen',7it nigh
notbe amlss while they have itihR handqiC
go ali,,le2deepef into ihe merits Of the case
The question is, whether ddncingis proper
l7orimproper ae"teligious lairs~ We move
q call for the "previous question:" which
being carried will bring us 10 ,ihe "mair
question, as to the proprieiy OF Improperly j
Iop'religious faifsn themselves y Religious
faifsl Religious leseesi IL seems 10 aus
that our friends have gotup some new in.
siituiions Of religion, and we would be glad
tobeinformed iWhsm andi6y sokom fairs and
levees were made religi ious institationsl s29
z Our goodbsothefo Of The Ambassador does
notseen 70 perceive any mingling or things
secular;and divine, in getting tupa "fair OF
asleses' i'm The name Of selig;6a. "A Soci.
ETY. may getbp "a public gathering Of people,
Of all characters and no character.''t They
may chatter and firade, andluse all manner
ofarts and devices TO wheedles their visitors
out oftheir money, andinduce Them to pur.
chase things that they do not want, at a
price far above their value. Or they may
sitdowr 10 table groaning under the weight
Of fiemp,ing and injurious dainIies and luxu.
ries, and cal to surleiing and have as'gori.
Gus time" and there is no objection 10 bap-
'izing either Of these gatherings ofpeopIe of
all characters and no character" the name
Of religion, so that there is no dancing. Il,
is a "religious fair,'' or religious levee,"
all right, pure and holy, SO long as sthere is
no "closing with dancel" But If any one
ventures 10 disturb the pious and godly ex.
ercises oi ealing, gossiping, buying and sell.
ing, cohxing and wheedling, by little
heallhlul exercise in The shapeof a dance,
what sacrilegc! What a minglng OF the
"most serious matters oflime and eternilyw
We submit, eIn all seriousness, that this is
one, Of the very best specimens of "slraning
al gnat and swallowing a camel" that we
have witnessed. We marvel that our bre,h.
rem who have written upon this subject, have
no. gone behind the proprieiy or improprie.
" of dancing on these occasions, 10 discuss
the more grave and serious question Of the
legitimacy Of the whole thing as religious
affair, or as connected with religion. The
only argument we ever heard used in favor
Of "religious fair" is the argument ofpoI,
icy. s'Ilpays well. and is profitable, and
thai argument would apply with equal force
TO horse race ora cock-fght. TO us there
are more weighty and serious objections TO
the whole affair, than the mere fact that il
does not look well or sound we'll. We hold
that religion should stand on its own foun-
da,ion. and ihatit is able SO 10 stand. Men
should be taught 70 support Il for The love Of
il, and as matter ofprinciple and duty, and
If they are thus taught they will give ita
hearty support To our mind Il is degrad.
ingto religion 10 bring i. down from the lofty
heigh! O: principle and duty, and send 1t out
after precarious subsistence, by schemes
OF pulley which are designed 10 get men TO
do from their love Of fun and lrolic, wha. il
is conceded that religion itself could no. per-
suade them to do. ,a 's'fd W 2
Our decided opinion is, that when religion
has SO far died out Of a society, that they are
TO put their hands in their pockets,
and pay directly and fairly, the expenses Of
the rninislration Of the word, they had better
give up the ship. Bul 10 degrade their relig.
ion. by an admission, that II cannotlve with.
out the aid Of the devii is what we hold to
be wrong inprinciple and pernicious in prac-
tice. II they choose 10 ge, up IAN assem-
blage Of people Of all characters and no
character" and then and there, 10 cater 10
their depraved tastes, and make money Of
them by appeals 70 their gallanry, and van,
ily, instead of'their sense of duty, why even
let them do it, and II they please, dance to
their hearts content; but in the name OF rea-
son, let them not bap,ize this Thing in the
name Of religion. Above all, lei il moi be
said, Iha. such conglomera,ion of "al
characters and no characters" such Ba-
zzaar Of pin cushions and rag babies, got up
Tor no earthly purpose, bur 10 make money,
is q religious institution, and so holy thing
'ha! The "sPeculatory" may not dance with.
ou' mingling things temporal, and things di,
vine. The truth is, the whole affair from
beginningto end IS an offering upon the al Tar
Of mammon. Il is "go, up" 10 make mon.
ey, and TO no other end, and ofien bv. mem.
bers Of religious societies with view Of re.
lieying themselves from burdens ,ba, i. is
their duty 10 bear. We have said above,
that II is an appeal TO policy, not TO principle.
and II we were to argue thai question al all
we should say tits decidedly bad policy. In
most cases, whore society raises money
by fair, .he,smembers thereof spend more
In time and money than il would have cos,
them 70 have paiddh directly. and at once.
Ih's getting up fairs in the name of religion
IS mere stroke oil policy,a dear ,oay Of
doing, what in phrase polite, il called, flag
Glazing the Venerable Nicholas around the
remnant Of a atree." b. 51sal LID. W.yiI
- q Correspondence of the MY. Express.
. t. Z.