Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-04-16
'impeachable orthodoxy, more than
from any manifestations of logical
acuteness or political genius.

lmpedCnaC.0 OrtnOuoAy, HloTc tnd
from any manifestations of logics
acuteness or political genius.
The petition to Heaven was ended
> Those who had bowed to the cart
in real or simulated alteration resum
: ed their seats, and, for five minute
afterwards, there prevailed a solemn
: silence--the profound calm of expec
tation. Then suddenly a slende
! figure, that nobody had observed be
fore, ascended the platform, and
: pale yet luminous face, shining witt
two earnest. starry eyes, glanced
slowly and calmly around the vas
assemblage, as if silently measuring
their capacity for the reception of tht
: truths about to be enunciated.
He did not open the Bible--he die
not formally take any text; but all a
once be cried out, in trumpet tones
which caused every hearer to start or
his seat, "Behold | make all things
lnew" And then he spread all the
sails Of Imagination, and launched
boldly forth into an illimitable ocean
iof eloquence. The burden of his dis
course, in its first division, was the
susceptibility of the material mole
cules comprising the visible and tan.
igible universe for endless transforms
ltions of utility and transcendental
beauty throughout the endless ages
Of eternity. He demonstrated, from
the latest discoveries of chemistry
and the best established truths Of all
physical science, that matter is not
that gross, disgusting thing which the
atheistic philosophers and some SUI
perstitious theologians would have us
to believe it, but that all its aspects
of responsiveness, Of sweetness, of SUBJ
Unity and Of terror depended upon
the arrangement of its atoms and the
! composition of its elements.
As the speaker went on advancing
into the heart OF his subject, the pale
ness gradually left bis face, which at
last glowed like fiery fuanaN; and,
the azure Of his eyes turned to red
and literally lightened- around him;
and as he closed the first branch Of
his subject, describing the beatitude
to be enjoyed in 'tbe new heaven and
EARTH" the final home Of the saints
in light, a general and irrepressible
shout of enthusiasm broke forth a.
mong the faithful.
He then commenced the second
| division of his discourse, with the
singular remark ''that although it was
declared that all things should be
made new, there was no intimation
that all persons should be made new,
but that an opposite inference might
we'll be deduced from the letter and
spirit of the text" And notwith.
standing, as every intelligent reader
will at once perceive, that this con.
struction was fanciful and far.fetched
play upon mere words, the orator
made it a foundation for the most ap.
'ipalling denunciation against sinners
perhaps ever heard from the pulpit.
He painted the different classes Of
offenders against the divine law in
colors SO black, as to justify, without
figure, the epithet Of infernal.--
And here all bis eloquence proved a
failure, or something worse; for in.
stead Of wooing sinners and heretics
Into the arms Of orthodoxy, his bitter
, invectiyes filled their hearts with hos.
tility and revenge. He made, that
one day, at least five hundred impla
J cable enemies.
Afterwards, travelling around hi:
circuit, he pursued the same unwaver
} ing course, throwing the whole coun
f try into a ferment, and creating witt
every sermon a host of friends anC
. enemies--the latter, however usual
~ predominating both in vehemenct
: and numbers.
: At length, he gave mortal offenct
/, to one Jonas Sneed, wealthy plan
: ter of Howard county, and a man o
: greatpersonal popularity, although i
: was well known that his wrath wa.
, deadly as the poison Of the rattle
. snake. The difficulty arose in thi.
] manner: Major Sneed, notwithstand
: ing his many virtues, and he really
possessed many, was an occasiona
8 gambler as, indeed, might be said Q
) the majority Of the irreligious in tha
: section of the country. He was ais
: a duellist, whenever the code of hon
b OF, as currently recognized in tha
! region, called upon him. with its i'm
: perious rules, to prefer or accep