Weekly Delaware State journal, statesman and blue hen's chicken. (Wilmington, Del.) 1855-18??, 1857-08-28

cause Of great moral and physical evils they
should be discontinued but If they are only |
the occasion Of them, the question is still open
us TO tue necessity of discontinuance. st. Paul |
makes this distinction in the 9TH chapter of his
epstle to the Romans He contends the law is
not stu, but the giving Of it was the occasion Of
sn Tor where there is no law there ia no trans
erosion. Our Lord himself refers to the same
principle where he says, aIf | had not come and
spoken unto them they had not had sin" Be-
cause the gospel by abuse is made a SAVIOR of
death unto death, shall We therefore cease to
preach 1t Because the wicked 20 to Camp
Meetings and act wickedly, shall we therefore
give them up, and thus permit the wicked one
and his followers to wrest from our hand great
mems of doing good The abuse of any good
thing is no proof Of intrinsic evil or that it
should be abandoned.
But as l have already made this article too
long, let us devote moment to the remedy pro-
posed, the prohibition of Camp Meetings by
statutory law II the government has right to
interfere with private citizens so far as to say
where they shall not worship 1t has the right to
say where they shnll and how they SHALL and
when they shall. 1t is rather too late in the day
to attempt to unite church and State now. !
have only to say the State ought not II it could,
eHact q law prohibiting such meetings, because
in one locnlity circumstances seem to require a
they are as orderly and successful as ever
Moreover, she could not if she would interfere
with the religion of her citizens in any other
sense than to protect them in their religious
rights
Before close allow me 10 guard the reader
against suppOsing am either blind to the evils
too prevalent Mt the Red Lion Camp Meeting, or
that wish to endorse them. There are many
sins committed there by persons who would be
utf uts AZ nd .s,s 10 ats 40
glory in their shame!" There are many who
do not go for religious purposes, and who do not
hear the gospel when on the ground. There is too
much trading and money making, and far too
much show and parade among young people,
, But is the remedy discontinunnce 2 Possibly II
may be. Instead Of letting stands for the sale
of fruit, MELONS, candies and especially tobacco
and segars, all such things ought to be prohibited
absolutely. They are not needed. If men, OF
women either, in any way disturb the religious
services, let there be law to take hold of them,
and let it be enforced without respect to persons.
, Let no monopoly be allowed, and then there can
/ be ground of complaint. Let not even o
Z boarding tent be set up for mere money making,
so that loafing vagabonds may have no encour-
+ agement to stay either by day or night. Let
I pastors and their more pious members exhori
! and warn the young against making such occn-
sions seasons of mere recreation, much less &C.
NhoiNh' iNA fhN NAoIieJ VI Hht hPPoheh ~
strikes me perseverance in such measures Of re
FORM will restore this great instrumentality for
A doing good 10 its original efficiency. But still
1 the physical difficulties remain. "B" says, "I
= there were no other objections to urge against
i them these would be amply sufficient for theii
n removal" Now he says, in the beginning Of his
/ article, that "few objections could be made L
them once, when they were the means of pro
@ noting the christian religion" Was it not az
d dangerous to health then to sleep In the wood
r as now. Was itnot as likely to rain then al
/. now We're the tents and Eslceping arrange
1, ments better then than now ? 1t follows, tina
c il they were ever safe, touching the health o
Is the body, they are yet. That persons may &c
d COLI at such places aud become sick, am no
fanatical enough to deny. That persons ar
often imprudent then and there, aud thus cour
disease, is certainly true But il is post ioi
quite as susceptible fproof many Of the state
menis made by 81" that as great number re
turn from such meetings in good health as pre-
serve health by remaining at home, is an equu
number of attendants aud non attendants.
Finally, I close by saying, the smaller NEE
ngs have my decided preference; aud that /
the larger cannot be reformed let them be sus
pended, and the good old fashion ones once NOR
prevail, of having about hundred tents at
meeting. And may that last till Gabriel
trumpet shall mingle its notes with the joyou
music of u successful Camp Meeting. q.