Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1857-08-13

FOR the Delware Republican.
Mn. EDITOR I'll wish to say few words
through your valuable paper, on what believe
to be an evil, now existing among the people
of this State, and particularly of, this county.
allude to Camp Meetings. l do not wish to
be understood as being opposed to the preach
ing Of the Gospel, or the conversion of sinners,
but wish to be understood as meaning that
the Camp Meetings of the present day, add
nothing towards the spreading of the former,
or the solid conversion OF the latter Let US
look back few years, and see in what manner
Camp Meetings were conducted then; You
would find on going on the ground In time Of
preachinga large congregation, listening quiet
ly and attentiyey to the preacher you did not
see the tents occupied in time of preaching, no
promGnading was permitted; in fact, everything
was quiet until the sermon was ended. Camp
Meetings We're not used by the young and dis
spated as place Of frolic; neither was it
place of barter and sale for the Spectator and
trader, but they were conducted just as they
ought to be at this time, in quiet and religious
manner ,theImembers done what they went there
to do, to spend week enjoying themselves in
praising their Maker and assisting as far as
was in their power in the conversion of many
sinners. But what eau be said of latter day
camps let us endeayor q description of one--a
| place for feasting and amusement, a DISPOSE
ton is evinced to show off in the furnishing OF
| their tents, a spirit of rivalry exists oven
| among the members themselves, as to who
shall dress the finest and present the best APP
pearlnce; they have become place of specu-
lation in every thing. Vice in every shape
and form is carried on from one side of the
ground to the other; in short, nothing is check.
ed unless the managers happen to come across
some poor drunken fellow, whom they nal
Immediately and send to prison, when his il
probably tile very least of the evils committed
on the ground. Ii there were no buildings Ia
worship in there wonld be some excuse fol
holding woods meetings, but with the number
OF churches throu1h the country, and the con.
yenience OF reaching them, there is none.--
There has been time when the good resulting
from a Camp Meeting so far ontweighed the
evil committed that the latter was very little
thought of; but that is just the reverse of the
| case now. The vast amount Of evil done so
| far exceeds the good that II amounts almost
to nothing. They are an evil in more ways
than one, ana this evil is greatly on the in
crease. Twenty or thirty years ago four or
five Camp Meetings was thought quite enough
for this States this year we are likely to have
eleven or twelve; there always has been aud
VIII continue to be persons who will tent ont
at camp, that are not able to afford il, but
will do it before they will let their neghbors
get ahead of them in anything no matter how
much they may deprive themselves OF by GO
ing. doubt whether there are many persons
that have made calculation of the cost Of II
camp meeting. | have and the most moderate
one can make is from $500 to $4,000; let us
prove it, it would be a moderate size camp
containing fifty teuts, they cannot be put
up for less than So apiece, making $3.50, clean
ing and lifting up the ground $3.50, so worth
of provisions for each tent, extra of what they
would have used at home $1,000, say nothing
abont the loss of time, the extra amount OF
| clothes purchased for the occasion and you will
lind the cost will far exceed the amount | have
named. You can scarcely go to a camp with
out having the hat handed to you to contribute
something to the missionary cause, the tract
society, the fund for tho support of worn out
preachers, and several others, and ii IS per-
fectly right that the gospel should be sent to
the Heather, that religious tracts should be
freely distributed, and that men who have
worn themselves out in the ministry should be
| supported, but suppose the members alone
would give one-third only of what they spend
on camp meetings to the different collections
see what mnch larger amount OF good would
be done, vast amount of expense and labor
saved, and last but not least their several
collections would be greatly increased.
wsuld like to see one year pass by without any
camp meetings. think it wonld be benefit to
the people generally; we would have less sick
ness amongst us, and we would have an in
creased church congregation over what We
have at present. Respt. your ob't. serv't.,
CHANGE.