American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-04-02
he lscvivnls, their Origin and
PROGRESS. SC. nv

q. $50 wv
0 The religious reyivals throughout the |
country are,the subject Of const.nt Thought
,anu CONVERSATION on the part of.sll classes
~ he community. The prevalent awaken
N. Is indeed as extraordinary as il is unpa.
ralteled. Commencing just alter the late
pa"'c set IN. with noon prayer meeting in
'he"ty oil New York, the first OF which was
participate in BY some dozen of VISIONS. il
has grown intoone OF the mos, remar kable
demonstrations Of the power of conscience
within the present century. To every re
iiec''nS mind, says the Philadelphia Inquirer,
we movement is one of impor, and interest.
We see the hearts OF the millions-for /,
c'mrfehends. thronghou; the broad breadth
"i The land which il has started and excited.
not less than m!llions--slirred simul,ane-
ons'y ty some mighty spirit as a great for.
est IS moved by the wind, Its myr' al leaves
last huttesing all Il, once And this en-
citemen' comes, no one knows whence, as it
tends no one knows whittier. What over.
mastering orator has thus broken IN The
great deep OF peoples heart! What as.
soc'a'ed effort OF wealth. taleHt and mower,
mas t'iuf, III moment, aud as If by spell,
eHected what all the energies OF as.ociat ted
p'e.y have so long aud SO earnestly labored
Tor in vain What earthly agency has beer
employed? All the power OF earth united,
directed by all its wisdom, and enforced BY
all lis power, could no, have produced the
effects here before US. Whence and wha,
Is IT, then Can science explain il? Can
history point toany movement Of the pop
ular heart and mind, SO sudden, spontaneous
and gcneI Let i, be remem bere,l, tina,
mere no interest nor passion is appealed TO-
ln'eres; may inspire popular excilemenls :;
mat was proved IN the recent monetary pa.
NC but though the feeling was strong and
general, for the cause was the fear of want,
yet did It not bear the leas, resemblance, in
any OF lis traits, 20 This manifestation. and
still less DID il resemble il in depth, fevor
and power.
That mind kmdles mind is mos, true. 4,
is certain that large bcdies Of men, acting in
concert, are. by some principle Of our ma
'ure, often heated into high excitcments.--
Before Mesmer had given his theory TO The
public, Hume, the philosopher, said that any
! one who could be in the midst Of an excited
, crowd, without being himself excited, was
4 more or less than man. But this principle
does not explain the present phenomenon. -
, IL the ministers OF the Gospel or others had
brought lufge masses Of the people togeth-
or, and on excitement had been. by means
familiar 10 us, produced and again reprodu.
ced and heightened. we IN ght refer TO this
principle III human nature us explaining il
But here The fire r0s kindled pithom torch,
and flashed and famed uiihom fire. |, had
{ no author-no advocate, and, at the first. no
meetings. lis triumph was instantaneous.
II 'hoI, like column of fire. to the skies
and those who most rejoced in il most won.
! drred al ii. -...
Ordinary cSritements are in accordance
The prrjudices, feelings and pleasure Of the
! ropulace but this strips The peniten, Of ev-
cry guilty interest, every tasted enjoyment.
Ordinary eX'Itements are ''BIiel as the light.
nng IN The coIled light" But this is liak.
ed with cause hat has advanced through.
out eighteen hundred years Of trial and en-
durance, and which, still advancing. looks
confidently into lhe awful eyes Of a smiling
eternity.
II Is objected TO this elfurt 10 make man
better and there fore happier, that the result
will be evanesccn,. There is error in this
view OF the subject. Men are not so much
moved by the slow and lazy influence Of ev-
cry day life, as by the electric shock of some
single event. Let each man look to his own
experience, and lie will acknow ledge that
his life has started, ~ various eras, from
points where strong impression has been
made upon him. AS the deslinics of men
are controlled thus, not By the reflections Of
years, bnt by the overrowerng influence of
all individual event which controls their dos.
, tiny. The man who lives, wthou, ,b,'i
OF dniy, under the calm and sunshine OF life.
lTembIes and bows at the thunder stroke
WIN some men these impressions are brief:
| with others lasting but without these i'm.
pressi"ns, what hope is there tina any would
oe aroused and secured ? The lazy business
oil fashionable and yawning devotion is dis.
'nIbed toy these manifestations, II is SAID
hat they are not dgnified, nor ronsiderate,
nor decorons-as il the eesping human hear,
III its dealings with its Maker cared for such
considerations And j, is alleged that the
excitement inspired by them cannot last
but what then ? Has any wrong been done?
But they wdt last. TIE excitement will, Of
course, exhaust itself; i, lie better that, hav.
ing performed It's mission, it shonId bu; il
wiI'-like the Using Of the Nile, which sub
merSeS, for time, the land with turbi! &
turgid Hood, to render il a garden Of fruit.
iuIness and beauty--lcave behind it a legacy
Of public virtue and thousands. OF pure and
I -. -