Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-10-27
THE GAZETTE.
MORNING, OCTOBER q, 1859.
TIE GREAT REVIVAL.

subsidized ere there began religious move
ment which, in character and extent, was IN
like any revival ever witnessed III this coun-
try. The excitement was not sporadic-it
was not confined to any locality, but, mani
Testing an epidemic nature, seemed to break
forth simultaneously in all the principal e.
ties in the Union. A prominent feature IN
its history, one that distinguished it from all
previous REVEALS and to which its eminent
success was mainly attributed, was the insti-
tuition Of the daily prayer meetings, some
times ut twelve o'clock, at others in the
afternoon about four o'clock. Never be-
fore, we believe, were business hours so
trenched upon by the church; certainly never
with such success.
The work of conversion was confined to no
particular sect All denominations join
ed in it with an earnestness and harmony be-
coming the spirit Of Christianity. What
were the fruits of these pious labors need not
be told As there was little excitement, IN
the sense in which the term is generally used,
little of the noise and violence of feeling com
mon to religious REVEALS, so was there grea-
ter proportion Of reliable converts. The dura-
ton Of the movement correspondent with It's
noiselessness. For more than year the dal-
" PRAYER meetings have been kept up, indeed
they have never been abandoned. But, with
the return of confidence in business circles,
the revival of trade began to interfere with
the revival of religion, manifest decrease
in the attendance of the prayer meetings
IDENTIFY dying out, when a sudden, unexpec-
ted and powerful impulse was given by the
intelligence that revivals had taken place in
N ~rr D..k Gao do tYry
fire Of religious fervor was instantly re
kindled, new and deeper interest was tax
en- in the daily gatherings for prayer, and at
this moment, as we are assured by religious
and secular journals, the great awakening
has reached height beyond the expectations
Of the most sanguine reviyalists. Nor Is 1t
likely soon TO abate.
The nature and circumstances OF the Eng
lish revival, as it appears in the North OF Ire
land, and us described by correspondent of
the London Times, were detailed in our
columns some days ago. Sudden prostration,
horror, stupefaction, commissions, ecstacy,
grovelling on the earth, groanings-all the
marks of fanatical or supernatural excite
ment" are the concomitants of the Irish
awakening. 1t is as unlike the movement
in American as the storm is unlike the calm.
From the "agonies" so wild. so extrayagant,
so revolving as these described By the cores
pondent. of the Times, the best results are not
likely to fellow We look for conversions
far more lasting where less noise and deeper
emotion prevail, and trust that the quiet in
tensity which has hitherto characterized the
American revival may continue to the end.
Religious excitements viewed in any light,
involve questions of so grave nature and
of interest so high. that the lay journalist
cannot handle them too delicately. On the
one hand it cannot be denied that the best
and most intelligent men do not disapprove
of them; on the other, it is certain that, where
excitement mounts to enthusiasm and thence
into frenzy, as now in Ireland, incalculable
harm ensues. Thinking people, disguised
with exhibitions surprising those of the
mad are too apt to turn away displeas-
ed with religion in any form, while the vic
tins themselves Of the frantic passion, as pure
ly earth-born in it's nature as the Juror of pol
itics, soon relapse from their highstrung CON
dtion into that spiritual deadness which
ministers are 40 often called on to deplore.
Reaction must take place, and it may well
be doubted whether the state Of the vast ma
jority of the people is not worse after the
revival than before it. Yet it is evident that,
in nine cases out of ten, there would be few
conversions without more or less of excite
ment; and the veriest sceptic must admit
that it is better there should be some back
sliders than that none should turn from the
error of his ways" Disallowing all superna-
tural influences whatever in REVEALS. and at
tributing their phenomena to physical causes
alone, it is nevertheless apparent that moral
reiormations can be and are daily wrought
by enforcing religious ideas through the in
strumentality of these sympathes of body
and mind whose lively action, excitable al
most at pleasure, increases the Susceptibility
to all manner of impressions To use and
not to abuse these sympathies is the duty of
the intelligent Christian. And it is source
of pleasure to reflect that as the human race
is elevated by the advance of knowledge, the
disagreeable features Of reviyais will gradu-
ally diminish and eventually disappear al
oge,her.--Baltimore 4maicaW.
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