Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-06-13
CYOr the Wheeling InteiIigoncer.I
President Campbell on secret sOeie-

Before the morning class at Bethany
College, on june 9Th, 1860, at the close OF
one of President Campbells regular lee
lures, which, we are glad to hear, have
bcen geographically reported this ses-
sion, with view to future publication
he was requested to favor the students
with his views as to the nature and pro-
priety of Secret Societies in Colleges. lie
responded in an of hand manner, yet
faithfully and truthfuily, according 10 Mr..
Segar's following verbatim report:
Gentlemen We never saw any of these
Secret Societies. We cannot be good
Judge in this case: at least we cannot
Judge of n matter of this kind, with any
propriety. unless we know what the secret
of these Secret Societies is Laughter.
They are generally selfish however, and
cannot be otherwise. There IS great
deal of this Unborn sel6shness in human
nature. and be we saint or sinner, we new
er can get denuded. perfectly stripped OF
this thing we call :'ourSslG." hence OUT in
terest, our selfishness, our desire for honor or
something OF the sort, prompts US to meet
and form Fictitious schemes for the pnr-
pose of developing and gratifying this self
love or preference.
We suppose that secrets are matters
that should not be known. Indeed there
probably under any circumstance, hence
the keeping OF secrets in these cases is a
matter of duty TO man and his fellow-be-
ings. but sometimes it is q sin TO do II, be-
cause a man may be called upon to dePose
testimony in very important cases, which
he cannot do because previous obligations,
like those of secret societies, which are
purely offensive, fantastic and fanatical,
have placed him in an attitude which will
not allow him 10 give his deposition
Thus these associations deprive every
member of them, more or less, of the
rights and duties which he ought to per
form under every social system in which
he has being.
We do not know, nor care TO know, the
various and useless distinctions in secret
societies, neither do we call TO mind the
names of all the orders Of united men I'M
der the head of secrecy; but one thing Is
sure, they are all based upon what we call
naked aud bald selfshness. Laughter
They have no hair on their heads. APP
plause.1 Their bare selfi5hnes5 stands out
boldly. therefore we do net like anything
that is so perfectly bald, and We cannot
conceive of any good TO any one, that can
accrue from the workings of these secret
parties.
In this country we enjoy the rights and
Freedom nf thought and of opinion, and
the freedom of speech, and we never think
of refusing to attribute these great priv
ilegcs to the advantage of any man in any
sense of the word. We know it Is said in
an old adage. that the TRUTH is not always
! TO be told-that it is not to be eytortcd by
/ interrogatories. And it is true and just,
! that a man may know certain acts and
/ facts, which may, per chance, be deroga-
! tory to his own relations, or injurious 10 IL
| friend if revealed; therefore, not being
compelled to tell what he knows, it is
/ charitable and in keeping with prorriety
and dignity, 10 be altogether secret on the
subject but to hold n man in obedience in
matters of good, and to deny him the right
and privilege of giving his testimony, by
! selfish and secret factions, it is sinful be-
! fore God, and the whole thing does not
correspond with our dignity and our high
est aspirations toward Iuagnanimity and
philanthropy. Ii We know anything tina;
is for the good of any man, we should i'm
part it Still there are relations some
times which may Justify us in Keeping Il
secret for certain and honorable Pur-
pose: but to be obliged to do this, or to be
guided and controlled ny all or any OF
these Fictitious associations that are based
on selfish motives and conducted by Sc
crct pass words or signs, we say the prac-
ticc is not. nor are the associations, in
harmony with Iiberality and manlincss
neither are their principles consentaneous
with the honor and magnanimity of Ameri.
can citizens
Gentlemen, we express our opinion
frankly, but not dogmatically, in regard to
these matters, so transitory and temporal
in their existence.
BETHANY COLLEGE, June IL, 1850.
DE. j. A. GnIpLEY, physician Of spirit.