The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-06-24
PRICE, TWO CENTS.
Camp Meetings.

In regard to the fashionable camp-n'eet-
ings, which are thropgcd by the multitudes
we here give the experience Of DR.. Cooke, of
the Philadelphia Conference, Of meeting
held in Delaware last season. He says:
The great picnic is over. 1t commenced
on the lst and closed on the 10th inst, with
in two miles of US The ground belongs to
chartered company Tor the sole purpose ot
holding such meetings. We had probably
not less than three hundred and fifty tents
Others estimate from FIVE to six hundred
But l. think four hundred is figure sutfi-
ciently large. Fifteen thousand persons were
on the ground on Sunday. From twenty-five
to thirty sermons were preached, and it is
reported one hundred and fifty persons pro-
iesscd to be born of the Spirit But how
this item was ascertancd | can not tell. For
myself | saw but few who professed to find
favor, and not greatmany who even desired
it. The order within the circle, tor such
crowd, was remarkably good, and the preach
ing from first to last equal to any L ever
heard to similar meeting. And yet l
doubt if there was not far more harm done
than good. [ have not lost my confidence
in camp-meetings But it is many years
since have had much in these permanent
fixtures. Let them be Inherent, and mere
neighbo, hood affairs, and continue four or
five days, and these all between the Sundays.
But look at these great mammoth concerns;
one man gets the privilege, for bonus, to
feed all the horses; and there in his pound
he and all his employees spend ten days
among horses, without hearing a sermon -
Another is allowed, for similar consdera-
ton, to keep bread-tent; and there he re-
mains night and day, with q crowd around
him, taking in dimes and pennies, and hand
ing out ice cream. cakes and cigars, or what
ever else he is allowed to sell and he never
is in prayer-meeting nor hears a sermon!
Many others have their depot for horses and
carriages, where drivers are heard from their
seats shouting, Ho for Dover! , just ott
for Camden = Slaug htcrs safe line etc.
But come within the circle. The altar
it is mis-named, is full-some three OF four
, seem to be seriously praying for salvation,
while perhaps some Of no reputation. or a
very defective one, is standing on the seat
prepared for differenr purpose, harangulng
the people, who all know his antecedents rem.
der him unworthy the position he has assumd
I But let us go to a contiguous village and
what scene The taverns are full the bar
has an overwhelming patronage, brawls are
t not unusual, loud talking and swearing are
, common, while the space between the en-
r campment and the village is a regular race
r ground. That some good is done, L eoubt
not. But that the influence on the Church
or the community at large is healthy, | have
no reason to believe. Born into the king
! dom of Christ, as trust was, at camp
D meeting forty-six years ago, and having wit
messed and felt their blessad effects often
s since, | am reluctantly driven to believe that
! such as have lately seen do not promote the
v interests of the Church nor rebound to the
:: glory of God. Elsewhere they may be use
J. ful. trust they arc.