New-York tribune., 1867-08-23
"SH4KERs rs. THE SCIENCE or DEArH'
To ne Editor o5The Tribune.

To ne Editor The Tribune
SIR: The article under the caption of "The
Shakers" recently published, is very appropriately
ended, like Hogarths picture of "Ihe End OF All
Things" with the announcement TO those whose souls
all aglow for cornpaniOnsip aud expansion" the
marriage order ION the threshold of which, according to
the Rev. Dr. Todd and TIE TRIBUNE, they will be amply
supplied by the trade with books and instruments, teach
ing them how to generate without offspring; or how TO
legally XIII them if by accident they presumed to bc
but who live and walk Shaker ground as If In an ill.,
closure Of TcdhOt and blazing iron bars" TO these
there can be no fun developments (of their glowing
lust snppose the writer meaIsJ unless the Individual
be launched forth alone TO fight with fierce dragons,
%1y1 @ Gge the full and higher development will
come to such Individual of course it must be IN some
Ssica science" already ''fOreshadowed''
THE SCIENCE or DEATH
TOrtuH0elf am iiriHg witness that this new science
does cast its shadow before For, after pcrsing the
above article felt much If my time had come, nothing
remaining but 70 be buried among thc eyeEeens' tha
were going TO be planted In the "pl0wed up" ancient
graveyard. "and not stone to tell where lie"
After rouslng myself ana shaklng on ihe stupor ni
death, began to have some tycly IDEAS sure enough
when looked upon the confused medley OF what he calls
doctrines given from my dictati0n The biddy who,
after three weeks digeit incubation, found the
nest filed with catlikelOOKins birds not more
puzzled what TO 90 about II than Ihce they We're and
she undoubtedly had Matched them hut "a new science
WAS necessary TO explain the facts and the phenomena.
Ia the attempt TO correct and explain 10 the unfortunate
TRIBUNE readers, am muchn the prodcament In which
l once placed my school teacher. He required Of IA
weekly composition Ills part was to point out The errors
Of OrhOgraphy syntaX &C. therein Mine came last for
"a
be discovered that his labor was harder, ana his
composition likely 20 he longer than my own, when be
all error"
The tone spirit, and anmius of the piece is unsats
factory TO the Shakers. The statement OF facts l. loose
and inaccurate The history is unreliable; the doctrines
iargon; the treatment OF our cardinal princple-celb
facy-,unfair, unscriptuTal unreasonable.
ing and successfully carrying out community Of mate
nal thng-wh0 protest that the elements, which man
made Zone than anOhcr) shall not be held as
property, or mOnOpOized by more than anoer-are
not worthy Of candid representation of their history
Alas that we Cooked fer Judgment and behold cry"
where we had right TO look for truthful, fearless
representation of history facts and theories from our
OWL standpoint, unmlXCd with wicked nuendOs, silly
confidence, he permitted witness IN which per
mission, we now perceive, there literally throwing
OF the pearls OF sincere living devotion Cod before
earthly, worldly minded man. to whom they were
IOohshness BE 1t So The ault was mine, If be the
present Header" that he represents
II the late war has demoraZed and detArOrated the
public conscience so that caterer for the readers OF
most ncoTrupube Of the public journals Of the age the
writer OF the above article has rightly judged what kind
fact to be met and dealt with by the unsesh refoners
and religious teachers OF the day.
Let there 80 up cry for some Greeleys and Par.
kes, and eechers, aud Cheeyers and GaTrsons adapt
ed 10 the day, and time and condition of humanys
needs. Shall Shakers De cOntemned because they fulfill
the character Of the Lamb Of God that aketh away the
sins Of the wOrd' las you, Horace Greeley did rightly
sctfOrh in ag1animOus article written after visit TO
the Shakers, many years published in Hints TO Re
fOrm such as the lust of the other without
reference 10 reproduction the worship OF Venus-the
lust OF property, without reference 10 justice right in
what property should consist and to mau as man
the lust of violence war; universal and binding to
the human understanding that one Of the most devish
maxms ever penned has been cherished as national
motto: In peacs prepare for war;" thus making the
whole life and labor Of nation sacrifice on the
altar Of the heather god, Mars the lust of sefoye
making men and women seekers of pleasure than
seekers OfGCdservng themselves OF each other instead
Of serving God by dong good to human beings
ASK Snail il be charged by paper whose readers
numbered by the million that none but the enthus
astc the brokenhearted and the weak will lead life Of
/ II rational
1t is good to be clothed with zeal as with garment
to be zealousy affected IN good cause But would any
except " weak " man who affirmed what he knew not
OF and did not examine into, or brOken-hearted man
whose ondest reform dreams Of his primal manhood had
been blasted by failure and who so far without God
and hope In the world OF sin wherein he lives that ms
only soace IS tobe developed New Science Of Dedth"
have penned the following deathly aentence2
whether at work, at meals, or awakened at the mid
in putting under that word another that would rhyme
Wond such loose slavsh characters as he thus repre
sents Shakers to be, be likely to bald barn that
has no equal IN America, perhaps not in the world ~
There appears to be- at this time, revival OF the food
Of lies that the dragon" nature in man and woman
casts out Of its mouth TO carry away the woman and her
Mount Lebanon" about somebody going and getting
married, but have nothing Of IL. The "cxcite-
ferred to.
have also notice of case of abduction" that
Nas under the law Of stop thief stop thief That girl
20 hef home but who did not wish TO go, met the
py three men Zone Of them securing the horsel.
VINO iOrclDy carried her off, as understand into the
Moous ior what object, or purpose, Is best known to
We 40 believe In celibacy as principle-a spiritual
prlDciple-as us author stated, for those who will
ceiyC and that obedience thereto from ground OF faith
In God and the laws OF progress will raise men aud wo-
men from the "DOye-and-SerpcntNest" condition 10
anity wore "a kind Of trstus"not very perfect but
The best the race could attain TO in hat do-a state
motive power creating an entirely relation OF the
soAeS' AOo'e nc R,1c@ra'SS M @ tiU t. ~ S Gduer 10,