The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1869-11-12
MATERIALIsM.
The Views of Charles Dickens.

Mr.. Charles Dickens, in tho course
ii his inaugural address at tho recent
opening Of the Birmingham and Mid.
land Institute, observed: "
1t is much too commonly assumed
that this age is material age, and
that material aye is an irreligious
age. have been paincd lately to soc
this assumption repeated in Certain in
f1uential Quarters. 1 confess that l
do not understand that much~uscd a,I
mu-n-abuscd phrase. "a material are"
canrot comprehend-if anybody
can, which I very much Doubts
logical Specification. For instance.
has electricity bocomo the moro mate
rial in tho mind of any sane, or roodc
ratcly neutrality-suspicious., two
man, Or child, because in the disoove-
ry that in the good providence of God
1t was made available for the service
and use Of man I'd an i.ameasurabh
greater extent th.r 'toy this destruc-
ton? DO l make . material journey
to tho bedside O., MY dying parent or
child when trai:: 4 thither ~ the rate
of sixty miles III ..our than when |
travel thither AT tho rate of six :?
Rather, in the sw:;:t case, does no, my
asnnizing heart become overfrau yht
with gratitude Il ttat suprcmo benct:
iccncc from which alone can llu..
proceeded the wonderful means Of
shortening my suspense? What is
the materially OF tho cable and the
wire compared TO the immatcriulity of
the spark What is the materially.
of certain chemical substances that l
can weigh OF measure, imprison or re-
lease, compared with the immatcrial:
ty of their appointed alfnitics and re.
pulsions prescribed to them from the
instant Of their creation to the day of
Judgment? When did this. so-callcd
material age begin? With the use of
clothing? With tho discovery of the
compass? With the invention of the
art of printing! Surely, it has been
long time about: Which is: the most
material ohject-tlle farsh:ng tallow
candle that will not give me tight, or
the flaming gas that will ''[Ghccrs. I
Now don't let us be discouraged or
deceived BY vain, vapid, empty words.
Tho true material ago is the stupid
Chinese age, in which nc now and
grand revelations of nature are grant
ed, because they are ignorantly and
insolently repeiled, instead of being
diligently and: .hnmIly ought.-
[Cheers.] The difference between the
antique fiction of ,tho' niado 'braggurt
defying the lightning and the modern
historical picture Or Franklih drawing
it towards its Kite, ip ordet:' that he
might more profoundly study what
was set before him to study, Cor it
would not have been 'there,) happily
expresses to ny mind tho difference
between our much n ma1igned matcrial
sages and the certainly, in one senssee,
very lmmate!ial sages Of the Celestial
Empire school. Consider, where it IA
likely OR unlikely, natural or unnatu.
raj, reasonable or unreasonable, that
1, being capable of thought and find
ing myself surrounded by suoh dis.
covered wonders on every hand,
should ask mysolf't the question some.
times, and put to myself the solemn
consideration" Can these things be
among those which might: have been
disclosed byl Divine lipsn nigh upon
two thousandsyears. ago, but that the
people of that time could not bear
them?" Bu6awaiether that be, SO ior
not, being&ao, surrounded on u1i: every
hand, is not cmy moral responsibility,
tremendously Increased thereby and
with it my Intelligent submission a,
myself as child Of Adsm and. dust
before that shining source equally, Of
all that is granted .andsal|.tb4t is with.
nelo' who holds m His mighty band
Inc unapproacAable mysteries Of life
ana death elGbeags.3 Let: rae give
the students pfatAs industrial classes
generally a shegt >notto i'm two words,
courage, psJsqveres''.i,I da not. .eiee
them that mqtte because stbe ssyss OF
Europe are qppq.tAsm. .fon j lde not in
tho least hnIiaya ;trI,l