Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1869-02-02

| c'ersctertstic, frustrating the deep dsprAv
isy ofthess hearts Of ours, beesnss ma7ifes
With fearful distinctnsss. The evils ant
eorruptions continue, and there seems to b,
no immediate means Of relief The lsssonl
Of byg0ns years ere forgot in these gilded
infamous days, and there 10 No health in %
Among the many abominatons that pre-
vail 10 fearful extent 10 those hsathsnisl
days. is the practice Of quartette singing By
church choirs throughout our land. -Four
psrso1s who have teen blessed with tha,
beautiful gift, fine voice, arc engaged TO dc
the singing for wcrshipping assembly
Tbsy are of course rewarded fer thtir servic
es mupiicendy, especially in our Western
| towns. 1hey srsst II. anc.uafy puncsually J
every Ssbb, h.rsin OF shine, and from recen!
| developments il would ~ ear that they are
no: free, by mtaas, from . critical
examination, both IS regards their demeano
and their singing, by those OF the congrega-
ton who are opposed to anything in the
shape Of music that does not have the state
ly harmony of" "Mear, ,"srthe ssft responding
chords Of that grand old hymn "Corona-
ton" 1t 10 10 be prssuusd then, that
whom these four, Or six, persons, a. the case
may be, rise in thsi. places, and give ex.
preston to the perfect music Of some sweet
master singer, vho was nearer Natures
God than Heaven hslp thsm.) those other
parties ever have been in their earthly
lives; these voices eloquent, have commit
ted hsinous sin. 1t may be 20, but there
are very many to whsm the .eternal fitness
Of things" never csnvsyed such . "dspth Of
meaning" Ia the article published ii the
Gasstte, this morning, the writer gives sx-
pressien to an idea for which he should
have due credit. lie says 81 am . simple
minded SOUL" aud ~ one Of the NEST
truthfully natural sentences ever csnided
to an unsuspectng public, We would COM
gratulats him on his solution Of the prot.
lem, Gnsthi sesutSn.
The childlike confession Of ignorance ~
to what the singing was is also true TO the
life, but we grisvs to say, that quotation
from Shakespeare while speaking Of refor-
mstory measures in the chuI ch is sadly out
efplacs, for that is dragging in the drama,
and We are forced TO say, stealing the livery
Of heaven, to serve the devil in.
The peculiar belief Of every man is sacred
and inviolate. No msn NAV dispute his
right 10 worship God, AZ seems beet to him
Tho hallowed associations OF early years it
may be, are closely connected with these
plain homely cd songs. No man has .
right to disturb the sweet traditions that
still cluster round them. We recognize
their worth, and the good they have done,
they are noble old songs. Of a-day gone by,
they have been long snd faithfully used,
aud because in the course Of time, We have
had innovations made on old established
forms. il We now havs perfect music with
noble words, is it TO be stigmatized as an
unc'ean thing. and nuisance in the
house Of Gsd'
CaR this s,indsfatigable picker up Of un-
consid ersd triflss inform US OF more than
ono church in tue United States, whore
Congregational singing is carried on in it's
fullest and highest extent? Is he one Of
those who are delighted with = piece Of
music, until be 6nds it is from an Opera.
and then it is, IN absmination and a nui
sancef
life member" may DO sincere in his
views, bu, at the same time, if he desires
less of the artistic" and mora earnest
ness,' there are many more befitting, ave,
and more christiin Ike way of winning
people TO his side of the case, than q
sweeping, and ungenteman ons'augh hit on
q prac zee which is tor ed by the men
Of largrst ,h ught. d mo. eminent piety
in the land. The spleen Of . narrow sec-
tiona st is visible tnrouR ut the article.
ard i certainly ems to US II at in these
latter days, when ne ordsI ing of = mans
waysare not circunscribed by any Sc: OF
dogm' ;, or fanasc j inquisitions, that the
I, nor Of this document is benea.h tho es>
tablished rules 10 d down for the guidance
OF christian or gentleman.