Smyrna times., 1869-03-31
mise eIIU2 10 e o II s.
SPEECH

Of Whltelcy w. Meredith, of Murderkill hun |
dred, in the Delaware Legislature, in oppOsi-
tiOn to the passage of the Act to incorporate
the Grace NJ. f. Church Sunday School Union
Wilmington, Del-the object of the Associa-
ton being the establishment of chapes in des-
titute places and clothing the children, when
necessary, and providing them with books, &C.,
for religious instructions:
The bill being called up for its third reading,
Mr.. Meredith rose and said:
Mr.. SpeakGr,-I rise to kill that bill, if there
is power in burnin words to do it; and havin'
learned the art Of speakin in our Owl-Swamp
Dcbatin' Society, | think | can have some in
fuence over this intelligent and highly respect
able Assembly. Mr.. Speaker, this bill to in
corporate the Sunday School of Grace Church
is an OgcOus measure 1t strikes right at the
traditions of our Fathers and the DEGREES of
God Mr.. Speaker and fellow members Of
this dignifed and highly respectable body, my
fcens are So boilin over with righteous III
dignation at the iniquity of this measure that
| do not know which end of it to take hold Of
first In the first place, sir, before [ take my
first lii 1T in the regions Of sOarn elOquence,
for tear | should not descend again to the
place | started from, will tell you that | be-
long to the ancient and highly espcc;able per
suasion the Hardshell Baptists. Yes, sir, | m
Hardshen AT this point the eloquent
Speakers eye fell upon gentleman in the lob
! by who could not represS smile at his earnest
ness in recalling the last words Of this SEN
tencc).
You need Mt to laugh sir; I know some of
you highialutin Armenians call us fOsSilized,
but | tell you, sir, we are no more tossilized
than that delicious eSculent bivalve, the clam,
when in the month Of the roses-aye, sir, that
season Of delicious perfumes-in the light Of
the cerulean blue Of Heaven-it rises from its
! bod aud with M nnaCnrn1 trnad thR U.St
and wavy strand Of odd ocean."
Sir, the principles that impel me to oppose
this measure, were they not bred in me in
my forest home, and did not my Reverned Fa-
ther instil in my youthful mind the doctrines
that were right and safe? Aye, sir, and were
we not taught in our little meetin' house at
Cow Marsh that Sunday Schools, an Bible
Societies, an Tract Societies, an Temperance
Societies, and Missionary Societies an'-an'-
an oil bag Societies were from the devil
and to the devil they must return Mr. Speak
er, my blood almost bOils at the iniquity of this
, innovation on our tme-hOnOred institutions
Are they wiser than our Fathers were2 son
what food have these our modern Caesars fec
that they have grown so greatY' Do they
, pretend to know more than our ancestors who
: drank deep Of the Pierian Spring of wisdom
J. rolled down to them from the centuries
But, Mr.. Speaker, | must restrain my feel
ii
1 ject, | hold that Sunday Schools are anti
o Christian and consequently am compelled tt
oppose the incorporation Of this school becauS
: their object is, they say, to introduce this in
:" stitution into destitute places and other neigh
: borhoods where they now have no schools, there
by, by the power given them by us, extend
IT dangerous institution. In the language of tn
ID Revolutionary sire, | can never give my hear
? and my hand to this vote"
n | Nour Mr. Spookar aud fallouu T1an hars n
d this highly respectable Assembly, let us lool
y at the assembled wisdom Of the past and lear
ie lessons therefrom. Look sir, at Methuseah
y old and wrinkled and hOnOred with hoary locks
X and though he lived 900 years, did the wisdor
a of crowning years teach him that a Sunda
1e School was necessary for his childrenH An
n there was Noah-when all the world was as
u and the gorilla was there) did he have an IL
Or corporated Sunday SCHOOL, And there wa
r David. who killed Galiath with sling-was
ct educated in Sunday School? and he "play
te ed on the Harp Of thousand strings, spirl
ng of just men made perfect.
3. But, Mr.. Speaker, | have not time to DIVE
=" upon the wise examples Of all the old Worthl'
rs rs -Zerubbabel and Mahaleel and Magog an
49, Beelzebub-none of whom ever asked an inte
,ty hgent and highly respectable Assembly lii
re- this for an Act to incorporate Sunday Schoo
ise [ oppose, sir, this Act as anti Christian b
rty cause It is settin up institutions in opposite
to the eternal DEGREES of God. Where, wou
he ask is this, or Bible Societies. or any other ra
lse bag Society authorized in the Bible? VIII
an an God hath foreordained, from all eternity,
G nDi come to pass, will it not coEe to pass? Who
he hath forordaned them hath he precestina
wo ed, and tits not in the power of all the Sund
live Schools in the land to save one whom he ha
us- decreed vessel of dishonOr.
an' Want to build chapels in destitute place
and and cloth the poor and teach them their false dc
'0' trines, forsooth as if by their chatechisms a
2eS 2sS singin' and prayin' they could change one
-. the Divine decrces. God will certainly do
6as: ars own work and any device Of man to impro
un- on his ways is wicked and will surely come
and nought. Yes, sir; there is no truer and pu,
aHd doctrine than what is to be will be" and
irDfdd irfd man in his wickedness persists, in rearln
'N temple of mental and spiritual developme
rs red thereby irwin to deceive the Almighty thu
10 derboIt of wrath will yet descend on. it a
'Sna oasi scatter it with thousand, aye, sir into
sand thousand fragments,
six But sir, SAID in the beginnin' Of my spec
l should oppose it because it strikes at