The New York herald., 1869-06-15
THE NEW ISMS OF THE AGE.
Christianity, Our Social System and Our
Moral and Physical Lives a Fail
ure and Deception.
The New Platform of Civil, Moral, Fo-
litical and Social Government
and Welfare.
WATERLOO. SENECA CouNry, June Is, 1859.


few miles outside this curious little town, which
nestes among the hills and lakes that dot this pic
turesque region, and within about thirty miles OF
Lake Ontario las the crow nies," stands an old
meeting house, used for many years by the Hicksite
Society OF Friends. 1t is large frame building just
OF the drtroad running through the town OF
Junlus, and is situated upon an eminence within a
fenced area, which encoses also small whilom
Quaker cemetery, comprising perhaps, fifty graves
The house is probably thirty forty years old, and
its interior arrangement is in accordance with the
rules of construction adopted by the Friends
for their places of meeting. There are doors
three sides, or, more properly, at the front
and both ENDS. narrow platform, about two fee t
high, with railing along the front and a low seat
behind it, occupies the back interior of the meeting
house. and primitive gallery runs around three Of
walls and is furnished with rude straght-backed
benches. The house has front OF about fifty feet
and depth oftwenty-fve, and may be divlued inside
into two compartments by elevatng from the floor
and lowering from the ceiling by pulleys plank
partition, built IN sections, winch slides In grooves,
and which, when adjusted, as effectualy separates
each apartment from the other as good panelled
partition built stationary would do. This was
used IN former times to separate the males
and females. The ground door also is supplied with
a number OF wooden benches OF similar pattern to
whitened Not square inch of painted surface is
to be IN tnat quaint building but the galleries,
the floor, the upright posts and beams, the platform,
the benches are almost white. being OF plain pine
wood and bearing marks OF frequent scrubbing,
which gives the plaaks the appearance of the inside
OF newly scalded churn or dairy table. Every
thing about is plain, neat simple cean Quakerish
In fact. A large sycamore tree stands in front Of
the building rich grassy turf, cut only by narrow,
dusty wagon track leading to the road surrounds It,
and at Its eastern end situated two large wagon
sheds, beneath which those who attend services
here shelter their horses and vehicles.
A fine rolling country stretches away on either
hand from this particular scene and by dint OF good
farming yields fair returns OF potatoes corn wheat.
barley anu rye 10 the agrcultur!st. Some parts of
the territory however, rather poor in SOIL or,
one Of the residents of the locality put IT, when in
terrogat d a: 10 the quality OF the land, "There Is
plenty 20 do. and little to get" The people as a
class throughout the region are intelligent. "weu TO
do" farmers, and, together with the Quakerish pro-
clives which adhere to them from the existence OF
the old society among them, and their nearness TO
Rochester, the home OF the Fox sisters. and the
scene OF marvellous spirit rapppg, spooE seeing
and ghos. inyoE kin g exploits, have originated ana
evolved some very remarkable religious and psy.
Geological beliefs and theories.
Tie most antique as well as the most iourishing
distinctive appellation OF "friends Of Human Pro-
gress anu tins society today closed ITS twentyrst
annual meeting celebrated by services occupying
two days, the Old meeting house above described.
The object and aims VI the 'sOcle ~ may perhaps be
best eXpaiued, anu m0s briefly, by an extract from
their circular calling the meeting. as iollows:-
This meeting seeks to know no fellowship but the feow.
ship Of ruh church but the church OF humanity and
communion There OF cheer in this time the op
ever before known and Is hoped there will be large gath
ofns Of those interested in ihs benaf for mutual counsel
The ds5era,ions win dwell especially upon the religion,
81 81 nas imam m ~ S'S sns lssvy upon Tue ana
rev ReSs sa@as a j. May AZ Charles D. B. Mills William j LIN
Lsaos Eeond o. Giles B. se5bns and GeoW Tsyor are sI,
pected to be- present and address the meeting.
With this avOwed object about $50 persons assem-
blei on saturday morning, large proportion OF the
number being men of more tnan middle age, and
aoodiy share Of young and good looking women,
very friendly in their greetings. The remainder Of
the assemblage was composed Of young men, rang.
few chubby grinning boys and girls ana:
the whole party there were about two or three from
New YORK clty, half dozen FROM Rochester, two or
three from syracuse and few from local towns, the
rest being residents OF the immediate Vicinity In
the afternoon The company was reinforced ny the ar
rival OF tle veteran Fred Douglass, old associate
OF the Friends by the way, and apparently IN excel
lent health and sprits lie looked the same identi-
cal Fred that lie has appeared for ten years past
with the exception that his crown OF bushy frizzled
kinky grayish-black ha1 was less ample than usual,
IA having but recently submitted himself to vgor
Gus tonsonal operation, with a view TO
amoSg oer s aS
from the peculiarly OF her attire, was
Mrs. DR.. Lydia A. strowbridge, adark-compexioned,
thinfeatured lacy, about thirty years OF age, with
sharp brown eyes pleasant demeanor, and intel
ligent expression OF features. She was clad in
boomer costume OF gray, trimmed with narrow
cord gimp Of black silk, her trousers being
and hanging well and her skirt descending an inch
two below the knee. The body OF her coat fitted
lightly and the collar and lapels were rolled back
her hands were encased IN black KID gloves, and
Jockey hat crowned the complete person. There
were none OF the stereotyped class OF lank, long.
haired men, and acute incisive shOrthaired frater.
nifty OF women present: the women as body were
plump, lhealthy, good-natured farmers wives and
daughters, and the men az rule were strong, burly
farmers and farmers sons, few professional men
merely serving 70 make contrast.
The meetings were some years ago attended BY
Susan H. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady stanton, Par
ker Pilsbury ana other persons OF emlnence IN their
among the number OF participants.
GILES B. SrEBBNs, modest though fluent
speaker from Rochester, called the meeting TO order
ON Saturday morning, and suggested the proprlety
OF the Committee OF Arrangements preparing list
OF officers to conduct the meeting. The com.
mittee composed OF men and women, retired to the
lawn IN 'front.' OF the building, and during their
absence Mr.. stcbOns said that inasmuch as he had
not attended for several years past he was not In
formed as TO the present precise method OF organiz
ing the meeting. Tie present attendance OF the
Friends was rather thin; but, If the rule OF former
years could be accepted an ofnen q sparse open
ing audience was the promise OF augmented num-
bers the proceedings progressed. II was la fact
trait OF all these meetings that as they went on the
interest IN them awakened and increased up TO the
close. While the committee were in dell0eratlon
however, he would suggest that any Friend pres
ent were 'moved' ne or she might, perhaps pronta-
bly, addre the meeting.
Mr.. POWELL, Of New York, shortly arose and
after some brief Introductory remarks said that the
aim OF the friends here the advocacy and exten.
sion OF the simple, unpretending message Of truth
which tins meeting had ALWAYS promulgated Among
the useful, efficient instruments FOR reaching the
public mind he had always noticed this Waterloo
meeting as a centre OF spiritual and moral influence.
or course II had had its aggressive opponents but
the principles by which II was actuated were the
highest tdewater mark pf American civilization and
30 lar as the question or aggression was concerned
.he did not himself always agree with everything he
heard here. Among the aggressors were at one time
those who proclaimed the domination Of chatte
slavery, but where was chatel slavery nowy n was
gone, and the same spirit which had oyerthrown il
had been heard throughout the world and was even
now active In Cuba. He did not regard the method
of war for the Accomplishment OF such objects a.
the best but it seemed TO be the only and inevitable
one; and IN that great warfare TINS little prmitv,