Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-04-12
Historical Account of the Millerita
Delusions.

fanatical sect well known "a Miller
ties, or Adpentists, which we are ask
cd to publish in the Herald to guard
the people against the impos lures of
the legion who rise these days as the
successors of q thousand fathers to. a
thousand decisions, and of whose
sons and wiles every future genera
ton and day must provide leaders
and legacies
"At Franconia, in New Hampshire.
l first heard of the recent fanatical
sect and movement of the Millerites
or followers of one Miller. who
taught that the Millennium, or final
destruction of the world was to come
in 1914, tho 23d of October, and one
OF whose meetings | have attended.
A farmer from the village of Lisbon
told me that many of his neighbors
would neither reap their Indian corn
and potatoes, nor let others take in
their crops, saying it was tempting
Providence TO store up grain for
season that could never arrive, the
great catastrophe being so near at
hand. These fanatical people, how
ever, exerted themselves very dill
gently to save what remaired of
their property when the non-fulfil-
ment of the prophecy dispelled.the de-
fusion. In several townships in this
and the adjoining States the paro-
chial officers. or "select men," inter-
fered, harvesting tie crops at the pub
lie expense, aud requiring the own
ers, after the 23d of October, to re-
pay them for the outlay.
afterwards heard many anecdotes
of the Millerites, or Adventists as
they prefer to be called, not few Of
my informants speaking with mark
ed indulgence Of what they regarded
simply AS miscalculation of proph-
ecy which must DO accomplished at
no distant day. In the township of
Concord was told of an old woman,
who, in paying her annual rent for u
house, said, II guess this is the last
rent you will get from me-" Her
landlord remarked, "if so | hope you
have got the robes ready" alluding
TO the common practice of the faith
ful to prepare white ascension robes
for going up TO heaven" this prac-
tice giving theatrical effect to the
visionary. 1t is noticeable that the
class of people Of any country most
easily deluded by selfish impvsters
are helped forward very much by
trappery, pictures and other visible
things having symbolic meaning,
and often mysterious signs and even
ipcomprehensible figure calculations
connected with the prophecies con-
corning the beast in Ezekiel and
John the Revelator are prepared as
aids of the fraud. But the like are
too common in accounts Of the millen-
NAL sects during the twelve hum
dred years of their scores of drafts
upon the credulous TO merit further
allusion. Hearing that there had
been advertisements sent out from
shops in Boston and New York to
furnish these ascension robes on short
notice and Of any approved style, |
took for granted that the like was ii
hoax. But an English bookseller re-
siding in New York advised me
there had been brisk demand for
the article. even as far south a. Phil
adelphia and west to Pittsburgh, and
thai several shops were furnishing
them to fill heavy orders. Also, that
be knew two individuals who set up
all night in their shrouds the 22d of
October.
A caricature published at Boston
represented Miller ascending to heav-
en- in his robes--but his chaplain and
agent who was suspected of having
an eye to the dollars freely thrown
into the Lords treasury" was
weighed down by the money bags,
and devils were drawing him in an
direction To keep up the
excitement and make the most of it,
several newspapers and periodicals
are published in the interest of this
sect, and many Methodist ministers
are giving themselves up in full sin
cerity to the delusion. An artisan
who sat next to me in the cars
says that in his town many men and
women do nothing but prepare for
1.-The advent"
And when the day was past, the
same resort was made for the thous-
andth time Miller at once came
out with his explanation of miscal-
culation-at first putting it three days
later-finally promising that there
could be no postponement beyond
1847, and now in 1848 another day
has been fixed, the people, many Of
them, still adhering TO the delusion.
subsequently many houses were
pointed out between Plymouth and
Boston, the occupants OF which bad
been reduced from ease to poverty by
their credulity, having contributed so
largely toward building their taber-
nacle, in which they were TO pray
constantly for six weeks previous to
their ascension. But near the terri
BILE day there happened a circumstance
or fact which went far to undeceive
the patrons of the fraud: A young
girl, having no money to give to-
ward the tabernacle, was advised to
sell her beautiful necklace which had
been presented by her betrothed.
The ieweller, seeing her much affect
ed at parting with her treasure. and
discovering the object of the sale.
showed her some silver forks and
spoons ordered to be engraved with
the name of the chief minister Of the
Adventists, and whose written order
was to have them ready for his call
at day considerably after the ia, ed
day set for the great advent The girl
was st once put in her right mind.
with hundreds of others who went
to see the written order. The taber
nacle alluded to was planned to ac-
commodate 1000 to 5000 persons
who were ito meet and ego up" at
Roston T. was afterwards soil g.