The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-11-16
Something About Judgments" ;"

So much has been said and written
about " Judgments" and warnings
in connection with the accidents, disas-
ters and calamities Of the past year.
that We reproduce the following from
" Editors Easy Chair" in Ha,per's
Magazine, as most pointed, sensible,
and truthful
"The summer of 1871 will be long
known as the summer OF disasters to
travellers. Indeed. they have been SO
constan. and SO terrible, aud apparently
40 needless, that those who must travel
have undoubtedly felt more than ever
the incesssnt peril Of the road The ex.
plosion of boilers upon steamboats, was
so continuous that it seemed as if ali the
old boilers had given out, aud nobody
was wise enough to know it. The mel
ancholy destruction of the Westfeld
ferryboat at her wharf in New York was
echoed, rs it were, by that Of the Ocean
Warc at Mobile: and the day after the
wanton slaughter upon the Eastern
Railroad, near Boston, came the account
Of the Erie catastrophe in Pennsylva-
MIA.
But simultaneously with the TRAGEDY
of the facts came the comedy Of their
Interpretation in some quarters. Get
tain weli-meaniDg but very thoughtless
clergymen improved the events into
special judgments and warnings. But
in the present state of knowledge and
general intelligence such treatment of
railway or Steamboat disasters strikes
sensible minds IL the Indian terror of
an eclipse seemed TO Columbus An iD
telligent Christian Clergyman saying to
his congregation that the explosion of
the IIcStfC'd, for instance, was a iudg.
ment upon Sun lay pleasure parties is
as unpleasant all object of contemplation
as Cicero complimeuting his friend At
ticus upon the success of his gladiators
Was Cicero, the most modern of the
ancients, so lost to what seems to US the
common instincts Of humanity that he
did not perceive the enormity of keep
ing a band of gladiators? Are these
good people of to-day not aware of the
discredit they bring upon religion 10y
declaring the explosion of a rotten boil.
er to be a sign Of the Divine wrath ?
The Easy Chair knew one worthy
man who on the Sunday after the ex-
plosion Of the Westf>id, was driving in
his wagon to church, the horse STUN
bled aud fell the wagon was thrown in
to a ditch, and the good mans leg was
broken. AS he sat in his chair some
days afterward he spoke of the Westfeid
and said, without bitterness, but with a
real sorrow and compassion, What can
people expect who go pleasuring on
Sunday?' How if some kind angel
had whispered to him, Friend. does
not the commandment forbid all work
upon the sabbath day, even to oxen and
asses? And did you not compel your
beast to work last Sunday? Behold,
thou art the man! 1t is you who have
broken the commandment, aud your
broken leg is the penalty
Besides, If the explosion Of the worn
boiler of the W6ssfe'd on Sunday, and
the consequent destruction of life, is a
sign Of the disp'easure and a judgment
upon sin what is the worn boiler of the
Harbuck upon a week day, and the con
sequent destruction of life? 1t was on
Saturday evening that Dr. Gannett, a
Unitarian, and DR.. Mason, n Baptist,
two clergymen universally respected for
the purity Of their lives and the benig
nifty of their teachings, were instantly
killed upon the Eastern railroad. Was
1t judgment upon DR.. Gannett for be.
ing Unitarian, or upon DR.. Mason for
being Baptist? Why not judgment
upon the community for tolerating a
railroad? Why not sign of Divine
wrath with those passengers who had
eaten too much dinner, or with those
who were going too greedily to supper
IF an event which is very simple and
very explicabIe, however terrible and
| saddcning. is to be regarded a. judy
ment, then every event may be 30 re-
garded, and, therefore, the significance
Of all events is wholly lost.
And If it be "a judgment, who shall in
| terpret it? No man is bound to accept
his neighbor's view Of it. Here, Tor in
stance, upon the Westfeld was some
poor young couple obliged 10 work hare
early and late through the week. anG
whose little child, puny. sick. whitening
| in the close air of the city, was ordered