The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1871-03-07

b. nsvs 5eesussato3 lhto dauatss aai
u there was qaii, i medley Is Bis adlress
q history propherg, metaphysics, ps1-
ehology Theology politics and women
rIghis, be- entirely disauDci criticism ~
taking 10 text ana announcing uosBbie
he did uoi x into The ralpt De ssil. De-
csasc BE- Thought Il q dangerous plaes.
AID bveanse be liked % be ga 8 level With
tbe people tdcar 10 tbg Yankee heart &,
democracy ~ lbe audienoc were qull
wen oYer') he drew 3 distinction bee
tween religion and theology -ouo pertain
ing 20 the lite. tbe other 10 the belief
Shaker religion consisted in eelihacy, in-
dusiry, community Of property, Ge-
while their theology was q mpeh moro uH.
deiiBablc affair Was sminently progress
siye--they wouldn't be ausweahlo fa-
morrow for what they believe to-day
They bold The Trinity 70 Zee avery absurd
doctrine bat seem TO find 80 trouble iu
comprghcndiug a duaiitv Of Deity-maIe
aud female Adam and Eve, be said were
our natural father aud mother--josn. aud
"Molber Ann" our spiritual parents lie
quoted Scriptures with great fueney. but
with 3 novelty Of explanation and appli-
cation, which was enough to make Our
orthodox hair stand on end, The way in
which he made out that all modern seets
(shskerism excepted were the children
Of the Beast IN the Apocalypse, would
surely send Us all flying into the wilder
ness, live only believed H..
Womeus Rights Is no new thing IN
Shakerdom. They have always been
sound on that question. Friend Evans
thinks men have managed this worlds az
fairs pretty much in their own way hith-
erto, and thai ii reflects small credit on
them. lie decidedly believes ia letting
women lend a hand now, aud see # wont
bring about Il better state Of things
lie very much disapproyes Of the new
movement to get a theological clause into
the consttution--thin II is but an enter
ing wedge for grand union Of Church
and State--the very thing the trainers Of
the constitution sought to avoid. These
founders of our governmen1wcre infdels,
he said, and he thanked God forit These
sentiments were matured by the French
Revolution, which was the terrible protest
Of the people against priestly power. lie
branched off With glowing eulogy of
Tom. Payne, quite in the Boston Horti-
cultural Hall style.
He continued to tell us, without posi-
tive insult either, that we were a msora,
bic, unhappy, "onery' looking set Of
blighted beings, Most OF us knew it, he
said, and those who didn't know il only
revealed the depth of our degradation.
The Shakers alone possessed the philos-
piers stone-the true secret Of happiness.
They alone were coRteHtcd, and he APP
pealed to the audience TO know if happi-
ness was not depicted on each Shaker
countenance before ms. So we looked at
them sharply, and it can't be denied they
had that same "child-like and bland" APP
pearance to which allusion has been made.
The holy estate of matrimony was held
up to such derision that we poor unfor-
tunate married folks were fain to hide our
diminished heads. Mr.. Evans did not
fail 10 remind US that ont OF every five
applicants fer marriage in the State of
Connecticut, there was one petition for
divorce. Hetold us how we quarrelled /
and how we hated each other! Friend
Evans surely has had most unfortunate /
acquaintance with the f'world's" people. I
lie held up to our admiration the peaceful
lives of the Shakers-how they tcoald not .
fight either domestically or in civil man
ner. lie recommended, finally, the free
voters before him to withhold their suE |
frages from men Of war, and from men
who would marry, for, Numbered he
"whoeeeT 0ta marry aeiH .fght." This
bomb fairly overwhelmed every mater .
JomiltoS present, for what is life to an
American If he may not hold office!
Look out now for Divorcesl
Then the brethren and sisters sang
again, and one of the sisters, in modest,
quiet way, told us how she loved us all
and wished we would come and join the
Shakers. A little more singing, ind with
thanks to the audience, from Mr.. Evans,
we were dimissed.
"Surely, we may expect an entire
cessation Of hostilities, and great
increase of good behavior on the part
Of married people, since Shakerdom has
thrown open the gates of its earthly para
lise to all disatiected, and sent out this
leputation to present such inviting pic
.ures Of Us free and harmonious life"
NJ. ~. T..
- -
NEW York, March |, 1871.
II. E1yytg.-