New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-10-07

every There healthfu traditions OF
nsl settlers there living recollections OF the re-
vivas OF the last generation Such were the hopeful
Notwithstanding this favorable religious aspect aud
prospect however. the cause OF evangelical religion has
probably seen darker days America than pre-
clsey at this present period.
The French lnhdely Of the era Of voltare was
fOrmidabie antagOhlst Inc soil Of the American mlhd
peculiarly fitted for the reception Of this form of
false doctrine Almost half century had passed since
period the country had bean the theater OF exciting war
fare The demoraigng influences of camp life had been
experienced to the full The revolution through which the
people had passed, had broken the prestige of ancient
institutions The intoxioaton Of success had drowned
serious thoughts oil eternal things Inc French aes
had brought along with their friendship and aid the
mind at that period The religious life OF the people
al 80 low ebb that they ready TO contract
sentimental brilliant revolutionary CHANGED to be the
ruling epidemic OF the Christian world and America did
not escape. Three men stand out I'm history
the herophants OF this new gospel in America Two OF
them were OF English birth and eduoston Que only OF
American Snguary enough they all had the same
Christian name, ana that the name of the skeptcal
apostle. The three men Thomas Jefferson, Thomas
Cooper and Thomas Paine. These three doubling Thorn
asses were born democrats and social revOlutOuists
Their opposition 10 the church was largely result of
their icOnOcastc natures. The first was the political
representative of the contemporary Anti-Chrls-
By virtue Of his political station President of the Re
the third in of his early
cacy OF the cause of American Independence. On one
10 convey MT Paine TO this country the nations
Favored q historical s
related To the national sentiments, SO adapted TO the
national aspirations sanctioned and advocated by
Of the age Of Reason" became a great pop
ular power among the American people during
Its powerful sway first and eectually broken by
The widespread and sweeping reviyas lSOllsO3 The
next notable movement really, though unintentionay,
she interest Of uubehef that momentous one
which gave 10 the latent Unitariansm and Universal
conscious aggressive power This the years
to 1915. graver movement has never marked his
torV In Mai kpv I4rftpsl irp nd obtt-
setts 1t carried away the oldest, weathiest.
and strongest churches. 1t bore away from
evangelical control the oldest, richest aud most
Influential college OF the whole land 1t gave 10 the
new denominations particularly TO the Unitdrians al
the prestige or Boston wealth and culture. Though
originally merely rationalistc movement, with no
thought OF Oyerturnng the nOrmave authority Of the
Bible OF denying the divine mission OF Jesus Christ,
soon became apparent that neither the reprstinaed
Arionism of Charming, nor the novel theology
of BaOu, could long constitute a tenable stand
so intelligent and thoughtfuI as those of whom
we speak just here however, before these new and
uuevangedcal churches could undisurbedy ripen the
seeds OF error in Them new historic force was intro
into the spiritual lie Of the nation which both
account OF its relation TO theme and also because OF
its potent effect upon the DEVELOPMENT OF New England
thought, must here be mentioned. allude TO inhdel
socialism aud its American prOpagandists.
In 1924 the great English Socialist. Robert owen,
landed upon our shores TO proclaim his " New Moral
Order ana 70 pIte dcsly hllate l9e Iecohssfucoh oil
human society In october OF following year ne was
at the head OF Family" Of 900 on fruitful domain of
5000 on the banks OF the Wabash On the ensu-
declaration Of national Independence he issued Pomp-
10.
pendence" THIS was the cOunehcement OF sOclalis-
tic fever amounting at times and in places
Years 70 genuine oaS %nna %ea hondE nsada
the public mind Its first phase its most out
spokeuly anti-regiOus Its last its most Obnoxiousy
immoral Beginning with the Oweulst excitement
Qs24-yO. bosSomng out in the inhdel association at
saist H0pedae" all founded in 1912, running to seed
at last the extrayagances of FOuriersm C43) the
Free Love OF Oneida 90 and the necrOmantc daOOnsm
OF the late born BrOctOn II all in
oil the most formidable demonstration which the
e#nF ArFf Ffwraf hos lag. TNa
latest historian OF the movement enumerates no less
than eleven experiments at social reconstruction during
what he calls the Owen period, and thrtyfour during
EEL Tn az can he sscertained nor less tban 6a0
T. people broke with conventional Christian society
were established ana tons of socalistic literature
iss GOO acres Nowhere IN Europe were the wild dreams
of owen and the French Socialists magnihcently
tested in this country. Their quick succeeding
failures were all the conspicuous For this among
other reasons Americans have far less than European
peoples 10 fear from the belated Communists and In
iernationals Iof today COtemporaneOusy with tins
socialistc agitation, often hand in hand with it,
vet often entirely distinct, went another which
achievement socialism, has doubtless more lastingly
effected certain strata OF our population This was a
grand neursion OF foreign naturalsm and mateTialsm
organized and differed for the most part by German
First proclaimed IN the United states IRON l to 1882
by DR.. Caldwell, an American pupil OF Gall, then re-
enforced by the presence and lectures OF spWzheim,
further expounded and advocated from 1888 10 1913
by the noted George Combe, this new evan
s sHtiit VI won mapy adherents among crude
and curious and halfeducated men. These, aspiring
TO the honor and emOuments Of public teachers speed
v spread sthemseves all over the country itnerant
lecturers Offering 10 expound the new science to de-
mere manipulation Of their bumps" the noted charac
of the locality and finally TO examine and advise
all candidates for emlneuee or happiness at 25
cents head. These precious enhghteners of the peo
pie gradually gave place nrst, 10 travelling meslner
zers aud then 10 the mediums and apostles of spltrap
pings and spirit frances As often before the reaction
from materahsm and It's unbehet carried unoalaSted
,frdo ola oypr Ia
remarkable transition in the unchrisuauzed elements
of our population commenced as early as 1851 we
NAV believe the author OF the " Autobiography OF
Shaker" who IN that year converted 10y the agency
OF SIs 5 s6ca sS ne Of the Shaker order
The writer arns that for seven years before the
new spirtualistc demonstrations appeared In ne out
side world namely from 1881 10 1884, they abOunded in
all the Shaker communities, that mediums were to be
foretold tie grand and universal nanipnlatlons
which about TO break upon the world IN
1874 commenced the seeIshlp OF AhdIeW JacksOh
Davis and iu ls4s the rappings at Rochester
attracted the attention OF the cyhzeu w0ra Kooert
Owen himself in his last days became DeleYeI, ana
his aud successor Robert Dale owen, is today an
influential representative OF that faith BY one road or
another nearly all the original communists, phren0lo
gists aud mesmersts found their way into the sprtu
against Christianity favored they believe, with ire
sistDle allies. little before and after the year lS40
philosophy and criticism on American religious thought
This oceanic current reached us by two channels one
direct the other by way OF Great Britain. The least
NI any the first disturbance In the bosom
OF Unitaranisn there arose new parties. Ralph
Waldo Emerson aud Theodore Parker strobe past
Ioumis and Claiming, the one 10 the cold
hignts OF a poetic paDtheism, the other to
tbe citadel OF an eclectic, ntChristian theistn Emer-
sons first complete breach with his brother ministers
was In his famous address before the Divinity College,
July u.s. 1885 Parkers in his installation sermon, entl
tied The Transient and Permanent in Christianity"
preached in the Spring OF ls4l. The teachings and
personal influence Of German who was Tor
Ten years connected with Harvard College aud
DIVINITY School ana for five years more was
q Unitarian pastor, were not without enect
IN bringing about the new departures. For time the
denomination sorelyIOrn 10y controversy but hlstr
onicaly committed 10 the most incOmprlslDg h0stty
70 all tests only OF belief, but even OF authorized
leaclnR IL helane eYdent tnat all VINO CHOSE 10