The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-03-31
SPIRlTUAlISM.
THE EDITOR OF THE GAZETTE ELO-
QUENTLY DEFENDS TIE CAUSE.
iic Tells How SpIrituaiism Has Hess.
'u Mankind.

~ a preface TO hi, lecture ON "IIrll,"
before the Liberal Religious Association,
Mr. Obcrly used the tollowm" language (:
But, prcliminarily, | wish to say. that
my presence upon this stand must not be
construed by any one into an endorse
mcnt OF the peculiar religious views ofthr
members of the Liberal Religious Assoc
citation. ! have not vet made prugrr,,
to the peak of the high mountain of ab,o-
lutte knowledge occupied by some Of Won,
from which mortal can view the uni
verse, look back 10 the No-Icginning and
forward To the No-Emd. read all the mv>-
tcricS of nature, and conclude. with The
confidence of master of all secrets, that
there !, no God. Neither have | reached
the lloWcry plain of superstition. ON which
many of You stand brhulding vision, and
believing them to he realities. believing
most ludlcrou~ belief IN my opinion =
mat out from III" mysterious other
WOl,l--ihc away over wonder ON fine
other sidc--tlc 'bluc bryGnd''- some
place that !, infinitely removed from liz
and yet /, cio-r--thc spirit, OF the dead
peace De 10 their a,hc, return 10 thi.
world, not tor any noble purpose that
have ever heard mcntioncl-to do good
actions. speak wise word, and make the
people oiclrth nOhlcr and more yiruuu.,
but to rap. upon tables in dark rooms.
messages otuothiug: towritc. upon ,atr..
.tNll most llughablc or disgusting or
boIh; 10 walk uut of cabinets material
lLcu ~ II l. called, md-yuni.h into
INN ar again, ! may got up ON To- thi,
PLAIN some day, but not nov. pIga,c: tho
valley of the old ignorance ], preferable.
Neither have advanced 10 that position
where stand those who dunOuncc Chris
ilanity a. Il >tupculou, ra,culIiy. Not
that lar, even. Lnmcuiably ignorant may
bc-tOO slow for thi, new era of modern
liberalism, with what writer ha, called
its rectangular bratitulc- and spherical
bcncyolcncc., but do not believe that
lmlh l.accur.cd which gayrancw -auctily
10 human life, taught universal
brotherhood, founded first of an public
hospitals, made charity ulimcutary
virtue created, In short, what !, known
IL 'hrl'lau civilization. ! am not Yet
prepared although do not worship al Inc
affair u lIa- erected, 10 throw AT Christi
ani'y The cpIthct' Of angry denunclatiol.
Asa preface 10 hi. lecture on the "Pio-
ncer' Of Cairo and Alexander county"
last sunday night before the same a.,o.
citation Mr. IIarrcIl replied to the inol-
''h''Ne remark, quoted above. a, follows.
Initauns an illu-trlou, example. (
may before passing 10 consideration of
NY subject n,k YOU to pardon me for a
depression. desire 10 rctcr To- Mr, Obcr.
" remark, made "prcNninariIy " II,
IN doing this ! give offence. 1 r,,p ,..i'
comfort In the reflection that Mr.. OHM,
did the same thing, | shall simply yiyr
ult"rhncc 10 my own sentiments. ami All
no man or body Of men TO shoulder th.
consequences.
Mr.. Obcrly' lecture, IN - i,ra, il deal,
with histcNt, was learned and scholarly
at times eloquent "Prclminarilv.'
however hc va, not 80 fortunate. lie
desired hl, hearers TO understand that he
had no view, In cOmmon-or rather. that
ne was IN no manner identified with the
Liberal RcilgiOnists. lie had not been
educated up 10 the mountain top Of no
God lniidelity-nor 10 a belief in the abb
surdltics Of modern Spirtua'ism. The
dead, who had been called, through
Nplrl, agency from the "bluc-hryon1."