National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-05-18


On Sunday evening the Metropolitan church
was thronged with q congregation comprising all
classes, who had assembled to listen to the in
structiye lecture Of DR.. Newman on India, 1t
being the first one Of the interesting series de-
voted to that country.
The Doctor took for bis text Romans, i:2l- ~ %:
because that, when they knew God, they glorifed
him not as God, neither were thankful; but be-
came vain in their imaginations and their foolish
heart was darkened.
'sProfessing themselves to be wise, they became
fools.
"And changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man,
and to his birds, and fOur-fOOted beasts, and
creeping things"
Such is the description Of the pagan world in
the days Of the Apostles, and such the pagan
BAD a knowledge Of the true God, but their fool
fish hearts became dark. Giving themselves to
the widest speculations, they cared not for the
shocking to be found on the face OF the earth;
therefore the proprlety OF the words OF my text.
Indeed, l know Of no land IN the East where
shame as in India, where extremes meet; where
art is so noble and man SO ignoble; SO much to
ignore, so much to deplore. The subject is OF
much interest, because Of its antIaulty-because
Of its speculative interest in Europe, especially
England, and also in New England. And what
q magnificent land is India! Undoubtedly It is
craVed as the noblest prize among nations. Ex-
tending nineteen hundred miles from the Hima-
layas on the West TO Burmah on the East, 1t is q
land blest with all that
HEART OR SOUL
could DESIRE With fertile soil, perpetual winter
in the North, cereals on the plains spring in the
South, where the banyRn spreads its branches to
the embracing earth; land OF flowers where
the msrigold sheds its quiet blossoms on the
bedded slopes; where the richest minerals swell
and the Indus flow to the sea, whose banks are
lined with the grandest cities in the world-here,
of all the spots over which I've roamed, here
the beautiful, the luxurious, the enchanting land
How vast that population! Gan the human mind
grasp the great fact that far out to the Indian
can one conceive that two hundred and forty
millions Of beings exist under one rule? Add the
western Continent, except the United States and
Oceanics, and India is greater. Then take the
whole OF these two including the United States,
India. 1t is natural for US standing here to re-
member this charming fact, that Christ the
evHngel, came to create salvation Tor all the
world, and then TO ask, what Is
THE LIFE OF THIS GREAT PEOPLE?
The population is divided into two parts Whence
oame these nations? The Mongolians and Mo-
hsmmedans. Doubtless the Mongolians were
divided into tribes, and rn different cresss
iuEated people. They were driven to the noun.
tsins-to the Himslayas-Where snow is per-
classes, Hindoos and Mohammedans, and here
their great strength and monstrous weakness is
evidenced by the religion Of caste. They never
ask what Q man is, but what Is his religion, his
caste. He is known at Bagdad and elsewhere
only BY the faith he processes. Hindooes are Of
the Caucasian race. 1t Is said they came here
and into the valleys and through the mountains.
India is known to have within her boundaries
have their origin In the Lanscrit Poiygot country
where these are spoken. The Indian mind is still
acute. Its astronomy is ten thousand years old.
the history Of the Hindosrsn is true. The chro-
nology Of India divided the world in % four parts
1t is clear to every candid mind extending back
millions Of years, that 1t has no
SOUND PHILOSOPHY.
It is too fanciful. Until facts are brought to
sustain its propositions We must regard Il as .
fiction. Now let us turn our attention to the
BIahmins; TO what they believed; how they be-
IieVed, and its influence upon their race They
found their faith and practice seemingly on four
books called the Vedar. These are like our poems,
sOngs-not religion. 1t is true, there is a knowI-
edge Of God taught therein. 1t is thought these
ancient books were delivered orally, collected to-
gether by priests and reduced to their present
form at that time.
Among them were Institutes of learning, teach
ing geography and astronomy. These Duranas
are legends OF epic poems giving directions to the
people how they are to treat their gods. These
books are called divine by theipeople Of that land.
Take the first state Pantheism, Monotheism,
Spiritualism, Polytheism-analyze all these be-
llefs under all these mythologies, and we find
that all contain the idea Of one God. Take Spir-
ituali5m-not as described It in my lecture on
China, but as Spirit peryading all space; that all
we see is Spirit; that
THE UNIVERSE Is AN ILLUSION;
that the mountains and the stars and every ami
mate and inanimate thing is permeated with
Spirit. They worship aLimals-the OK, the mon
key, the serpent.
Polytbeism follows in natural sequence TO
Pantheism. They have three hundred thousand
gods in the Pantheon Of the heather. Now the
question comes what is the practical result of this
upon the conscience, life and soul Of India2 Ter
ton that divides the people into four classes
priests, warriors, farmers, servants. Priests are
supposed to come from the head or mouth Of their
god Bramah. To them are given the highest
Prerogatives. Warriors from the arm, to defend
their priests. Farmers from the thigh to till the
SOIL and servants from the feet, to wait. These
four distinct species They laugh to scorn the
idea that Paul on Mars hill taught of our spring.
ing from one common ancestor, made in the image
power Of caste? A Brahmin would consider him.
self polluted were he TO touch food that had been
handled by his inferior. An anecdote was related
me illustrative Of this. During the Sepoy war q
Htndoo man and an English oficer lay wounded,
side by side, on the bloody field of battle, The
screening sun shot burning rays about them, and
devoured them with its intense suffering. As the
day passed on
AH1NDoo WOMAN
came along with water in her hand and offered It
to the fRmlshed sufferers. The EnglIshman
drank and was refreshed. The Hindoo spurned
II. II advise you drink, my fellow beingn said
the officer, land swear on the honor Of an Officer
man; drink and be saved" "Great caste is She"
was the replyP The Hindoo woman answered.
would cling to heaven and die than live &C.
cursed by such foul STAIN" And as the sun went
down this martyr to bis caste went down to death,
vain fDerf In fhar fnaf
given me, A Faquir was incarcerated in the re-
bellion. He could not eat the food they brought
then your winding sheet shall be the hide Of an
OK" "HOid, then give me food or 1 will die-far
rather lose my Life than heaven" and caste is
heaven TO them. The tndignity Of the alternative
was in its loss TO him OF caste. Millions Of gods
are in India. Look at their temples to Brahma
and Tishnu-must be in a ratio to their popula-
ton. 1t is common sight to witness by the side
Of river man making god. Let US 60 to
Bensres, where the pIDnacles are covered with
gold and glitter with = thousand jeweled lights
Of Benares from the opposite bank to the Temple
OF Leba you can only see the people gathering
and winding into
THE GORGEOUS TEMPLE,
bearing flowers, strewing by the way beautiful
flowers, but you cannot see what they worship
there. They approach in masses, and alone, and
carry their offerings within the veil of mystery
From the banks Of the Gauges, at the Rehajah
Temple, you will find its adornment of the high
est order Of grandeur and glery, and, my friends,
everywhere freely, and no Brahmin dares touch
one. t. rat is permitted TO pick up the crumbs Of
rice In that holy temple-a Brahmin, never! The
monks OF B are permitted to pass through
the streets dirty, filthy and dissolute. II was my
tate to paGs also through the streets when these
people haC come from all parts-from the Juna
clear as thu azure skies; from the sacred Ganges
turbid and dark; from the Indus, TO battle in
these triple waters, whose efficacy they test for
the pardon OF their sins. The come for miles far
aWay-the merchants, peddlers, and of all profess
sions and tradIs-and mon and women plunging in
the crowd give greater proof of the tanaticism Of
India than Is witnessed elsewhere, for they come
in thousands strong to do their gods base will.
One man saw bury himself uP to his head in the
earth TO show his desire Of pardon. Another one
for eighteen years had stood there, holding up hs
hands over his head until the nails had grown
into his flesh and beyond them, like claws Of
birds-and there he stood.
MONUMENT OF FANArIcIsM,
Another, young man, had made a VOW TO
swing with his head downward twOor three hours
every day. And as saw him swinging swing.
ing, the blood rushing in torrents to his face
asked him why he did It. He replied, "For the
pardon Of my SINS" And after this self-torture
be could do anything, anywhere, and II would be
holy, holy He was then q sacred person by this
revolving rite. One Of the saddest sights / ever
saw was the burning Of the dead-the cremation
We talk of and some Of rs long to practice. /
saw the piles Of wood placed one upon another
after the stakes were driven into the ground, and