Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-03-11
o.. sAarzo1onrEa, par m rzlIADzz-

Every now and then turn II taken In social
a9ain which shexs ~ the progress which ~
vauns b In sons rsspssAs IN unsubatantial thing.
People axs very bold IN dsnouncsng ths supsrsta-
tioa Of men who Avsd two hundred years ago,
bot II happens that moral weakness frequently
naksa u dsplogahle showing In thsss la&tsr
ysars Of grace - IN The tfnss when witches were
harmed, e men Of seisnoe parssouted. Isnor-
ancs and lack Of mental balance produce much
The aans results In al times, and We must not
Aastsr ourselves that W have got beyond
those lApses which have from the ear
Hest times been reproach TO the general in
tslligencs Of mankind. The immediate refer
suce IL TO the absurd alarm felt by many people
In Philadelphia relative to the promised extra
ordinary celebration Of 81. PAtrick's Day Most
rsadsn no doubt would think II M insu!t to
Philadslphia people 10 charge them with belief
In scheme Of wholesale assassination and riot.
ing on tie 18th OF March. but just that belief Ia
very widsiy spread in our noishbo1ng city, nor
b IL altogethsr esnhnsd to the most ignorant
CLASSES. The origin Of The prspostsrous rumor
Il ID impossible to trace, although there ID not
much doubt that 1t grew ont Of pracd d Joking
In some form The joksrs, however, speedily
found that they had produced an effect Of winch
they never dreamed. Does it not appear to out.
rage every probability than men and women car
be found to believe tha. St. BArtholomew's Day
ID TO be repeated in . respectable aud orderly
community such ~ Philadelphia the d
legged contemplated assassins are among tn.
! most reputable people Of the place? VERIFY
and yet that, - We are informed, 10 the precis,
l ztA. A. -. 81
ing and ridicule Of sensible people does no
serve TO diminish. The most outrageous M,
nonsensicl stories are told aud believed
About one fourth Of the houses are said :
bs " marked BY the conspirators In variou
= cabalistic ways, and 30 far from these warning
: exploding the trick, IS they would il the fea
stricken had any wit left they add to the excits
- msnt- Such =" conspiracy" would not trust Il
- self to chance directions which can be mmed
:, ssely removed BY the parties designated. 1t
In fact, difficult to treat the matter seriousl,
. nor could it be done except that there il vi
~ donbtedly feeling on the subject that ridicu
cannot reach. II some Of the lively lascals VII
'e thus play upon the too susceptible feelings {
- their fellow citizens could be caught At the
!, marking processes and be forced to play
different sort Of game in the Houi
OF Correction, the example might d
3 some good, but the only radical cure for inj ure
~ susceptibility in some quarters will be the pa
!: sage Of the immortal Psddy's natal day Til,
- clustering festival passed, fear smitten Philade
"a phia will smile again, but panic will not 81,
y. way to any lesser remedy Just ~ it require
:. time to disprove the three days darkness, -.
- and the collision between the comet and IL
earth a. II is periodically required by some ii
y spred ninny hammers to falsify tho ever T.
curing predictions Of the Alillerte philosopher
The fools are not only not all dead , at, but it
Questionable if they ever will entirely depart, 81
~ leave tho world at peace.