The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-06-03

city, and now like social DRIFT weeds are cast
and tossed withathe froth and foam of its cur
rents. Of pleasant evenings they may still be
seen on the promenade in the richest at
tire of fashion, and radiant with beauty, but
despite their loveliness, are mere
'Weeds on times dark waters thrown
Wrecks on lifcs wild heaving sea-"
--o---
On Repentance.
The Neacs and Courier recently contained
an editorial extremely laudatory of Governor
Chamberlain, commencing in very warm terms
the manly stand taken by the Governor in his
contest with the thieves of his party. We
heartily concur with our contemporary, in its
praise of the Governors present position. He
is engaged in a noble work and is achieving
success, for both of which reasons we admire
him. The Meps and Courier also touched upon
the past record of Mr.. Chamberlain and ex-
pressed regret for the accusations it made
against him during the last campaign. 1t
withdraws all its charges, and expresses its
conviction that one who has acted as Mr.
Chamberlain has since his election, could not
charged against him as Attorney General
that the election of Judge Reed the good ap-
pointments made, and the various vetoes put
upon noxious bills are utterly inconsistent
with any theory of association with fraud in
land commissions, sinking funds or financial
boards.
Now, we do not propose to argue the ques-
tion as to whether or not Mr.. Chamberlain has
been guilty in the past. We are so well pleased
with his present course, that we care not to
take retrospective glance at his early history.
But we wish to say few words upon an abb
stract question, question involved in the as
sertion of our contemporary. Is there such
thing as repentance? Do men always continue
in the life they have begun, or do they, as the
preachers say, sometimes experience
changer" This is a grave query, involving
the present happiness and future safety of
millions of human beings 1t is therefore
constant theme of reflection and because of
the manifest advantages attending the exis-
tence Of such fact as repentance it is almost
universally accepted.
We are told that
"While the lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest sinner may return"
We are told also that we are unclean-a mass
of wounds and bruises and putrefying sores
and that we must repent and be saved. How
can we repent if the theory of our contempora-
ry, "once pure, always pure" be true? There
is some mistake somewhere, but the question
perplexes US, and we leave it to be fought out
by the ministers and our contemporary. In
the meantime we will continue to believe in
most comfortable and gratifying doctrine.
There are many distinguished instances of
repentance The thief upon the cross has
furnished materials for thousands of sermons.
1t has never been argued that because he re-
ceived permission to enter into Paradise he
had never been guilty of larceny. Contend
that he was always a pious man, or that he was
not saved, and standing argument for death
bed repentance will be destroyed, to the mani
fest terror of millions of miserable sinners.
The Apostle Peter was the rock on which
the mighty Christian Church was built, and
yet it has never been denied that when the
cock crew he committed q grevous sin, gen.
uine malum an Sc. Paul was the bulwark of
the early church, and yet before he saw that
great light on the way to Damascus, "he made
havoc Of the church" j" and breathed out threat
enings and slaughter against those very disci
Piles of the Lord, who afterward hailed him as
their chief. From the chief of sinners he was
by repentance metamorphosed into q pillar of
the church.
Who would believe that Ignatius Loyoa
the founder of the Jesuits and the most ascetic
monk of his time, was once a gay, rolicking
soldier, or that the hero of Agincourt had ever
beena pot companion of the beastly Falstatf
or that Martin Luther was once a submissive
servant of the Pope, or that John Newton, the
emnentlY pious divine, was once debauchee,
rake, and SLAYER? Who would dream that
Beast Butler was once secession democrat or
that Frank Moses had hauled down the flag
from SUMTER or that Smiling Colfax had ever
taken stock in credit mobiier, or that Susan B.
Anthony had ever rested her weary limbs on
Theodore's knee? And yet they say those are
facts, stubborn facts. They can be explained
only upon the hypothesis that there is such a
thing as repentance, and that individuals sud-
denly awakening to the fact that they have
been SHINING, forthwith resolve to lead a new
and better life, and to make some reparation
for the injuries they have inflicted on others
by sins either of commission or of omission.
For the reasons 81 ven above we cannot ac-
cept the abstract proposition advanced by our
contemporary. Repentance may be delusion,
but it is nevertheless fond deusion, and we
must cling to it the more especially that is an
absolute necessity for us to do so. And wheth-
er Mr. Chamberlain be penitent or just
man that needs no repentance, we will con-
tinue to stand by him through thick and thin
Just so long as we believe him to be striving
faithfully and earnestly for the welfare Of
South Carolina. And may we never have
cause to repent this adherence lKinnsboro'
NewS.
PASSING THE CROWD INA well-known
drummer for dry goods house who chanced
last summer to be in a Maine town where the
circus was to show that night, made bet that
he could pass every one of a party of thirty who
had come over from a neighboring town into
the "show" without paying cent The wager
being accepted, the party was marshaled, and
proceeded to the tent, where the doorkeeper
FOL tiol,otc fro,,, III who