National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-04-24
THE GOOD DONE.
me outeeme Of the Rsligieus Revival.


The religious revival which has been In progress
| in Washington for several weekspast has resulted
in securing the pledges Of nearly two thousand
people who promised TO lead Christian Lives.
With the departure Of the Rev. Mr.. Hammond
| and Mr.. Bentley the active impulse Of this re-
lgious campaign seems to close, and yet it is not
unreasonable TO suppose that the two thousand
Iegatecs of their efforts, assisted by the aIxi-
| iaries that have given Mr.. Hammond such. sturdy
| support, will carry the movement much further.
The material is not nearly exhausted yet, and for
that matter the reviyalists might have continued
| their work in our midst for many days more, had
il not been that other fields Of labor and claims oil
various kinds are pressing upon them. Wasning-
and life is too short and the work too great to ex
pect that the few able apostles in the cause can
give more time to any one city than mas been al.
the way Of the impulse have
NONE TO BLAME
but their own selves il they have not felt It stir
within their hearts. There is even yet time for
catch the echoes of the songs and feel the thrill Of
the religious feryor that peryades the numerous
congregations which throng to the churches where
the meetings were and are still held.
But the time has come, at any rate, for reckon
ing up results. Against the argument sometimes
advanced that religious revival is not valuable
ADJUNCT to Christianity, there is to be counted the
fact that two thousand souls have given in their
pledges TO help the religious side in the great
cIuSBlc Vi lIt. how many OLucT sous
they contact and impel to the same purpose 1t is
useless to speculate but it is not light matter in
fair estimate. How many more may be led by
the meetings still to continue to Join the ranks.
and how far the wide-spreading effect will extend
and what germs Of religious growth 1t may stimu-
late to life is still more speculative, but not i'm
A fair observer will say that the effect Of the
Moody and Sankey meetings is felt in every town
thought and feeling has humanity become under
the common means which exists for interchang-
ing them-and if the meetings referred TO have
had this wide effect, the smaller but still great
religious movement centering here must, at all
events, have some power for effect elsewhere.
S SiJ factors In the reasoning are those who
ment Of the fact must lead the reader TO his in
inference in regard to this result On several oc-
have attended the outdoor services on Capitol
Hill, and at considerable discomfort have stood
for several hours listening TO the exhortations of
the speaker. What per cent. Of these have car
ried away better resolves or have been comforted
and strengthened in their aspirations no one can
compute.
ALAReE SHARE OF THE ATTENDANTS
at these meetings were such as seldom go to
church. Neither can they be accused of going TO
those meetings for the sake Of display or for self
iShreasons Of any kind hence it follows that many
Of them, at least sought these grand occasions to
gain comfort, and from sincere motives Of true
sympathy with the spirit Of the event. Alto
gether, without going further into an argument
which from its very nature is intangible, enough
is known to show that the revival conducted BY
Hammond and Bentley has been grand success,
and has paved the way for a still greater when
the great preacher, Mr.. Moody, comes to visit us
Part OF the harvest has been garnered, but the
seed has been sown over a wide field, which in a
few months viii be ready for more bountiful
reaping.
As a secular newspaper it is not the part of THE
REPUBLICAN to advocate either side Of the spirit
ual argument, but the facts of the case are ap-
parent and may be stated. The whole impulse Of
such movements is on the side of right and ad-
vancement, and while revivals offer occasion for
disputations and may be open to criticism in their
methods, yet these are trihing objections COM
pared TO the great good which IL is clear that the
revival Just closed has conferred on this commu-
nifty. We cannot but hope in the interest of pub
lie morals and Improvement that the Rev. Mr.
Hammond will be equally successful wherever he
may GO, in the cause he advocates earnestly and
successfully.