The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-06
All Crccds Joining Hands.

All CTecds Joining Hands.
An interesting public meeting was that
held in ChickeriuE Hall on Tuesday even
ing, as the first anniversary of the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Children
II was interesting to behold such nm
array OF clcrgymcn Of different religions
on the platform as speakers. We guess
that no other minglinF as remarkable has
ever taken place in this country. There
was the vivacious Father McGLYNN, q
priest Of the Roman Catholic Church;
there was the distinguished Rabbi Corr
HE'LL Of the Jewish faith; there was the
venerable DR.. BELLOWS of the Unitarian
denomination; there was Father BIER
RING, priest Of the Greco Russian Church;
there was Dr. JONI HALL. Presbyterian
there was the Rev Mr.. TYING, Jr., Episco-
palian; and then, besides all these clergy
men, there were number of lay speakers
among whom were poets, philosophers,
politicians, and physicians such as VIII
LIAM CULLEN BRYANT, PARKE GoDwIN,
Messrs. DAILY, CHoATE, SALoMoN, PARKER,
aud others. As they appeared upon the
platform, before the audience. in rows, or
rs they got up, one after the other, TO
speak, they were regarded with an interest
that could not have been altogether dis
pleasing TO them. THE SrN gnzcd upon
the spectacle with pleasure. In other
times the leaders OF these various religions
had prosecuted and slaughtered each other
for the love of GoD, rs our Irish friends
say; hut here they were shaking hands
with each other, smiling at one another,
and joining together in the advocacy Of
humanitarian work. There could not
have been such an assemhlage in any part
of the wide world hundred years ago-a
friendly assombage Of Jews. Greeks, Ro-
mans, Protestants, heretics, and cosmo-
politan free thinkers. Yes, this is the
nineteenth century, which has its advan-
tages over some other centuries. though
we hope that the twentieth and twenty
first will be vastly better of in many re-
spects.
The distinguished minister OF the Hebrew
faith who was on the platform, was Jilsti-
fed in the wrathful offence which he took
at some features of the meeting, Most of
the Christian speakers who had preceded
him, and who surrounded him. had not
only poured into his ears their most forci-
had, 10y several inferences, put the Jews
among the uncivilizcd aud degraded por-
tons of the human rice. Two of them
had claimed that Christianity and civiliza-
ton were Synonymous terms, had spoken
of Christianity rs the originator of all hui
name ideas, and had declared that only
through Christianity could there be n So
ciety forthe Prevention of Cruelty to Chill
dren. Other speakers sustained these no
tons, aud the audience applauded them.
The protest delivered 10y DR.. GoTTHEII-
the representative Of Judaism, was full of
feeling and sound sense. At one moment
of his speech, he endorsed his predecessors
in "A way which banchcd their faces. He
did not say, in SO many words, that all the
shocking crueltics to children which had
been described by other speakers, were
perpetruted IN a Christian country by men
who are ut least nominal adherents of
Christianity; but his point was manifest
when, replying 10 the implications against
Judaism. he told the officers Of the society
that, while the Jews would aid them under
the circumstances Of social shame that had
been set forth, they would not find among
all the scvcnty-nvc thousand Jews Of New
York city, a single child over whom they
need extend their protecting aims. This
memorable remark, as well ms other re-
marks he made, created u sensation; but
nevertheless, before he got through he
succeeded IN can rying with him the sym
pathies aud applause of the audience. In
thus expressing their approval of the
truth, his auditors, most of whom doubt
less were believers in the Christian fnith,
showed that they still remembered the
teachings OF Christianity.
The Rev. Dr. BELLOWS the speaker who
Immediately followed the Rev. DIR. GoTT-
Hell, spoke justly of the ground he had
taken; and both jews and Christians had
learned lesson which was at once in
structIve and monitory.