The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-02


W. como to this conclusion from our regret that Jour
less and Just yours. ud lower itself by ring
sampas MOODY and md sISRaY rsvSss raN anu A''H'
Yours respectfully, JusrIrIA.
1t 10 surprising to us that nineteen gentlemen
OF sound sense and intelligence should thus
propose to deprive themselves OF their daily
privilege OF reading The SUN. There must be
something wrong somewhere, either about 1IE
Sun about them. We glad to know their
ground Of complaint. and wish we had leisure
and space to reason with them at such length
snd Gepth as It seems to require. The language
in which they clothe their charge against us lie
not choice as It might be but we are willing
to overlook its peculiarities II thereby we may
come to a proper understanding With them.
They certainly cannot desire that THE SUN
should have nothing to say about the Hippo
drome revival under MOODY and sASKEY. No
newspaper could ignore it as a feature OF the
news OF the day. II Is one Of the m ost interest
ing and rem arkable phenomena OF tho city. IL
Ia deserving OF notice not only ny religionists OF
every creed, but bv philosophers, students OF
human nature, spectators in mental and moral
law, observers OF the relation between cause
and effect, and all other men.
Here, IN an age that IL said 20 be one OF scep-
ticism and theological Indifference, we behold a
popular Tellgloub movement OF unprecedented
extent. We see men and women rushing to the
Hippodroms by tens Of thousands every day OF
the week. In the business hours OF morning.
noon, and afternoon, well as In tho evening.
MOODY ana SANKEY have been carrying on their
daily operations among US since the beginning
Of February; and during the whole OF the time
that has INTERVIEWED since then their meetings
have nearly all been crowded to the utmost,
though the building In which they operate Is by
far the largest In town. People come by
thousands TO the city TO hear them; they are
yet In the full tide OF success, such a. It Is and
those who thought that the revival would turn
out to be but momentary sensation have found
themselves mistaken. We also that large
number Of the men and women who attend the
meetings are brought into an unusual state OF
mind by some means or other and see that
many Of them think they undergo the change
which is called conversion. Surely the man
who can find nothing to ponder over In all this
must regard contemporary history as duller than
the Dead Sea.
Well, THE Sun has kept an eve on the Hippo
drome revival and has made note OF its various
features, from time to time. There are. doubt
less, people who mold that we ought 10 have at
tackled It yehementy from the very FIRST there
are Others who think we ought to have treated
IL with scorn and CONTEMPT, bringing all the
forces ofrdcue to bear ag linst It and there are
others who say we ought TO have taken no notice
OF II at all, but should have let II come and go
with the winds that pass unheeded over the
land. We have not been able TO agree with any
Of these advisers. We have bought proper to
give such views Of 1t as seemed Justified by its
nature, action, and results.
Our nineteen readers who propose to punish
themselves by dropping THE Sun are in error
when they say We have supported, stood in
with. and eulogLed the rank and arrant hum
bug Of revvalism." We have merely tried to
deal AS fairly and squarely with Hppodromism
as with other things that come within our no.
tice. We have spoken well Of some of those ut
terances of Preacher MOODY which seemed to
us true and import int, just as we would Of SINH
lar utterances from any other man who was
affecting the minds OF multitudes OF our citi-
zens. We have exposed some of hls
which seemed TO US harmful. Wa
have dealt severely with him when he
needed that kind of dsclnline. We have urged
him 20 take up those practical ana fundamental
matters OF duty which he neglected. We have
smiled at some OF his ways, and cried shame at
some OF his words. When there has been any
show Of rank and arrant humbug about him, we
have tried TO handle 1t 10 n way that should have
satisfied even our nineteen critics.
Now, then, what change OF course do Jus
tltia aud his eighteen friends desire us to make
during the continuance Of the revyal2 II he or
any OF his fellow complainants will give us
sound and satisfactory reasons for looking At
the thing IN different way, we shall pay due
attention to their argument. Their reasons
must be sensible and philosophical, and must
be delivered with the courtesy which we never
fail to exact from people who desire TO make
their appearance In THE SUN. TIL they have
thus changed our purpose we shall continue to
watch with the same interest and In the same
spirit as heretofore the operations In the Hippo
drome but we shall never cease TO regret the
daily loss Of our nineteen critics IN losing the
light or The Sun.