Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-10
lFW be vioErsurg HERALD
Bob EsgShsOlTs place In History
d. ELgWoRIH IELToN

good, oul-Funs bic judgment as to the
means BY which good may DO accom-.
pllshed, seems to me quite plain when
we hold up his claim to be the friend
OF humanity by the side Of the cOnse.
quences to the human race following
the success Of his (Mr. Ingersolrsl
theories, for which, Of course, he
hopes. For l believe, though l may
be wrong, that no event less extensive
than the total devastation Of the entire
surface 0fthe earth in q single moment,
10 fraught with more disastrous conse-
quences to mankind than the triumph
OF infdelity in the near, or even In the
distant future.
The triumph Of inidellty means the
death Of every religious institution,
and the fall OF religion means the vic.
tory Of degradation and the defeat Of
virtue; the assassination Of Justice,
Peace, Law, Order and Honesty, and
the vivicAtiou of Fraud, Anarchy, Law.
lessnesS aud every species Of Disorder
and Dishonesty. To some, this may
seem an assertion backed by no better
grounds than . long settled and deadly
hate for Free Thinkers, or Q morbid
state Of q superstilious mind. To such
as may thus believe, | have only to say {:
no man beneath the stars has less faith
In Revelation, go far as its truth ia
involved, than |. As an individual, l
hold all religions 10 be mythologies aud
equally faLe but aS q member o fsocie.
ty | hold each of the four great relig-
ions Of the world infinitely valuable as
political components OF civil govern
ment, and indispenia' Ia In civilizing
the savsges, and soothing the pangs and
disappointments Of poverty. You can
win the untutOred HOteDtOt by hold
ing up to him the picture of eternal
felicity 10 alAnd beyond the stars where,
In the same case, the cold, but learned,
discourse Of Bob IngerSoll would be
the signal for q general fight. Take
away from the world the belief that,
in the moral so we'll as in the physical
universe, there is a pendulum which Is
ever Osclllating toward an equalization
of justice, that pains aud misfortunes
endured without complaint in this
world will be rewarded by reverend.
Ing pleasures in a world TO come, aud
that glory gained by fraud or violence
here will be attended with an equal
degree of misery aud suffering some
where eloe-take these !enets away,
aud tell the poor laborer who has tast.
ed OF life but its bitterness, has known
o fthis world but its woes, aud has expe.
fenced ia love but tie lears-lhat the
millionaire who has had ell the pleAs.
ures " his world with but lew OF its
pains IL destined TO sink with him 10 q
parallel position in the abode Of death,
and that they who have Jared so differ.
emily here upon earth are to moulder
back TO unconscious atoms in the great
, equality OF the Erave-tell him this,
aud IL he believes it, he will conclude
I that the rich man must divide the
wealth of his house with those who
have very little OF this worlds goods.
This division the rich will refuse to
make, aud the poor man will back his
philosophy with HE muscle. One
, poor mechanic ia, Of course, al
, Insignificant enemy when arrayed
against all the pomp and power
, Of the Government, but there are
, fifteen millions Of these men In
North America to.day-arm these
with the usual equipments Of q mob,
and muster them under the tactics Of
i. such wild organizations as of course
must characterize their rebellion, and
, in twenly-four hours from the first
blast Of their trumpet the flag of Wash,
. ingtOn will be in the hands Of barbara
aus and the Republic will be no more
Ii Mr.. Ingersoll is the friend OF his
race, and it is a desire to do that race
good which prompts him to go up and
o down the country in the garb Of a lee
J.. turer, before he starts out holding uT
6 any new theory against the establishes
9 order OF things, he should consider
9 wherein mankind Is TO be benefited By
f the success OF such theory, so we'll 81
d the fact that the theory Is sound II
u point Of philosophy. The mere fac.
i that a theory is reasonable ia no
enough TO recommend /, TO a statesman
i. as fit TO become a law until It Is proved
d that it is In come way beneficial to the
n community.
d There are many theories which arr
sustained by the striclest principles o.
e abstract philosophy, but owing 10 the
= present imperfect state OF human So
8 ciety, no greater calamity could befal.
US than to have the world adopt then
n as the rules OF moral action. Among
: these doctrines Communism Ia one, fol
r what Is more just than the claim tina
e every one should have with bis fellow,
e men share aud share alike Of the plea,
i sures and profits of the worlds produc
n lions. "All men are created free ana
q equal" and the world 10 the common
n property OF US sll, not Of any individ'
ual or class of individuals, for ii is
d gift to the human race from the munia
cent hand Of God Cor whatever namt
may be most appropriate to deSignat,
the first great cause Of al
!. things,) and any one who hold
any part Of this property L
the exclusion Of oil others is an UsURP
Err. This is good philosophy, but wha
l. would be the result IL any human so
}; ciety Of considerable size should adop
la "a =. a.. 49,. -.annnltu,9 Gil,