New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-11
THE GHOSTS OF SUPERSTITION.
COLONEL. ROBERT G.. INGEgsoIL's PLEA FOR RELIEF


FROM THE CHAINS OF THE PAsI'
Colonel Robert G.. IngersolPs lecture last
evening" on "Ghosts," drew together, at Chicker'ns
Hail. an audience which about twO-thrds hied the ai'i
forum. There almost crush the previous o""ha'
night, when the lecturer spoke upon Hen. bu. "s "
the lecture those who heard both declare that the M
dress last evening thoughtful more reflned
more poetic aud in more eloquent The speaker
kent his audience III rapt attention for two hours
few years ago." Colonel Ingersol said the Clergy
we're the only educated people IN the world "heh Tue
public began TO find out things for itself man De-
gan to dstrust tue clergy 1 have no quarrel WIN
the Clergy Their seriousness amuses me. They are
always engaged in sewing shrouds for smiles and II hap
piness ever dies they will be the palbearers Lausher
Every religion OF the world had its origin IN an at
tempt to make friends with the demons or the aF Men
said OWL exists there must be evil SPIRITS iof sooo
spirit would not do evil SO they peopled the ar VIII
evil as we'll good spirits. The clergy tell us tha men
would 20 to the twenyonr hours 1t were not
for superstition used say that there was no re-
stran in superstition. but have changed my NINA
Superstition VIII keep from breaking the SaDoatD
but IL keep him from cheating his neghDor on tho
following day. lLanghter =, ooo,,,.od ,o
all phenomena-hOw BY the caprice Of gods aud devils
For thousands OF WAS believed that ghosts good
IN some mysterious way produced an pheno-
mena In the history of our poor world no horror
has been omitted nfamy has been left undone by be-
leyrrs in ghosts and the shadows born OF cow
article and nanIty; they were painted by the pencil
that artist called Superstition. From these
ghosts fathers received their Information.
la blessed days Ignorance was king ana science
oucast The church knew, the moment the earth
ceased to be the centre OF the universe and became
That every religion would become a thag OF
the past In the name and by The authority OF
upon the rights OF women and children III the name
and by the authority Of the ghosts they bought and SOLD
earth slaves. They filed tie present with iut0er
and the future with horror. .,,.. J.. ,..a.,oo
to charity and the future For my part, gloy III ss
first granted to man, that the Constitution OF TIE
United states was the first great GecEee ,, en-
forever divorcing Church and State. GAppiause.l
Every fact pushed superstition from the BRAIN du
IL ghost from the cloud, Every loom, every reaper.
every mower, every Steamboat every iocomotiV.'
every engine, every press, every telegraph Is mission
ihs most radical thing in this world. 10 teach
The alphaDot l.. to naugurate a revolution;
to build a schoOlhOuse Is 10 construct iort;
every library IL arsenal filed with the weapons ana
ammunition OF progress; every fact II monitor WIN
tors; / thank the discoveries, the thinkers, and
the SCIENTISTS. and | thank the honest Ini.-
lions who have tolled thank the brave men
with brave thoughts They the Aliases upon whose
broad and mighty shoulders rests tf Sr hro d
still breaking the chains OF superstition tnanK
Thomas Jefferson he SAID all power comes rom
the people lApflansel thank me trainers OF our t2h
stiturlon they retired the ghost from politics.
fApplause thank them because they s3d IN ths aho
there should be religious liberty, lappaUsej ana am
trying to find out II there ~, Laughter. an, -
thinks No rational supreme being voud De- SATISFIED Win
the alteration towards. or with men AFRAID 10 tse Inc
I,tte modicum brain he has given them. lApp.useI
People who believe in another world wrong and rob
their fellows. DO right here aud the other world wi
take OF itself. II the day OF judgment YOU io
meet a man or woman you have wrUngcd, III !
take YOUR case shares llaughterI. ~ ,ay !
what | can while | do live TO put cat tAe I
tires Of hell, and Keep the bloody hands 0f |
he church the white throat OF sci' nee lAplduaeI
True zion he without liberty the prdn Is
dungeon and fhr mind the convict Ihc slave may DOW
ana crnsr and crawl but he cannot Worship he cInuol
"A lore True religion l. the perfume OF tn Tree ana
grateful ar In the religion OF the uturr there VIII be
men and women and children, all the aspirations OF tho
soul and the tender huiuauities az the heart
plead for ght for AIR, for opportunity Colonel
ugersoll cone iuled: pcad for individual ndepend-
cuce. plead the ghts 0f labor ani VI Thought
plead foi a chnless future. Let the ghosts go-jnSce
remains. Let them diSappear-mcn ana WOinen ana |
children arc left. LIT the monsters Jade aWay-e word
remains with Its hins and and plains with ia sea-
cons at smiles and frOwns, it, Springs OI aal ana Ond
It's summer of Shade and Hover. and murnlGripg stream
its Adtumu with tne laden bOughs. when
Tie w!rhored banners Of the still,
Ana gathered nolds grow lg stran sely wan
deaf d. poetic death, win hAlus thlt color what
welvts In tle Autumn wood her tapestries OF -ld !
and brown.
The world remains with It's Winters and homes and
ircsi. where grow amt bloom the virtues OF our race
An these are lcft and music, with its sad and thrilling
voice and all there l. Of ant and song, ana hplH ana
love and ASPIRATIONS nigh. All these remain. Lot the
Ghosts 10. We viii worship Them DO more. Let lnein
cover their cyclcss sockets Wh their hesh!ess names,
and fade forever from the iniaginatons oi tnel.