Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-09-25
Sandy Springs Camp Meeting,

EDITORS CounIEn-Wil you allow us The
space in your columns TO give you few dots as
thcy presented themselves 10 us ut the Sandy
Springs camp meeting on Sunday last Having
never attended one, your correspondent had
quite curiosity to take n part in this much
spoken Of occasion, and as matter Of course,
expected to pass day for the good Of the soul
AT o'clock we left tho Walhalla depot with
goodly number and at precisely 10 o'clock We
arrived at the camp ground. There wero five
coaches in our train and at every station the
passengers increased, aud before we reached
our destination every coach was jammed. The
trains from Grccnyile, Abbevillc and Columbia
were delayed some timc in coming up by being
overloaded. These trains, in all having about Gf-
teen coaches, were filed 10 ovcrflowing, and in q
few minutes the camp ground and surroundings
were alive with people. In the meantime citizens
were orowding in from all sections by private
convcyances. They came iu buggics, carriages,
wagons, OK carts and on foot, from the North
and from the South, East and West, all classes,
oil conditions and all colors, The rich the poor,
the good, the bad, the SOBER the dissipatcd, the
modest gentleman, and The boasting ruflian, the
halt, the lame and tho blind all gathered together
and forming vast multitude, ,variously estimated
at from eight to ten thousGnl The question
now very naturally presented itself to our mind,
What is the object of such vast concourse?
Why such numbers Of people from near and far,
oil apparently impressed with an equal curiosity,
as if one of tho old prophets had arisen from
the dead? In passing round about tho camp
ground we saw very few, however, comparatively
speaking, taking any interest in the religious
services Of the day.
NIessrs. Editors, these annual meetings may
have proved beneficial TO many poor soul in
days gono by, and some may even have found
comfort in attending this one, but in our esima--
ton we cannot see That tho great object of tho
meeting was thought Of by the majority present
The general conduct of the majority, tho dissi-
patton and profanity Of numbers, the Sabbath
breaking and hurrahng of those who went there
with the sole purpose of spending day in
jollity and mirth, all tended 10 show that the
gathering of that day, instead Of being day of
general religious Advancement was in fact q
q day of much dissipation and Sabbath breaking.
These meetings arc held with good motive,
we hayo no doubt, but when We consider their
primary object, rs wo understand it, that is
TO allow tho people of those districts who have
no church privileges, to partake of tho wal ers of
lifo, to qucnch their thirst for religion, once in
year Mt q general meeting of brethren, wo
think that camp meetings have had their day.
at tho present time, when there arc church
edifices Of all denominations in cycry commu
nifty, when the word is preached regularly in
every part Of Tho State and the Gospel carried
homo TO the very frcsidcs of almost every
family in tho land Tho question arises what
good do these largo gatherings accomplish?
Messrs. Editors, in view Of such conduct as
was so prominently manifested at tho camp
meeting on Sunday last, in the way of drinking,
shooting, beating, quarrcling, yelling, &c., II is
to be hoped that the good people Of tho country
will rise up and prevent this shameful abuse not
only Of the Sabbath day, but Of the great object
of these meetings. Let the day 10 spent in o.
manner that will tend to improve the masses md
put stop to tho hiding of shameful and COW :
ardly conduct under tho guiso of attending re-
ligious meetings. VISITOR.