The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-10-11
The Heresy, Not the Pedagogue,
is Worth the Powder.
Editor Chronicle : 3

dItieio puOASucu III your tSSuc u
September 18th, but, with the excep-
ton of some few adjective phrases
addressed to me personally, his pite-
Gus whine is intended as an answer
to your editorials; and, az from the
first. my attempt has been to have
nothing to do with the author, but
to attack the heresy, / shall leave
him and his indignation to your
mercy and address myself where I
believe can do more good.
The subject matter of my former
article was the theory which had
been advanced in public sermon or
lecture: That Christians should not
participate in public demonstrations,
etc, nor hold Office, nor interest
themselves in the public veal To
many in the parish this was no new
theory, as our pedagogue (whilom
preacher) had, in conversation With
individuals, long before advanced
and advocated his pernicious doc
tripe, and our attention was first
fixed, (about the time of our last
election) when advocating the neces-
sity Of full attendance on election
day, by the attitude of number of
this vicinity, who, when pressed, ad-
mitted the reason to be that thew
had been told that, as Christians, they
could not participate in elections, etc,
and we were led to believe that they
had IN some instances pledged them
selves to such a course. We had no
trouble in convincing those we ap-
preached of their error, and their
votes were duly cast. Still they ap-
peared to dread the anathema, or
perhaps accommodation of their
pedantic pedagogue priest. Others
staid away from the polls, and thus
did what they could against their
own interest, the good Of their State
and their country. s4 nt
To illustrate our theme, suppose
this community should take up with
this ism, then let us picture the re-
suit. OF course they would then
take few papers, and those must be
wholly religious, with perhaps mar
ket report on the last page. They
would have little use for schools, as
the history of their country would
be laid aside and Dow's Sermons and
the Life of Wesley take their place.
OF the other branches little need be
known, as no scholar of that school
must ever become q professional
man-and, would they not have held
up before them the prophet of the
sect, as proof that they might be-
come great. aye, uery great, ignoring
history, cIucifying orthography-loss
OF the art Of writing, contempt for
geography, all balanced or outweigh
ed by his skim milk theology. : =
We need not follow their down:
ward course, as history contains it.
They would follow the Dunkers, Sha-
kers, Resurrectionists, Mormons and
host of others, and in few years
they would be, of the past, forgot
ten. The tide of thinking, working,
reasoning humanity by which they
are surrounded would overlap and
smother them.
Life is onward, onward ever,
Human progress none can stay;
All who make the vain endeayor
Shall like chaff be swept away"
But I dwell too long upon this |
gloomy theme There is no respond |
ing echo in the hearts of our masses |
to such maudlin sentiment. As men.
rs americans, we can rest content |
with no such lotus. We do not court
q life of sleep, of dumb existence.
Lives of great men all remind MS
We can make our lives sublime,
And departing leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time"
The time has passed wheB, by
single act. one arm could electrif7
the whole world. Nations and States
now act much the part individuals
did in early ages, and tits our State
and our country whose impress shall
last through ages. The part of indi-
viduals in State may seem small
and OF little avail, bat. fellow-citizens,
your voice, your vote or mine does as
much to influence our country's des-
tiny as did the sword of the heroic
knight Of the fourteenth century.
But we should act q far different
part. Sir knight did not know that
his footsteps would ever be remem-
bered, While we, of this age OF pa
pers, books, telegraphs and science,
such as the fables of the past never
'onlectured, know to certainty that
We are joint laborers and co -archi-
Eects of q structure, which, if we
prove true to ourselves and do our
part well, be il ever 40 humble. shall