New-York tribune., 1880-10-04
4 TALK WITH SIR. WHIT1IER.
HIS VIEWS on RELIGION AND WOMAN SUFFRAGE.
FROM me Intsr ocean .

HIS VIEWS on RELIGION AND hoAAN StffhAhE
from 7he Intsr ocean.
"You Young men will nave your trials, too"
said MrWmtticr Ind your contests WI" D. Win s"picI
{" f.. Professor Goodwin Smiths Moral Iutcrresnum
Drphabi- I" we asked. n,
tnInk there il some prospect OF IT,, said he me
breaking up ot Old oIms has begun. We hnue passed
the time whon respect for things because teY hr" oiI
viii Einler reform | have no Tears Tor tlc result
Nothins Ike French Revolution Is possible among
Our people have TOO much goof sense, ana DSlue
they obtain wha; they wish too easily 10 MAKE u
necessary resort to any such violent means. Com
munI.m is too unreasoning to commend Hsel 10 any
large BODY OF our people PFupety - u nc's,i pee So m -
II cannot have home OF my own might Just as Wri
not have sou i, 1u ny ny nmornsly is tho sker Com
munty. They have broken down he FAMILY, ana baFe
common property nut they a,o have Industry rukAl
hriit and cloauliness ut even In thls form Comnun~
Ism is not good hng. II would 'Atneusn Vno rAoo !"
The Shakers have always been very careful about
running after stangr n0i1Ons but they puDsb paper
now called m Shaker MGnifeSto-a Rather smart title
In wnich they give ineir vows OF ihings ln General
nt IT, and seeing what they are thinking about They
have u column OF poetry in II that ~ interesting read
ing They have machine for making poetry as wei 80
everything else; and they compose times or thclr own
for heir do not think the world u stea, ther
music Ii is the singular music nave ever heard
have known a few Shakers VINO were sp1lluallsts
IN way The! did not attach themselves To any Splt,
ituelis Dody nor make ans statement OF oelel. Dut
claimed that they enjoyed the definite lnnuece oi n
parted friends on their lives nave had otneG rltns %
wbo made tho same statements who were not SpritlA-
Ists They said that IL was matter OF chscouSnVss
admitting OF more doubt TO them individually thdn
.Wth ard 70 ali this" continued Mr. Whittier
heli"vc tba1 humanity viii by and Dy, into
Gennte rcntIons with the future hte tnan those we
have now. The blank uncertainty about az tho de"d ls
a great burden human SOUS, and it would be great
rcri to them Trustworthy assurance from one
of me dead the condition OF the dead But oe
ieye that silence OF tho grave IS wei ordered ana
thai God gives men The spiritual influence and com
panIopshp they need and will accept believe IN aDso-
lutte religion above all written revelations Al reVtla-
tons prespposo appeal to It, aud absolute religion
resis absolute truth do not thlnk mai lrntn ~
wholly tiye matter. but mat there ~ an absolute
basis OF tnt1 all MINDS which ls the SANE ana thht
III AL difficulties growIn2 out OF the relations OF
old IDEAS To new facts we sha nave cbough o
absolute truth to carry through In these periods OF
transition all remedies must prove their adaptation 10
our needs by satisfying tho cravings vi "i io"S"" "
Theodore Parker touched one side of great truth
when he subjected all religious teas To tn reason
able test. William n. Channing got NJ ihs when no
said that everything valuable 10 the soul mas It's cor
responding need In the SOU. Auth3iily ns sroun,
and element of religion must wholly disappear Almost
universally heretofore religion has rested on authority
IN, law mas Decn proclaimed rs the lhOu shau ahd
Thou shalt of Being who would rmlt no inquiry
by men into the reason OF tho law This has already
The tcacnings Of Christianity win he founded on the
the peri ct character Of Hts life ANA Teachings ana NOT
ON Ills authority DIVINE authority Is the conclusion 10
which His pcrfcc ion leads us. ana not PERFECTION th'
conclusion 10 winch HIS authority IctdS US 'nl""
that spIi unl forces aud ethical laws Will he more prom
nent IN failure society. Human laws arc not enough
The .rnsbltes must he brought more INTO cGityai ION
md active influence. think that the principal mistake
of our present civilization II the dwang oi IN" sens
bhllcs. After early childhood the cultivation "i tie
Sc sblItlcs begins 10 give place 10 lht'lectuii IRA
| A.
In rn If. own sensbcs. IL l. also taught tO smother
ana conc,l the IMPRESSIONS and senslbics nnd even
tually harden, INTO u spirit OF indifference. Mrnth
ncuruess h the Great good nsensDtty t0 feeling iht
urnpr condt But 10 necessary tr any hlgh slr
itual attainment that the sensiDes DC pure III" "o''
| CIlr.
Women are more finely adapted TO the development
influences than men, because, Tor one thlng
| they are less exposed hardening from without. -
Gc society II he future must bc acted on more directly
by than that Of the past III the bring ng ont 81
t1e cn-bltcs they must take lraulng part. Woman
| suffrage regard inevitable tlng and u goo,
tug Women puDhc lille VIII bring II up more tnaI
u VIII bring them down. There viii Do considerable
nOuudcrng before society would become Complctel,
uuHptrd To tnc change, but nftrr 10 snail ne finiy
cOmplsncd ANA In working udcr, the work Ot society
viii ~ without any detc tpatUn aud with gain II
purity ol mutltei ana unscihshn of law makers aut
administrators. lear ttH fcts IA large ciue-, wner
| bad women Will como forward. Women are iutens
| that bad women Will be wursc m public life tnnn ba
mon. But the dmrulJ n ~ tie azure of the city.
q" But do moi believe tnat wumcn- work VIII be don
manly by voting. Di.intcrrstcd are the thlnV
n 'eded IN society aud women Will most In shown
the proucabity and value OF lives IN all forms
work"