The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-11-25
The Modern WaIpnrgIs.

clergyman, OF dazzling and unsavory re
puter have been billing and cooling to
gether. They were brought in contact
by the political emergencies of the Re
publican party, during the campal ,l 70,
President. That they should have beer
delighted with one another may cause
scme surprise, bus any such sentiment
ought to vanish when one remembers
their dramatic individuality. Mr.. Beech.
er conceded that Colonel Iugersoll was
"one ofth greatest men Of the age" and
added:
II am an ordained clergyman, and be.
iieve in revealed religion. | am. there.
fc:c. bound to regard all persons who do
not believe in revealed religion rs i'm er.
ror. But on The broad platform of human
liberty and progress was bound TO give
him tho right hand Of fellowship.
would do i. n thousand times over. I do
not know Colonel Ingersoll's religious
views precisely, but ! have a general
knowledge of them. He has the Same
right to free thought and free speech that
l have. am not that kind of coward
who has to kick man before he shakea
hands with him. If / did SO would
have to kick the Methodists. Roman
Catholics and all other creeds. I will
not pitch into any mans religion as an
excuse for giving him my hand. / ad-
mre Ingersoll, because he ia not afraid
10 speak what he honestly thinks. and I
am only sorry that ho does not think rs
l do. never heard so much brilliaucy
and ,p!th put into a two hours speech MS
1 did on that night. ! wish my whole
congregation had been there 10 hear it.
Whot old ,,hnk NJ. -.
Of him, Col. Ingersoll said:
! regard him MS the greatest man in any
pulpit in the world. He treated me
with generosity that nothing can ex-
ceed. he rose grandly above the preju-
dices supposed to be long to his class and
acted III only man could act without a
chain upon his brain and only kindness
III his heart. ! told him that night that
congratulated the world that it had
minister with m intellectual horisol.
broad enough and mental sky studded
with stars Of genious enough to hold oil
creeds III scorn that shocked the heart
OF man. / think that Mr..
Beechcr has liberalized the English
speaking people Of the world. ! do not
think he agrees with me. Ho holds to
many things | most passionately deny.
But in common we believe IN the lib
criy of thought: My principal objcc-
!.ens to or!h ndex religion are two
slavery here and hell hereafter. do
not believe that Mr.. Beecher on these
points can disagree with me. The real
difference between us is, he says God,
| say nature. Tho real agreement be.
tween US is, we both say liberty. =
For years he has endeayored to hide
the dungeon Of orthodoxy with the ivy
of imagination. Now and then he pulls
for, moment the lcafy curtain aside
and is Mortified to SEQ the lizards,
snakes, basilisks and abnormal mon.
sters of the orthodox age and then he
utters great cry, the protest of low
ing, throbbibg heart.
HE is q great thinker, marvellous
orator and, in my judgment, greater
and grander than any creed of any
church. Besides all this, he treated me
like king. Manhood is his greatest
forte. and l expect to live and die his
friend"
If third party In religion were &c
be established, Beecher and Ingersoll
would be the apostlcs of it. 1t is one oi
the curiosites of the Republi.
can party that it can, as m
organization claiming "all the morals"
applaud tho fraternity between Beechei
and an Ingersoll. Such copartnershir
would seem to indicate very bad state
Of morality and religion at the North, and
II anything were wanting to put the cap
stone to this suppositiOn, the following
telegram TO u Western paper would
appear to accomplish that dread judg.
ment.
New York, November 7.
Rev. Justin D. Ful.Jn said in his ser.
mon to-day: We oughtto answer the qucs
tions-"Why is tho country saved p
Why does the Government remain in
loyal keeping?" At least we ought to
study it. The mystery is before us. Who
can comprehend it? Is it not explained
in the words, "The poor have had the
Gospel preached to them?" 1t is its
truth that has made men free, not the
men who proclaim it. The multitude
will be ministered unto by some. The
bad or good shall cad it. In the Revo.
lutionary war the nan whose voice was
the most potent wa % Washington O,
Lafayette, but Thomas Paine. His book
and his influence cheered the heart ol
every soldier. Robert G. Ingersoll was
born in Dresden, New York, in 1888, the
son OF Presbyterian minister. He has
had singular history. He has the ear oil
tho multitude. His powers of persua
sion are felt to be 90 great that Christian
men sought him out to search for and
capture those vino were beyond theil
reach. Every one of these men ought tt
have been loved and cherished and held
by the Christian Church. It was di
vinely fitting that that eminent preache,
in this city should present Col. Ingersoll
Who ministers to th, multitude, and il
that respect he is fGr shead of man,
Christian preachers
We can only infer from these episode
cha: :s:y powerful element III North EoTttiii
ern ecclesiasticism, especially of tha
kind which runs political pulpit, il
endeavoring to make infidelity the touch
stone of genuine patriotism, and to lha
! end aids in the cnnsecrntinn nf .Tnm,
Paine and "Bob" Ingersoll.
u is q good thing FOR the North tha
there are 30 many other clergymen wht
do not "iear down the very walls which
divide the good and ill Of our nature
corrupting all the fountains of SOUND
thinking and feeling in our great Cities
These excellent pastors may save thei
Sodom. But it seems to us that th,
dominant sentiment is that created b,
Voltaire, Diderot, and Madame De Pom
paadour. They came and reigned, an,
after them poured in deluge of bloot
and fire, out OF which the Corsican rose
In tho name of liberty, Ingersoll EN-
braces Beecher, who had already EN-
braced the hero of Canonchet. In IL
name of liberty, Mr.. Fulton holds u
Paine as the savior Of the country, II.