The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-14

rho Clergy OF Delaware Urging that
Colonel Ingersoll be Tried for Bias.
phemy.
WILMINGTON, DEL, February 1.-THE
charge OF Judge Comegys 10 the Grand
Jury Of Newcastle county, recommending
the indictment Of Colonel Robert Inger.
soil for blasphemy, was not unexpected
among the reasons therefor being the ur.
gent demand Of the Christian churches
that 1ngersoll DO punished for treating
with contempt the laws Of the State"
Section oil chapter 1871, Revised Statutes
OF the State oil Delaware, reads as follows:
III any person Bhall be guilty OF the
crime OF bIasphemy he shall be deemed
guilty Of q misdemeGnor, and shall be fined
not exceeding $50, shall be Imprisoned In
solitary confinement Tor term not eK.
ceeding two months, and may In the dis.
erection oil the Court be held to surety OF
the peace and good behavior for one year
after his discharge from prison."
This 10 modification OF the original
law OF the State, wherein IL was provided
that any person f0Inl guilty OF blasphemy
should be placed In the pillorY two hours,
be branded on the forehead with the letter
"B," and whipped on the bare back with
lthirty.nine laBhes well laid on. Under
this old law, which remained In force
many years, there Were frequent punish.
ments, With the repeal OF this statue and
the enactment OF tue present provision
prosecution for blsspheIny virtually Ceas.
ed and OF late years there haa been no
case OF such nature In the Courts. In fact,
q Liberal League, holding public sessions
every Sunday morning, has fourished In
Wilmington, and, though lie voice has
been bitterly against Christianity, the law
has never been invoked for It's suppression.
Tho ope occasion prior to the pres.
ent when religious citizens threatened
10 enforce the statute against hlasphemy
vas early In 1877, when the IngeTsoll
Juror ives NJ its height. The eloquent
atheist was on his Eastern lecture tour,
aud his Wilmington admirers arranged that
he should deliver bis panegyriO OF Paine
In the Market Street Opera House. The
announcement OF the project awoke q
furious opposition ID Religious circles, and
determination 10 arrest the lecture
should he attack Christianity, was an
nounCed. Those who declared this inten.
tion were thoroughly In earnest, and the
Liberal League Understood 1t. lnRefsoll
was 10 have stopped here on his way
from Baltimore 10 New York, but he did
not do 80 He promised the Wilmington
iteethinkets, however, that he would
visit them at Home more convenient
season. Four years vent by, and be came
not till the end. On Tuesday evening,
January 4 last, lie appeared, and, 10 the
largest audience gathered here since the
campaign, he discussed "What Must We
Do 10 BE Sayed2"
The clergy protested strongly against the
church folks going TO The lecture, and
upon the following Sunday with no known
exception, denounced the man. The law
against blasphemy was referred 10, and the
determination 10 enforce the law was ex'
pressed 49, -, ,
The local newspapers have been filled
with communications upon the lecturer
and bic right Of free speech. The rellgio
people are confident that the Grand Jury
willindiCt while COL Ingersoll p repre-
scented as having said, In letter 70
Wilmington friend, that he would rather
enjoy q trial.