Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1881-02-15

A COm.a n . sieatIos from sBr of tbe
SIX Rund d rod Persons I'm AsiS nd.


For the Republican.
MRssRs. EDIYoRs: one Of six hun
dred who listened to the lecture OF
Robert g. Ingsrsoll, an st o loss to
discover any just cause for the spirit OF
persecution manifested, in certain
quarters. | have oo1Vsrsed with q
number Of respectable and influential
gentlemen OF this city, who heard Mr..
lngersoll, and without an exception
they agree in saying that the lecture
did them good, and while they with
me would not be willing to endorse all
that Mr.. Iugersoll might say they still
approve of many things that he did
say. am not able 10 determine from
Mr.. lngeraolps remarks what is belief
in a personal God o. ths hereafter is;
but il God be truth and justice, and we
know that he IL, IBgersoll believes in
that God, aud il God be love and wis.
dom, and we all should agree that he
ID, then lngersoll believes in this God,
and If God be for morality and the
proper obssrvauCes Of the laws Of life,
and We know that God 10 for ell these
things, lDgersOll is for this God. To-
gersOll does not believe in original sin
Ingersoll does not believe in eternaI
punishment, Iugersoll does not believe
in the stonement, the just suffering fol
the unjust, he does not believe that Q
Just God would do an act of injustice
Would 1t not have been better for the
clergy to have taken up the question
Of original sin, eternal punishment And
the atonement, and have shown to the
people the error Of Ingersoll, and the
truth Of their own position. Does the
truth suffer by sgitation' low much
better this would have heen than tC
uss abusive language from the pulpit
Can the people be made believe there
is any argument in &busef
II our friends Of the grand jury are
80 exercised in behalf Of the people as
30 fall back upon al old law that wa!
Intended for an age now passed away
and which reminds us Of the early his
tory Of our country, when the Quaker
suffered marty rdom for the expression
Of their opinion. repeat if our friend
Of the Grand Jury were really in ear
nest, why did they net fud true bill
against Mr.. Ingersoll, and have hin
brought here for trial, aud why do the
throw the responsibility upon til
Mayor. Perhaps they had in view Art
ole first of the amendments of the Con
siitution Of the United States. An
why also do they not have witnesse
Summoned to testify Of the blasphs n
that is daily geiDg On, almost in tn
very hearing OF the Grand Jury, q
they cit in their delibe7atioDs, an
uudsr tie eyes 0. the cIrray who 81
80 much concerned in tlis particuls
case. Why not request the Mayor
make it his special business to ferr'
, out through his officers the unlawfl
sale Of liquors that now deals out d
struction in our community.
am in favor Of free speech, and
do not mean by tAis personal abuse;
: believe in puniRhing personal abus
and | do not think the pulpit, q
press, or any other place should sOree
man from punishment by the law +
the use Of abusive and slanderous la
Ruage. for one am willing to speI
my money and my influence in the pr
lection Of free speech, and if Mr.. !
gersoll sees proper to come to our ci
and speak to the people, | am for d
tending that right, W.