Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-11-20
Defender ol tho Star Route-4


 When, during the last Presidential campaign, Henry Ward Beecher irtTo- dUced Colonel Robert Ingersoll to avery crowded meeting in Brooklyn, as "thc greatest orator of the age" though he sand what may be open to dispute, he gave prominence at an appropriate time t0 Colonel InEersolfs strongest qualii- tcatioD. For the genial man of Illinois or rather now of Washington, though Illinois is -hc State most hOnOred in his wonderful success ss a public speaker, because Le won it during the time he resid2d tlgrC-is a born public speaker, as cer-amy as Nature put mp William Shakespeare for poet. His thoughts shaped themselves. gs matteTof course, into eXprt s-lous apt striking, glowing, often wIt!, always telling. There IS, Wltha', simplicity, tenderness and hearty goodwill about Robert which enJcaf hil Co his hearers, whether they will OF not.
 Colonel I1-e-sou is a lawyer by pro- fession. llh had built up a good prac- tlce in lll:oIs when his eminence as a speaker gave him a wider scOE.s of popu- larIty ds a ltcturgr. He 5SsT in Wash ingtou, resident Ui tg tai, and as counsel fer tLe accus, the Star Route eases, is ClvIu- or to dry proceedings. winch is truly .gersolhan.
 The -oile1-uaUtbedA American Is fifty years ot age He was born and raised east, but lS We have seen, earned his first Dutoriety as western advocate. lis personal appearance and gifts are remarkably pleasing. With a well-built body, 90 round. good-r1tured face. large, dark, eloquent eyes, Casy, unconscious grace Oi increment, he cdptivates his hearers -to TerUetra,e bull for once before ae 0Hcus his month. Hisappear- auce. preliminary bow and smile, secure hiu al interested and Lghgltt9l .atten- tIun. Nr. tu-ers.i i- 60 simple, m0GesF> man. He sr.rlt.i Go have once said: The dI-nlt-l us- iS an idiot The uueyu7 .TuUfir-s ol carly childhood pos sesss- Aim, and ruuHa-.-s and preten- u0l are among ,ra subjects of his hap pIcst banter. Ills eiogueuce has great variety m it. lYW .ul ul tears ard then a trumpet peal; now copious and vehem- ent as @ cataract. then keen, iucisive and concise as az extract from BacOn's Essays.
 But Celore eI ia-arsoI attacks Chris tiulty. Ws don't commend him on tius account, and t .s mt our business to judge him. We tliuk if he saw the Christian religion with the eve that many who read these lines see it-in it's essential rU ity. moral grandeur, and as tine means O. giving the human a COT sCilus acquaintance with the divine, b. would hc tha lasf man t1 assail it, fo. Robert Iu-e-so, Las great natural good ness without question. He does not see as they see, but need the friends of Christianity despair tlat he will uOtg If Colonel !ueor0ll IS mistaken in suppOs- ing that thc iurroMab.e fortress of Christianity can be successfully as- ssIieI by even h5 b-l-l.Ir UratOrv, are not many church people unreasonably weak not tG say nauJw-uinded, in their judgment 0C his atJaCk2 The truth, like gold, cannot be deuveciated in it's essen tial value cuj perfection. Let Christian people be less arprghcusIve about the force of Iu-asui's daring and eloquent mbel.ef, and they largely abate even it's seeming -trcac cth, fer. it being assumed that tho Christian religion is true. n0th- ing can harm ir.