The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-04-08
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES LEcTURE.

!. INew York sun, solh nlt.

~ ~ I i \
ssIt may he, after all, I'll get damned
for my smaftless,n said Robert Inger-
soil, before an applauding throng in
the Brooklyn Academy of Music last
night, tbut I'iltake my chances. = Mr..
Inger5oll's theme was sIiberty for
Man, Woman, and CfiId.'' The lee
ture was under the auspices of the
Young Mems Republican, Club, the
lecturer to have halfof the net receipts.
IA score of tall young men in swallow
tail coats fled III pom the stage, and last
Of all, like an opera tenor rushing
through the chorus, came the lecturer,
who swiftly strobe to'St the footlights,
and without any ceremony, began
ain my Judgment, after all, it is a
question of intel tectuaI development."
Mr.. Ingersoil has q round head and
a smooth, fat face. His hair is gray
and thin on top, and his eyes are dark
and bright. They seem almost buried
in his round cheeks when he laughs.
No public orator gesticulates so much
with the topmost part of the body
IngersolI, with.a stiff neck, might be
worth only 500 a night. Now he re-
fuses offers at 5000. He tips his fore
head this or that way, and has a most
effective nod Speaking in short
/ epiSrasnmatfc sentences, he punctuates
/ what he says with nod. lie throws
4 in an exclamation point with nod.
i uHonor bright ~ is a favorite reitera-
A ton ut Wont doH'is another which
\ he emphasizes with shake of the
4 head. He is more theatrical than
4 Beecher or Talmage. He peoples the
i platform with Imaginary dummies,
and then Halls them to the delight of
/ the audience. BY constant recurrence
!! Hence. Last night he had ga rude
i dugout in. ~ hich foatea Il native savage
lone of our ancestors with teeth two
inches in Ieng TIL, with spoonful OF
lbrains in the back Of his head = This,
to start with. he seemed to place at a
Icertain spot on the stage, and when he
i went over that way the audience in
lstinctively recalled his description, and
was prepared TO hear something about
the dug0ut,
i Mr. Ingersolrs voice is soft and
melodious. His manner and move
ments upon the stage, with his wonder
4 ful nod, are the elements of his success
1 as popular orator.
j 81 was once in the company of some
Baptist Minister'S said Ingersoll. 81
don't know how i ever got there, and
they asked my opinion as to baptism
I said that with soapI regarded it as
u an excellent institution. If you tell
me what a mans religion is I'll tell
'1you what Is the high-water mark OF
Il his intellect inst how. many he car.
Il ries tothe pound When /, man thinks
that he has found it all out, he is
orthodox. The man in a 'dugout i
orthodox. Heresy is a cradle; ortho-
doxy is coffin. Heresy is a banner
4 orthodoxy is fi,e Shroud. Heresy gives
a new idea n NeleoiIie and a warm place
a by the firesiele OF his heart. Orthodoxy
REGARDS the new idea as tramp, and
4 keeps bull dogs in front of the house to
il frIghten off every new idea that comes
II along
4 Referring TO the lowest form of skull
4 that had over been found, he said that
4 it was probably found in Delaware.
4 aThere has not been patentable i'm.
1 provement on the devil for sly thou.
sand years. said the lecturer. sI'l
tell you what causes bronchitis among
ministers. Ifyou talk solemnly when
you don't feel it, that makes bronchitis
Did you ever hear that an auctioneel
], had it. / c,,ll it parsonitis. daughter.
, This is my doctrines: Give every othel
human being every right you claim 70
yourself. Keep your MIND open t,
the influences of nature. Receive new
: thoughts with hospitality. The re
t ligionist OF to-day wants the ship of hi
:. soul to lie at the wharf of orthodox,
and rot in the sun. He delights t,
hear the sails of old opinions fIapagains
the masts of old creeds. He loves Il
see the joints and the sides open ant
/. lgape in the sun, and it is u kind o
3 bliss for him to repeat. sDo not disturb
my opinions.' AS far as i am concern
ed, wish to be out on the high seas
/ wish to take my chances With thu
} wind and wave and star. And hat
rather go down in the glory and gran
deur of the storm, than to rot in an.
orthodox harbor whatever.
aAfter all, we are improving from
D age to age. Tine most orthodox PEG
1 pie in the country two hundred year
ago would have been burned for tn
(, crime of heresy. Theministefs who dc
: nounce me for expressing my thought
would have been i'll the rnquisitio
I themselves. Our father worshippe
!. the golden calf. The worst You ca