Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-11
DR., pLATps LECTURE.


d. D., Of San Francisco, drew out yer
large and thoroughly appreciative audience
The speaker was introduced by Pres
dent Hanson, who prefaeed it by brie
| statement of the work OF the Association
The Doctors subject was "Mahomet." Tn
lecturer began by describing the pious deve
| ton of the Mohammedan to his religion, an
| the rigorous ceremonial that he observes. ID
described in detail the sacred shrine a
| Mecca, to which the believers in that won
| derful faith all turn. Around this shrin
still burn the lights as brilliantly as the.
| did in the ages past. Mahomet was al
| orphan at six; in his uncle, one 6
| the keepers Of the shrine, he found
guardian In his youth he was religiousl,
inclined to remarkable degree. Religion
| becar.e the passion Of his lie; he was de
voice of the faith, a devout idoiater,
| neophyte IN inquiry into the sacred mys
teries, a student of the supernatural. Ht
had early development Of mere than average
| intellect. He was worshiper without 6
teacher. This Arab boy. call hun whal
you may-idolator, heathen-was sincere
His was devotion without hypocrisy. He
was blind but walking honestly oy the light
he had. We must judge him by, his time.
He was an idolator, but one wholly true &c
his faith earnest and faithful tn it.
The speaker sketched rapidly Mahom-
cts career as trader, his love and
advancement, and came to him as a
man. He was a solitary man; his convic-
tions firm, his will indomitable, his wit quick,
his Imagination lively, his courage perfect.
Whence learned he the grand truth that
entered into his inner consciousness? His
theology had the one grand idea of the one
ness of God. 1t was nonotheism against
idolatry as idolatry. This led him to con-
version from idolatry. He prscipitated his
religious beliefs upon the ancient customs OF
his people, and that with courage and
power as if he had supernatural aid. Wher-
ever he was. In mountain or valley. he had
one living thought, God is one God" The
one truth on which his mind fastened so in
tensely seemed to be to him his own, and a
new thought, and it possessed him with all
the fiery vigcr of inspiration. His religion
was of his head, Of his Imagination and SOL
emn conviction, but it had no pity,
no commiseration for the sins of
men. 1t taught no love, no
mercy, no repentance. He never wepG
like the Magdalen because he was a sinner.
In him the idolator changed to worshiper
of God; the fanatic of idolatry to the fanatic
of truth That far, too, he was honest.
When he first told his credulous wife that
God was enc God, aud Mahomet was his
prophet, he believed it. She, through love,
believed, and here was worshiper and here
a teacher, and SO Islamism was born into the
world through the purity and warmth of do
mestic love. No man is great without the
sympathy of woman. He must have her ten
der humanity at his side to temper his own
O. 11al &
he was the honest. faithful, devoted
empt from the maedictions and Kisses
aud derision of the people. He was beaten,
wounded and driven out; but through all he
cried OUT "God is one Cod Persecution
brought to his side chivalrous young men
who admired his courage and his inyincibls
cen victions. They believed not, but rallied
to one so prosecuted, and 50 brave in its
face. When he began to preach the results
of his religion-the destruction of the idols
then came the whirlwind, but still he
preached the unity of God. Then he became
convinced that he, as the prophet of God,
must take up with his religion the argument
of the sword. He wrought no miracles, for
he had become the prophet of the sword, and
needed none. His fancy led him to believe
that an angel appeared and beckoned
him on. Soon after his assumption
of the prophetic office, two great events
uncle, who, though not believing, had been
his protector and secondly, the death of his
devoted companion and wife. Now his
hand, bereft of these close supports, reached
to the hilt of his sword. Mshomees wife
was to him what Josephine was to Napoleon
Bonsparte. When he lost her by his cruel
act be began his own descent to ruin. So
Mahomet was drawn back upon himself for
counsel To this wife he YVES ever true,
though the laws and customs of Arabia al
lowed plurality of wives. Then he came to
the adoption of polygamy, and with the death
Of his wife the prophet plunged down from
the supernatural and became but man. In
his harem he sought TO realize the delights Of
the Paradise he predicted. He won
over his enemy by taking to wife his
daughter. His wives were slaves, but they
their master. Nothing in his land
and time 30 fattered the vanity of woman,
as the notice of a distinguished man. The
lecturer then sketched his first triumph with
the sword and his sitting down in satisfac-
ton before the broken remnants of idolstry.
By such SUCCESS in such q cause he might, if not
convinced he was an angel, believe he was
more than man.
The lecturer concluded in these words:
Great men are they who first leach men great
truths
Some teach in wondrous speech, and some in song,
And other some in shait-like deeds that lift
The dim white dome of Ages.
Gods truth is greater far than he who speaks
It-greater than all guesses OF its worth
For on and on 1t lives, End throbs among
The coming brotherhood of man, force
To rive and mold and glorify the years
Of Time But he who sits on radian. hills
OF fadeless fame must be the ardent Priest
OF truth majestic-truth for manhood-truth
Divine that solves the problem Of two worlds,
And gives the soul its creed. The truths sublime
Caught by the founding Of the Nile, amidst
The terror Of the understanding mount.
The Prophets awful visions, penciling
The doom OF nations, mapping out the paths
OF wo the Wise Mans words, the minstrefs songs
On lions consecrated nights, vet stir
The hearts of men responsive to their spell.
Through truth the soul looks out upon the skirts
OF God, and feels Him near-for God is truth.
The light OF man is life in Him. Naught else,
As truth, shall live use in graves for else.
With bigots zeal and fierce, remorseless will
Mahomet seized one truth-a central one
And forced it on the Pagan world-the truth
OF Allah-God is one With this he tramps
A pilgrimage of war, and writes his name
Upon the scroll of Dreadful fame. Then spare
The brand OF crime-impostures cheat-and vile
Debasina lusts-though these seemed his and more.
We know not men through lapsing centuries,
And earnest men know not themselves; good aims
Are often sophists to bad deeds yet in
The majesty OF both we choose the fruit
Nor count the soiling earth from which they grew.
This stern Iconoclast-alone, devout-
With neither pity, penitence nor love,
Self-poised intense and brave, knew not az we,
The meek, self giving Christ. He saw not sins
But idols Crushing these, be naught else,
And crushing these inhamed Satanic hate,
I'm Iheathed the sword and gave the Orient
His sacraments OF blood.
beam Of light
Was his while ours the day. Twelve hundred years
Have husbel his plea, have magnifed his guilt,
And left HIM TO historic sport brute,
lmposter, hero, Prophet, saint or iiend,
As Pagan, Christian, Moslem, Jew. may love
Or hate Whate'er he vas or good or bad,
He left Faith to curse or bless the world,
And marched with regal port, amidst the shades
That crowd the solemn Pantheon of Time.
The lecturer had the profound and uu
broken attention of his large audience to tbt
close, and the people thereby evidenced thu
pleasure they felt in listening to the talented
speaker.
CoNMERCIAL.-The steamer Varuna ar
rived yesterday from the upper Sacrament
with barge of grain in transit. Schoone
Sacramento arrived with lumber for Friend
Terry s. Co. Steamer Varuna left last even
ing for the upper Sacramento with barge o