New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-08-15
Religious Superstition

MankatO Review: A correspondent
sends us the Indianapolis Journal of
July 23d containing the following ex.
tract from sermon delivered by Rev.
A. T. Pearson and denial by Mr.. Pc
ter Leiber, and wants to know the
truth in the matter.
In Minnesota the village of New
lIlm has had strange history. 1t was
first settled by atheists and infidels of
the lowest type, who planned that it
should be a Goddess community, They
proposed to let in the gambling sa-
loon. the drinking saloon, the theatre,
and the brothel, aud keep out the
church. It was there the awful farce
was enacted in caricature of the cru.
cifixi0n and Lords supper. But God
was not dead or Indifferent. The Sioux
Indians swept down upon it and de-
stroyed it, and the very first man who
fled covering to the cellars to escape
the tomahawk and scalping knife was
the leader in that awful sacrilege. The
place was rebuilt, but in July, 1881.
one Of the most dreadful tornsdoes
ever known in the West swept it into
second ruin. Gods whirlwind obeyed
His decree, and the illustrated papers
of July "a, 1881, vainly sought to pic
ture the awful desolation.
We first heard of this libel. for it is
nothing else, about twenty years ago,
originating with some minister who
had visited Minnesota soon after the
Sioux massacre. 1t has been repeated
so often by the eastern religious press
and by sensational ministers that 1t is
now accepted and retailed as gospel
truth.
The early settlers at New Ulm were
largely composed Of German Turner's
from Cincinnati, Chicago and other
large cities. They were not of the
''lowest type" but generally intelli-
gent and enterprising people. It was
not established as Goddess c0mmu.
nifty" but upon the basis of the broad
est civil and religious freedom. The
reputed caricature of the Lords sup.
per and crucifxion was never enacted
at New Ulm, nor 80 far as we have
been able to learn ever thought Of.
The people of New Ulm were in no
sense, directly or indirectly, response
BILE for the Indian massacre, and the
idea that that calamity was a vista
ton of Gods wrath is unworthy even
an Indians conception of divine be.
ing, for hundreds of innocent and un.
offending people living remote and to-
tally disconnected from New Ulm were
not only massacred but subjected to
the worst of cruelties before death du-
rirg the same outbreak.
New Ulm was practically the key to
the Minnesota Valley and the Sioux
thought that by destroying that vii
lage they could march to the Winnie
bago reservation, unite with that tribe
and drive the whites from the valley.
The whites appreciated the situation
and hence the desperate struggle at
New Ulm; and the repulse Of the In.
dams at that point saved Mankato,
St. Peter and other points.
| The cyclone of 1881 is also referred
to as ssGod's whirlwind obeying his
ayenging decree In that memora-
bic storm the Methodist and Lutheran
churches were totally destroyed, the
Catholic church badly damaged, and
vet Turner Hall escaped with compar-
atiyely little damage. The ''hand of
Cod would not blunder in this way,
and this cyclone must be accredited
to some other than divine inspiration
to be consistent with the facts.
| 1t is very great mistake to sup.
pose that New Ulm is an infdel com.
! munity. 1t has large Catholic popu.
lation. nearly three hundred families
a large Catholic school and hospital
under the same management a Lu
theran church and congregation, and
| is about being made the seat Of a Lu
theran college. The Methodists have
church, congregation and resident
: minister; Presbyterian society ha.
been organized and steps are being
takento erect church. So our east
ern friends will see that New Ulm il
pretty we'll supplied with the mean!
of salvation, it has good schools, ant
really and in fact is an orderly ant
well behaved community, which w0ult
be considered quite respectable it an
chored somewhere in New England in
stead Of one Of the most beautiful ant
picturesque spots IN Minnesota.