The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-15
Inpersoll's New Lecture.

Colonel ROBERT INGERs0LL, 1.-the popu-
lar hcretc,v as Boston paper calls him, Is
delivering q "new lecture" and has been
greeted by large audiences in cultured
Boston and other cultured northern cities.
Some Of our contemporaries devote columns
to descriptions OF the audiences, the Colon
els personal appearance, his manner, DC;
but If he has said anything new they have
failed to chronicle it. One paper says:
"He was clad i'm fine black SUIT, his hair
was very thin, and his smooth, sleek face
was ornamented with pair OF spectacles."
This picture is amusingly suggestive, but
II is not new. We have only to ina
CINE certain capital and pedal additions to
the makeup, and we have the same old
figure.
But 10 come to what Colonel INGERsoLL
did say: II our contemporaries do not
misrepresent him, the burden OF his lee
ture was that "orthodoX religion Is dying
out, and something better is coming TO take
Its place. This remark is neither new nor
true, and we must confess utter astonish-
ment at the further statements that a lee
ture ON such theme has "created sensa-
tion ard the lecturer has made marked
impression" In fact, it is hard TO d.
vest our mind OF the impression that
the reporters are poking fun either at
Colonel ISGERsoLL or at his audiences.
When Colonel INoHRs0LL asserts that
orthodox religion is dying out he flies in
the face OF facts and figures with brazen
effrontery that could only be equal
led by the original Of the picture drawn
by our Boston contemporary. and there is
certainly no reason why the good people
who think that the papers should not no.
tce him should be alarmed at the i'm
preston be has made" With all OF Colo
mel INoERsoIL's "wit and humor and
drollery and oratory," we have yet to hear
that be has make single convert. While
he is lecturing to few thousand who
come TO hear him as much from curiosity
as ANYTHING else, orthodox religious bodies
whose members speak to millions are hold
ing sessions all over the country. While
his new work Is creating an ephemeral
sensation land street-iakir can do that,
the reports Of the religious bodies alluded
IN show that there never was time in
the history Of the world when the old story
had as strong hold upon the hearts OF the
peopie as Il has at present. While Colonel
ISoERsoLL's utterances arc being printed
In one language. the utterances OF the apos-
ties are being printed in over two hundred.
The truth Is that the utterances OF men
like Colonel KGERs0LL are in certain
sense productive OF good, and that the
press confers benefit upon humanity In
giving currency 10 them. Strange as IL
may seem, the history OF such discussions
is that to SOW heresy is to reap truth.
Against every champion OF agnosticism
aud infdelity have risen up hundred
champions Of Christianity. Where one
psuedo-scientist has attempted 10 despoil
the altar hundred true scientists have
laid tributes upon IL. We do not say the
world would not be better without men OF
ISGERsoLL's way Of thinking, but since
such men are a part Of II, their views
should be held up in the broad light
OF day, that leading thinkers may grapple
with them and expose their fallaey. Scien-
tifc skepticism has done more to stimulate
orthodox science than any other known
agent. We reiterate, II Colonel NIGER
SOIL said anything rev In bis new lecture
the reporters failed TO chronicle 1t. His
lecture was simply rebash Of what has
been said time and again, without making
. seal on the shield OF Christianity. The
" something better" which he promises
US IL coming Ito take its place" has