The Cecil Whig., 1886-01-16
THE J0URNALIGT MEET.


\ Fine supper and Several sa'"r"atiEg
papers DI>cnr-'i.
The second monthly meeting aud sup
per of the Pythian Journalists Club was
held in Elkton on Wednesday last. Sew
cral of the active members Of the orgaui-
, zation were absent unavoidahiy but IA
gooily number gathered to discuss the
menu OF the evening aud listen to the
, literary ext rcises of the occasion The
company assembled at the Office OF WHG
from wNcrcc it adjourned to private
room in the restaurant of Vim. Giles
where the members sat down To L table
abundantly supplied with those things
whereof ye journalist is fond. After the
supper had been discussed with the usual
completeness and accuracy for which
newspaper men are famous, the Presi-
dent OF the aSSocia .iou opened the literary
exercises by reading several letters from
active and honorary members of the club
regrettiag their inability to be present.
These letters were from the following:
joaquin Miller, Walt Whitman. Scott
Way, J. Clinton Sellers, f. +. Ewing,
Wm. II Pennington, +. ". Reeves, II.
II. Cn: is, Treasurer of the club; Mcssrs.
John and Levi Bowen, Jas l.. EaIlandig-
ham. Nr. VIM DaHamel, student of
Divinity at Delaware College and editor
of the R,fir.c read a ptpar on The Lit
eratnrc Of Science and Religion" He
said:
BrotIor Not~,# at M- PutLi1, s|oj:
! Th" tail, assigned me by our worthy pres
ident is TO mean one, and the deeper | en-
tered into its study the more felt my own
! incompetem2y to grapple with it, Hence
deeEl au apology at this iuncture both in
order and n necessity. When we consider
the vast minds that expended their entire
! force on this question, it is out of reason to
! expect mere student of Theology and
science to make any additions to the realms
of thought. The method have persued is
/ this: 70 make an examination of the lives
| of both Christian and uti.iel, scientists and
, philosophers, to compare their Influences
their logical minds and works; aud in con-
/ clusiun to bring forth such arguments as
h 1--we struck me as forch'y in favor ut my
/ honest convictions that the revelation of
God is truth. | will first place before vou
| the character and influence of those emf
nent philosophers aud scientists who have
attempted TO replace the light and blessed
hopes of Christendom by 4 dark and umcer-
tain word. Who, Of This class, occupies
such a position OF reuown in the history of
intiielfy as Noitair2" That versatile ge.
Mus and arch-enemv of religion, " hU was
rec 2gnized rs the leader OF the worst school
OF atheists that the world is acquainted
with. T1at philosopher who hol>trl and
rantcd in lis skepticISm, prapherying shat
he wuuld make an end of Christianity, and
tnat his age would be its twilight. Surely
lie was prophet who knew not his own
prophecies. His age may he called the
twilight of Christianity but it wouid be
the twilight Of the morning he referred to
to convey any truth. What legacy ha, he
left to lis that can or will br of benefit to
the age? Millions OF voices will answer
that his giant intellect left nothing but re-
proach to himself. What consolation can
we find in his view of this world " What a
dreary waste il is if his following words are
our only nope and oar only life; ".rhe world
abounds with wonders, also with RICHES.
In man is more wrctchedness than il all
other animals put together Man loves life,
yet he knows lie must die: spends his exist
ence in ditfusng ;he the misercs he has
suffered cutting the throats of his fellow
creatures fur pay, cheating and being cheat
ed. The bulk of mankind are nothing more
than crowd Of wretches, equally criminal,
equally unfortunate. | wish | had never
been born" How dehased was his stu
pend"u, mind combining the keeress of an
eIgir win Ih" folly of monkey. A great
a"gu mrtr, i!l"@'i, tor atheiStiCal philosophy
Is the d",:th-bsl scene of their king which
is rep Tied as too horrible for mortal gaze
iu his 81 moments he cried to his phySi-
elan ttAr hr w"aii give til" hal- If his for
tUu. f,pr Il chance in recall hi, life's work
Nld,;eu".t hy the horrors nj death and the
pain OF his wrrtrh"d life be cuts ,he thread
OF his -Ni-iture with 1u opistfe ;t,iJmaieter-
by himself. With hosts of admirers If his
genius, he died without ir4eud. eau tie
uutUliety which he giiuei l.y Iii, uhiiusupl-
led letters ever repay BIN for his unhappy
life and miserable death. AS we look over
the lives of hygnnr scientists, ii is remark
able Il, trw iu.Ir'S n.ii;. lasting diScov-
cries. .'ur The III 'st part their uotDricty, if
they ilvr any, w,> gtinhl onlv on ;he
strength Of their iuticity. OF Notaire,
Tureune, Frnelo", Pascal, Rousseau, Did
eror, the French rncyriop 4eii>t, ami that
school of scientists, whose intellect, were
superb, cam not one great discovery of
note which has been authenticated. Their
history aud work seem to III all alike. Their
history combines wretchal life with
more than horrible death. Cpmp.re thei-
life ani wnrk with thai If Christian phjlus-
cphrrs. i B1liughgoo3l and Chesterfield were
mere roXrn:nb, Nolnty and Hobbies are
almns, lost in oblivion. : 'lrc.ly Il trace of
their york remains. Hume, the historian
and philosopher, With all his intellect and
early training i, Acknowledged To hav- been
Il, preiuiit.,i in politics, a> h WAS n cof-
fin reli gious truth. With bis nerve that
carried him over life verge Without . sign
he was known to Eave cried on III 4 ouy,
''Where am T. What am 49, How .Ieat
must hi' philosophy have been, when the
most >inpie-miGhesi christian could answer
th- question in sincerity and faith. N"luey
though a rAntimg atheist, is known t" have
cried ont in a storm, My God. oh Nv
Col - With all this evidence can we b.
tirely absent from these greit minds, 10
matter how much They strUve to cast it
away. Tie life Of thai poet OF nature,
Percy shelly, presents, perhaps, one OF the
sadd-st phase, of infiacl life. Materalist
that he was, his very soul seems to cry out
in sDmr Of his poetic hreathiugs for the truth
he knew not of His mind vas that of an
enthusiast, allowing his enthusiasm to carry
away hi. reason, and ;nw schoal boy cf-
forts to make him an crgny 10 society
Following oar Ii; we liui Ihe nafn". Il Glib
b1n, III. we'll known hi>to:i III. rclr'r,t,
for his "B,clIa" and Fr.i 81 tie Epnan
EnM5"," in Wh;c', there j. a su'rls. and
! concelle, hit ii the Christian fiith, by tax
ing away fr,m ii, history al az the Divine
influence. Where can we li:d = Christian
philosopher vii VIII admit Is n did HAT
all his life was dark and doubtful" If this
con n.l..-:ou only Is reached with his com
IN I, of science. scientific knowledge is of
much less good turn any one Lrre viii ai-