The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-04-14
correspondence. :
THE HANSON HALL DISCUSSION.

Cnlver6allst, came OFF at Henderson,
Tenn, last week, as per agreement pre-
viously made. A large audience, as
manv as the Baptist church building
could accommodate, was on hand from
day to day, to hear what could be said by
the respective champions of undying
agonies, on the one hand, for a portion
OF Gods intelligent offspring; and of
final state of unending holiness and hap
piness, on the other hand, for all the race
of Adam.
Mr.. Hall came up to do battle on be-
half of the endless perpetuity of the dew
IFS kingdom of darkness, sin and woe, re-
inforced by the encouraging and approx
ing smiles of his co-laborers in the work,
Rev. Messrs. DUPONT and Milburn; to
which was added all the encouragement
and aid that could.be thrown into the scale
by the presence,a approval and cooperation
of the Baptist and the Methodist pastors
of those two churches in Henderson.
The writer was there as DIR. Hanson's
friend and well-wisher on the board of
Moderators. He chose, while wholly in
unison and sympathy with DIR. Hanson,
to confine himself exclusively, during
the hours allotted to the discussion of
the respective questions by the disputante
to those duties that he felt sppertained
to his position as one of the Moderators.
Mr.. Halls Moderator, J. FL. Milburn,
taking different view of duty and pro-
priety from that taken by the writer, was
| quite active in rendering aid and COM
fort to the advocate of the "dying belief"
Had it been the case that the question
at issue was to be decided by the pre-
ponderating volubility and lung. power
displayed by the speakers respectively,
there could have been found no ground
for any difference of opinion as to who
should bear off the palm of victory; for
while DIR. Hanson's voice was, during the
debate, rather below than above the
average strength of that of public speak
ers in general, Mr.. Halls was louder and
harsher than that Of almost any public
speaker listened to by this writer.
Mr.. Halls mode of argument, while in
the affirmative, was to pile up Scripture
upon Scripture, and then, by violent
gesticulation, and vehement vociferation,
to endeavor to impress his auditors
with the conviction that he had offered
the most indubitable proof of the cor
rectness, or truth of his position. This
style of so-called argument is, as all intel
hgent persons know, very effective with
certain class of hearers, driving them
along with the speaker, as feathers are
driven by the wind, to the conclusion to
which he wishes to drive them; that con-
clusion being, in great number of in
stances, with the class of minds referred
to, foregone conclusion.
But that is not the class of minds to
which the man who is thoroughly i'm
bued with love of the truth, and yearns
for an progressive development of
the higher and most elevating forms of
truth, is most likely to address his most
earnest appeals. The speaker or writer
who is possessed of the characteristics
above named, rises to a higher plane;
and while clothing his ideas and argu.
ments in simple form of words, endeav-
ora to 80 present them that, while not Of
Tending the finer intellectual and moral
sensibilities of the more refined and cul
I tivated class, they may be adapted to
the understanding and appreciation Of
the humber and less refined and Guilt
waited, and be thus calculated to lead
them up to higher standpoint, from
which they may at least catch some
| glimpses of the higher forms of truth;
while, at the same time, the ideas and
arguments thus presented, may COM
mend themselves to, and find a lodgment
refined and cultivated class.
But this seems to be a mode of proce-
dure to an understanding and apprecia-
ton of which Mr.. Hall, has, up TO this
time, failed to arise; at least, if he be
| judged by the character of his efforts in
the Henderson discussion, as also of an.
other one in which he had been previous
| ly, and at not very remote period in
the past, engaged. His failure to rise
to an elevated and really argumentative
| style of discussion, was clearly and most
conspicuously apparent to the more in
teligent portion of his auditors, as was
evinced by the remarks in which many of
them INDUCED during the progress of
the discussion. A gentleman, who occu-
pies position at Henderson to which no
man could attain whose scholarship was
not well attested, said, after listening to
what some of MIR. Halls special admirers
regarded as very able defense by him
of what, judging from the apparent gusto
with which he dwelt upon the theme,
would certainly be decided to be his dar-
ling dogma,-endless torment for untold
millions of human kind-that, to the
mind OF scholars, Mr.. Hall had really
made no argument.
OF the truth of this remark Mr.. Hall
himself seemed to be well aware. mas
much as he began, before leaving the
place Of the contest, toprepare the minds
of the more intelligent portion of his own
people for the disappointment and cha
grin that he well knows will inevitably
befall them when cold type shall have