Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-31
SAUL OF TARSUS.
Judaism the Gulf Stream of
Humanity.
George r. Vending Given An Ovation
at the Opera House and Bril-
liant Lecture Delivered.

A more intelligent and appreci-
alive audience than the one that
greeted George r. Vending last
night would be hard to find. The
house was taxed to its utmost seating
capacity with the better element of
GAINESVILLE society, and marked at
tention was given the distinguished
gentleman.
Mr.. Vending was introduced by
M. Savage and at once began his lee
ture. He stated that it was q great
pleasure to him to address such an
audience in regard to the greatest
man the world ever produced-Stul
of Tarsus. The subject, of course,
carried the lecturer into ancient his
tory. Passing through Greek and
Roman history briefly, he took up
the history Of the Jew. The trials
and prosecutions of the race were
wildly pictured through thousands
of years. He pictured it as theg great
est and most interesting race the
world ever saw. Judaism was the
gulf stream of humanity, flowing
through history as great river in
mid ocean. Coming to Saul of Tar
su9 he took up the social, religious
and political character of the man,
and portrayed each in language that
added much to the interest of his
theme. The journey of Saul to Da-
mascus was the greatest event re
corded in history. His conversion
was the most genuine on record
Nothing could shake his faith in the
genuineness Of the conversion. Paul
the Apostle in his character was so
Numerically opposite that of Saul
Of Tarsus that it left no avenue
through which a doubt could run.
This change in the man was brought
out very strong, and in way that
could be understood by every one.
Just the parallel of the two lives was
what made it.
Paul the Apostle from this date
suffered more than any man. He
bore hardships and cruelties that
would have killed an ordinary man
in short time. This fact gave the
lecturer the ground to make the as
serton that Paul was large, strong
man. He said that any of the apOs-
ties utterances to the contrary Were
nothing more than quotations from
his enemies. Ne man unless he We're
of powerful frame could have stood
the hardships that were undergone
by Paul as long as he did. He was
also married man. That is, Saul
of TarSuS was married. In the first
place he could never have belonged
to the Senate if he had been unmar-
red. Second, he could not have
written so much good advice to mar
ried people without drawing infor-
nation from personal experience,
He was also too sensible to live
single. He thought that Saul's wife
died about the time of his CONVEX
sion and that Paul the Apostle was a
widoWer. He also pictured Paul as
the greatest orator the world ever
produced. No man could have gone
into idoIatrous cities and created the
impression that he did without being
an orator.
The lecture from beginning to end
was profoundly interesting, and as a
literary gem it is unrivalled. Critics,
however, can pick flaws in some
points of the narrative, and also com
PARSONS which he makes in regard to
orators-especialIy in his remarks on
Wendell Phillips and L. S. Grant. |
He dubbed Phillips as no orator at all
until the spirit of patriotism had |
fired him. Just the idea of picking |
out these two men as object lessons |
is criticised by many. Laying all
that aside and coming down To the
true literary merits Of the lecture,
one is bound to place it high up on
the ladder. His sentences are well |
rounued, perfect, and at times hi,
poetical tlightsare bound to bring APP
plause.
DR.. Knapp, orculist, will be in
Clarksville Monday, the 26th, one
day only. Office, Bradley Il Boyd s.
The Doctors permanent office is in
Ncndome building, Nashville.
f&s,d.
Police Pointers.
Tonight CLOSES the police year so
4. 4 !