New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-03-21
COL. ROUERT e.. INGERSOLL.
Varying Opinions as: to his Ability and
=. Sincerity. "
What the Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, anu
Others Have to Say as to Colonel
Ingersoll's Remarkable,
Teachings.

In getting some interviews with Colonel
Inycrsoll, no easy matter, by the way,
for though the most accessible, he is the
busiest of men, I have had excellent op
portunitics to study his pcculiarities, his
intensely strong individuality and those
physical manifestations Of character by
Which all men are impressed. AS pre-
liminary to the interviews in question,
have tried to learn how the clergy and
laity regard the Colonel's polemic cfo"ts
and tile effect his teachings arc having
on the rising generation. =.
..Oh, don't care to talk about the
man, said Dr. .Talmage, as he dry-washed
his hands, as if to be rid of q disagreoable
subject. "a few years ago delivered
a series of sermons and lectures on Inger-
sollism. Read them and you will learn
Just what I Think
81 recall the sermons, doctor, but have
forgotten everything but the fact that
YOU denounced his teachings as injuri-
ous''
"Perhaps 'dcnounce' is too strong a
word. I tried to show that the man was
threshing old straw, that the attempt to
overthrow the Christian religion had
been undertaken by far ADLER men, and
at time, like the French Revolution,
when the public mind was uDhinged and
ready for any new issue. Yet Christian
ity has advanced in a marvellous way,
and theEnames Of the opponents are known
bv reason of their failures. The harm
such men as Ingersoll do is not influence
ing the reason of men. If he set men
thinking all would be we'll, but there is
a large class Of men eager to disbelieve
in religion, IN order that thy may find
an excuse or case the conscieue as to
their own misdeeds. Then there are the
Young, with minds susceptible and eager
for The time by the specious arguments
and attractive rhetoric of men like
Colonel Ingersoll. Ii you carefully
study his addresses, the effort won't tax
your brain, YOU will see that he is rhe-
torcan rather than a logician.'
"Then you think the Colonel has done
nothing to disturb the faith of the
people?'
NO; he may have changed or rather
confirmed men who we're already of his
way of thinking, but have yet to hear
of Christian man, who has renounced
his allegiance to Christ by reason of any
thing that Colonel Ingersoll las said or
done. If it were not for blasphemy of
such speakers the church might we'll well
come them as allies. Let the agitation
go on. All men have to do is to seek
and they will surely find; to ask and it
shall be given: to knock at the Goor of
inspired truth and it shall be opened
unto them.''
The Reverend Dr.. Lamon is n,t so sure
that Colonel lnyersoll is a weak copy of
Voltaire, Paine, Rosseau and Hume as is
Mr.. Talmage.
'.Of course, deplo1e Colonel Inger-
soils course" he said, when questioned
on this subject, "just as we deplored the
course of the many trained and able
army officers who felt 1t to be their duty
to 90 to the aid of their states at the
beginning of our civil war. I think
Colonel Ingersoll is radically wrong
in his teachings, and that he is
fostering religious discomfort and
working harm. But unlike many who
oppose him in the press and pulpit,
firmly believe in the honesty of his pur-
pose, the purity OF his private life, and
his marked ability; indeed, as an orator
Iregard him as genius. If such man
were to devote himself to the cause OF
religion he would do infinite good; as it
is he takes away from the heavy of hea1t
their only hope and supPortand he gives
them instead nothing." So
"Concedlng Colonel lngersoll's homes
ty, doctor, would it not be better for the
pulpit to make public his addresses and
to answer them logically, than to de-
nounce the man." ..a. -
81 do not believe in denunciation. As
to giving publicity to Colonel Ingersoll's s
addresses that IS another matter. 1t is
easier to sow the seeds of "a snallgnant
disease than to cure it, and it is far easier
to ask questions than 70 answer them;
The trouble, with all discussions on. alb
stract questions is difficulty of coming
to an understanding as to the definition
of terms After all the universally Of
religion shows that the impulse to wor-