Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-02-14
A NIGHT WITH isGERsoLL.

|
went 20 hear ingersoll 10 learn the
reasons and Inducements Unbelef has
to offer TO Belief, TO my mind said;
Clear the track Of all Impressions.
Let the apostle OF Dissent have an
equal chance with the preacher Of the
Gospel. Fair play and no favors." II
a man can control his mind, put mine
In what Mr.. lngersoll would call the
"hospltable frame" believe It was
ready to chat with every idea. and to
say to every good idea, abide with
me.
Born into an atmosphere OF intense
orthodoxy and bred to manhood in 1t.
have usually been reckoned hetero-
dox. because from the earliest dawn OF
reason / refused to accept the faith
and teaching OF any man as obligatory
upon me. Some OF the dogmas OF creed
do not accept, believing them to be
man-made. have no criticism for any
mans opinions. and believe with
Thomas Carlyle that all religions at
the base are the honest outpourings Of
hearts seeking FOR the truth. l believe
was prepared to hear and weigh the
logic OF inndellty as fairly as any man
Of no greater intellectual strength and
discipline who docs not agree with It.
The thought which invites thought
lodges with thought / made no notes.
Let me see. What do | recall?
An npostrophe to liberty Of opinion,
magnificent in Its enhancement, superb
Ia It's dlction. l dare say Martin Llth-
er never talked It so. His opportunities
were scant. He never saw u swallow
tail coat or an opera house, and his
Joutneyings in behalf OF the emapllpa-
tion Of the human VIII were made UNI
der difficulties Mr. Ingcrsoll has not
encountered. IL luther had not lived |
wonder n Ingerson would have talked.
Maybe 80. Certainly SO, II he Is right.
for he. the apostle Of liberty and OF
freedom. who appeals to men to
throw on the shHcblcs that bind them
to superstition. proclaims the slavlsh,
. deadenins. awful doctrine Of Fatal
Ism.
That was an arrow thrust to the
I Ego in me, which l supposed Mr.. In
gersoll Intended to cultivate. As II boy
of eight summers 1 had rejected the
tomcwhat commanding Invitation NJ
the priest, saying, NO, do not
know. Your belief answers not tur
mine. My will 10 my law" Did Mr..
lngersoll make IN earlier start for the
nbsulutism Of iudivldualism than that?
Alas FOR me! Alas for all OF US Il
bee is right: we have no WILL no dignity
within ourselves that makes each
man a klus. each home kingdom. but
each ana all are bel,ed parts Of a vast
muchlnc that moves at the beckon OF
an unknown engineer, or worse. hav-
Ing got a start, has caught the trick
OF perpetual motion and runs on with
out an engineer
n l am to step upon Mr. Ingersoll's
platform. this then must be the first
dogma OF my new creed what / do
1 do under necessity; what 1 believe l
believe under necessity. My God viii
not say, COME unto me all ye that la
Dor and are heavy laden, and / Will
give you rest" in the day of mlsfor-
IN an, anu 'o'I ou"','' i'oN ". ''''o
- VI a fu'"e'' 'os'"s ana ON
~ 'Y' ''p '"' s''nu-
',P'''"N tn"t
$50 - ''' 'VS"o"S' '"u'
"''o"' '''' ny ss"se nor nope
II this be Liberty. let me feel again
the pressure Of the chains.
"'u'' not forget that am
JURY man not an apostle yet TO the
'norose invitation OF MT lnEersoll TO
e"st OH tue oel,ets Wh'eh he says