The Washington weekly post., 1899-07-25

Of Thomas Paine. and also OF the writings
OF Franklin and jefferson. both Of whom
held very advanced views upon religion
in their generation. he also studied the
great French atheists and. although origt-
nal in his thought. they helped largely TO
mold his abinions upon ecclesiastical
questions Ee resided in Washington for
a time. and IL was Sfils here in iS7S that
he published his first book. which he called
The Gods" Following this he issued. the
following year, another volume designated
as Ghosts" In the same year he publish
ed his Mistakes Of Moses" This book
WAS widely circulated. and was taken up
by the pulpit from one end OF che country
to the other. vigorously criticised, and
roundly denounced. These attacks seemed
10 please IngersOll. and they also made
HIM in greater demand as d lecturer.
Among his other works are enumerated
Lectures Complete" Prose Poems and
Selections" and other minor pamphlets
Many OF his lectures and speeches nave
also been compiled by others and have
always been welcomed by that class that
has looked 10 Ingersol for what might be
termed spiritual guidance. To the at
taCks which were so frequently hurled
against him, Insersoll often replied that
he had never denied the existence OF Di-
vine Being. He claimed 70 believe in bet
ter god than Christians-one who would
rot punish In an eternal FIRE Of birthstone
the creatures which he had created. He
was a devoted friend Of the good gray
poet" Walt Whitman. and the little front
room of the latter's humble home in Cam
den. y. j.. was adorned with plaster
bust Of ln5ersol that the latter had given
10 him.
Domestic Side of His NstnrA.
One of the ruling traits OF IngersolIs
character was his great fOndness for his
home, his wife. and children. He is said
by those who have closely known him 70
have had one OF the most beautiful home
lives that could have been imagined. He
never enforced his views of religion upon
the members Of his family. allowing them
TO hold their own ideas upon that subject
Nothing delighted him more than TO be
with his family in the close social inter-
course that the home affords.
Nnen his children were in their earlier
years. he was their constant friend and
companion, and had the nappy faculty of
becoming a child in spirit himself Tor the
time being. He had a sweet and winning
nature with those who were close and
dear to him, and il there was one thing
more than another that he sought TO I'M
press upon his household 1t was the i'm
pOrtance of cultivating a spirit or sym
pathy and sunshine and human helpful
ness. He never allowed a word OF con-
IroVersy that would entail bitterness 20
be uttered within his house. There all
was peace, serenity, and love.
Man II Good Habits.
Col. IngersoIl was one of the most
genial and approaChable of men. interest
ing in his personality. warm-hearted,
broad-viewed, generous to a fault-a man
with no vicious traits, temperate in his
habits. lOyable in his disposition and his
relationship to the deep, wide brotherhood
of man. To newspaper men. in the midst
of his political campaigns. his speech
tours, he was ever their friend, no inter-
ruptions ruffiing his temper, no intrusionS
calling for harsh or resentful words, al
ways free to give information, spicing
his relation of events with his iaimita-
BILE wit
Col. Ingersolrs orations at the graves
Of many distinguished men have been
noted for their sweetness of thought,
their musical rhythm of words, their ten
der tribute of poetic thought woven into
the most beautiful of language. One of
the most recent was that spoken over the
mortal remains of Anton SeidI in New
York. which has few equals in literature.
His OyatiOn over the grave of his brother
is also a gem of eloquence, which has
rarely ever been excelled by the utter
ances of any public speaker.
Col IngersOll was a great Shakespear-
can student, and the Bard of Avon and
his immortal writings have frequently
been the theme Of Ingersolrs most beau
tiful Oratory. He often visited Wash
ington in the capacity of a public lecturer,
and always commanded a large and in
terested audience which sympathized
with his views