Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-07-28
COL. ROBERT G. INGERSoLL,
Death of the Famous Lawyer,
Orator and AgnOstlc.


Illinois II He Had stIhed His ConvIc-
lions.
Col Robert G. Ingersol, the celebrated
lawyer, orator and agnostic, dropped dead
Friday at the home of his son-in law, Walls
ton H. Brown, at Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.
Heart disease was the cause of death. Col.
Ingersoll had been in i'll health some time.
Col Ingersoll was the son of a Congre-
gational minister and was born in Ores
den, N. Y, Aug. II, 1S43 Two years
later the family moved to Illinois. Col
Ingersoll attended the public schools and at
an early age began studying law in the Of
fee of his brother, Eben G. Ingersoll,
man of great ability. He was admitted to
the bar at the age of 81 and practiced with
his brother, FIRST in Shawneetown aud lat
er in Peoria.
In 1860, three years after his removal
to Peoria, Robert Ingersoll, then only 81
years old, was nominated by the Democrat
ic party for Congress. His Republican OPP
ponent was Judge William Kellogg, one of
the foremost orators in Illinois at a time
when Douglass, Lincoln, Yates and Trum.
bull were in their glory. The young man
was beaten, although he made a great
fight against his distinguished opponent.
as colonel Of the 18th Illinois regiment.
He was captured by Gen. Forests COM
mand, but he was soon paroled. After the
war he became a Republican and served
several years as attorney general of the
state. When the Republican state conven-
tion met in 1868 three fourths of the dele
gates were in favor of making Ingersoll
the nominee for governor. The question
of his heterodoxy was brought up and
committee called upon him to state that his
religious convictions were the only obsta-
Gle in the way of nomination. An they
asked was an assurance from him that he
would not discuss religious issues during
the ensuing campaign.
When the chairman had finished Ingersoll
knew that the governorship of Illinois was
his for the asking. Still he did not hest
tate. Gentlemen" he said, 81 am not
asking to be governor of Illinois, and it is
a grave question with me whether would
accept this nomination if offered. | have
in my composition that which / have de-
clared to the world as my views upon re-
ligion. My position l would not, under
any circumstances not even for my life,
seem to renounce. / would rather refuse
to be president of the United States than
to do so. My religious belief is my own.
1t belongs to me, not to the state of Illinois.
While l believe in the right of every man
to think as he pleases, yet have the moral
honesty to declare from the housetops my
convictions. | feel deeply the interests of
the Republican party, yet, gentlemen, |
must say to you again my belief is my own
! renounce nothing. ! promise nothing.
| ask nothing Of the convention. But rest
assured that no matter whom the Republi-
can party dominates, you can depend up
on Bob Ingersoll to take off his coat and
work for him."
Important though he was in Illinois, Col.
lngersoll had no general reputation until
after the brilliant speech he made in nomi-
mating James q. Blaine as candidate for
the presidency in the Republican national
convention of 1876, held at Cincinnati. In
this pyrotechnic speech he bestowed on
Mr.. Blaine the sobriquet of 1.-The Plumed
Knight, destined to become by-word in
politics in several campaigns. The phrase
in which he framed this sobriquet, refer.
ring to an episode in a debate in the House
of Representatives, was this Like an
armed warrior, like a plumed knight
James G.. Blaine marched down the hall,
OF the American Congress and threw hi.
shining lance full and fair against tn,
brazen foreheads of the defamers of hi,
country and the maligners of her honor.
Mr.. lngersoll was one of the ablest stumI
speakers in behalf of r. B. Hayes, not
withstanding Mr.. Blaine's defeat in the con
vention and it is said that President Haye
offered him the Berlin mission.
Col. Ingersoll moved to Washington il
1873, and gained a national reputation
there as an advocate in the star route anC
other cases. He had an interest in the i'm
mense ranch which ex-senator Dorsey o.
star route fame owned in New Mexico
Col. Ingersoll moved to New York in 1885,
and had had a law office in that CITY sine,
that time.
In the rank of militant agnosticism il
America there has been no figure to stanC
beside Robert g. Ingersoll To such an ex
tent did he overshadow all of his fellow in
iidels that his name was a synonym for tn,
lconoclastic doctrines which he upheld, anC
"lngersollism" was for years a pet vile O
the evil one for the attacking eloquence O.
the country pulpits. Brilliant as he was a
an orator and political speaker, keen anC
profound as lawyer, and popular as a lee
turer, it is Ingersoll the egnostic who il
known from sea TO sea over all this cont
nent, and in many nations of Europe a,
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remarkable in that, in an age whose idea
are propagated by the printing press, h,
never wrote a book, though most of his lee
lures were printed. In this sense he wa
the last of the great orators, depending al
he did upon oratory alone.
His lectures on "The Gods" "Ghosts,
"Some Mistakes of Moses" and afterwarC
"The Bible" and the foundations O
Faith" established him as one of the fore
most public speakers of his time, and offer
for lectures poured in upon him from al
parts of the country, so that much of hi
time was spent and much of his wealth wa
gained in this way. His income from hi
lectures, law practice, ETC., is said to hav,
been 500, 900 year.
Always his attitude toward the churcl
was one of sarcastic charity. His mos
pointed epigrams were coupled with asser
tions that he believed the Christian churcl
to be acting in good faith, but mistakenl,
and foolishly. AT the same time he nevel
specifically denied the existence of a God
he merely said that he did not know. Ii
other words, he was a pure agnostic. Al
to the accepted deity of heChristian church
however, there was never any doubt of hi
attitude. He ridiculed the possibility of I
God who should doom millions of souls to
endless torments, and condemned thos,
whose nature was such that they coulC
worship this God. Naturally, he was bit
terly attacked and vilifed from man,
quarters, all of which attacks he sustained
with unfailing good nature, occasionally per
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