The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
TIE onAroR OF uNBELIEE.
Recolieo tions OF Col. InGersoll's First APP
pearRnce as Such at Albany.


OF human life.
To THE EDITOR OF TIE SuN-Sir: In the
above lines the poet Burns correctly expressed
tho true philosophy OF living: and. according
to that test, no one got more out Of this exist
ence than Col. Robert @. InRersoll
IL would be q matter OF interest II We could
know by what twist or auirk mind so natu-
rally noble and wel-balanced as his came to
turn toward aRnosticism. Every one has heard
the story as to the true cause arising from
some theological opinions held By his father
which are alleged to have produced revulsion
In Roberts brain when he was OF tender age
I never put much credence In that explanation.
and doubt II the Colonel himself could have
told exactly what made him practically sink
all other ambitions In the desire to lead In
movement for unbellef.
do know how and why he was launched
with rush upon his career as public lee
turer. 1t happened In the good old Dutch city
OF Albany In 1873. and. although I differed
then. as now. with the Colonel as to his posi-
ton toward tho Church. It was upon my invi-
tation that he first faced an audience in the
East and became widely known as a lyceum
speaker. We had library association in AL
bany which every winter gave course OF lee
lures. and for some time 1t had been inan-
cial failure. In the year named l was desig-
Chairman OF tho " Entertainment Committee"
I well remember seectlng events for the
young mems course. asked John B. Cough.
Wendell Phillips. William Everett, Mrs. Scott
Siddons. Ralph Waldo Emerson. and Joseph
Cook. Mr.. Emerson declined on the ground OF
poor health. The others accepted: Then 1
sought something new and strange TO fill the
vacancy caused by Emerson's declination. Re-
mem bering the "Plumed Knight" speech at
Cincinnati, 1t occurred to me that 1nRersoll
would be an oratorical addition to tho list. and
] wrote him at Peoria. where he lived then.
asked him to come. and he accepted. naming
THE Liberty OF Man. Woman and Child" az his
subject. His fee was fixed at $3.50.
did not know that Col. InGersoll was free
thinker.
The title chosen for his discourse did not
suggest any question OF religion. He was sub
stantially unknown In 1873 In any part OF the
country. except at homo and among Repub-
lican politicians who had heard his magnificent
outburst In the National Convention when he
presented the name OF Blaine. Hayes when
he 1,ked to Be to der
7 TSe date for Ike Albany lecture arrived. The
on him. took him TO the hall and introduced
him to the audience. 1t was the first time that
spoke for about two hours. very eloquently
those were, his best days as public
sd the ,bs wsd S the
The " really sdmirabe parts Of the discourse that
brew element. The local press praised the
later one Of 1T the Which had sent
e shG ss1 s Whale tSst
complete unless r. G. lnCcrsOll was on It,"
This was too much for the reverend clergy
course in the paper, and. to tel he truth whom
i lost The Inspira,ion, e the Golonel's mint
presence it did read in cold type bit risky.
The clergy consulted together. anil. with
more wrath ,h9n discretion. they issued
"nS.t G;, q"s5as That 'sso"%
permitted 70 speak in public hal in Al
hnny and question the regulations Of Scripture;
incidentally. they pitched into me for daring"
70 bring an .nhdeI there to lecture. Thi- proc;
lamation. signed by forty-thrre clorgym"n tall
there hetv wsre in ,ht rnrr remHn6er cor cor
the same dav that Il appeared tel,graphed t.
Col. Iugersoll to come back and repeat the
Immediately there was "a hot time in the
old town. and. seeing underneath the issue
he SOLID p"op~ we're w eencrny " on my side Al
any rate. the n ight that the Colonel reappeared
introduced him TO what was the largest audi
began by saying that he fcl, deeply indchted 10
tho clergymen for giving him such a magnih-
cent send-on interest in the man spread rap
idly The cergymen's manifesto was widely
reprinted and commented upon, with the re-
sS thst rs sFesk r3nsG in upSn
Nothing ever HELPED Ingersoll so much as a
lycsum SPEAKER as that Albany proc amation
signed by forty three doctors OF divinity. The
men who sought to silence his voice made it
resound from one endof the lind to the other
action became
OF the Young mems association; ! faced II the
9 more tha| cNn %Ss eeT Nv ny
the superintendent Of the Sunday school Of
the First Presbyterian Church. hut the first
man to vote for me was Bishop Doane. Ho had
RE 81 sane aHssstqn in sense camo up in
snce" question. The issue began In this way:
wa made Rs, ,9e by Sir
nencs movement. to the effect that the liquor
tra,ic waa an immoral ons' that i; was an out
shop in the United Kingdom. Some dr'a.'
AMI the wRois rrincpe Of ei1i liberty thus BE-.
cane h u M ssn", II shs ronr.e Of
i s%,; snsr,% II 9mi called T. mix
free. cast my lot with EnEand free"
ot'v Ithk ek an n,sau,m Tt 'ne etnr!te. ~
correct. It was the position that took. sub
stantially. in Albany in 1873 when the clergy
InEelsoll's fate in the next world for any
errors he may have committed in this, IA thing
as to which ! have no opin'on 10 advance ms
such topic is not properly within q laymans
province | 10 know that he was most fortu.
maze and harry man Will. hs lived in his
knew him hest and loved him, he was an idnnI
husband and father and loyal genuine friend.
hlpgSnN "A n ~
children. son -in-law and grandchildren. Cor
tanly he knew and deserved all the iovs pic
turnd hy tn" poct ~ whom he was SO fond
His infdollty cost him the German mission.
What else II cost him no one knows: hut no
detained what was worth more than All else.
OF those worthy to associate with him IN hs
home. T. W. D
New York. July %.