Evening journal., 1899-08-15
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
A REPLY TO INGERsOLL CoRRE-
SPONDENTS.

To the Editor Of the Evening Journal.
Sir: The following final reflections
will not only reply to our Ingersoll
correspondents. but they will, we be-
lle7e, cover the ground opened up by
either this or that query.
Some years ago Mr.. Ingersoll pub
lished, over his own signature, one OF
his then characteristic statements, one
Of those manifestoes which the public
regarded in much the same manner as
it to-day regards some mythical story
or other concerning our old Summer
friend the sea serpent In the state
nient to which we have just referred,
Mr. 1ngersoll said: In few years the
really intelligent win give up the idea
that the Bible is an inspired book, and
viii deny the existence OF the Super
natural" OF course this assertion
made by Mr. InRrsoll seeing that
both time and experience continue to
disrobe it OF every vestige OF prophetic
truth, was so much opinionative, dog
matte buster, so much senseless bragg
gadocio. We have reproduced MIR. In
gersolIs exact words, in order to prove
that Robert G. Ingersoll was not. as
Is popularly supposed, a mere Agnostic,
but an out-and-out Atheist. a decided
and en- uneQuivocal Negationist. The
line OF demarcation separating the Ag-
nostic from the Atheist is so imper-
ceptible as to make the two terms al
most Synonymous. a distinction with
out difference. We hope we have
made ourselves clear thus far. Now,
unless we assume that the intelligence
OF Mr.. 1ngersoll was the legitimate
representative OF the real intelligence
OF the world. an assumption too un-
tenable to be seriously entertained, It
may be said. that for centuries past
the real theological intelligence OF the
world has accepted both the Old and
the New Testamerhs as books whose
primal and fundamental principles are
based. upon inspiration-and inspira-
tion only. For centuries past the Bible
has been the beacon. whose light has
illumined the feet OF fgenerationsas as they
traversed the unknown and mysterious
paths OF life. For centuries past the
Bible has smoothed the dying pillow,
and its teachings have formed the stan
upon which humanity has reclined as
it penetrated the mists and shadows OF
the mystic valley OF death. And the
selfsane Bible-even now that the lit
tie life OF Mr.. Ingersoll has become
rounded by a sleeps to-day large
ly in evidence and the probabilities
are that it will continue to be equally
evident when the wrecks Of matter
and the crush OF worlds" make Chaos
reiSn supreme.
Mr. lngersoll. whilst permitted to
make temporary sojOurn on this
earth, denied theexistence Of a Supreme
Being But, whilst Mr. Ingersoll de-
MED the existence OF the Supernatural.
to what cause or agency did he at
tribute his own eorporeal existence?
Did he. like Topsy. imagine that he
grew? Has Science. with all her
knowledge. ever created life out OF
inanimate matter? Have the proper
ties of the protoplasm or vegetable
matter Benerated that which is living
or sentient? Is life gener-
ated, governed or control
led by the unalterable and immutablo
laws Of material nature? The answer.
all along the line. is No. Therefore.
in the absence OF any confrmatoy or
trustworthy evidence as to life itself
having originally emanated from either
OF the sources named. we are forced to
the inevitable and almost universal be-
lief that humankind, both physiolog-
ically and psychologically, is Of Divine
creation With all the evidence and data
at hand substantiating the latter as
sumption, there is. in the opinion of
any Intelligent man. no greater fool
existing than the irrepressible idiot
who declares, with the fulsome bla-
fancy Of first-class ignoramns-- There
is no Cod
AgaiR, Mr.. Ingersoll erred in arro-
eating to himself a monopoly OF theo-
logical lore: and he more than erred il
imagining that he could solve life'i
most complex problems by the perpe
tration Of asinine jokes. II, for in,
stance, we ask ourselves the question,
rs there. or is there not. life be
yond the graye? We know nall wei
that we must conhne ourselves to wha
the brain Of man can comprehend. Ans
the brain Of Mr.. Ingersoll, as is tha
OF every man, was limited concernin,
this momentous question-in fact. s,
limited and cireumscribed as to dwar
his human or finite comprehension I,
the most inhnitesimal proportions. Th'
main trouble with Mr.. Ingersoll wal