The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-22

as Illinois. All this time Robert was
prsnG nT eduGStion b as ne c9s 1 Win os he
began to study law in the Office Of his brother
E6en G, who was atterEeri a member OF Con,
town tow =" it, T." In isS77 hoGert moved to Peoria.
into local political notice and in 1850 he re-
cciNed ne Dem9cratic nomination for Cen
and his sSnE Se Ms
to his hitter chagrn. defeated, disappoint;
ment from which he never fully recovered and
Shortly q't"rward he married Miss Eva Par;
settd Go "I" 10 the practice Of When II:
war broke out h" voluqteered III. POLITICAL
pai'c@ar y" bE iii S" one !" While rsardns
Ss M !" g y csn H dsG Fl.
own cantor being very yonng by inc Con-
asked him who was in command lngersou
You're queer officer not to know who's in
command Of your forces said the rebel
was Ba& Ss%ff know ST n%" NOV inc
tors. and they were so hard pressed that they
rnen him A At sr1tRn RI back to hs
war and re,a HG"oq hom Iii Political ' convc
tons had changed. however. aud he became n
Of sysTn y ea as
tional prominence when. ms a delegate to the
Repuhlicap National convention Of 1870, h.
h" % besan N@b known
ton Us a lawyer become that his friends ad
S Sn, hin to exetcsS his talents II wider
H nsar So n" moimo Is hn n1 H.er smT
moved id to This city. Ills defcnee Of the
him kn%%n w Ss Fast and fTsn
upon his settling here cases began to pour
In upon him; HIS specaty was mining cases.
tl,.,,, In flN.a lat
OF American mining enlisted his services on
one side. or tn" other. As an after. dinner
Wit and wealth. OF langnaG". and The ,nurit
began to d"nuunro MIN Tor his freely cX-
6org With th" HtrS"-t, sa2h hnmor, a., well he
might. since It wnS al, ndvert!1"mcnt tor him.
bic and the Foundations Of Faith" o-tal-
snsH him s. Is. %qH Of 9G f orSm o pnnS
poured in upon him from a. parts "f the coun,
try. SO that much Of his time was spent and
Always his attitude toward the Church was
episrnms ware rguti"d Win qss"rt ions that he
good faith but mi~'ak nv md too,lshly At
the sar," Tin" b" never specifically denied 'hY
agnostr. As to the accepted deity - the
any do%E 1t " lbs aitituir. lie riljcuicI the
possibility Of God who should doom milIions
those who's" nature was such that they could
worSh p this God Naturally. h" was bitterly
attacked AMI Willie" from many quarters. all Of
failing good nature occasionally permit
ting himself a biting rrtort. From time
debate the great questions ot r.igion or tilted
at him through letters in the public prints but
SO great was his power NJ satire and til" re-
sources of his "lnQu"ucc and wit that he mora
than held his own in these encounters Tho
Only opponent of Inacr-oli who made good
"A "a,
Ole priest IN Il small rlIa2e up the Sta'r. who
replied 70 tho great aGnostic,s dtatripes with
gcrsols views and Satir" directed at his logic.
which was ~ E ~ menn~ lnvnlmerahI. Thi1
then dropped necausc Of the departure of the
priest to Europe
many rcp4rs to the crc ~ nat CoI mgersd
Wa, Inning around to the attitude of the
shn ch1" b SnI . wGHm eyeGi%ay
there was much in the Bible which was hcauti-
tul ami in which he would be glal to believe il
h" could, and these utternn"es. widely quoted.
wrr" probably resl'onshe for the rnmors.
SSrrinG ray OF hone for his conyersion, tn"
convention on Nov y. 1850 decided to ofrrr
individual PRAYERS at noon on the following day
Christian Endenvorcrs in other places took il
w and thereafter Cot lngersoll's mail was full
H nn wnS to
know whether he felt any spiritual change. He
II take it for granted" he said. that these
people. who pray for me. are sincere and that
they hayH rca interest in ny welfare; OF
I had better remain as am; had better fol.
low the light OF my reason. be true to myself.
can for the destruction of superstition. tho lit
tie can for tho development OF the brain. for
the increase OF intellectual hospitality and the
happiness Of my fellow beings. One world alta
time"
- IN 1896 there was sent out far and wide from
Kalamazoo. Mich. the report OF Col. lngcr-
which he spoke Of his visit to the Peoples
mazoo. with reception rooms,a library. reading
room. &c OF this he sal |:
in is h stn.SI in Stae not
similar church near my home would ioin it,
and many were the letters and calls received
by the Colonel upon his return from persons
many converts in all parts of the country is not
to be doubted for he was active enemy Of
Snd nj he
to be thus combating the forces Of darkness
and superstition: Eyep where he aid not con,
acquiescence OF his hearers to his doctrines. A
lyrical instance Of this .! !? =, related about HIS
church folk Of the place united to prevent
his HI Ss Ses " we're j" maS1 .s SPEAK but
prominent deacon Of n Presbyterian church
ha be ne sonG to the leo
say. He went and listened. making occasional
comments Of strenuous disapproval loud
enough for those near him to hear. But when
the lecturer came to his favorte topic. the in
justice OF God who would cast souls into
everlasting punishment, tho deacon became
deeply Interested. With the dramatic em-
phasis for which he was famous. InGersoll
cried;
in heaven with such a Deity"
So would |! SO would II burst out the
deacon carried away in spite OF himself
Learning OF which his church put him on
trial. and he had narrow escape from rXpu-
sion. 1t was generally believed that his faith
IN eternal pun ishmcnt had been permanently
undermined. Bitter as he was against dog
matte religion. lngersoll felt no rnncor toward
the churches themselves. and frequently cx-
pressed his admiration for the Humanitarian
work which They. porf0rmch. He was an adj
mircr OF Henry Ward Beechcr. Lyman Abbott,
pr Charles ). Briggs and many other clergy
men.
Three years ago yellow Journal taking as
its cvruSr tine .ureYalrn"o OF suicide at that
tmr tried to get NJ discussion rs to the JUS
tfration "l S"lt-destructiGn. AMI got lnEcrsoll
90 express his opinions. He defended suicide
all attitude for which he was severely criticised
BY many persons VINO had tormorly respected
him "a n man Of high character and altruistic
principals IL WAS freely stated that for the