New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-22
FOR A MORAL RENAISSANCE.
FELIX ADLER CONDEMNS THE ACTION
OF THE POWERS IN CHINA.

Professor Adler yesterday delivered his first lect-
this season before the Society Of Ethical CUT
ure at Carnegie Hall He announced as his sub
ject The Conflict Between Moral and Immoral
Forces at the End Of the Nineteenth Century" A
large audience filed the ground floor Of the hall and
the two tiers Of boxes, The Society OF Ethical
Culture with this year enters upon the twenty-fth
anniversary Of its existence. and plans are under
way for the erection OF a hall Of ethical culture.
Professor Adler made brief reference TO the mat
ter in an introduction to the lecture
In turning TO the subject Of his lecture Professor
Adler said
pegsiist nor am in symP pa 9g o6R the the
sstuation souareiy in the face and ask how much
right attitude Of the moral fighter is best depicted
by Shakespeare in Henry " VINO ,.- Lhe eve 6a
enemy outnurnbered them five to one, and sent word
to his opponent that he had but "a weak and sickIy
guard" There is no denying the fact that We are
outnumbered five to one, or. perhaps IN a hlgheFF
humanity does not yet stand for light against
darkness.
Professor Adler then pointed out that the slave
trade had only been abolished in this country
about forty years and q great portion OF the pros
perity of the Anglo-Saxon race, the advance agent
Of liberty had its origin in awful traffic in human
flesh. He continued:
But need not go as far back as the days o6 Of
how the standard bearers of civilization have con-
%R 70 dyse China but has it ever been
cred by the Powers how to bring t9e @ 9
dices? Have those questions ever been asked? No:
the Powers bounced upon them many brlgands
intent on loot and plumber; and vulgar, Inbred
mob II was. -
the conduct of the Western Powers IN the Far East
The most sickenng part Of 1t is the use they nave
made Of religion. There could not possibly be any
thing disgusting than this mixture OF force
But there is no need of going to China. We have
the same conditions right here in New-York CITY
to-day. The conditions of those fighting under the
standard Of morality can be summed up IN
straugling suffocating of impotence. Inc
immoral forces are intrenched more strongly than
and IL almost hopeless 10 Try 10 SohteIu
with them. =.
The stones should cry out for reformation, or, II
not for retrbutOn. Vice longer hides in us lar.
but rises in the highway and chooses chlIdren OF
community suffers patiently II is because the re
sponsibilty cannot be fixed. What about those IN
power? Why ask for mathematical PROOF ana eX-
actness in defining and effect IN this respect
when willing TO do with less IN other
respects2
The trouble is that nine-tenths Of our people are
solictous about their material prosperity but in
different their moral prosperity Those who could
serve too often deeply implicated, and are will
ing maintain in power those sordtd instruments
auti-soclal gains. II is form Of slavery which
lalzes our city a stencil They willing 10 main
tain the shambles where virtue is sacrificed day
and night and share in the gain
Professor Adler, in concluding, said that the
whole world waiting for the moral renaissance
which II can obtain only through the agency OF
society for the spread of ethical doctrines. He
quoted e bishop Of the Church Of England that the
New Testament does not supply system OF poit-
zeal ethics or any standard for public lie but
touches only the ethical standard OF the ndlVoua4