The Washington herald., 1907-09-02
Reply to Mr.. Tanner.
tor The Washington Herald:

Editor The Washington Herald:
May I be permitted 10 close my discus
sion Of a topic so useless Of argument as
Immortality with few brief words in
reply to Mr.. George c. Tanners rejoinder
TO my recent articles.
In the first place, I must confess myself
somewhat unfavorably impressed with the
reply Of a man who in his opening SEN
tence is guilty Of two separate and dis
tinct inaccuracies. To begin with. I have
never at any time stated that Goodwin
Smith commended anything Of mine, and
finally. that which ne did do me the honor
o. noticing was not my article on Con
fucius," but that on Immortality" Ny
exact words were: Goodwin Smith has
done me the unlooked-fOr honor OF q no
tice in the New York sun of my recent
communication 10 your paper on Tnamor-
tally " So much for the inaccuracies.
Mr.. Tanner drives straight to the root
Of the matter when he says that il is not
desires but facts. that we should con
Germ ourselves with. In this I am in
hearty accord with Mr.. Tanner. But, I
would ask. what, pray, are the facts? BY
the very nature Of the subject 1 can rec
ognize the existence Of no fact other than
The one fact that We have no absolute
knowledge IN the premises. Mr.. Tanner
speaks Of the dream of the immortality
OF the soul" He well names it. Among
the dictionary definitions Of dream" is
this: a vain fancy" 1 repeat. Mr.. Tan
ner has we'll named it. A dream it is.
indeed; sweet to some, to others a night
mare.
Upon the rest of Mr.. Tanners argument
my comment viii be brief He speaks of
the indestTuctibility OF matter. and there
from deduces that of man. Has there
been any assertion of the destructibility
Of man, Of the ingredients and compounds
Of which, he Ike other products of ia
ture, is composed? He may die, decay,
dlsintegrate; not one atom is lost Be
1eving as I do that there is no such
entity as the soul; that what We call
soul is nothing other than the func-
uonal manifestation Of the physical brain; /
that intellect mind-cau IL what YOU
Willis the product of and is derived from
the brain, l cannot do otherwise than
subscribe to the belief that its existence |
must end with the disintegratiOn Of that |
organ.
But enough; though l cannot but gently |
wonder at the dogmauc assurance of Mr. /
Tanner in his system of stages Of future /
progression, I must hasten to say nv
final word. A contemporary Of Macaulay |
said: Il only wish I were as cock-sure
OF any one thing as Macaulay is Of 4
everything"
few years ago there was uttered be- /
fore the Omar khayyam Club of London.
by the late John Hay, as pungent a bit
or wisdom as one can well cite Closing
an address admirable alike for its rhetor-
ical finish. felicity Of expression and
unique fneness Of temper. he said:
Let us, without rage or defiance, even
without unbecoming mirth. look deep into
the tangled mystery Of things; refuse
credence TO the absurd. or allegiance to /
arrogant authority; sufficiently conscious
of fallibility TO be tolerant of all opin- \
ions; with a faith too wide for doctrine.
and benevolence untrammeIed by creed;
too wise TO be wholly poets. yet too surely
poets to be implacably wise"
1 know Of no more felicitous and sue |,
clnct statement IN the whole range OF
literature of what to NE would appear
70 De the true attitude Of the enlightened
thinker Of to-day toward his fellow-men.
co-seeke.s OF the ultimate verify. Sin
certify and tolerance l would place above
al the virtues. Let our study of such ,
problems be sincere, let it be thorough.
let It be ultimately productive of con-
vieuons, such convictions as will claim
our adherence though the heavens fall. :
Jniy convictions wrought ont, many times !
n pain and suffering, cOnscientiOusly and :
aboriouSly, are worthy the sacrifices we :
Ire often called upon to make for them :
As there is no criterion Of absolute truth.
he old Latin prOveTb must ever hold n
good Quot homines. tot sententiae." I
/ care not what mans belief nav ba !
however recaleitrant 10 my sense Of rea- :