,,the ,,works ,,of ,,robert ,g4         
,,ingersoll  ,by ,robert ,g4 ,ingersoll 
,,my ,,creed ,,is ,,this3 ,,happiness   
,,is ,,the ,,only ,,good4 ,,the ,,place 
,,to ,,be ,,happy ,,is ,,here4 ,,the    
,,time ,,to ,,be ,,happy ,,is ,,now4    
,,the ,,way ,,to ,,be ,,happy ,,is ,,to 
,,help ,,make ,,others ,,so4  ,,in      
,,twelve ,,volumes1 ,,volume ,,xii4     
,,miscellany  #aijj   ,dresden ,edition 
,,prof4 ,,van ,,buren ,,denslow',s      
,,modern ,,thinkers4   ,,if others who  
read this book get as much information  
as ,i did from the advance sheets1 they 
will feel repaid a hundred times4 ,it is
 perfectly delightful to take advantage 
of the conscientious labors of those who
 go through and through volume after    
volume1 divide with infinite patience   
the gold from the dross1 and present us 
with the pure and shining coin4 ,such   
men may be likened to bees who save us  
numberless journeys by giving us the    
fruit of their own4  ,while this book   
will greatly add to the information of  

all who read it1 it may not increase the
 happiness of some to find that         
,swedenborg was really insane4 ,but when
 they remember that he was raised by a  
bishop1 and disappointed in love1 they  
will cease to wonder at his mental      
condition4 ,certainly an admixture of   
theology and dis-prized love is often   
sufficient to compel reason to abdicate 
the throne of the mightiest soul4  ,the 
trouble with ,swedenborg was that he    
changed realities into dreams1 and then 
out of the dreams made facts upon which 
he built1 and with which he constructed 
his system4  ,he regarded all realities 
as shadows cast by ideas4 ,to him the   
material was the unreal1 and things were
 definitions of the ideas of ,god4 ,he  
seemed to think that he had made a      
discovery when he found that ideas were 
back of words1 and that language had a  
subjective as well as an objective      
origin2 that is that the interior       
meaning had been clothed upon4 ,of      
course1 a man capable of drawing the    

conclusion that natural reason cannot   
harmonize with spiritual truth because  
in a dream1 he had seen a beetle that   
could not use its feet1 is capable of   
any absurdity of which the imagination  
can conceive4 ,the fact is1 that        
,swedenborg believed the ,bible4 ,that  
was his misfortune4 ,his mind had been  
overpowered by the bishop1 but the woman
 had not utterly destroyed his heart4   
,he was shocked by the liberal          
interpretation of the ,scriptures1 and  
sought to avoid the difficulty by giving
 new meanings consistent with the       
decency and goodness of ,god4 ,he       
pointed out a way to preserve the old   
,bible with a new interpretation4 ,in   
this way ,infidelity could be avoided2  
and1 in his day1 that was almost a      
necessity4 ,had ,swedenborg taken the   
ground that the ,bible was not inspired1
 the ears of the world would have been  
stopped4 ,his readers believed in the   
dogma of inspiration1 and asked1 not how
 to destroy the ,scriptures1 but for    

some way in which they might be         
preserved4 ,he and his followers        
unconsciously rendered immense service  
to the cause of intellectual            
enfranchisement by their efforts to show
 the necessity of giving new meanings to
 the barbarous laws1 and cruel orders of
 ,jehovah4 ,for this purpose they       
attacked with great fury the literal    
text1 taking the ground that if the old 
interpretation was right1 the ,bible was
 the work of savage men4 ,they          
heightened in every way the absurdities1
 cruelties and contradictions of the    
,scriptures for the purpose of showing  
that a new interpretation must be found1
 and that the way pointed out by        
,swedenborg was the only one by which   
the ,bible could be saved4  ,great men  
are1 after all the instrumentalities of 
their time4 ,the heart of the civilized 
world was beginning to revolt at the    
cruelties ascribed to ,god1 and was     
seeking for some interpretation of the  
,bible that kind and loving people could

 accept4 ,the method of interpretation  
found by ,swedenborg was suitable for   
all4 ,each was permitted to construct   
his own science of correspondence and   
gather such fruits as he might prefer4  
,in this way the ravings of revenge can 
instantly be changed to mercy's melting 
tones1 and murder's dagger to a smile of
 love4 ,in this way and in no other1 can
 we explain the numberless mistakes and 
crimes ascribed to ,god4 ,thousands of  
most excellent people1 afraid to throw  
away the idea of inspiration1 hailed    
with joy a discovery that allowed them  
to write a ,bible for themselves4  ,but1
 whether ,swedenborg was right or not1  
every man who reads a book1 necessarily 
gets from that book all that he is      
capable of receiving4 ,every man who    
walks in the forest1 or gathers a       
flower1 or looks at a picture1 or stands
 by the sea1 gets all the intellectual  
wealth he is capable of receiving4 ,what
 the forest1 the flower1 the picture or 
the sea is to him1 depends upon his     

mind1 and upon the stage of development 
he has reached4 ,so that after all1 the 
,bible must be a different book to each 
person who reads it1 as the revelations 
of nature depend upon the individual to 
whom they are revealed1 or by whom they 
are discovered4 ,and the extent of the  
revelation or discovery depends         
absolutely upon the intellectual and    
moral development of the person to whom1
 or by whom1 the revelation or discovery
 is made4 ,so that the ,bible cannot be 
the same to any two people1 but each one
 must necessarily interpret it for      
himself4 ,now1 the moment the doctrine  
is established that we can give to this 
book such meanings as are consistent    
with our highest ideals2 that we can    
treat the old words as purses or old    
stockings in which to put our gold1     
then1 each one will1 in effect1 make a  
new inspired ,bible for himself1 and    
throw the old away4 ,if his mind is     
narrow1 if he has been raised by        
ignorance and nursed by fear1 he will   

believe in the literal truth of what he 
reads4 ,if he has a little courage he   
will doubt1 and the doubt will with new 
interpretations modify the literal text2
 but if his soul is free he will with   
scorn reject it all4  ,swedenborg did   
one thing for which ,i feel almost      
grateful4 ,he gave an account of having 
met ,john ,calvin in hell4 ,nothing     
connected with the supernatural could be
 more perfectly natural than this4 ,the 
only thing detracting from the value of 
this report is1 that if there is a hell1
 we know without visiting the place that
 ,john ,calvin must be there4  ,all     
honest founders of religions have been  
the dreamers of dreams1 the sport of    
insanity1 the prey of visions1 the      
deceivers of others and of themselves4  
,all will admit that ,swedenborg was a  
man of great intellect1 of vast         
acquirements and of honest intentions2  
and ,i think it equally clear that upon 
one subject1 at least1 his mind was     
touched1 shattered and shaken4  ,misled 

by analogies1 imposed upon by the       
bishop1 deceived by the woman1 borne to 
other worlds upon the wings of dreams1  
living in the twilight of reason and the
 dawn of insanity1 he regarded every    
fact as a patched and ragged garment    
with a lining of the costliest silk1 and
 insisted that the wrong side1 even of  
the silk1 was far more beautiful than   
the right4  ,herbert ,spencer is almost 
the opposite of ,swedenborg4 ,he relies 
upon evidence1 upon demonstration1 upon 
experience1 and occupies himself with   
one world at a time4 ,he perceives that 
there is a mental horizon that we cannot
 pierce1 and that beyond that is the    
unknown--possibly the unknowable4 ,he   
endeavors to examine only that which is 
capable of being examined1 and considers
 the theological method as not only     
useless1 but hurtful4 ,after all1 ,god  
is but a guess1 throned and established 
by arrogance and assertion4 ,turning his
 attention to those things that have in 
some way affected the condition of      

mankind1 ,spencer leaves the unknowable 
to priests and to the believers in the  
moral government of the world4 ,he sees 
only natural causes and natural results1
 and seeks to induce man to give up     
gazing into void and empty space1 that  
he may give his entire attention to the 
world in which he lives4 ,he sees that  
right and wrong do not depend upon the  
arbitrary will of even an infinite      
being1 but upon the nature of things2   
that they are relations1 not entities1  
and that they cannot exist1 so far as we
 know1 apart from human experience4  ,it
 may be that men will finally see that  
selfishness and self-sacrifice are both 
mistakes2 that the first devours itself2
 that the second is not demanded by the 
good1 and that the bad are unworthy of  
it4 ,it may be that our race has never  
been1 and never will be1 deserving of a 
martyr4 ,sometime we may see that       
justice is the highest possible form of 
mercy and love1 and that all should not 
only be allowed1 but compelled to reap  

exactly what they sow2 that industry    
should not support idleness1 and that   
they who waste the spring and summer and
 autumn of their lives should bear the  
winter when it comes4 ,the fortunate    
should assist the victims of accident2  
the strong should defend the weak1 and  
the intellectual should lead1 with      
loving hands1 the mental poor2 but      
,justice should remove the bandage from 
her eyes long enough to distinguish     
between the vicious and the unfortunate4
  ,mr4 ,spencer is wise enough to       
declare that acts are called good or bad
 according as they are well or ill      
adjusted to ends2 and he might have     
added1 that ends are good or bad        
according as they affect the happiness  
of mankind4  ,it would be hard to       
over-estimate the influence of this     
great man4 ,from an immense intellectual
 elevation he has surveyed the world of 
thought4 ,he has rendered absurd the    
idea of special providence1 born of the 
egotism of savagery4 ,he has shown that 

the will of ,god is not a rule for human
 conduct2 that morality is not a cold   
and heartless tyrant2 that by the       
destruction of the individual will1 a   
higher life cannot be reached1 and that 
after all1 an intelligent love of self  
extends the hand of help and kindness to
 all the human race4  ,but had it not   
been for such men as ,thomas ,paine1    
,herbert ,spencer could not have existed
 for a century to come4 ,some one had to
 lead the way1 to raise the standard of 
revolt1 and draw the sword of war4      
,thomas ,paine was a natural            
revolutionist4 ,he was opposed to every 
government existing in his day4 ,next to
 establishing a wise and just republic  
based upon the equal rights of man1 the 
best thing that can be done is to       
destroy a monarchy4  ,paine had a sense 
of justice1 and had imagination enough  
to put himself in the place of the      
oppressed4 ,he had1 also1 what in these 
pages is so felicitously expressed1 a   
haughty intellectual pride1 and a       

willingness to pit his individual       
thought against the clamor of a world4  
,i cannot believe that he wrote the     
letters of ,junius1 although the two    
critiques combined in this volume1      
entitled ,paine and ,junius1 make by far
 the best argument upon that subject ,i 
have ever read4 ,first1 ,paine could    
have had no personal hatred against the 
men so bitterly assailed by ,junius4    
,second1 ,he knew1 at that time1 but    
little of ,english politicians1 and     
certainly had never associated with men 
occupying the highest positions1 and    
could not have been personally          
acquainted with the leading statesmen of
 ,england4 ,third41 ,he was not an      
unjust man4 ,he was neither a coward1 a 
calumniator1 nor a sneak4 ,all these    
delightful qualities must have lovingly 
united in the character of ,junius4     
,fourth1 ,paine could have had no reason
 for keeping the secret after coming to 
,america4  ,i have always believed that 
,junius1 after having written his       

letters1 accepted office from the very  
men he had maligned1 and at last became 
a pensioner of the victims of his       
slander4 ,had he as many mouths as      
,hydra1 such a course must have closed  
them all4 ,certainly the author must    
have kept the secret to prevent the loss
 of his reputation4  ,it cannot be      
denied that the style of ,junius is much
 like that of ,paine4 ,should it be     
established that ,paine wrote the       
letters of ,junius1 it would not1 in my 
judgment1 add to his reputation as a    
writer4 ,regarded as literary efforts   
they cannot be compared with ,common    
,sense1 ,the ,crisis1 or ,the ,rights of
 ,man4  ,the claim that ,paine was the  
real author of the ,declaration of      
,independence is much better founded4 ,i
 am inclined to think that he actually  
wrote it2 but whether this is true or   
not1 every idea contained in it had been
 written by him long before4 ,it is now 
claimed that the original document is in
 ,paine's handwriting4 ,it certainly is 

not in ,jefferson's4 ,certain it is1    
that ,jefferson could not have written  
anything so manly1 so striking1 so      
comprehensive1 so clear1 so convincing1 
and so faultless in rhetoric and rhythm 
as the ,declaration of ,independence4   
,paine was the first man to write these 
words1 ,the ,united ,states of ,america4
 ,he was the first great champion of    
absolute separation from ,england4 ,he  
was the first to urge the adoption of a 
,federal ,constitution2 and1 more       
clearly than any other man of his time1 
he perceived the future greatness of    
this country4  ,he has been blamed for  
his attack on ,washington4 ,the truth   
is1 he was in prison in ,france4 ,he had
 committed the crime of voting1 against 
the execution of the king ,it was the   
grandest act of his life1 but at that   
time to be merciful was criminal4       
,paine2 being an ,american citizen1     
asked ,washington1 then ,president1 to  
say a word to ,robespierre in his       
behalf4 ,washington remained silent4 ,in

 the calmness of power1 the serenity1 of
 fortune1 ,washington the ,president1   
read the request of ,paine1 the         
prisoner1 and with the complacency of   
assured fame1 consigned to the          
wastebasket of forgetfulness the        
patriot's cry for help4       ,time     
hath1 my lord1 a wallet at his back1    
,wherein he puts alms for oblivion1     
,a great-sized monster of ingratitudes4 
,those scraps are good deeds past1 which
 are devour'd      ,as fast as they are 
made1 forgot as soon      ,as done4  ,in
 this controversy1 my sympathies are    
with the prisoner4  ,paine did more to  
free the mind1 to destroy the power of  
ministers and priests in the ,new       
,world1 than any other man4 ,in order to
 answer his arguments1 the churches     
found it necessary to attack his        
character4 ,there was a general resort  
to falsehood4 ,in trying to destroy the 
reputation of ,paine1 the churches have 
demoralized themselves4 ,nearly every   
minister has been a willing witness     

against the truth4 ,upon the grave of   
,thomas ,paine1 the churches of ,america
 have sacrificed their honor4 ,the      
influence of the ,hero author increases 
every day1 and there are more copies of 
the ,age of ,reason sold in the ,united 
,states1 than of any work written in    
defence of the ,christian religion4     
,hypocrisy1 with its forked tongue1 its 
envious and malignant heart1 lies coiled
 upon the memory of ,paine1 ready to    
fasten its poisonous fangs in the       
reputation of any man who dares defend  
the great and generous dead4  ,leaving  
the dust and glory of revolutions1 let  
us spend a moment of quiet with ,adam   
,smith4 ,i was glad to find that a man's
 ideas upon the subject of protection   
and free trade depend almost entirely   
upon the country in which he lives1 or  
the business in which he happens to be  
engaged1 and that1 after all1 each man  
regards the universe as a circumference 
of which he is the center4 ,it gratified
 me to learn that even ,adam ,smith was 

no exception to this rule1 and that he  
regarded all protection as a hurtful and
 ignorant interference1 except when     
exercised for the good of ,great        
,britain4 ,owing to the fact that his   
nationality quarreled with his          
philosophy1 he succeeded in writing a   
book that is quoted with equal          
satisfaction by both parties4 ,the      
protectionists rely upon the exceptions 
he made for ,england1 and the free      
traders upon the doctrines laid down for
 other countries4  ,he seems to have    
reasoned upon the question of money     
precisely as we have1 of late years1 in 
the ,united ,states2 and he has argued  
both sides equally well4 ,poverty asks  
for inflation4 ,wealth is conservative1 
and always says there is money enough4  
,upon the question of money1 this volume
 contains the best thing ,i have ever   
read3 ,the only mode of procuring the   
service of others1 on any large scale1  
in the absence of money1 is by force1   
which is slavery4 ,money1 by            

constituting a medium in which the      
smallest services can be paid for1      
substitutes wages for the lash1 and     
renders the liberty of the individual   
consistent with the maintenance and     
support of society4 ,there is more      
philosophy in that one paragraph than   
,adam ,smith expresses in his whole     
work4 ,it may truthfully be said1 that  
without money1 liberty is impossible4   
,no one1 whatever his views may be1 can 
read the article on ,adam ,smith without
 profit and delight4  ,the discussion of
 the money question is in every respect 
admirable1 and is as candid as able4    
,the world will sooner or later learn   
that there is nothing miraculous in     
finance2 that money is a real and       
tangible thing1 a product of labor1     
serving not merely as a medium of       
exchange but as a basis of credit as    
well2 that it cannot be created by an   
act of the ,legislature2 that dreams    
cannot be coined1 and that only labor1  
in some form1 can put1 upon the hand of 

want1 ,alladin's magic ring4  ,adam     
,smith wrote upon the wealth of nations1
 while ,charles ,fourier labored for the
 happiness of mankind4 ,in this country1
 few seem to understand communism4      
,while here1 it may be regarded as      
vicious idleness1 armed with the        
assassin's knife and the incendiary's   
torch1 in ,europe1 it is a different    
thing4 ,there1 it is a reaction from    
,feudalism4 ,nobility is communism in   
its worst possible form4 ,nothing can be
 worse than for idleness to eat the     
bread of industry4 ,communism in ,europe
 is not the stand and deliver of the    
robber1 but the protest of the robbed4  
,centuries ago1 kings and priests1 that 
is to say1 thieves and hypocrites1      
divided ,europe among themselves4 ,under
 this arrangement1 the few were masters 
and the many slaves4 ,nearly every      
government in the ,old ,world rests upon
 simple brute force4 ,it is hard for the
 many to understand why the few should  
own the soil4 ,neither can they clearly 

see why they should give their brain and
 blood to those who steal their         
birthright and their bread4 ,it has     
occurred to them that they who do the   
most should not receive the least1 and  
that1 after all1 an industrious peasant 
is of far more value to the world than a
 vain and idle king4  ,the ,communists  
of ,france1 blinded as they were1 made  
the ,republic possible4 ,had they joined
 with their countrymen1 the invaders    
would have been repelled1 and some      
,napoleon would still have occupied the 
throne4 ,socialism perceives that       
,germany has been enslaved by victory1  
while ,france found liberty in defeat4  
,in ,russia the ,nihilists prefer chaos 
to the government of the bayonet1       
,siberia and the knout1 and these       
intrepid men have kept upon the coast of
 despotism one beacon fire of hope4  ,as
 a matter of fact1 every society is a   
species of communism--a kind of         
co-operation in which selfishness1 in   
spite of itself1 benefits the community4

 ,every industrious man adds to the     
wealth1 not only of his nation1 but to  
that of the world4 ,every inventor      
increases human power1 and every        
sculptor1 painter and poet adds to the  
value of human life4 ,fourier1 touched  
by the sufferings of the poor as well as
 by the barren joys of hoarded wealth1  
and discovering the vast advantages of  
combined effort1 and the immense economy
 of co-operation1 sought to find some   
way for men to help themselves by       
helping each other4 ,he endeavored to do
 away with monopoly and competition1 and
 to ascertain some method by which the  
sensuous1 the moral1 and the            
intellectual passions of man could be   
gratified4  ,for my part ,i can place no
 confidence in any system that does     
away1 or tends to do away1 with the     
institution of marriage4 ,i can conceive
 of no civilization of which the family 
must not be the unit4  ,societies cannot
 be made2 they must grow4 ,philosophers 
may predict1 but they cannot create4    

,they may point out as many ways as they
 please2 but after all1 humanity will   
travel in paths of its own4  ,fourier   
sustained about the same relation to    
this world that ,swedenborg did to the  
other4 ,there must be something wrong   
about the brain of one who solemnly     
asserts that1 the elephant1 the ox and  
the diamond1 were created by the sun2   
the horse1 the lily and the ruby1 by    
,saturn2 the cow1 the jonquil and the   
topaz by ,jupiter2 and the dog1 the     
violet and the opal stones by the earth 
itself4  ,and yet1 forgetting these     
aberrations of the mind1 this lunacy of 
a great and loving soul1 for one1 ,i    
hold in tender-est regard the memory of 
,charles ,fourier1 one of the best and  
noblest of our race4  ,while ,fourier   
was in his cradle1 ,jeremy ,bentham1 who
 read history when three years old1     
played on the violin at five1 and at    
fifteen detected the fallacies of       
,blackstone1 was demonstrating that the 
good was the useful2 that a thing was   

right because it paid in the highest and
 best sense2 that utility was the basis 
of morals2 that without allowing        
interest to be paid upon money commerce 
could not exist2 and that the object of 
all human governments should be to      
secure the greatest happiness of the    
greatest number4 ,he read ,hume and     
,helvetius1 threw away the ,thirty-nine 
,articles1 and endeavored to impress    
upon the ,english ,law the fact that its
 ancestor was a feudal savage4 ,he held 
the past in contempt1 hated ,westminster
 and despised ,oxford4 ,he combated the 
idea that governments were originally   
founded on contract4 ,locke and         
,blackstone talked as though men        
originally lived apart1 and formed      
societies by agreement4 ,these writers  
probably imagined that at one time the  
trees were separated like telegraph     
poles1 and finally came together and    
made groves by agreement4 ,i believe    
that it was ,pufendorf who said that    
slavery was originally founded on       

contract4 ,to which ,voltaire           
replied3--,if my lord ,pufendorf will   
produce the original contract signed by 
the party who was to be the slave1 ,i   
will admit the truth of his statement4  
,a contract back of society is a myth   
manufactured by those in power to serve 
as a title to place1 and to impress the 
multitude with the idea that they are1  
in some mysterious way1 bound1 fettered1
 and even benefited by its terms4  ,the 
glory of ,bentham is1 that he gave the  
true basis of morals1 and furnished     
statesmen with the star and compass of  
this sentence3--,the greatest happiness 
of the greatest number4  ,most          
scientists have deferred to the         
theologians4 ,they have admitted that   
some questions could not1 at present1 be
 solved4 ,these admissions have been    
thankfully received by the clergy1 who  
have always begged for some curtain to  
be left1 behind which their ,god could  
still exist4 ,men calling themselves    
scientific have tried to harmonize the  

apparent discrepancies between the      
,bible and the other works of ,jehovah4 
,in this way they have made reputations4
 ,they were at once quoted by the       
ministers as wonderful examples of piety
 and learning4 ,these men discounted the
 future that they might enjoy the       
ignorant praise of the present4 ,agassiz
 preferred the applause of ,boston1     
while he lived1 to the reverence of a   
world after he was dead4 ,small men     
appear great only when they agree with  
the multitude4  ,the last ,scientific   
,congress in ,america was opened with   
prayer4 ,think of a science that depends
 upon the efficacy of words addressed to
 the ,unknown and ,unknowable6  ,in our 
country1 most of the so-called          
scientists are professors in sectarian  
colleges1 in which ,moses is considered 
a geologist1 and ,joshua an astronomer4 
,for the most part their salaries depend
 upon the ingenuity with which they can 
explain away facts and dodge            
demonstration4  ,the situation is about 

the same in ,england4 ,when ,mr4 ,huxley
 saw fit to attack the ,mosaic account  
of the creation1 he did not deem it     
advisable to say plainly what he meant4 
,he attacked the account of creation as 
given by ,milton1 although he knew that 
the ,mosaic and ,miltonic were          
substantially the same4 ,science has    
acted like a guest without a wedding    
garment1 and has continually apologized 
for existing4 ,in the presence of       
arrogant absurdity1 overawed by the     
patronizing airs of a successful        
charlatan1 it has played the role of a  
poor relation1 and accepted1 while      
sitting below the salt1 insults as      
honors4  ,there can be no more pitiable 
sight than a scientist in the employ of 
superstition dishonoring himself without
 assisting his master4 ,but there are a 
multitude of brave and tender men who   
give their honest thoughts1 who are true
 to nature1 who give the facts and let  
consequences shirk for themselves1 who  
know the value and meaning of a truth1  

and who have bravely tried the creeds by
 scientific tests4  ,among the bravest1 
side by side with the greatest of the   
world1 in ,germany1 the land of science1
 stands ,ernst ,haeckel1 who may be said
 to have not only demonstrated the      
theories of ,darwin1 but the ,monistic  
conception of the world4 ,rejecting all 
the puerile ideas of a personal         
,creator1 he has had the courage to     
adopt the noble words of ,bruno3--,a    
spirit exists in all things1 and no body
 is so small but it contains a part of  
the divine substance within itself1 by  
which it is animated4 ,he has           
endeavored--and ,i think with complete  
success--to show that there is not1 and 
never was1 and never can be the ,creator
 of anything4 ,there is no more a       
personal ,creator than there is a       
personal destroyer4 ,matter and force   
must have existed from eternity1 all    
generation must have been spontaneous1  
and the simplest organisms must have    
been the ancestors of the most perfect  

and complex4  ,haeckel is one of the    
bitterest enemies of the church1 and is1
 therefore1 one of the bravest friends  
of man4  ,catholicism was1 at one time1 
the friend of education--of an education
 sufficient to make a ,catholic out of a
 barbarian4 ,protestantism was also in  
favor of education--of an education     
sufficient to make a ,protestant out of 
a ,catholic4 ,but now1 it having been   
demonstrated that real education will   
make ,freethinkers1 ,catholics and      
,protestants both are the enemies of    
true learning4  ,in all countries where 
human beings are held in bondage1 it is 
a crime to teach a slave to read and    
write4 ,masters know that education is  
an abolitionist1 and theologians know   
that science is the deadly foe of every 
creed in ,christendom4  ,in the age of  
,faith1 a personal god stood at the head
 of every department of ignorance1 and  
was supposed to be the ,king of kings1  
the rewarder and punisher of            
individuals1 and the governor of        

nations4  ,the worshipers of this god   
have always regarded the men in love    
with simple facts1 as ,atheists in      
disguise4 ,and it must be admitted that 
nothing is more ,atheistic than a fact4 
,pure science is necessarily godless1   
,it is incapable of worship4 ,it        
investigates1 and cannot afford to shut 
its eyes even long enough to pray4      
,there was a time when those who        
disputed the divine right of kings were 
denounced as blasphemous2 but the time  
came when liberty demanded that a       
personal god should be retired from     
politics4 ,in our country this was      
substantially done in #aggf1 when our   
fathers declared that all power to      
govern came from the consent of the     
governed4 ,the cloud-theory was         
abandoned1 and one government has been  
established for the benefit of mankind4 
,our fathers did not keep ,god out of   
the ,constitution from principle1 but   
from jealousy4 ,each church1 in colonial
 times1 preferred to live in single     

blessedness rather than see some rival  
wedded to the state4 ,mutual hatred     
planted our tree of religious liberty4  
,a constitution without a god has at    
last given us a nation without a slave4 
,a personal god sustains the same       
relation to religion as to politics4    
,the ,deity is a master1 and man a serf2
 and this relation is inconsistent with 
true progress4 ,the ,universe ought to  
be a pure democracy--an infinite        
republic without a tyrant and without a 
chain4  ,auguste ,comte endeavored to   
put humanity in the place of ,jehovah1  
and no conceivable change can be more   
desirable than this4 ,this great man did
 not1 like some of his followers1 put a 
mysterious something called law in the  
place of ,god1 which is simply giving   
the old master a new name4 ,law is this 
side of phenomena1 not the other4 ,it is
 not the cause1 neither is it the result
 of phenomena4 ,the fact of succession  
and resemblance1 that is to say1 the    
same thing happening under the same     

conditions1 is all we mean by law4 ,no  
one can conceive of a law existing apart
 from matter1 or controlling matter1 any
 more than he can understand the eternal
 procession of the ,holy ,ghost1 or     
motion apart from substance4 ,we are    
beginning to see that law does not1 and 
cannot exist as an entity1 but that it  
is only a conception of the mind to     
express the fact that the same entities1
 under the same conditions1 produce the 
same results4 ,law does not produce the 
entities1 the conditions1 or the        
results1 or even the sameness of the    
results4 ,neither does it affect the    
relations of entities1 nor the result of
 such relations1 but it stands simply   
for the fact that the same causes1 under
 the same conditions1 eternally have    
produced and eternally will produce the 
same results4  ,the metaphysicians are  
always giving us explanations of        
phenomena which are as difficult to     
understand as the phenomena they seek to
 explain2 and the believers in ,god     

establish their dogmas by miracles1 and 
then substantiate the miracles by       
assertion4  ,the ,designer of the       
teleologist1 the ,first ,cause of the   
religious philosopher1 the ,vital ,force
 of the biologist1 and the law of the   
half-orthodox scientist1 are all the    
shadowy children of ignorance and fear4 
,the ,universe is all there is4 ,it is  
both subject and object2 contemplator   
and contemplated2 creator and created2  
destroyer and destroyed2 preserver and  
preserved2 and within itself are all    
causes1 modes1 motions and effects4     
,unable in some things to rise above the
 superstitions of his day1 ,comte       
adopted not only the machinery1 but some
 of the prejudices1 of ,catholicism4 ,he
 made the mistake of ,luther4 ,he tried 
to reform the ,church of ,rome4         
,destruction is the only reformation of 
which that church is capable4 ,every    
religion is based upon a misconception1 
not only of the cause of phenomena1 but 
of the real object of life2 that is to  

say1 upon falsehood2 and the moment the 
truth is known and understood1 these    
religions must fall4 ,in the field of   
thought1 they are briers1 thorns1 and   
noxious weeds2 on the shores of         
intellectual discovery1 they are sirens1
 and in the forests that the brave      
thinkers are now penetrating1 they are  
the wild beasts1 fanged and monstrous4  
,you cannot reform these weeds4 ,sirens 
cannot be changed into good citizens2   
and such wild beasts1 even when tamed1  
are of no possible use4 ,destruction is 
the only remedy4 ,reformation is a      
hospital where the new philosophy       
exhausts its strength nursing the old   
religion4  ,there was1 in the brain of  
the great ,frenchman1 the dawn of that  
happy day in which humanity will be the 
only religion1 good the only god1       
happiness the only object1 restitution  
the only atonement1 mistake the only    
sin1 and affection1 guided by           
intelligence1 the only savior of        
mankind4 ,this dawn enriched his        

poverty1 illuminated the darkness of his
 life1 peopled his loneliness with the  
happy millions yet to be1 and filled his
 eyes with proud and tender tears4  ,a  
few years ago ,i asked the              
superintendent of ,pere ,la ,chaise if  
he knew where ,i could find the tomb of 
,auguste ,comte4 ,he had never heard    
even the name of the author of the      
,positive ,philosophy4 ,i asked him if  
he had ever heard of ,napoleon          
,bonaparte4 ,in a half-insulted tone1 he
 replied1 ,of course ,i have1 why do you
 ask me such a question8 ,simply1 was my
 answer1 that ,i might have the         
opportunity of saying1 that when        
everything connected with ,napoleon1    
except his crimes1 shall have been      
forgotten1 ,auguste ,comte will be      
lovingly remembered as a benefactor of  
the human race4  ,the ,jewish ,god must 
be dethroned6 ,a personal ,deity must go
 back to the darkness of barbarism from 
whence he came4 ,the theologians must   
abdicate1 and popes1 priests1 and       

clergymen1 labeled as extinct species1  
must occupy the mental museums of the   
future4  ,in my judgment1 this book1    
filled with original thought1 will      
hasten the coming of that blessed time4 
,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,nov4 #bi1ahgi4   
,,preface ,,to ,,dr4 ,,edgar ,c4        
,,beall',s ,,the ,,brain ,,and ,,the    
,,bible4   ,,this book1 written by a    
brave and honest man1 is filled with    
brave and honest thoughts4 ,the         
arguments it presents can not be        
answered by all the theologians in the  
world4 ,the author is convinced that the
 universe is natural1 that man is       
naturally produced1 and that there is a 
necessary relation between character and
 brain4 ,he sees1 and clearly sees1 that
 the theological explanation of         
phenomena is only a plausible absurdity1
 and1 at best1 as great a mystery as it 
tries to solve4 ,i thank the man who    
breaks1 or tries to break1 the chains of
 custom1 creed1 and church1 and gives in
 plain1 courageous words1 the product of

 his brain4  ,it is almost impossible to
 investigate any subject without        
somewhere touching the religious        
prejudices of ourselves or others4 ,most
 people judge of the truth of a         
proposition by the consequences upon    
some preconceived opinion4 ,certain     
things they take as truths1 and with    
this little standard in their minds1    
they measure all other theories4 ,if the
 new facts do not agree with the        
standard1 they are instantly thrown     
away1 because it is much easier to      
dispose of the new facts than to        
reconstruct an entire philosophy4  ,a   
few years ago1 when men began to say    
that character could be determined by   
the form1 quantity1 and quality of the  
brain1 the religious world rushed to the
 conclusion that this fact might destroy
 what they were pleased to call the free
 moral agency of man4 ,they admitted    
that all things in the physical world   
were links in the infinite chain of     
causes and effects1 and that not one    

atom of the material universe could1 by 
any possibility1 be entirely exempt from
 the action of every other4 ,they       
insisted that1 if the motions of the    
spirit--the thoughts1 dreams1 and       
conclusions of the brain1 were as       
necessarily produced as stones and      
stars1 virtue became necessity1 and     
morality the result of forces capable of
 mathematical calculation4 ,in other    
words1 they insisted that1 while there  
were causes for all material phenomena1 
a something called the ,will sat        
enthroned above all law1 and dominated  
the phenomena of the intellectual world4
 ,they insisted that man was free2 that 
he controlled his brain2 that he was    
responsible for thought as well as      
action2 that the intellectual world of  
each man was a universe in which his    
will was king4 ,they were afraid that   
phrenology might1 in some way1 interfere
 with the scheme of salvation1 or       
prevent the eternal torment of some     
erring soul4  ,it is insisted that man  

is free1 and is responsible1 because he 
knows right from wrong4 ,but the compass
 does not navigate the ship2 neither    
does it1 in any way1 of itself1         
determine the direction that is taken4  
,when winds and waves are too powerful1 
the compass is of no importance4 ,the   
pilot may read it correctly1 and may    
know the direction the ship ought to    
take1 but the compass is not a force4   
,so men1 blown by the tempests of       
passion1 may have the intellectual      
conviction that they should go another  
way2 but1 of what use1 of what force1 is
 the conviction8  ,thousands of persons 
have gathered curious statistics for the
 purpose of showing that man is         
absolutely dominated by his             
surroundings4 ,by these statistics is   
discovered what is called the law of    
average4 ,they show that there are about
 so many suicides in ,london every year1
 so many letters misdirected at ,paris1 
so many men uniting themselves ,in      
marriage with women older than          

themselves in ,belgium1 so many         
burglaries to one murder in ,france1 or 
so many persons driven insane by        
religion in the ,united ,states4 ,it is 
asserted that these facts conclusively  
show that man is acted upon2 that behind
 each thought1 each dream1 is the       
efficient cause1 and that the doctrine  
of moral responsibility has been        
destroyed by statistics4  ,but1 does the
 fact that about so many crimes are     
committed on the average1 in a given    
population1 or that so many any things  
are done1 prove that there is no freedom
 in human action8  ,suppose a population
 of ten thousand persons2 and suppose1  
further1 that they are free1 and that   
they have the usual wants of mankind4   
,is it not reasonable to say that they  
would act in some way8 ,they certainly  
would take measures to obtain food1     
clothing1 and shelter4 ,if these people 
differed in intellect1 in surroundings1 
in temperament1 in strength1 it is      
reasonable to suppose that all would not

 be equally successful4 ,under such     
circumstances1 may we not safely infer  
that1 in a little while1 if the         
statistics were properly taken1 a law of
 average would appear8 ,in other words1 
free people would act2 and1 being       
different in mind1 body1 and            
circumstances1 would not all act exactly
 alike4 ,all would not be alike acted   
upon4 ,the deviations from what might be
 thought wise1 or right1 would sustain  
such a relation to time and numbers that
 they could be expressed by a law of    
average4  ,if this is true1 the law of  
average does not establish necessity4   
,but1 in my supposed case1 the people1  
after all1 are not free4 ,they have     
wants4 ,they are under the necessity of 
feeding1 clothing1 and sheltering       
themselves4 ,to the extent of their     
actual wants1 they are not free4 ,every 
limitation is a master4 ,every finite   
being is a prisoner1 and no man has ever
 yet looked above or beyond the prison  
walls4  ,our highest conception of      

liberty is to be free from the dictation
 of fellow prisoners4  ,to the extent   
that we have wants1 we are not free4 ,to
 the extent that we do not have wants1  
we do not act4  ,if we are responsible  
for our thoughts1 we ought not only to  
know how they are formed1 but we ought  
to form them4 ,if we are the masters of 
our own minds1 we ought to be able to   
tell what we are going to think at any  
future time4 ,evidently1 the food of    
thought--its very warp and woof--is     
furnished through the medium of the     
senses4 ,if we open our eyes1 we cannot 
help seeing4 ,if we do not stop our     
ears1 we cannot help hearing4 ,if       
anything touches us1 we feel it4 ,the   
heart beats in spite of us4 ,the lungs  
supply themselves with air without our  
knowledge4 ,the blood pursues its old   
accustomed rounds1 and all our senses   
act without our leave4 ,as the heart    
beats1 so the brain thinks4 ,the will is
 not its king4 ,as the blood flows1 as  
the lungs expand1 as the eyes see1 as   

the ears hear1 as the flesh is sensitive
 to touch1 so the brain thinks4  ,i had 
a dream1 in which ,i debated a question 
with a friend4 ,i thought to myself3    
,this is a dream1 and yet ,i can not    
tell what my opponent is going to say4  
,yet1 if it is a dream1 ,i am doing the 
thinking for both sides1 and therefore  
ought to know in advance what my friend 
will urge4 ,but1 in a dream1 there is   
some one who seems to talk to us4 ,our  
own brain tells us news1 and presents an
 unexpected thought4 ,is it not possible
 that each brain is a field where all   
the senses sow the seeds of thought8    
,some of these fields are mostly barren1
 poor1 and hard1 producing only         
worthless weeds2 and some grow sturdy   
oaks and stately palms2 and some are    
like the tropic world1 where plants and 
trees and vines seem royal children of  
the soil and sun4  ,nothing seems more  
certain than that the capacity of a     
human being depends1 other things being 
equal1 upon the amount1 form1 and       

quality of his brain4 ,we also know that
 health1 disposition1 temperament1      
occupation1 food1 surroundings1         
ancestors1 quality1 form1 and texture of
 the brain1 determine what we call      
character4 ,man is1 collectively and    
individually1 what his surroundings have
 made him4 ,nations differ from each    
other as greatly as individuals in the  
same nation4 ,nations depend upon soil1 
climate1 geographical position1 and     
countless other facts4 ,shakespeare     
would have been impossible without the  
climate of ,england4 ,there is a direct 
relation between ,hamlet and the ,gulf  
,stream4 ,dr4 ,draper has shown that the
 great desert of ,sahara made negroes   
possible in ,africa4 ,if the ,caribbean 
,sea had been a desert1 negroes might   
have been produced in ,america4  ,are   
the effects of climate upon man         
necessary effects8 ,is it possible for  
man to escape them8 ,is he responsible  
for what he does as a consequence of his
 surroundings8 ,is the mind dependent   

upon causes8 ,does it act without cause8
 ,is every thought a necessity8 ,can man
 choose without reference to any quality
 in the thing chosen8  ,no one will     
blame ,mr4 ,brown or ,mr4 ,jones for not
 writing like ,shakespeare4 ,should they
 be blamed for not acting like ,christ8 
,we say that a great painter has genius4
 ,is it not possible that a certain     
genius is required to be what is called 
good8 ,all men cannot be great4 ,all men
 cannot be successful4 ,can all men be  
kind8 ,can all men be honest8  ,it may  
be that a crime appears terrible in     
proportion as we realize its            
consequences4 ,if this is true1 morality
 may depend largely upon the            
imagination4 ,man cannot have           
imagination at will2 that1 certainly1 is
 a natural product4 ,and yet1 a man's   
action may depend largely upon the want 
of imagination4 ,one man may feel that  
he really wishes to kill another4 ,he   
may make preparations to commit the     
deed2 and yet1 his imagination may      

present such pictures of horror and     
despair2 he may so vividly see the widow
 clasping the mangled corpse2 he may so 
plainly hear the cries and sobs of      
orphans1 while the clods fall upon the  
coffin1 that his hand is stayed4        
,another1 lacking imagination1 thirsting
 only for revenge1 seeing nothing beyond
 the accomplishment of the deed1 buries1
 with blind-and thoughtless hate1 the   
dagger in his victim's heart4           
,morality1 for the most part1 is the    
verdict of the majority4 ,this verdict  
depends upon the intelligence of the    
people2 and the intelligence depends    
upon the amount1 form1 and quality of   
the average brain4  ,if the mind depends
 upon certain organs for the expression 
of its thought1 does it have thought    
independently of those organs8 ,is there
 any mind without brain8 ,does the mind 
think apart from the brain1 and then    
express its thought through the         
instrumentality of the brain8           
,theologians tell us that insanity is   

not a disease of the soul1 but of the   
brain2 that the soul is perfectly       
untouched2 but that the instrument with 
which1 and through which1 it manifests  
itself1 is impaired4 ,the fact1 however1
 seems to be1 that the mind1 the        
something that is the man1 is           
unconscious of the fact that anything is
 out of order in the brain4 ,insane     
people insist that they are sane4  ,if  
we should find a locomotive off the     
track1 and the engineer using the proper
 appliances to put it back1 we would say
 that the machine is out of order1 but  
the engineer is not4 ,but1 if we found  
the locomotive upside down1 with wheels 
in air1 and the engineer insisting that 
it was on the track1 and never running  
better1 we would then conclude that     
something was wrong1 not only with the  
locomotive1 but with the engineer4  ,we 
are told in medical books of a girl1    
who1 at about the age of nine years1 was
 attacked with some cerebral disease4   
,when she recovered1 she had forgotten  

all she ever knew1 and had to relearn   
the alphabet1 and the names of her      
parents and kindred4 ,in this abnormal  
state1 she was not a good girl2 in the  
normal state1 she was4 ,after having    
lived in the second state for several   
years1 she went back to the first2 and  
all she had learned in the second state 
was forgotten1 and all she had learned  
in the first was remembered4  ,i believe
 she changed once more1 and died in the 
abnormal state4 ,in which of these      
states was she responsible8 ,were her   
thoughts and actions as free in one as  
in the other8 ,it may be contended that1
 in her diseased state1 the mind or soul
 could not correctly express itself4 ,if
 this is so1 it follows that1 as no one 
is perfectly healthy1 and as no one has 
a perfect brain1 it is impossible that  
the soul should ever correctly express  
itself4 ,is the soul responsible for the
 defects of the brain8 ,is it not       
altogether more rational to say1 that   
what we call mind depends upon the      

brain1 and that the child--mind1        
inherits the defects of its             
parent--brain8  ,are certain physical   
conditions necessary to the production  
of what we call virtuous actions8 ,is it
 possible for anything to be produced   
without what we call cause1 and1 if the 
cause was sufficient1 was it not        
necessarily produced8 ,do not most      
people mistake for freedom the right to 
examine their own chains8 ,if morality  
depends upon conditions1 should it not  
be the task of the great and good to    
discover such conditions8 ,may it not be
 possible so to understand the brain    
that we can stop producing criminals8   
,it may be insisted that there is       
something produced by the brain besides 
thought--a something that takes         
cognizance of thoughts--a something that
 weighs1 compares1 reflects and         
pronounces judgment4 ,this something    
cannot find the origin of itself4 ,does 
it exist independently of the brain8 ,is
 it merely a looker-on8 ,if it is a     

product of the brain1 then its power1   
perception1 and judgment depend upon the
 quantity1 form1 and quality of the     
brain4  ,man1 including all his         
attributes1 must have been necessarily  
produced1 and the product was the child 
of conditions4  ,most reformers have    
infinite confidence in creeds1          
resolutions1 and laws4 ,they think of   
the common people as raw material1 out  
of which they propose to construct      
institutions and governments1 like      
mechanical contrivances1 where each     
person will stand for a cog1 rope1      
wheel1 pulley1 bolt1 or fuel1 and the   
reformers will be the managers and      
directors4 ,they forget that these cogs 
and wheels have opinions of their own2  
that they fall out with other cogs1 and 
refuse to turn with other wheels2 that  
the pulleys and ropes have ideas        
peculiar to themselves1 and delight in  
mutiny and revolution4 ,these reformers 
have theories that can only be realized 
when other people have none4  ,some     

time1 it will be found that people can  
be changed only by changing their       
surroundings4 ,it is alleged that1 at   
least ninety-five per cent4 of the      
criminals transported from ,england to  
,australia and other penal colonies1    
became good and useful citizens in a new
 world4 ,free from former associates and
 associations1 from the necessities of a
 hard1 cruel1 and competitive           
civilization1 they became1 for the most 
part1 honest people4 ,this immense fact 
throws more light upon social questions 
than all the theories of the world4 ,all
 people are not able to support         
themselves4 ,they lack intelligence1    
industry1 cunning--in short1 capacity4  
,they are continually falling by the    
way4 ,in the midst of plenty1 they are  
hungry4 ,larceny is born of want and    
opportunity4 ,in passion's storm1 the   
will is wrecked upon the reefs and rocks
 of crime4  ,the complex1 tangled web of
 thought and dream1 of perception and   
memory1 of imagination and judgment1 of 

wish and will and want--the woven wonder
 of a life--has never yet been raveled  
back to simple threads4  ,shall we not  
become charitable and just1 when we know
 that every act is but condition's      
fruit2 that ,nature1 with her countless 
hands1 scatters the seeds of tears and  
crimes--of every virtue and of every    
joy2 that all the base and vile are     
victims of the ,blind1 and that the good
 and great have1 in the lottery of life1
 by chance or fate1 drawn heart and     
brain8  ,washington1 ,december #ba1     
#ahha4     ,,preface ,,to ,,men1 ,,women
 ,,and ,,gods4   ,,nothing gives me more
 pleasure1 nothing gives greater promise
 for the future1 than the fact that     
woman is achieving intellectual and     
physical liberty4  ,it is refreshing to 
know that here1 in our country1 there   
are thousands of women who think1 and   
express their thoughts--who are         
thoroughly free and thoroughly          
conscientious--who have neither been    
narrowed nor corrupted by a heartless   

creed--who do not worship a being in    
heaven whom they would shudderingly     
loathe on earth--women who do not stand 
before the altar of a cruel faith1 with 
downcast eyes of timid acquiescence1 and
 pay to impudent authority the tribute  
of a thoughtless yes4 ,they are no      
longer satisfied with being told4 ,they 
examine for themselves4 ,they have      
ceased to be the prisoners of           
society--the satisfied serfs of         
husbands1 or the echoes of priests4     
,they demand the rights that naturally  
belong to intelligent human beings4 ,if 
wives1 they wish to be the equals of    
husbands4 ,if mothers1 they wish to rear
 their children in the atmosphere of    
love1 liberty and philosophy4 ,they     
believe that woman can discharge all her
 duties without the aid of superstition1
 and preserve all that is true1 pure1   
and tender1 without sacrificing in the  
temple of absurdity the convictions of  
the soul4  ,woman is not the            
intellectual inferior of man4 ,she has  

lacked1 not mind1 but opportunity4 ,in  
the long night of barbarism1 physical   
strength and the cruelty to use it1 were
 the badges of superiority4 ,muscle was 
more than mind4 ,in the ignorant age of 
,faith1 the loving nature of woman was  
abused4 ,her conscience was rendered    
morbid and diseased4 ,it might almost be
 said that she was betrayed by her own  
virtues4 ,at best she secured1 not      
opportunity1 but flattery--the preface  
to degradation4 ,she was deprived of    
liberty1 and without that1 nothing is   
worth the having4 ,she was taught to    
obey without question1 and to believe   
without thought4 ,there were            
universities for men before the alphabet
 had been taught to women4 ,at the      
intellectual feast1 there were no places
 for wives and mothers4 ,even now they  
sit at the second table and eat the     
crusts and crumbs4 ,the schools for     
women1 at the present time1 are just far
 enough behind those for men1 to fall   
heirs to the discarded2 on the same     

principle that when a doctrine becomes  
too absurd for the pulpit1 it is given  
to the ,sunday-school4  ,the ages of    
muscle and miracle--of fists and        
faith--are passing away4 ,minerva       
occupies at last a higher niche than    
,hercules4 ,now a word is stronger than 
a blow4 ,at last we see women who depend
 upon themselves--who stand1 self       
poised1 the shocks of this sad world1   
without leaning for support against a   
church--who do not go to the literature 
of barbarism for consolation1 or use the
 falsehoods and mistakes of the past for
 the foundation of their hope--women    
brave enough and tender enough to meet  
and bear the facts and fortunes of this 
world4  ,the men who declare that woman 
is the intellectual inferior of man1 do 
not1 and cannot1 by offering themselves 
in evidence1 substantiate their         
declaration4  ,yet1 ,i must admit that  
there are thousands of wives who still  
have faith in the saving power of       
superstition--who still insist on       

attending church while husbands prefer  
the shores1 the woods1 or the fields4   
,in this way1 families are divided4     
,parents grow apart1 and unconsciously  
the pearl of greatest price is thrown   
away4 ,the wife ceases to be the        
intellectual companion of the husband4  
,she reads ,the ,christian ,register1   
sermons in the ,monday papers1 and a    
little gossip about folks and fashions1 
while he studies the works of ,darwin1  
,haeckel1 and ,humboldt4 ,their         
sympathies become estranged4 ,they are  
no longer mental friends4 ,the husband  
smiles at the follies of the wife1 and  
she weeps for the supposed sins of the  
husband4 ,such wives should read this   
book4 ,they should not be satisfied to  
remain forever in the cradle of thought1
 amused with the toys of superstition4  
,the parasite of woman is the priest4   
,it must also be admitted that there are
 thousands of men who believe that      
superstition is good for women and      
children--who regard falsehood as the   

fortress of virtue1 and feel indebted to
 ignorance for the purity of daughters  
and the fidelity of wives4 ,these men   
think of priests as detectives in       
disguise1 and regard ,god as a policeman
 who prevents elopements4 ,their        
opinions about religion are as correct  
as their estimate of woman4  ,the church
 furnishes but little food for the mind4
 ,people of intelligence are growing    
tired of the platitudes of the          
pulpit--the iterations of the           
itinerants4 ,the average sermon is as   
tedious as a twice told tale vexing the 
ears of a drowsy man4  ,one ,sunday a   
gentleman1 who is a great inventor1     
called at my house4 ,only a few words   
had passed between us1 when he arose1   
saying that he must go as it was time   
for church4 ,wondering that a man of his
 mental wealth could enjoy the          
intellectual poverty of the pulpit1 ,i  
asked for an explanation1 and he gave me
 the following3 ,you know that ,i am an 
inventor4 ,well1 the moment my mind     

becomes absorbed in some difficult      
problem1 ,i am afraid that something may
 happen to distract my attention4 ,now1 
,i know that ,i can sit in church for an
 hour without the slightest danger of   
having the current of my thought        
disturbed4  ,most women cling to the    
,bible because they have been taught    
that to give up that book is to give up 
all hope of another life--of ever       
meeting again the loved and lost4 ,they 
have also been taught that the ,bible is
 their friend1 their defender1 and the  
real civilizer of man4  ,now1 if they   
will only read this book--these three   
lectures1 without fear1 and then read   
the ,bible1 they will see that the truth
 or falsity of the dogma of inspiration 
has nothing to do with the question of  
immortality4 ,certainly the ,old        
,testament does not teach us that there 
is another life1 and upon that question 
even the ,new is obscure and vague4 ,the
 hunger of the heart finds only a few   
small and scattered crumbs4 ,there is   

nothing definite1 solid1 and satisfying4
 ,united with the idea of immortality we
 find the absurdity of the resurrection4
 ,a prophecy that depends for its       
fulfillment upon an impossibility1      
cannot satisfy the brain or heart4      
,there are but few who do not long for a
 dawn beyond the night4 ,and this       
longing is born of and nourished by the 
heart4 ,love wrapped in shadow--bending 
with tear-filled eyes above its dead1   
convulsively clasps the outstretched    
hand of hope4  ,i had the pleasure of   
introducing ,miss ,gardener to her first
 audience1 and in that introduction said
 a few words that ,i will repeat4  ,we  
do not know1 we cannot say1 whether     
death is a wall or a door2 the beginning
 or end of a day2 the spreading of      
pinions to soar1 or the folding forever 
of wings2 the rise or the set of a sun1 
or an endless life that brings the      
rapture of love to every one4  ,under   
the seven-hued arch of hope let the dead
 sleep4  ,they will also discover1 as   

they read the ,sacred ,volume1 that it  
is not the friend of woman4 ,they will  
find that the writers of that book1 for 
the most part1 speak of woman as a poor 
beast of burden1 a serf1 a drudge1 a    
kind of necessary evil--as mere         
property4 ,surely1 a book that upholds  
polygamy is not the friend of wife and  
mother4  ,even ,christ did not place    
woman on an equality with man4 ,he said 
not one word about the sacredness of    
home1 the duties of the husband to the  
wife--nothing calculated to lighten the 
hearts of those who bear the saddest    
burdens of this life4  ,they will also  
find that the ,bible has not civilized  
mankind4 ,a book that establishes and   
defends slavery and wanton war is not   
calculated to soften the hearts of those
 who believe implicitly that it is the  
work of ,god4 ,a book that not only     
permits1 but commands1 religious        
persecution1 has not1 in my judgment1   
developed the affectional nature of man4
 ,its influence has been bad and bad    

only4 ,it has filled the world with     
bitterness1 revenge and crime1 and      
retarded in countless ways the progress 
of our race4  ,the writer of this volume
 has read the ,bible with open eyes4    
,the mist of sentimentality has not     
clouded her vision4 ,she has had the    
courage to tell the result of her       
investigations4 ,she has been quick to  
discover contradictions4 ,she           
appreciates the humorous side of the    
stupidly solemn4 ,her heart protests    
against the cruel1 and her brain rejects
 the childish1 the unnatural and absurd4
 ,there is no misunderstanding between  
her head and heart4 ,she says what she  
thinks1 and feels what she says4  ,no   
human being can answer her arguments4   
,there is no answer4 ,all the priests in
 the world cannot explain away her      
objections4 ,there is no explanation4   
,they should remain dumb1 unless they   
can show that the impossible is the     
probable--that slavery is better than   
freedom--that polygamy is the friend of 

woman--that the innocent can justly     
suffer for the guilty1 and that to      
persecute for opinion's sake is an act  
of love and worship4  ,wives who cease  
to learn--who simply forget and         
believe--will fill the evening of their 
lives with barren sighs and bitter      
tears4  ,the mind should outlast youth4 
,if when beauty fades1 ,thought1 the    
deft and unseen sculptor1 hath not left 
his subtle lines upon the face1 then all
 is lost4 ,no charm is left4 ,the light 
is out4 ,there is no flame within to    
glorify the wrinkled clay4  ,hoffman    
,house1 ,new ,york1 ,july1 #bb1 #ahhe4  
,,preface ,,to ,,for ,,her ,,daily      
,,bread4   ,i ,,have read1 this story1  
this fragment of a life mingled with    
fragments of other lives1 and have been 
pleased1 interested1 and instructed4 ,it
 is filled with the pathos of truth1 and
 has in it the humor that accompanies   
actual experience4 ,it has but little to
 do with the world of imagination2      
certain feelings are not attributed to  

persons born of fancy1 but it is the    
history of a heart and brain interested 
in the common things of life4 ,there are
 no kings1 no lords1 no titled ladies1  
but there are real people1 the people of
 the shop and street whom every reader  
knows1 and there are lines intense and  
beautiful1 and scenes that touch the    
heart4 ,you will find no theories of    
government1 no hazy outlines of reform1 
nothing but facts and folks1 as they    
have been1 as they are1 and probably    
will be for many centuries to come4  ,if
 you read this book you will be         
convinced that men and women are good or
 bad1 charitable or heartless1 by reason
 of something within1 and not by virtue 
of any name they bear1 or any trade or  
profession they follow1 or of any creed 
they may accept4 ,you will also find    
that men sometimes are honest and mean2 
that women may be very virtuous and very
 cruel2 that good1 generous and         
sympathetic men are often disreputable1 
and that some exceedingly worthy        

citizens are extremely mean and         
uncomfortable neighbors4  ,it takes a   
great deal of genius and a good deal of 
selfdenial to be very bad or to be very 
good4 ,few people understand the amount 
of energy1 industry1 and self-denial it 
requires to be consistently vicious4    
,people who have a pride in being good  
and fail1 and those who have a pride in 
being bad and fail1 in order to make    
their records consistent generally rely 
upon hypocrisy4 ,the people that live   
and hope and fear in this book1 are much
 like the people who live and hope and  
fear in the actual world4 ,the professor
 is much like the professor in the      
ordinary college4 ,you will find the    
conscientious1 half-paid teacher1 the   
hopeful poor1 the anxious rich1 the true
 lover1 the stingy philanthropist1 who  
cares for people only in the            
aggregate1--the individual atom being   
too small to attract his notice or to   
enlist his heart2 the sympathetic man   
who loves himself1 and gives1 not for   

the sake of the beggar1 but for the sake
 of getting rid of the beggar1 and you  
will also find the man generous to a    
fault--with the money of others4 ,and   
the reader will find these people       
described naturally1 truthfully and     
without exaggeration1 and he will feel  
certain that all these people have      
really lived4  ,the reader of this story
 will get some idea as to what is       
encountered by a girl in an honest      
effort to gain her daily bread4 ,he will
 find how steep1 how devious and how    
difficult is the path she treads4       
,there are so few occupations open to   
woman1 so few things in which she can   
hope for independence1 that to be thrown
 upon her own resources is almost       
equivalent to being cast away4 ,besides1
 she is an object of continual          
suspicion1 watched not only by men but  
by women4 ,if she does anything that    
other women are not doing1 she is at    
once suspected1 her reputation is       
touched1 and other women1 for fear of   

being stained themselves1 withdraw not  
only the hand of help1 but the smile of 
recognition4 ,a young woman cannot      
defend herself without telling the      
charge that has been made against her4  
,this1 of itself1 gives a kind of       
currency to slander4 ,to speak of the   
suspicion that has crawled across her   
path1 is to plant the seeds of doubt in 
other minds2 to even deny it1 admits    
that it exists4 ,to be suspected1 that  
is enough4 ,there is no way of          
destroying this suspicion4 ,there is no 
court in which suspicions are tried2 no 
juries that can render verdicts of not  
guilty4 ,most women are driven at last  
to the needle1 and this does not allow  
them to live2 it simply keeps them from 
dying4  ,it is hard to appreciate the   
dangers and difficulties that lie in    
wait for woman4 ,even in this ,christian
 country of ours1 no girl is safe in the
 streets of any city after the sun has  
gone down4 ,after all1 the sun is the   
only god that has ever protected woman4 

,in the darkness she has been the prey  
of the wild beast in man4  ,nearly all  
charitable people1 so-called1 imagine   
that nothing is easier than to obtain   
work4 ,they really feel that anybody1 no
 matter what his circumstances may be1  
can get work enough to do if he is only 
willing to do the work4 ,they cannot    
understand why any healthy human being  
should lack food or clothes4 ,meeting   
the unfortunate and the wretched in the 
streets of the great city1 they ask them
 in a kind of wondering way1 why they do
 not go to the ,west1 why they do not   
cultivate the soil1 and why they are so 
foolish1 stupid1 and reckless as to     
remain in the town4 ,it would be just as
 sensible to ask a beggar why he does   
not start a bank or a line of           
steamships1 as to ask him why he does   
not cultivate the soil1 or why he does  
not go to the ,west4 ,the man has no    
money to pay his fare1 and if his fare  
were paid he would be1 when he landed in
 the ,west1 in precisely the same       

condition as he was when he left the    
,east4 ,societies and institutions and  
individuals supply the immediate wants  
of the hungry and the ragged1 but they  
afford only the relief of the moment4   
,articles by the thousand have been     
written for the purpose of showing that 
women should become servants in houses1 
and the writers of these articles are   
filled with astonishment that any girl  
should hesitate to enter domestic       
service4 ,they tell us that nearly every
 family needs a good cook1 a good       
chambermaid1 a good sweeper of floors   
and washer of dishes1 a good stout girl 
to carry the baby and draw the wagon1   
and these good people express the       
greatest astonishment that all girls are
 not anxious to become domestics4 ,they 
tell them that they will be supplied    
with good food1 that they will have     
comfortable beds and warm clothing1 and 
they ask1 ,what more do you want8 ,these
 people have not1 however1 solved the   
problem4 ,if girls1 as a rule1 keep away

 from kitchens and chambers1 if they    
hate to be controlled by other women1   
there must be a reason4 ,when we see a  
young woman prefer a clerkship in a     
store1--a business which keeps her upon 
her feet all day1 and sends her to her  
lonely room1 filled with weariness and  
despair1 and when we see other girls who
 are willing to sew for a few cents a   
day rather than become the maid of my   
lady1 there must be some reason1 and    
this reason must be deemed sufficient by
 the persons who are actuated by it4    
,what is it8  ,every human being        
imagines that the future has something  
in store for him4 ,it is natural to     
build these castles in ,spain4 ,it is   
natural for a girl to dream of being    
loved by the noble1 by the superb1 and  
it is natural for the young man to dream
 of success1 of a home1 of a good1 a    
beautiful and loving wife4 ,these dreams
 are the solace of poverty2 they keep   
back the tears in the eyes of the young 
and the hungry4 ,to engage in any labor 

that degrades1 in any work that leaves a
 stain1 in any business the mention of  
which is liable to redden the cheek1    
seems to be a destruction of the        
foundation of hope1 a destruction of the
 future2 it seems to be a crucifixion of
 his or her better self4 ,it            
assassinates the ideal4  ,it may be said
 that labor is noble1 that work is a    
kind of religion1 and whoever says this 
tells the truth1 ,but after all1 what   
has the truth to do with this question8 
,what is the opinion of society8--,what 
is the result8 ,it cures no wound to say
 that it was wrongfully inflicted4 ,the 
opinion of sensible people is one way1  
the action of society is inconsistent   
with that opinion4 ,domestic servants   
are treated as though their employment  
was and is a degradation4 ,bankers1     
merchants1 professional men1 ministers  
of the gospel1 do not want their sons to
 become the husbands of chambermaids and
 cooks4 ,small hands are beautiful2 they
 do not tell of labor4  ,i have given   

one reason2 there is another4 ,the work 
of a domestic is never done4 ,she is    
liable to be called at any moment1 day  
or night4 ,she has no time that she can 
call her own4 ,a woman who works by the 
piece can take a little rest2 if she is 
a clerk she has certain hours of labor  
and the rest of the day is her own4     
,and there is still another reason that 
,i almost hate to give1 and that is     
this3 ,as a rule1 woman is exacting with
 woman4 ,as a rule1 woman does not treat
 woman as well as man treats man1 or as 
well as man treats woman4 ,there are    
many other reasons1 but ,i have given   
enough4  ,for many years1 women have    
been seeking employment other than that 
of domestic service4 ,they have so hated
 this occupation1 that they have sought 
in every possible direction for other   
ways to win their bread4 ,at last       
hundreds of employments are open to     
them1 and1 as a consequence1 domestic   
servants are those who can get nothing  
else to do4  ,in the olden time1        

servants sat at the table with the      
family2 they were treated something like
 human beings1 harshly enough to be     
sure1 but in many cases almost as       
equals4 ,now the kitchen is far away    
from the parlor4 ,it is another world1  
occupied by individuals of a different  
race4 ,there is no bond of sympathy--no 
common ground4 ,this is especially true 
in a ,republic4 ,in the ,old ,world1    
people occupying menial places account  
for their positions by calling attention
 to the laws--to the hereditary nobility
 and the universal spirit of caste4     
,here1 there are no such excuses4 ,all  
are supposed to have equal              
opportunities1 and those who are        
compelled to labor for their daily      
bread1 in avocations that require only  
bodily strength1 are regarded as        
failures4 ,it is this fact that stabs   
like a knife4 ,and yet in the conclusion
 drawn1 there is but little truth4 ,some
 of the noblest and best pass their     
lives in daily drudgery and             

unremunerative toil--while many of the  
mean1 vicious and stupid reach place and
 power4  ,this story is filled with     
sympathy for the destitute1 for the     
struggling1 and tends to keep the star  
of hope above the horizon of the        
unfortunate4 ,after all1 we know but    
little of the world1 and have but a     
faint conception of the burdens that are
 borne1 and of the courage and heroism  
displayed by the unregarded poor4 ,let  
the rich read these pages2 they will    
have a kinder feeling toward those who  
toil2 let the workers read them1 and    
they will think better of themselves4   
,,preface ,,to ,,agnosticism ,,and      
,,other ,,essays4   ,i4  ,,edgar        
,,fawcett--a great poet1 a metaphysician
 and logician--has been for years       
engaged in exploring that strange world 
wherein are supposed to be the springs  
of human action4 ,he has sought for     
something back of motives1 reasons1     
fancies1 passions1 prejudices1 and the  
countless tides and tendencies that     

constitute the life of man4  ,he has    
found some of the limitations of mind1  
and knows that beginning at that        
luminous centre called consciousness1 a 
few short steps bring us to the prison  
wall where vision fails and all light   
dies4 ,beyond this wall the eternal     
darkness broods4 ,this gloom is the     
other world of the supernaturalist4     
,with him1 real vision begins where the 
sight fails4 ,he reverses the order of  
nature4 ,facts become illusions1 and    
illusions the only realities4 ,he       
believes that the cause of the image1   
the reality1 is behind the mirror4  ,a  
few centuries ago the priests said to   
their followers3 ,the other world is    
above you2 it is just beyond where you  
see4 ,afterward1 the astronomer with his
 telescope looked1 and asked the        
priests3 ,where is the world of which   
you speak8 ,and the priests replied3 ,it
 has receded--it is just beyond where   
you see4  ,as long as there is a beyond1
 there is room for the priests' world4  

,theology is the geography of this      
beyond4  ,between the ,christian and the
 ,agnostic there is the difference of   
assertion and question--between ,there  
is a ,god and ,is there a ,god8 ,the    
,agnostic has the arrogance to admit his
 ignorance1 while the ,christian from   
the depths of humility impudently       
insists that he knows4  ,mr4 ,fawcett   
has shown that at the root of religion  
lies the coiled serpent of fear1 and    
that ceremony1 prayer1 and worship are  
ways and means to gain the assistance or
 soften the heart of a supposed deity4  
,he also shows that as man advances in  
knowledge he loses confidence in the    
watchfulness of ,providence and in the  
efficacy of prayer4   ,,ii4  ,,science4 
,the savage is certain of those things  
that cannot be known4 ,he is acquainted 
with origin and destiny1 and knows      
everything except that which is useful4 
,the civilized man1 having outgrown the 
ignorance1 the arrogance1 and the       
provincialism of savagery1 abandons the 

vain search for final causes1 for the   
nature and origin of things4  ,in nearly
 every department of science man is     
allowed to investigate1 and the         
discovery of a new fact is welcomed1    
unless it threatens some creed4  ,of    
course there can be no advance in a     
religion established by infinite wisdom4
 ,the only progress possible is in the  
comprehension of this religion4  ,for   
many generations1 what is known under a 
vast number of disguises and behind many
 masks as the ,christian religion1 has  
been propagated and preserved by the    
sword and bayonet--that is to say1 by   
force4 ,the credulity of man has been   
bribed and his reason punished4 ,those  
who believed without the slightest      
question1 and whose faith held evidence 
in contempt1 were saints2 those who     
investigated were dangerous1 and those  
who denied were destroyed4  ,every      
attack upon this religion has been made 
in the shadow of human and divine       
hatred--in defiance of earth and heaven4

 ,at one time ,christendom was beneath  
the ignorant feet of one man1 and those 
who denied his infallibility were       
heretics and ,atheists4 ,at last1 a     
protest was uttered4 ,the right of      
conscience was proclaimed1 to the extent
 of making a choice between the         
infallible man and the infallible book4 
,those who rejected the man and accepted
 the book became in their turn as       
merciless1 as tyrannical and heartless1 
as the followers of the infallible man4 
,the ,protestants insisted that an      
infinitely wise and good ,god would not 
allow criminals and wretches to act as  
his infallible agents4  ,afterward1 a   
few protested against the infallibility 
of the book1 using the same arguments   
against the book that had formerly been 
used against the pope4 ,they said that  
an infinitely wise and good ,god could  
not be the author of a cruel and        
ignorant book4 ,but those who protested 
against the book fell into substantially
 the same error that had been fallen    

into by those who had protested against 
the man4 ,while they denounced the book1
 and insisted that an infinitely wise   
and good being could not have been its  
author1 they took the ground that an    
infinitely wise and good being was the  
creator and governor of the world4      
,then was used against them the same    
argument that had been used by the      
,protestants against the pope and by the
 ,deists against the ,protestants4      
,attention was called to the fact that  
,nature is as cruel as any pope or any  
book--that it is just as easy to account
 for the destruction of the ,canaanites 
consistently with the goodness of       
,jehovah as to account for pestilence1  
earthquake1 and flood consistently with 
the goodness of the ,god of ,nature4    
,the ,protestant and ,deist both used   
arguments against the ,catholic that    
could in turn be used with equal force  
against themselves4 ,so that there is no
 question among intelligent people as to
 the infallibility of the pope1 as to   

the inspiration of the book1 or as to   
the existence of the ,christian's       
,god--for the conclusion has been       
reached that the human mind is incapable
 of deciding as to the origin and       
destiny of the universe4  ,for many     
generations the mind of man has been    
traveling in a circle4 ,it accepted     
without question the dogma of a ,first  
,cause--of the existence of a           
,creator--of an ,infinite ,mind back of 
matter1 and sought in many ways to      
define its ignorance in this behalf4    
,the most sincere worshipers have       
declared that this being is             
incomprehensible1--that he is without   
body1 parts1 or passions--that he is    
infinitely beyond their grasp1 and at   
the same time have insisted that it was 
necessary for man not only to believe in
 the existence of this being1 but to    
love him with all his heart4            
,christianity having always been in     
partnership with the state1--having     
controlled kings and nobles1 judges and 

legislators--having been in partnership 
with armies and with every form of      
organized destruction1--it was dangerous
 to discuss the foundation of its       
authority4 ,to speak lightly of any     
dogma was a crime punishable by death4  
,every absurdity has been bastioned and 
barricaded by the power of the state4   
,it has been protected by fist1 by club1
 by sword and cannon4  ,for many years  
,christianity succeeded in substantially
 closing the mouths of its enemies1 and 
lived and flourished only where         
investigation and discussion were       
prevented by hypocrisy and bigotry4 ,the
 church still talks about evidence1     
about reason1 about freedom of          
conscience and the liberty of speech1   
and yet denounces those who ask for     
evidence1 who appeal to reason1 and who 
honestly express their thoughts4        
,to-day we know that the miracles of    
,christianity are as puerile and false  
as those ascribed to the medicine-men of
 ,central ,africa or the ,fiji          

,islanders1 and that the sacred         
,scriptures have the same claim to      
inspiration that the ,koran has1 or the 
,book of ,mormon--no less1 no more4     
,these questions have been settled and  
laid aside by free and intelligent      
people4 ,they have ceased to excite     
interest2 and the man who now really    
believes in the truth of the ,old       
,testament is regarded with a smile--   
looked upon as an aged child--still     
satisfied with the lullabys and toys of 
the cradle4   ,,iii4  ,,morality4  ,it  
is contended that without religion--that
 is to say1 without ,christianity--all  
ideas of morality must of necessity     
perish1 and that spirituality and       
reverence will be lost4  ,what is       
morality8  ,is it to obey without       
question1 or is it to act in accordance 
with perceived obligation8 ,is it       
something with which intelligence has   
nothing to do8 ,must the ignorant child 
carry out the command of the wise       
father--the rude peasant rush to death  

at the request of the prince8  ,is it   
impossible for morality to exist where  
the brain and heart are in partnership8 
,is there no foundation for morality    
except punishment threatened or reward  
promised by a superior to an inferior8  
,if this be true1 how can the superior  
be virtuous8 ,cannot the reward and the 
threat be in the nature of things8 ,can 
they not rest in consequences perceived 
by the intellect8 ,how can the existence
 or non-existence of a deity change my  
obligation to keep my hands out of the  
fire8  ,the results of all actions are  
equally certain1 but not equally known1 
not equally perceived4 ,if all men knew 
with perfect certainty that to steal    
from another was to rob themselves1     
larceny would cease4 ,it cannot be said 
too often that actions are good or bad  
in the light of consequences1 and that a
 clear perception of consequences would 
control actions4 ,that which increases  
the sum of human happiness is moral2 and
 that which diminishes the sum of human 

happiness is immoral4 ,blind1           
unreasoning obedience is the enemy of   
morality4 ,slavery is not the friend of 
virtue4 ,actions are neither right nor  
wrong by virtue of what men or gods can 
say--the right or wrong lives in        
results--in the nature of things1       
growing out of relations violated or    
caused4  ,accountability lives in the   
nature of consequences--in their        
absolute certainty--in the fact that    
they cannot be placated1 avoided1 or    
bribed4  ,the relations of human life   
are too complicated to be accurately and
 clearly understood1 and1 as a          
consequence1 rules of action vary from  
age to age4 ,the ideas of right and     
wrong change with the experience of the 
race1 and this change is wrought by the 
gradual ascertaining of consequences--of
 results4 ,for this reason the religion 
of one age fails to meet the standard of
 another1 precisely as the laws that    
satisfied our ancestors are repealed by 
us2 so that1 in spite of all efforts1   

religion itself is subject to gradual   
and perpetual change4  ,the miraculous  
is no longer the basis of morals4 ,man  
is a sentient being--he suffers and     
enjoys4 ,in order to be happy he must   
preserve the conditions of              
well-being--must live in accordance with
 certain facts by which he is           
surrounded4 ,if he violates these       
conditions the result is unhappiness1   
failure1 disease1 misery4  ,man must    
have food1 roof1 raiment1 fireside1     
friends--that is to say1 prosperity2 and
 this he must earn--this he must        
deserve4 ,he is no longer satisfied with
 being a slave1 even of the ,infinite4  
,he wishes to perceive for himself1 to  
understand1 to investigate1 to          
experiment2 and he has at last the      
courage to bear the consequences that he
 brings upon himself4 ,he has also found
 that those who are the most religious  
are not always the kindest1 and that    
those who have been and are the         
worshipers of ,god enslave their        

fellow-men4 ,he has found that there is 
no necessary connection between religion
 and morality4  ,morality needs no      
supernatural assistance--needs neither  
miracle nor pretence4 ,it has nothing to
 do with awe1 reverence1 credulity1 or  
blind1 unreasoning faith4 ,morality is  
the highway perceived by the soul1 the  
direct road1 leading to success1 honor1 
and happiness4  ,the best thing to do   
under the circumstances is moral4  ,the 
highest possible standard is human4 ,we 
put ourselves in the places of others4  
,we are made happy by the kindness of   
others1 and we feel that a fair exchange
 of good actions is the wisest and best 
commerce4 ,we know that others can make 
us miserable by acts of hatred and      
injustice1 and we shrink from inflicting
 the pain upon others that we have felt 
ourselves2 this is the foundation of    
conscience4  ,if man could not suffer1  
the words right and wrong could never   
have been spoken4  ,the ,agnostic1 the  
,infidel1 clearly perceives the true    

basis of morals1 and1 so perceiving1 he 
knows that the religious man1 the       
superstitious man1 caring more for ,god 
than for his fellows1 will sacrifice his
 fellows1 either at the supposed command
 of his ,god1 or to win his approbation4
 ,he also knows that the religionist has
 no basis for morals except these       
supposed commands4 ,the basis of        
morality with him lies not in the nature
 of things1 but in the caprice of some  
deity4 ,he seems to think that1 had it  
not been for the ,ten ,commandments1    
larceny and murder might have been      
virtues4   ,,iv4  ,,spirituality4  ,what
 is it to be spiritual8  ,is this fine  
quality of the mind destroyed by the    
development of the brain8 ,as the domain
 wrested by science from ignorance      
increases--as island after island and   
continent after continent are           
discovered--as star after star and      
constellation after constellation in the
 intellectual world burst upon the      
midnight of ignorance1 does the         

spirituality of the mind grow less and  
less8 ,like morality1 is it only found  
in the company of ignorance and         
superstition8 ,is the spiritual man     
honest1 kind1 candid8--or dishonest1    
cruel and hypocritical8 ,does he say    
what he thinks8 ,is he guided by reason8
 ,is he the friend of the right8--the   
champion of the truth8 ,must this       
splendid quality called spirituality be 
retained through the loss of candor8    
,can we not truthfully say that absolute
 candor is the beginning of wisdom8  ,to
 recognize the finer harmonies of       
conduct--to live to the ideal--to       
separate the incidental1 the evanescent1
 from the perpetual--to be enchanted    
with the perfect melody of truth--open  
to the influences of the artistic1 the  
beautiful1 the heroic--to shed kindness 
as the sun sheds light--to recognize the
 good in others1 and to include the     
world in the idea of self--this is to be
 spiritual4  ,there is nothing spiritual
 in the worship of the unknown and      

unknowable1 in the self-denial of a     
slave at the command of a master whom he
 fears4 ,fastings1 prayings1            
mutilations1 kneelings1 and             
mortifications are either the results   
of1 or result in1 insanity4  ,this is   
the spirituality of ,bedlam1 and is of  
no kindred with the soul that finds its 
greatest joy in the discharge of        
obligation perceived4   ,v4             
,,reverence4  ,what is reverence8  ,it  
is the feeling produced when we stand in
 the presence of our ideal1 or of that  
which most nearly approaches it--that   
which is produced by what we consider   
the highest degree of excellence4  ,the 
highest is reverenced1 praised1 and     
admired without qualification4  ,each   
man reverences according to his nature1 
his experience1 his intellectual        
development4 ,he may reverence' ,nero or
 ,marcus ,aurelius1 ,jehovah or ,buddha1
 the author of ,leviticus or            
,shakespeare4 ,thousands of men         
reverence ,john ,calvin1 ,torquemada1   

and the ,puritan fathers2 and some have 
greater respect for ,jonathan ,edwards  
than for ,captain ,kidd4  ,a vast number
 of people have great reverence for     
anything that is covered by mould1 or   
moss1 or mildew4 ,they bow low before   
rot and rust1 and adore the worthless   
things that have been saved by the      
negligence of oblivion4  ,they are      
enchanted with the dull and fading daubs
 of the old masters1 and hold in        
contempt those miracles of art1 the     
paintings of to-day4  ,they worship the 
ancient1 the shadowy1 the mysterious1   
the wonderful4 ,they doubt the value of 
anything that they understand4  ,the    
creed of ,christendom is the enemy of   
morality4 ,it teaches that the innocent 
can justly suffer for the guilty1 that  
consequences can be avoided by          
repentance1 and that in the world of    
mind the great fact known as cause and  
effect does not apply4  ,it is the enemy
 of spirituality1 because it teaches    
that credulity is of more value than    

conduct1 and because it pours contempt  
upon human love by raising far above it 
the adoration of a phantom4  ,it is the 
enemy of reverence4 ,it makes ignorance 
the foundation of virtue4 ,it belittles 
the useful1 and cheapens the noblest of6
 the virtues4 ,it teaches man to live on
 mental alms1 and glorifies the         
intellectual pauper4 ,it holds candor in
 contempt1 and is the malignant foe of  
mental manhood4   ,,vi4  ,,existence    
,,of ,,god4  ,mr4 ,fawcett has shown    
conclusively that it is no easier to    
establish the existence of an infinitely
 wise and good being by the existence of
 what we call good than to establish the
 existence of an infinitely bad being by
 what we call bad4  ,nothing can be     
surer than that the history of this     
world furnishes no foundation on which  
to base an inference that it has been   
governed by infinite wisdom and         
goodness4 ,so terrible has been the     
condition of man1 that religionists in  
all ages have endeavored to excuse ,god 

by accounting for the evils of the world
 by the wickedness of men4 ,and the     
fathers of the ,christian ,church were  
forced to take the ground that this     
world had been filled with briers and   
thorns1 with deadly serpents and with   
poisonous weeds1 with disease and crime 
and earthquake and pestilence and storm1
 by the curse of ,god4  ,the probability
 is that no ,god has cursed1 and that no
 ,god will bless1 this earth4 ,man      
suffers and enjoys according to         
conditions4 ,the sun shines without     
love1 and the lightning blasts without  
hate4 ,man is the ,providence of man4   
,nature gives to our eyes all they can  
see1 to our ears all they can hear1 and 
to the mind what it can comprehend4 ,the
 human race reaps the fruit of every    
victory won on the fields of            
intellectual or physical conflict4 ,we  
have no right to expect something for   
nothing4 ,man will reap no harvest the  
seeds of which he has not sown4  ,the   
race must be guided by intelligence1    

must be free to investigate1 and must   
have the courage and the candor not only
 to state what is known1 but to         
cheerfully admit the limitations of the 
mind4  ,no intelligent1 honest man can  
read what ,mr4 ,fawcett has written and 
then say that he knows the origin and   
destiny of things--that he knows whether
 an infinite ,being exists or not1 and  
that he knows whether the soul of man is
 or is not immortal4  ,in the land      
of--------1 the geography of which is   
not certainly known1 there was for many 
years a great dispute among the         
inhabitants as to which road led to the 
city of ,miragia1 the capital of their  
country1 and known to be the most       
delightful city on the earth4 ,for fifty
 generations the discussion as to which 
road led to the city had been carried on
 with the greatest bitterness1 until    
finally the people were divided into a  
great number of parties1 each party     
claiming that the road leading to the   
city had been miraculously made known to

 the founder of that particular sect4   
,the various parties spent most of their
 time putting up guide-boards on these  
roads and tearing down the guide-boards 
of others4 ,hundreds of thousands had   
been killed1 prisons were filled1 and   
the fields had been ravaged by the hosts
 of war4  ,one day1 a wise man1 a       
patriot1 wishing to bring peace to his  
country1 met the leaders of the various 
sects and asked them whether it was     
absolutely certain that the city of     
,miragia existed4 ,he called their      
attention to the facts that no resident 
of that city had ever visited them and  
that none of their fellow-men who had   
started for the capital had ever        
returned1 and modestly asked whether it 
would not be better to satisfy          
themselves beyond a doubt that there was
 such a city1 adding that the location  
of the city would determine which of all
 the roads was the right one4  ,the     
leaders heard these words with          
amazement4 ,they denounced the speaker  

as a wretch without morality1           
spirituality1 or reverence1 and         
thereupon he was torn in pieces4        
,,preface ,,to ,,faith ,,or ,,fact4   ,i
 ,,like to know the thoughts1 theories  
and conclusions of an honest1           
intelligent man2 candor is always       
charming1 and it is a delight to feel   
that you have become acquainted with a  
sincere soul4  ,i have read this book   
with great pleasure1 not only because ,i
 know1 and greatly esteem the author1   
not only because he is my unwavering    
friend1 but because it is full of good  
sense1 of accurate statement1 of sound  
logic1 of exalted thoughts happily      
expressed1 and for the further reason   
that it is against tyranny1             
superstition1 bigotry1 and every form of
 injustice1 and in favor of every       
virtue4  ,henry ,m4 ,taber1 the author1 
has for many years taken great interest 
in religious questions4 ,he was raised  
in an orthodox atmosphere1 was          
acquainted with many eminent clergymen  

from whom he endeavored to find out what
 ,christianity is--and the facts and    
evidence relied on to establish the     
truth of the creeds4 ,he found that the 
clergy of even the same denomination did
 not agree--that some of them preached  
one way and talked another1 and that    
many of them seemed to regard the creed 
as something to be accepted whether it  
was believed or not4 ,he found that each
 one gave his own construction to the   
dogmas that seemed heartless or         
unreasonable4 ,while some insisted that 
the ,bible was absolutely true and the  
creed without error1 others admitted    
that there were mistakes in the sacred  
volume and that the creed ought to be   
revised4 ,finding these differences     
among the ministers1 the shepherds1 and 
also finding that no one pretended to   
have any evidence except faith1 or any  
facts but assertions1 he concluded to   
investigate the claims of ,christianity 
for himself4  ,for half a century he has
 watched the ebb and flow of public     

opinion1 the growth of science1 the     
crumbling of creeds--the decay of the   
theological spirit1 the waning influence
 of the orthodox pulpit1 the loss of    
confidence in special providence and the
 efficacy of prayer4  ,he has lived to  
see the church on the defensive--to hear
 faith asking for facts--and to see the 
shot and shell of science batter into   
shapelessness the fortresses of         
superstition4 ,he has lived to see      
,infidels1 blasphemers and ,agnostics   
the leaders of the intellectual world4  
,in his time the supernaturalists have  
lost the sceptre and have taken their   
places in the abject rear4  ,fifty years
 ago the orthodox ,christians believed  
their creeds4 ,to them the ,bible was an
 actual revelation from ,god4 ,every    
word was true4 ,moses and ,joshua were  
regarded as philosophers and scientists4
 ,all the miracles and impossibilities  
recorded in the ,bible were accepted as 
facts4 ,credulity was the greatest of   
virtues4 ,everything1 except the        

reasonable1 was believed1 and it was    
considered wickedly presumptuous to     
doubt anything except facts4 ,the       
reasonable things in the ,bible could   
safely be doubted1 but to deny the      
miracles was like the sin against the   
,holy ,ghost4 ,in those days the        
preachers were at the helm4 ,they spoke 
with authority4 ,they knew the origin   
and destiny of the soul4 ,they were on  
familiar terms with the ,trinity--the   
three-headed ,god4 ,they knew the narrow
 path that led to heaven and the great  
highway along which the multitude were  
traveling to the ,prison of ,pain4      
,while these reverend gentlemen were    
busy trying to prevent the development  
of the brain and to convince the people 
that the good in this life were         
miserable1 that virtue wore a crown of  
thorns and carried a cross1 while the   
wicked and ungodly walked in the        
sunshine of joy1 yet that after death   
the wicked would be eternally tortured  
and the good eternally rewarded4        

,according to the pious philosophy the  
good ,god punished virtue1 and rewarded 
vice1 in this world--and in the next1   
rewarded virtue and punished vice4      
,these divine truths filled their hearts
 with holy peace--with pious            
resignation4 ,it would be difficult to  
determine which gave them the greater   
joy--the hope of heaven for themselves1 
or the certainty of hell for their      
enemies4 ,for the grace of ,god they    
were fairly thankful1 but for his       
justice their gratitude was boundless4  
,from the heights of heaven they        
expected to witness the eternal tragedy 
in hell4  ,while these good divines1    
these doctors of divinity1 were busy    
misinterpreting the ,scriptures1 denying
 facts and describing the glories and   
agonies of eternity1 a good many other  
people were trying to find out something
 about this world4 ,they were busy with 
retort and crucible1 searching the      
heavens with the telescope1 examining   
rocks and craters1 reefs and islands1   

studying plant and animal life1         
inventing ways to use the forces of     
nature for the benefit of man1 and in   
every direction searching for the truth4
 ,they were not trying to destroy       
religion or to injure the clergy4 ,many 
of them were members of churches and    
believed the creeds4 ,the facts they    
found were honestly given to the world4 
,of course all facts are the enemies of 
superstition4 ,the clergy1 acting       
according to the instinct of            
self-preservation1 denounced these facts
 as dangerous and the persons who found 
and published them1 as ,infidels and    
scoffers4  ,theology was arrogant and   
bold4 ,science was timid4 ,for some time
 the churches seemed to have the best of
 the controversy4 ,many of the          
scientists surrendered and did their    
best to belittle the facts and patch up 
a cowardly compromise between ,nature   
and ,revelation--that is1 between the   
true and the false4  ,day by day more   
facts were found that could not be      

reconciled with the ,scriptures1 or the 
creeds4 ,neither was it possible to     
annihilate facts by denial4 ,the man who
 believed the ,bible could not accept   
the facts1 and the man who believed the 
facts could not accept the ,bible4 ,at  
first1 the ,bible was the standard1 and 
all facts inconsistent with that        
standard were denied4 ,but in a little  
while science became the standard1 and  
the passages in the ,bible contrary to  
the standard had to be explained or     
given up4 ,great efforts were made to   
harmonize the mistakes in the ,bible    
with the demonstrations of science4 ,it 
was difficult to be ingenious enough to 
defend them both4 ,the pious professors 
twisted and turned but found it hard to 
reconcile the creation of ,adam with the
 slow development of man from lower     
forms4 ,they were greatly troubled about
 the age of the universe4 ,it seemed    
incredible that until about six thousand
 years ago there was nothing in         
existence but ,god--and nothing4 ,and   

yet they tried to save the ,bible by    
giving new meanings to the inspired     
texts1 and casting a little suspicion on
 the facts4  ,this course has mostly    
been abandoned1 although a few          
survivals1 like ,mr4 ,gladstone1 still  
insist there is no conflict between     
,revelation and ,science4 ,but these    
champions of ,holy ,writ succeed only in
 causing the laughter of the intelligent
 and the amazement of the honest4 ,the  
more intelligent theologians confessed  
that the inspired writers could not be  
implicitly believed4 ,as they personally
 know nothing of astronomy or geology   
and were forced to rely entirely on     
inspiration1 it is wonderful that more  
mistakes were not made4 ,so it was      
claimed that ,jehovah cared nothing     
about science1 and allowed the blunders 
and mistakes of the ignorant people     
concerning everything except religion1  
to appear in his supernatural book as   
inspired truths4  ,the ,bible1 they     
said1 was written to teach religion in  

its highest and purest form--to make    
mankind fit to associate with ,god and  
his angels4 ,true1 polygamy was         
tolerated and slavery established1 yet  
,jehovah believed in neither1 but on    
account of the wickedness of the ,jews  
was in favor of both4  ,at the same time
 quite a number of real scholars were   
investigating other religions1 and in a 
little while they were enabled to show  
that these religions had been           
manufactured by men--that their ,christs
 and apostles were myths and that all   
their sacred books were false and       
foolish4 ,this pleased the ,christians4 
,they knew that theirs was the only true
 religion and that their ,bible was the 
only inspired book4  ,the fact that     
there is nothing original in            
,christianity1 that all the dogmas1     
ceremonies and festivals had been       
borrowed1 together with some mouldy     
miracles used as witnesses1 weakened the
 faith of some and sowed the seeds of   
doubt in many minds4 ,but the pious     

petrifactions1 the fossils of faith1    
still clung to their book and creed4    
,while they were quick to see the       
absurdities in other sacred books1 they 
were either unconsciously blind or      
maliciously shut their eyes to the same 
absurdities in the ,bible4 ,they knew   
that ,mohammed was an impostor1 because 
the citizens of ,mecca1 who knew him1   
said he was1 and they knew that ,christ 
was not an impostor1 because the people 
of ,jerusalem who knew him1 said he was4
 ,the same fact was made to do double   
duty4 ,when they attacked other         
religions it was a sword and when their 
religion was attacked it became a       
shield4  ,the men who had investigated  
other religions turned their attention  
to ,christianity4 ,they read our ,bible 
as they had read other sacred books4    
,they were not blinded by faith or      
paralyzed by fear1 and they found that  
the same arguments they had used against
 other religions destroyed our own4     
,but the real old-fashioned orthodox    

ministers denounced the investigators as
 ,infidels and denied every fact that   
was inconsistent with the creed4 ,they  
wanted to protect the young and feeble  
minded4 ,they were anxious about the    
souls of the thoughtless4  ,some        
ministers changed their views just a    
little1 not enough to be driven from    
their pulpits--but just enough to keep  
sensible people from thinking them      
idiotic4 ,these preachers talked about  
the higher criticism and contended that 
it was not necessary to believe every   
word in the ,bible1 that some of the    
miracles might be given up and some of  
the books discarded4 ,but the stupid    
doctors of divinity had the ,bible and  
the creeds on their side and the        
machinery of the churches was in their  
control4 ,they brought some of the      
offending clergymen to the bar1 and had 
them tried for heresy1 made some recant 
and closed the mouths of others4 ,still1
 it was not easy to put the heretics    
down4 ,the congregations of ministers   

found guilty1 often followed the        
shepherds4 ,heresy grew popular1 the    
liberal preachers had good audiences1   
while the orthodox addressed a few      
bonnets1 bibs and benches4  ,for many   
years the pulpit has been losing        
influence and the sacred calling no     
longer offers a career to young men of  
talent and ambition4  ,when people      
believed in special providence1 they    
also believed that preachers had great  
influence with ,god4 ,they were regarded
 as celestial lobbyists and they were   
respected and feared because of their   
supposed power4  ,now no one who has the
 capacity to think1 believes in special 
providence4 ,of course there are some   
pious imbeciles who think that          
pestilence and famine1 cyclone and      
earthquake1 flood and fire are the      
weapons of ,god1 the tools of his trade1
 and that with these weapons1 these     
tools1 he kills and starves1 rends and  
devours1 drowns and burns countless     
thousands of the human race4  ,if ,god  

governs this world1 if he builds and    
destroys1 if back of every event is his 
will1 then he is neither good nor wise1 
,he is ignorant and malicious4  ,a few  
days ago1 in ,paris1 men and women had  
gathered together in the name of        
,charity4 ,the building in which they1  
were assembled took fire and many of    
these men and women perished in the     
flames4  ,a ,french priest called this  
horror an act of ,god4  ,is it not      
strange that ,christians speak of their 
,god as an assassin8  ,how can they love
 and worship this monster who murders1  
his children8  ,intelligence seems to be
 leaving the orthodox church4 ,the great
 divines are growing smaller1 weaker1   
day by day4 ,since the death of ,henry  
,ward ,beecher no man of genius has     
stood in the orthodox pulpit4 ,the      
ministers of intelligence are found in  
the liberal churches where they are     
allowed to express their thoughts and   
preserve their manhood4 ,some of these  
preachers keep their faces toward the   

,east and sincerely welcome the light1  
while their orthodox brethren stand with
 their backs to the sunrise and worship 
the sunset of the day before4  ,during  
these years of change1 of decay and     
growth1 the author of this book looked  
and listened1 became familiar with the  
questions raised1 the arguments offered 
and the results obtained4 ,for his work 
a better man could not have been found4 
,he has no prejudice1 no hatred4 ,he is 
by nature candid1 conservative1 kind and
 just4 ,he does not attack persons4 ,he 
knows the difference between exchanging 
epithets and thoughts4 ,he gives the    
facts as they appear to him and draws   
the logical conclusions4 ,he charges and
 proves that ,christianity has not      
always been the friend of morality1 of  
civil liberty1 of wives and mothers1 of 
free though and honest speech4 ,he shows
 that intolerance is its nature1 that it
 always has1 and always will persecute  
to the extent of its power1 and that    
,christianity will always despise the   

doubter4  ,yet we know that doubt must  
inhabit every finite mind4 ,we know that
 doubt is as natural as hope1 and that  
man is no more responsible for his      
doubts than for the beating of his      
heart4 ,every human being who knows the 
nature of evidence1 the limitations of  
the mind1 must have doubts about gods   
and devils1 about heavens and hells1 and
 must know that there is not the        
slightest evidence tending to show that 
gods and devils ever existed4  ,god is a
 guess4  ,an undesigned designer1 an    
uncaused cause1 is as incomprehensible  
to the human mind as a circle without a 
diameter4  ,the dogma of the ,trinity   
multiplies the difficulty by three4     
,theologians do not1 and cannot believe 
that the authority to govern comes from 
the consent of the governed4 ,they      
regard ,god as the monarch1 and         
themselves as his agents4 ,they always  
have been the enemies of liberty4  ,they
 claim to have a revelation from their  
,god1 a revelation that is the rightful 

master of reason4 ,as long as they      
believe this1 they must be the enemies  
of mental freedom4 ,they do not ask man 
to think1 but command him to obey4  ,if 
the claims of the theologians are       
admitted1 the church becomes the ruler  
of the world1 and to support and obey   
priests will be the business of mankind4
 ,all these theologians claim to have a 
revelation from their ,god1 and yet they
 cannot agree as to what the revelation 
reveals4 ,the other day1 looking from my
 window at the bay of ,new ,york1 ,i saw
 many vessels going in many directions1 
and yet all were moved by the same wind4
 ,the direction in which they were going
 did not depend on the direction of the 
breeze1 but on the set of the sails4 ,in
 this way the same ,bible furnishes     
creeds for all the ,christian sects4    
,but what would we say if the captains  
of the boats ,i saw1 should each swear  
that his boat was the only one that     
moved in the same direction the wind was
 blowing8  ,i agree with ,mr4 ,taber    

that all religions are founded on       
mistakes1 misconceptions and falsehoods1
 and that superstition is the warp and  
woof of every creed4  ,this book will do
 great good4 ,it will furnish arguments 
and facts against the supernatural and  
absurd4 ,it will drive phantoms from the
 brain1 fear from the heart1 and many   
who read these pages will be            
emancipated1 enlightened and ennobled4  
,christianity1 with its ignorant and    
jealous ,god--its loving and revengeful 
,christ--its childish legends--its      
grotesque miracles--its fall of man--its
 atonement--its salvation by faith--its 
heaven for stupidity and its hell for   
genius1 does not and cannot satisfy the 
free brain and the good heart4     ,,the
 ,,grant ,,banquet4  ,chicago1 ,november
 #ac1 #ahgi4   ,,twelfth ,,toast4       
99 ,the meteoric display predicted to   
take place last ,thursday      night did
 not occur1 but there did occur on that 
evening a      display of oratorical    
brilliancy at ,chicago seldom if ever   

surpassed4 ,the speeches at the banquet 
of the ,army of the      ,tennessee1    
taken together1 constitute one of the   
most      remarkable collections of     
extemporaneous eloquence on      record4
 ,the principal speakers of the evening 
were ,gen4 ,u4      ,s4 ,grant1 ,gen4   
,john ,a4 ,logan ,col4 ,win1 ,f4 ,vilas1
 ,gen4      ,stewart ,l4 ,woodford1     
,general ,pope1 ,col4 ,r4 ,g4           
,ingersoll1      ,gen4 ,j4 ,h4 ,wilson1 
and ,mark ,twain4 ,in an oratorical     
tournament ,general ,grant is1 of       
course1 better as a listener      than  
as a talker2 he is a man of deeds rather
 than of words4      ,the same might be 
said of ,general ,sherman1 though1 as   
presiding officer and toast-master of   
the occasion1 his      impromptu remarks
 were always pertinent and keen4 ,his   
advice      to speakers not to talk     
longer than they could hold their       
audience1 and to the auditors not to    
drag out their applause      or to drawl
 out their laughter1 would serve as a   

good      standing rule for all similar 
occasions ,colonel ,ingersoll           
responded to the twelfth toast1 ,the    
,volunteer ,soldiers of      the ,union 
,army1 whose ,valor and ,patriotism     
saved to the      world a ,government of
 the ,people1 by the ,people1 and for   
the      people4       ,colonel         
,ingersoll's position was a difficult   
one4 ,his      reputation as the first  
orator in ,america caused the           
distinguished audience to expect a      
wonderful display of      oratory from  
him4 ,he proved fully equal to the      
occasion and      delivered a speech of 
wonderful eloquence1 brilliancy and     
power4 ,to say it was one of the best he
 ever delivered is      equivalent to   
saying it was one of the best ever      
delivered      by any man1 for few      
greater orators have ever lived than    
,colonel ,ingersoll4 ,the speech is both
 an oration and a poem4      ,it        
bristles with ideas and sparkles with   
epigrammatic      expressions4 ,it is   

full of thoughts that breathe and words 
that burn4 ,the closing sentences read  
like blank verse4 ,it      is wonderful 
oratory1 marvelous eloquence4 ,colonel  
,ingersoll fully sustained his          
reputation as the finest      orator ,in
 ,america4       ,editorial from ,the   
,journal ,indianapolis1 ,ind41 ,november
      #ag1ahgi4       ,the ,inter-,ocean
 remarked yesterday that the gathering  
and      exercises at the ,palmer ,house
 banquet on ,thursday evening           
constituted one of the most remarkable  
occasions known in      the history of  
this country4 ,this was not alone       
because of      the distinguished men   
who lent their presence to the scone2   
they were indeed illustrious2 but they  
only formed a part of      the grand    
picture that must endure while the      
memory of our      great conflict       
survives4 ,to the eminent men assembled 
may be      traced the signal success of
 the affair1 for they gave              
inspiration to the minds and the tongues

 of others2 but it      was the fruit of
 that inspiration that rolled like a    
glad      surprise across the banqueting
 sky1 and made the #acth of             
,november renowned in the calendar of   
days444 ,when ,robert ,g4               
,ingersoll rose after the speech of     
,general ,pope1 to respond      to the  
toast1 ,the ,volunteer ,soldiers1 a     
large part of the      audience rose    
with him1 and the cheering was long and 
loud4      ,colonel ,ingersoll may      
fairly be regarded as the foremost      
orator of ,america1 and there was the   
keenest interest to      hear him after 
all the brilliant speeches that had     
preceded2      and this interest was not
 unnmixed with a fear that he would     
not be able to successfully strive      
against both his own      great         
reputation and the fresh competitors who
 had leaped      suddenly into the      
oratorical arena like mighty gladiators 
and astonished the audience by their    
unexpected eloquence4      ,but         

,ingersoll had not proceeded far when   
the old fire broke      out1 and        
flashing metaphor1 bold denunciation1   
and all the      rich imagery and       
poetical beauty which mark his great    
efforts stood revealed before the       
delighted listeners3 ,long      before  
the last word was uttered1 all doubt as 
to the      ability of the great orator 
to sustain himself had departed1        
and rising to their feet1 the audience  
cheered till the hall      rang with    
shouts4 ,like ,henry1 ,the forest-born  
,demosthenes1      whose thunder shook  
the ,philip of the seas1 ,ingersoll     
still      held the crown within his    
grasp4       ,editorial from ,the       
,inter-,ocean1 ,chicago1 ,november #ae1 
#ahgi4   ,the ,volunteer ,soldiers of   
the ,union ,army1 whose ,valor and      
,patriotism saved to the world a        
,government of the ,people1 by the      
,people1 and for the ,people4  ,,when   
the savagery of the lash1 the barbarism 
of the chain1 and the insanity of       

secession confronted the civilization of
 our country1 the question ,will the    
great ,republic defend itself8 trembled 
on the lips of every lover of mankind4  
,the ,north1 filled with intelligence   
and wealth--children of                 
liberty--marshaled her hosts and asked  
only for a leader4 ,from civil life a   
man1 silent1 thoughtful1 poised and     
calm1 stepped forth1 and with the lips  
of victory voiced the ,nation's first   
and last demand3 ,unconditional and     
immediate surrender4 ,from that 'moment'
 the end was known4 ,that utterance was 
the first real declaration of real war1 
and1 in accordance with the dramatic    
unities of mighty events1 the great     
soldier who made it1 received the final 
sword of the ,rebellion4  ,the soldiers 
of the ,republic were not seekers after 
vulgar glory4 ,they were not animated by
 the hope of plunder or the love of     
conquest4 ,they fought to preserve the  
homestead of liberty and that their     
children might have peace4 ,they were   

the defenders of humanity1 the          
destroyers of prejudice1 the breakers of
 chains1 and in the name of the future  
they slew the monster of their time4    
,they finished what the soldiers of the 
,revolution commenced4 ,they re-lighted 
the torch that fell from their august   
hands and filled the world again with   
light4 ,they blotted from the           
statute-book laws that had been passed  
by hypocrites at the instigation of     
robbers1 and tore with indignant hands  
from the ,constitution that infamous    
clause that made men the catchers of    
their fellow-men4 ,they made it possible
 for judges to be just1 for statesmen to
 be humane1 and for politicians to be   
honest4 ,they broke the shackles from   
the limbs of slaves1 from the souls of  
masters1 and from the ,northern brain4  
,they kept our country on the map of the
 world1 and our flag in heaven4 ,they   
rolled the stone from the sepulchre of  
progress1 and found therein two angels  
clad in shining garments--,nationality  

and ,liberty4  ,the soldiers were the   
saviors of the ,nation2 they were the   
liberators of men4 ,in writing the      
,proclamation of ,emancipation1         
,lincoln1 greatest of our mighty dead1  
whose memory is as gentle as the summer 
air when reapers1 sing amid the gathered
 sheaves1 copied with the pen what      
,grant and his brave comrades wrote with
 swords4  ,grander than the ,greek1     
nobler than the ,roman1 the soldiers of 
the ,republic1 with patriotism as       
shoreless as the air1 battled for the   
rights of others1 for the nobility of   
labor2 fought that mothers might own    
their babes1 that arrogant idleness     
should not scar the back of patient     
toil1 and that our country should not be
 a many-headed monster made of warring  
,states1 but a ,nation1 sovereign1      
great1 and free4  ,blood was water1     
money was leaves1 and life1 was only    
common air until one flag floated over a
 ,republic without a master and without 
a slave4  ,and then was asked the       

question3 ,will a free1 people tax      
themselves to pay a ,nation's debt8     
,the soldiers went home to their waiting
 wives1 to their glad children1 and to  
the girls they loved--they went back-to 
the fields1 the shops1 and mines4 ,they 
had not been demoralized4 ,they had been
 ennobled4 ,they were as honest in peace
 as they had been brave in war4 ,mocking
 at poverty1 laughing at reverses1 they 
made a friend of toil4 ,they said3 ,we  
saved the ,nation's life1 and what is   
life without honor8 ,they worked and    
wrought with all of labor's royal sons  
that every pledge the ,nation gave might
 be redeemed4 ,and their great leader1  
having put a shining band of            
friendship--a girdle of clasped and     
happy hands--around the globe1 comes    
home and finds that every promise made  
in war has now the ring and gleam of    
gold4  ,there is another question       
still3--,will all the wounds of war be  
healed8 ,i answer1 ,yes4 ,the ,southern 
people must submit1--not to the         

dictation of the ,north1 but to the     
,nation's will and to the verdict of    
mankind4 ,they were wrong1 and the time 
will come when they will say that they  
are victors who have been vanquished by 
the right4 ,freedom conquered them1 and 
freedom will cultivate their fields1    
educate their children1 weave for them  
the robes of wealth1 execute their laws1
 and fill their land with happy homes4  
,the soldiers of the ,union saved the   
,south as well as the ,north4 ,they made
 us a ,nation4 ,their victory made us   
free and rendered tyranny in every other
 land as insecure as snow upon          
volcanoes' lips4  ,and now let us drink 
to the volunteers--to those who sleep in
 unknown1 sunken graves1 whose names are
 only in the hearts of those they loved 
and left--of those who only hear in     
happy dreams the footsteps of return4   
,let us drink to those who died where   
lipless famine mocked at want2 to all   
the maimed whose scars give modesty a   
tongue2 to all who dared and gave to    

chance the care and keeping of their    
lives2 to all the living and to all the 
dead1--to ,sherman1 to ,sheridan1 and to
 ,grant1 the laureled soldier of the    
world1 and last1 to ,lincoln1 whose     
loving life1 like a bow of peace1 spans 
and arches all the clouds of war4       
,,thirteen ,,club ,,dinner4       99    
,response of ,col4 ,r4 ,g4 ,ingersoll to
 the sentiment ,the      ,superstitions 
of ,public ,men1 at the regular monthly 
dinner      of the ,thirteen ,club4     
,monday evening1 ,december #ah1 #ahhf4  
,new ,york1 ,december #ac1 #ahhf1       
,,the ,,superstitions ,,of ,,public     
,,men1  ,,mr4 ,,chief ,,ruler-,,and     
,,gentlemen3 ,i suppose that the        
superstition most prevalent with public 
men1 is the idea that they are of great 
importance to the public4 ,as a matter  
of fact1 public men1--that is to say1   
men in office1--reflect the average     
intelligence of the people1 and no more4
 ,a public man1 to be successful1 must  
not assert anything unless it is        

exceedingly popular4 ,and he need not   
deny anything unless everybody is       
against it4 ,usually he has to be like  
the center of the earth1--draw all      
things his way1 without weighing        
anything himself4  ,one of the          
difficulties1 or rather1 one of the     
objections1 to a government republican  
in form1 is this3 ,everybody imagines   
that he is everybody's3 master4 ,and the
 result has been to make most of our    
public men exceedingly conservative in  
the expression of their real opinions4  
,a man1 wishing to be elected to an     
office1 generally agrees with 'most     
everybody he meets4 ,if he meets a      
,prohibitionist1 he says3 ,of course ,i 
am a temperance man4 ,i am opposed to   
all excesses2 my dear friend1 and no one
 knows better than myself the evils that
 have been caused by intemperance4 ,the 
next man happens to keep a saloon1 and  
happens to be quite influential in that 
part of the district1 and the candidate 
immediately says to him3--,the idea that

 these ,prohibitionists can take away   
the personal liberty of the citizen is  
simply monstrous6 ,in a moment after1 he
 is greeted by a ,methodist1 and he     
hastens to say1 that while he does not  
belong to that church himself1 his wife 
does2 that he would gladly be a member1 
but does not feel that he is good       
enough4 ,he tells a ,presbyterian that  
his grandfather was of that faith1 and  
that he was a most excellent man1 and   
laments from the bottom of his heart    
that he himself is not within that fold4
 ,a few moments after1 on meeting a     
skeptic1 he declares1 with the greatest 
fervor1 that reason is the only guide1  
and that he looks forward to the time   
when superstition will be dethroned4 ,in
 other words1 the greatest superstition 
now entertained by public men is1 that  
hypocrisy is the royal road to success4 
,of course1 there are many other        
superstitions1 and one is1 that the     
,democratic party has not outlived its  
usefulness4 ,another is1 that the       

,republican party should have power for 
what it has done1 instead of what it    
proposes to do4  ,in my judgment1 these 
statesmen are mistaken4 ,the people of  
the ,united ,states1 after all1 admire  
intellectual honesty and have respect   
for moral courage4 ,the time has come   
for the old ideas and superstitions in  
politics to be thrown away--not in      
phrase1 not in pretence1 but in fact2   
and the time has come when a man can    
safely rely on the intelligence and     
courage of the ,american people4  ,the  
most significant fact in this world     
to-day1 is1 that in nearly every village
 under the ,american flag the           
school-house is larger than the church4 
,people are beginning to have a little  
confidence in intelligence and in facts4
 ,every public man and every private    
man1 who is actuated in his life by a   
belief in something that no one can     
prove1--that no one can                 
demonstrate1--is1 to that extent1 a     
superstitious man4  ,it may be that ,i  

go further than most of you1 because if 
,i have any superstition1 it is a       
superstition against superstition4 ,it  
seems to me that the first things for   
every man1 whether in or out of office1 
to believe in1--the first things to rely
 on1 are demonstrated facts4 ,these are 
the corner stones1--these are the       
columns that nothing can move1--these   
are the stars that no darkness can      
hide1--these are the true and only      
foundations of belief4  ,beyond the     
truths that have been demonstrated is   
the horizon of the ,probable1 and in the
 world of the ,probable every man has   
the right to guess for himself4 ,beyond 
the region of the ,probable is the      
,possible1 and beyond the ,possible is  
the ,impossible1 and beyond the         
,impossible are the religions of this   
world4 ,my idea is this3 ,any man who   
acts in view of the ,improbable or of   
the ,impossible--that is to say of the  
,supernatural--is a superstitious man4  
,any man who believes that he can add to

 the happiness of the ,infinite1 by     
depriving himself of innocent pleasure1 
is superstitious4 ,any man who imagines 
that he can make some ,god happy1 by    
making himself miserable1 is            
superstitious4 ,any one who thinks he   
can gain happiness in another world1 by 
raising hell with his fellow-men in     
this1 is simply superstitious4 ,any man 
who believes in a ,being of infinite    
wisdom and goodness1 and yet belives    
that that ,being has peopled a world    
with failures1 is superstitious4 ,any   
man who believes that an infinitely wise
 and good ,god would take pains to make 
a man1 intending at the time that the   
man should be eternally damned1 is      
absurdly superstitious4 ,in other words1
 he who believes that there is1 or that 
there can be1 any other religious duty  
than to increase the happiness of       
mankind1 in this world1 now and here1 is
 superstitious4  ,i have known a great  
many private men who were not men of    
genius4 ,i have known some men of genius

 about whom it was kept private1 and ,i 
have known many public men1 and my      
wonder increased the better ,i knew     
them1 that they occupied positions of   
trust and honor4  ,but1 after all1 it is
 the people's fault4 ,they who demand   
hypocrisy must be satisfied with        
mediocrity444 ,our public men will be   
better and greater1 and less            
superstitious1 when the people become   
greater and better and less             
superstitious4 ,there is an old story1  
that we have all heard1 about ,senator  
,nesmith4 ,he was elected a ,senator    
from ,oregon4 ,when he had been in      
,washington a little while1 one of the  
other ,senators said to him3 ,how did   
you feel when you found yourself sitting
 here in the ,united ,states ,senate8   
,he replied3 ,for the first two months1 
,i just sat and wondered how a damned   
fool like me ever1 broke into the       
,senate4 ,since that1 ,i have done      
nothing but wonder how the other fools  
got here4  ,to-day the need of our      

civilization is public men who have the 
courage to speak as they think4 ,we need
 a man for ,president who will not      
publicly thank ,god for earthquakes4 ,we
 need somebody with the courage to say  
that all that happens in nature happens 
without design1 and without reference to
 man2 somebody who will say that the men
 and women killed are not murdered by   
supernatural beings1 and that everything
 that happens in nature1 happens without
 malice and without mercy4 ,we want     
somebody who will have courage enough   
not to charge1 an infinitely good and   
wise ,being with all the cruelties and  
agonies and sufferings of this world4   
,we want such men in public places1--men
 who will appeal to the reason of their 
fellows1 to the highest intelligence of 
the people2 men who will have courage   
enough1 in this the nineteenth century1 
to agree with the conclusions of        
science4 ,we want some man who will not 
pretend to believe1 and who does not in 
fact believe1 the stories that          

,superstition has told to ,credulity4   
,the most important thing in this world 
is the destruction of superstition4     
,superstition interferes with the       
happiness of mankind4 ,superstition is a
 terrible serpent1 reaching in frightful
 coils from heaven to earth and         
thrusting its poisoned fangs into the   
hearts of men4 ,while ,i live1 ,i am    
going to do what little ,i can for the  
destruction of this monster4 ,whatever  
may happen in another world--and ,i will
 take my chances there1--,i am opposed  
to superstition in this4 ,and if1 when  
,i reach that other world1 it needs     
reforming1 ,i shall do what little ,i   
can there for the destruction of the    
false4  ,let me tell you one thing more1
 and ,i am done4 ,the only way to have  
brave1 honest1 intelligent1             
conscientious public men1 men without   
superstition1 is to do what we can to   
make the average citizen brave1         
conscientious and intelligent4 ,if you  
wish to see courage in the presidential 

chair1 conscience upon the bench1       
intelligence of the highest order in    
,congress2 if you expect public men to  
be great enough to reflect honor upon   
the ,republic1 private citizens must    
have the courage and the intelligence to
 elect1 and to sustain1 such men4 ,i    
have said1 and ,i say it again1 that    
never while ,i live will ,i vote for any
 man to be ,president of the ,united    
,states1 no matter if he does belong to 
my party1 who has not won his spurs on  
some field of intellectual conflict4 ,we
 have had enough mediocrity1 enough     
policy1 enough superstition1 enough     
prejudice1 enough provincialism1 and the
 time has come for the ,american citizen
 to say3 ,hereafter ,i will be          
represented by men who are worthy1 not  
only of the great ,republic1 but of the 
,nineteenth ,century4     ,,robson ,,and
 ,,crane ,,dinner4  ,new ,york1         
,november #ba1 #ahhg4       99 ,the     
theatre party and supper given by       
,charles ,p4 ,palmer1      brother of   

,courtlandt ,palmer1 on ,monday evening 
were      unusually attractive in many  
ways4 ,mr ,palmer has recently          
returned from ,europe1 and took this    
opportunity to gather      around him   
his old club associates and friends1 and
 to show      his admiration of the     
acting of ,messrs4 ,robson and ,crane4  
,the appearance of ,mr4 ,palmer's fifty 
guests in the theatre      excited much 
interest in all parts of the house4 ,it 
is not      often that theatre-goers    
have the opportunity of seeing in a     
single row1 ,channcey ,m4 ,depew1 ,gen4 
,william ,t4 ,sherman1 ,gen4            
,horace ,porter and ,robert ,g4         
,ingersoll1 with ,leonard ,jerome       
and his brother ,lawrence1 ,murat       
,halstead and other well-      known men
 in close proximity       ,the supper   
table at ,delmonico's was decorated with
 a lavish      profusion of flowers     
rarely approached even at that famous   
restaurant4       ,mr4 ,palmer was a    
charming host1 full of humor1 jollity   

and      attention to every guest4 ,he  
opened the speaking with a few      apt 
words4 ,then ,stuart ,rodson made some  
witty remarks1 and      called upon     
,william ,h4 ,crane1 whose well-rounded 
speech was      heartily applauded      
,general ,sherman1 ,chauncey ,m4 ,depew1
      ,general ,porter1 ,lawrence       
,jerome and ,colonel ,ingersoll were    
all in their best moods1 and the sallies
 of wit and the      abundance of       
genuine humor in their informal         
addresses kept      their hearers in    
almost continuous laughter4 ,lawrence   
,jerome      was in especially fine     
form4 ,he sang songs1 told stories and  
said3 ,depew and ,ingersoll know so much
 that intelligence      has become a    
drag in the market1 and it's no use to  
tell you      what a good speech ,i     
would have made4 ,j4 ,seaver ,page made 
an uncommonly witty and effective       
speech4 ,murat ,halstead      related   
some reminiscences of his last ,european
 tour and of      his experiences in    

,london with ,lawrence and ,leonard     
,jerome1      which were received with  
shouts of laughter4 ,altogether the     
supper was one to be long remembered by 
all present4--,the      ,tribune1 ,new  
,york1 ,november #bc1 #ahhg2   ,,toast3 
,,comedy ,,and ,,tragedy4  ,i ,,believe 
in the medicine of mirth1 and in what ,i
 might call the longevity of laughter4  
,every man who has caused real1 true1   
honest mirth1 has been a benefactor of  
the human race4 ,in a world like this1  
where there is so much trouble--a world 
gotten up on such a poor plan--where    
sometimes one is almost inclined to     
think that the ,deity1 if there be one1 
played a practical joke--to find1 ,i    
say1 in such a world1 something that for
 the moment allows laughter to triumph  
over sorrow1 is a great piece of good   
fortune4 ,i like the stage1 not only    
because ,general ,sherman likes it--and 
,i do not think ,i was ever at the      
theatre in my life but ,i saw him--,i   
not only like it because ,general       

,washington liked it1 but because the   
greatest man that ever touched this     
grain of sand and tear we call the      
world1 wrote for the stage1 and poured  
out a very ,mississippi of philosophy   
and pathos and humor1 and everything    
calculated to raise and ennoble mankind4
  ,i like to see the stage honored1     
because actors are the ministers1 the   
apostles1 of the greatest man who ever  
lived1 and because they put flesh upon  
and blood and passion within the        
greatest characters that the greatest   
man drew4 ,this is the reason ,i like   
the stage4 ,it makes us human4 ,a rascal
 never gained applause on the stage4 ,a 
hypocrite never commanded admiration1   
not even when he was acting a           
clergyman--except for the naturalness of
 the acting4 ,no one has ever yet seen  
any play in which1 in his heart1 he did 
not applaud honesty1 heroism1 sincerity1
 fidelity1 courage1 and self-denial4    
,never4 ,no man ever heard a great play 
who did not get up a better1 wiser1 and 

more humane man2 and no man ever went to
 the theatre and heard ,robson and      
,crane1 who did not go home             
better-natured1 and treat his family    
that night a little better than on a    
night when he had not heard these       
actors4  ,i enjoy the stage2 ,i always  
did enjoy it4 ,i love the humanity of   
it4 ,i hate solemnity2 it is the brother
 of stupidity--always4 ,you never knew a
 solemn man who was not stupid1 and you 
never will4 ,there never was a man of   
true genius who had not the simplicity  
of a child1 and over whose lips had not 
rippled the river of laughter--never1   
and there never will be4 ,i like1 ,i    
say1 the stage for its wit and for its  
humor4 ,i do not like sarcasm2 ,i do not
 like mean humor4 ,there is as much     
difference between humor and malicious  
wit as there is between a bee's honey   
and a bee's sting1 and the reason ,i    
like ,robson and ,crane is that they    
have the honey without the sting4       
,another thing that makes me glad is1   

that ,i live in an age and generation   
and day that has sense enough to        
appreciate the stage2 sense enough to   
appreciate music2 sense enough to       
appreciate everything that lightens the 
burdens of this life4 ,only a few years 
ago our dear ancestors looked upon the  
theatre as the vestibule of hell2 and   
every actor was going the primrose way  
to the everlasting bonfire4 ,in those   
good old days1 our fathers1 for the sake
 of relaxation1 talked about death and  
graves and epitaphs and worms and       
shrouds and dust and hell4 ,in those    
days1 too1 they despised music1 cared   
nothing for art2 and yet ,i have lived  
long enough to hear the world--that is1 
the civilized world--say that           
,shakespeare wrote the greatest book    
that man has ever read4 ,i have lived   
long enough to see men like ,beethoven  
and ,wagner put side by side with the   
world's greatest men--great in          
imagination--and we must remember that  
imagination makes the great difference  

between men4 ,i have lived long enough  
to see actors placed with the grandest  
and noblest1 side by side with the      
greatest benefactors of the human race4 
,there is one thing in which ,i cannot  
quite agree with what has been said4 ,i 
like tragedy1 because tragedy is only   
the other side of the shield and ,i like
 both sides4 ,i love to spend an evening
 on the twilight boundary line between  
tears and smiles4 ,there is nothing that
 pleases me better than some scene1 some
 act1 where the smile catches the tears 
in the eyes2 where the eyes are almost  
surprised by the smile1 and the smile   
touched and softened by the tears4 ,i   
like that4 ,and the greatest comedians  
and the greatest tragedians have that   
power2 and1 in conclusion1 let me say1  
that it gives me more than pleasure to  
acknowledge the debt of gratitude ,i    
owe1 not only to the stage1 but to the  
actors whose health we drink to-night4  
,,the ,,police ,,captains' ,,dinner4    
,new ,york1 ,january #bd1 #ahhh4        

,,toast3 ,,duties ,,and ,,privileges    
,,of ,,the ,,press4  ,,only a little    
while ago1 the nations of the world were
 ignorant and provincial4 ,between these
 nations there were the walls and       
barriers of language1 of prejudice1 of  
custom1 of race and of religion4 ,each  
little nation had the only perfect form 
of government--the only genuine         
religion--all others being adulterations
 or counterfeits4  ,these nations met   
only as enemies4 ,they had nothing to   
exchange but blows--nothing to give and 
take but wounds4  ,movable type was     
invented1 and civilization was thrust   
into the brain of ,europe on the point  
of a ,moorish lance4 ,the ,moors gave to
 our ancestors paper1 and nearly all    
valuable inventions that were made for a
 thousand years4  ,in a little while1   
books began to be printed--the nations  
began to exchange thoughts instead of   
blows4 ,the classics were translated4   
,these were read1 and those who read    
them began to imitate them--began to    

write themselves2 and in this way there 
was produced in each nation a local     
literature4 ,there came to be an        
exchange of facts1 of theories1 of      
ideas4  ,for many years this was        
accomplished by books1 but after a time 
the newspaper was invented1 and the     
exchange increased4  ,before this1 every
 peasant thought his king the greatest  
being in the world4 ,he compared this   
king--his splendor1 his palace--with the
 peasant neighbor1 with his rags and    
with his hut4 ,all his thoughts were    
provincial1 all his knowledge confined  
to his own neighborhood--the great world
 was to him an unknown land4  ,long     
after papers were published1 the        
circulation was small1 the means of     
intercommunication slow1 painful1 few   
and costly4  ,the same was true in our  
own country1 and here1 too1 was in a    
great degree1 the provincialism of the  
,old ,world4  ,finally1 the means of    
intercommunication increased1 and they  
became plentiful and cheap4  ,then the  

peasant found that he must compare his  
king with the kings of other            
nations--the statesmen of his country   
with the statesmen of others--and these 
comparisons were not always favorable to
 the men of his own country4  ,this     
enlarged his knowledge and his vision1  
and the tendency of this was to make him
 a citizen of the world4  ,here in our  
own country1 a little while ago1 the    
citizen of each ,state regarded his     
,state as the best of all4 ,to love that
 ,state more than all others1 was       
considered the highest evidence of      
patriotism4  ,the ,press finally        
informed him of the condition of other  
,states4 ,he found that other ,states   
were superior to his in many ways--in   
climate1 in production1 in men1 in      
invention1 in commerce and in influence4
 ,slowly he transferred the love of     
,state1 the prejudice of locality--what 
,i call mud patriotism--to the ,nation1 
and he became an ,american in the best  
and highest sense4  ,this1 then1 is one 

of the greatest things to be            
accomplished by the ,press in           
,america--namely1 the unification of the
 country--the destruction of            
provincialism1 and the creation of a    
patriotism broad as the territory       
covered by our flag4  ,the same ideas1  
the same events1 the same news1 are     
carried to millions of homes every day4 
,the result of this is to fix the       
attention of all upon the same things1  
the same thoughts and theories1 the same
 facts--and the result is to get the    
best judgment of a nation4  ,this is a  
great and splendid object1 but not the  
greatest4  ,in ,europe the same thing is
 taking place4 ,the nations are becoming
 acquainted with each other4 ,the old   
prejudices are dying out4 ,the people cf
 each nation are beginning to find that 
they are not the enemies of any other4  
,they are also beginning to suspect that
 where they have no cause of quarrel1   
they should neither be called upon to   
fight1 nor to pay the expenses of war4  

,another thing3 ,the kings and statesmen
 no longer act as they formerly did4    
,once they were responsible only to     
their poor and wretched-subjects1 whose 
obedience they compelled at the point of
 the bayonet4 ,now a king knows1 and his
 minister knows1 that they must give    
account for what they do to the         
civilized world4 ,they know that kings  
and rulers must be tried before the     
great bar of public opinion--a public   
opinion that has been formed by the     
facts given to them in the ,press of the
 world4 ,they do not wish to be         
condemned at that great bar4 ,they seek 
not only not to be condemned--not only  
to be acquitted--but they seek to be    
crowned4 ,they seek the applause1 not   
simply of their own nation1 but of the  
civilized world4  ,there was for        
uncounted centuries a conflict between  
civilization and barbarism4 ,barbarism  
was almost universal1 civilization      
local4 ,the torch of progress was then  
held by feeble hands1 and barbarism     

extinguished it in the blood of its     
founders4 ,but civilizations arose1 and 
kept rising1 one after another1 until   
now the great ,republic holds and is    
able to hold that torch against a       
hostile world4  ,by its invention1 by   
its weapons of war1 by its intelligence1
 civilization became capable of         
protecting itself1 and there came a time
 when in the struggle between           
civilization and barbarism the world    
passed midnight4  ,then came another    
struggle1--the struggle between the     
people and their rulers4  ,most peoples 
sacrificed their liberty through        
gratitude to some great soldier who     
rescued them from the arms of the       
barbarian4 ,but there came a time when  
the people said3 ,we have a right to    
govern ourselves4 ,and that conflict has
 been waged for centuries4  ,and ,i say1
 protected and corroborated by the flag 
of the greatest of all ,republics1 that 
in that conflict the world has passed   
midnight4  ,despotisms were softened by 

parliaments1 by congresses--but at last 
the world is beginning to say3 ,the     
right to govern rests upon the consent  
of the governed4 ,the power comes from  
the people--not from kings4 ,it belongs 
to man1 and should be exercised by man4 
,in this conflict we have passed        
midnight4 ,the world is destined to be  
republican4 ,those who obey the laws    
will make the laws4  ,our country--the  
,united ,states--the great              
,republic--owns the fairest portion of  
half the world4 ,we have now sixty      
millions of free people4 ,look upon the 
map of our country4 ,look upon the great
 valley of the ,mississippi--stretching 
from the ,alleghenies to the ,rockies4  
,see the great basin drained by that    
mighty river4 ,there you will see a     
territory large enough to feed and      
clothe and educate five hundred millions
 of human beings4  ,this country is     
destined to remain as one4 ,the         
,mississippi ,river is ,nature's protest
 against secession and against division4

  ,we call that nation civilized when   
its subjects submit their differences of
 opinion1 in accordance with the forms  
of law1 to fellow-citizens who are      
disinterested and who accept the        
decision as final4  ,the nations1       
however1 sustain no such relation to    
each other4 ,each nation concludes for  
itself4 ,each nation defines its rights 
and its obligations2 and nations will   
not be civilized in respect of their    
relations to each other1 until there    
shall have been established a ,national 
,court to decide differences between    
nations1 to the judgment of which all   
shall bow4  ,it is for the ,press--the  
,press that photographs the human       
activities of every day--the ,press that
 gives the news of the world to each    
individual--to bend its mighty energies 
to the unification and the civilization 
of mankind2 to the destruction of       
provincialism1 of prejudice--to the     
extirpation of ignorance and to the     
creation of a great and splendid        

patriotism that embraces the human race4
  ,the ,press presents the daily        
thoughts of men4 ,it marks the progress 
of each hour1 and renders a relapse into
 ignorance and barbarism impossible4 ,no
 catastrophe can be great enough1 no    
ruin wide-spread enough1 to engulf or   
blot out the wisdom of the world4       
,feeling that it is called to this high 
destiny1 the ,press should appeal only  
to the highest and to the noblest in the
 human heart4  ,it should not be the bat
 of suspicion1 a raven1 hoarse with     
croaking disaster1 a chattering jay of  
gossip1 or a vampire fattening on the   
reputations of men4  ,it should remain  
the eagle1 rising and soaring high in   
the cloudless blue1 above all mean and  
sordid things1 and grasping only the    
bolts and arrows of justice4  ,let the  
,press have the courage always to defend
 the right1 always to defend the        
people--and let it always have the power
 to clutch and strangle any combination 
of men1 however intellectual or cunning 

or rich1 that feeds and fattens on the  
flesh and blood of honest men4  ,in a   
little while1 under our flag there will 
be five hundred millions of people4 ,the
 great ,republic will then dictate to   
the world--that is to say1 it will      
succor the oppressed--it will see that  
justice is done--it will say to the     
great nations that wish to trample upon 
the weak3 ,you must not--you shall      
not--strike4 ,it will be obeyed4  ,all  
,i ask is--all ,i hope is--that the     
,press will always be worthy of the     
great ,republic4     ,,general          
,,grant',s ,,birthday ,,dinner  ,new    
,york1 ,april #bg1 #ahhh4        99 ,the
 tribute at ,delmonico's last night was 
to the man      ,grant as a supreme type
 of the confidence of the ,american     
,republic in its own strength and       
destiny4 ,soldiers over      whose lost 
cause the wheels of a thousand cannons  
rolled1      and whose doctrines were   
ground to dust under the heels of       
conquering legions1 poured out their    

souls at the feet of      the great     
commander4 ,magnanimity1 mercy1         
faith--these were      the themes of    
every orator4 ,christian and ,infidel1  
blue and      gray1 ,republican and     
,democrat talked of ,grant almost as men
      have come to talk of ,washington4 
,and1 alas6 ,in the midst of it all1    
with its soft glow of      lights1 its  
sweet breath of flowers1 its throb of   
music and      bewildering radiance of  
banners1  there was a vacant chair4     
,upon it hung a wreath of green1 tied   
with a knot of white      ribbon4       
,soldier and statesman and orator walked
 past that      chair and seemed to     
reverence it4 ,it was the seat intended 
for the trumpet tongued advocate of     
,grant in war1 ,grant in      victory1  
,grant in peace1 ,grant in              
adversity--the seat of      ,roscoe     
,conkling4 ,a little later and a        
clergyman jostled into      the vacant  
chair and brushed the green circlet to  
the floor4       ,gray and grim old     

,general ,sherman presided4 ,about the  
nine      round1 flower heaped tables   
were grouped the long list of           
distinguisned men from every walk or    
life and from every      section of the 
country4       ,among the speakers was  
,ex-,minister ,edwards ,pierrepont who  
was one of ,grant's cabinet and who made
 a long speech1 part      of which was  
devoted to explaining the court         
etiquette of      dukes and earls and   
ministers in ,england1 and how an ex-   
,president of the ,united ,states ranks 
in ,europe when an      ,american       
,minister helps him out4 ,the rest of   
the speech      seemed to be an attempt 
to get up a presidential boom for       
the ,prince of ,wales4       ,when ,mr4 
,pierrepont sat down1 ,general ,sherman 
explained that      ,col4 ,robert       
,ingersoll did not want to speak1 but a 
group of      gentlemen lifted the      
orator up and carried him forward by    
main force4--,new ,york ,herald1 ,april 
#bh1ahhh4   ,,toast3 ,,general ,,grant  

,,gen4 ,,sherman and ,gentlemen3 ,i     
firmly believe that any nation great    
enough to produce and appreciate a great
 and splendid man is great enough to    
keep his memory green4 ,no man admires  
more than ,i do men who have struggled  
and fought for what they believed to be 
right4 ,i admire ,general ,grant1 as    
well as every soldier who fought in the 
ranks of the ,union1--not simply because
 they were fighters1 not simply because 
they were willing to march to the mouth 
of the guns1 but because they fought for
 the greatest cause that can be         
expressed in human language--the liberty
 of man4 ,and to-night while ,general   
,mahone was speaking1 ,i could not but  
think that the ,north was just as       
responsible for the war as the ,south4  
,the ,south upheld and maintained what  
is known as human slavery1 and the      
,north did the same2 and do you know1 ,i
 have always found in my heart a greater
 excuse for the man who held the slave1 
and lived on his labor1 and profited by 

the rascality1 than ,i did for a        
,northern man that went into partnership
 with him with a distinct understanding 
that he was to have none of the profits 
and half of the disgrace4 ,so ,i say1   
that1 in a larger sense--that is1 when  
we view the question from a philosophic 
height--the ,north was as responsible as
 the ,south2 and when ,i remember that  
in this very city1 in this very city1   
men were mobbed simply for advocating   
the abolition of slavery1 ,i cannot find
 it in my heart to lay a greater blame  
upon the ,south than upon the ,north4   
,if this had been a war of conquest1 a  
war simply for national aggrandizement1 
then ,i should not place ,general ,grant
 side by side with or in advance of the 
greatest commanders of the world4 ,but  
when ,i remember that every blow was to 
break a chain1 when ,i remember that the
 white man was to be civilized at the   
same time the black man was made free1  
when ,i remember that this country was  
to be made absolutely free1 and the flag

 left without a stain1 then ,i say that 
the great ,general who commanded the    
greatest army ever marshaled in the     
defence of human rights1 stands at the  
head of the commanders of this world4   
,there is one other idea1--and it was   
touched upon and beautifully illustrated
 by ,mr4 ,depew4 ,i do not believe that 
a more merciful general than ,grant ever
 drew his sword4 ,all greatness is      
merciful4 ,all greatness longs to       
forgive4 ,all true grandeur and nobility
 is capable of shedding the divine tear 
of pity4  ,let me say one more word in  
that direction4 ,the man in the wrong   
defeated1 and who sees the justice of   
his defeat1 is a victor2 and in this    
view--and ,i say it understanding my    
words fully--the ,south was as          
victorious as the ,north4  ,no man1 in  
my judgment1 is more willing to do      
justice to all parts of this country    
than ,i2 but1 after all1 ,i have a      
little sentiment--a little4 ,i admire   
great and splendid deeds1 the dramatic  

effect of great victories2 but even more
 than that ,i admire that touch of      
nature which makes the whole world kin4 
,i know the names of ,grant's victories4
 ,i know that they shine like stars in  
the heaven of his fame4 ,i know them    
all4 ,but there is one thing in the     
history of that great soldier that      
touched me nearer and more deeply than  
any victory he ever won1 and that is    
this3 ,when about to die1 he insisted   
that his dust should be laid in no spot 
where his wife1 when she sleeps in      
death1 could not lie by his side4 ,that 
tribute to the great and splendid       
institution that rises above all others1
 the institution of the family1 touched 
me even more than the glories won upon  
the fields of war4  ,and now let me say1
 ,general ,sherman1 as the years go by1 
in ,america1 as long as her people are  
great1 as long as her people are free1  
as long as they admire patriotism and   
courage1 as long as they admire deeds of
 self-denial1 as long as they can       

remember the sacred blood shed for the  
good of the whole nation1 the birthday  
of ,general ,grant will be celebrated4  
,and allow me to say1 gentlemen1 that   
there is another with us to-night whose 
birthday will be celebrated4 ,americans 
of the future1 when they read the       
history of ,general ,sherman1 will feel 
the throb and thrill that all men feel  
in the presence of the patriotic and    
heroic4  ,one word more--when ,general  
,grant went to ,england1 when he sat    
down at the table with the ,ministers of
 her ,britannic ,majesty1 he conferred  
honor upon them4 ,there is one change ,i
 wish to see in the diplomatic          
service--and ,i want the example to be  
set by the great ,republic--,i want     
precedence given here in ,washington to 
the representatives of ,republics4 ,let 
us have some backbone ourselves4 ,let   
the representatives of ,republics come  
first and the ambassadors of despots    
come in next day4 ,in other words1 let  
,america be proud of ,american          

institutions1 proud of a ,government by 
the people4 ,we at last have a history1 
we at last are a civilized people1 and  
on the pages of our annals are found as 
glorious names as have been written in  
any language4     ,,lotos ,,club        
,,dinner1 ,,twentieth ,,anniversary4    
,new ,york1 ,march #bb1 #ahij4  ,,you   
have talked so much of old age and gray 
hairs and thin locks1 so much about the 
past1 that ,i feel sad4 ,now1 ,i want to
 destroy the impression that baldness is
 a sign of age4 ,the very youngest      
people ,i ever saw were bald4           
,sometimes ,i think1 and especially when
 ,i am at a meeting where they have what
 they call reminiscences1 that a world  
with death in it is a mistake4 ,what    
would you think of a man who built a    
railroad1 knowing that every passenger  
was to be killed--knowing that there was
 no escape8 ,what would you think of the
 cheerfulness of the passengers if every
 one knew that at some station1 the name
 of which had not been called out1 there

 was a hearse waiting for him2 backed up
 there1 horses fighting flies1 driver   
whistling1 waiting for you8 ,is it not  
wonderful that the passengers on that   
train really enjoy themselves8 ,is it   
not magnificent that every one of them1 
under perpetual sentence of death1 after
 all1 can dimple their cheeks with      
laughter2 that we1 every one doomed to  
become dust1 can yet meet around this   
table as full of joy as spring is full  
of life1 as full of hope as the heavens 
are full of stars8  ,i tell you we have 
got a good deal of pluck4  ,and yet1    
after all1 what would this world be     
without death8 ,it may be from the fact 
that we are all victims1 from the fact  
that we are all bound by common fate2 it
 may be that friendship and love are    
born of that fact2 but ,whatever the    
fact is1 ,i am perfectly satisfied that 
the highest possible philosophy is to   
enjoy to-day1 not regretting yesterday1 
and not fearing to-morrow4 ,so1 let us  
suck this orange of life dry1 so that   

when death does come1 we can politely   
say to him1 ,you are welcome to the     
peelings4 ,what little there was we have
 enjoyed4  ,but there is one splendid   
thing about the play called ,life4      
,suppose that when you die1 that is the 
end4 ,the last thing that you will know 
is that you are alive1 and the last     
thing that will happen to you is the    
curtain1 not falling1 but the curtain   
rising on another thought1 so that as   
far as your consciousness is concerned  
you will and must live forever4 ,no man 
can remember when he commenced1 and no  
man can remember when he ends4 ,as far  
as we are concerned we live both        
eternities1 the one past and the one to 
come1 and it is a delight to me to feel 
satisfied1 and to feel in my own heart1 
that ,i can never be certain that ,i    
have seen the faces ,i love for the last
 time4  ,when ,i am at such a gathering 
as this1 ,i almost wish ,i had had the  
making of the world4 ,what a world ,i   
would have made6 ,in that world         

unhappiness would have been the only    
sin2 melancholy the only crime2 joy the 
only virtue4 ,and whether there is      
another world1 nobody knows4 ,nobody can
 affirm it2 nobody can deny it4 ,nobody 
can collect tolls from me1 claiming that
 he owns a turnpike1 and nobody can     
certainly say that the crooked path that
 ,i follow1 beside which many roses are 
growing1 does not lead to that place4   
,he doesn't know4 ,but if there is such 
a place1 ,i hope that all good fellows  
will be welcome4     ,,manhattan        
,,athletic ,,club ,,dinner4  ,new ,york1
 ,december #bg1 #ahij4   ,,toast3       
,,athletics ,,among ,,the ,,ancients4   
,,the first record of public games is   
found in the twentythird ,book of the   
,iliad4 ,these games were performed at  
the funeral of ,patroclus1 and there    
were3  ,first4 ,a chariot race1 and the 
first prize was3  ,a woman fair1 well   
skilled in household care4  ,second4    
,there was a pugilistic encounter1 and  
the first prize1 appropriately enough1  

was a mule4  ,it gave me great pleasure 
to find that ,homer did not hold in high
 esteem the victor4 ,i have reached this
 conclusion1 because the poet put these 
words in the mouth of ,eppius1 the great
 boxer winding up with the following    
refined declaration concerning his      
opponent3  ,i mean to pound his flesh   
and smash his bones4  ,after the battle1
 the defeated was helped from the field4
 ,he spit forth clotted gore4 ,his head 
rolled from side to side1 until he fell 
unconscious4  ,third1 wrestling2 fourth1
 foot-race2 fifth1 fencing2 sixth1      
throwing the iron mass or bar2 seventh1 
archery1 and last1 throwing the javelin4
  ,all of these games were in honor of  
,patroclus4 ,this is the same ,patroclus
 who1 according to ,shakespeare1        
addressed ,achilles in these words3     
,in the battle-field ,i claim no special
 praise2      ',tis not for man in all  
things to excel--       ,rouse yourself1
 and the weak wanton ,cupid      ,shall 
from your neck unloose his amorous fold1

      ,and1 like a dew-drop from the    
lion's mane1      ,be shook to air4     
,these games were all born of the       
instinct of self-defence4 ,the chariot  
was used in war4 ,man should know the   
use of his hands1 to the end that he may
 repel assault4 ,he should know the use 
of the sword1 to the end that he may    
strike down his enemy4 ,he should be    
skillful with the arrow1 to the same    
end4 ,if overpowered1 he seeks safety in
 flight--he should therefore know how to
 run4 ,so1 too1 he could preserve       
himself by the skillful throwing of the 
javelin1 and in the close encounter a   
knowledge of wrestling might save his   
life4  ,man has always been a fighting  
animal1 and the art of self-defence is  
nearly as important now as ever--and    
will be1 until man rises to that supreme
 height from which he will be able to   
see that no one can commit a crime      
against another without injuring        
himself4  ,the ,greeks knew that the    
body bears a certain relation to the    

soul--that the better the body--other   
things being equal--the greater the     
mind4 ,they also knew that the body     
could be developed1 and that such       
development would give or add to the    
health1 the courage1 the endurance1 the 
self-confidence1 the independence and   
the morality of the human race4 ,they   
knew1 too1 that health was the          
foundation1 the corner-stone1 of        
happiness4  ,they knew that human beings
 should know something about themselves1
 something of the capacities of body and
 mind1 to the end that they might       
ascertain the relation between conduct  
and happiness1 between temperance and   
health4  ,it is needless to say that the
 ,greeks were the most intellectual of  
all races1 and that they were in love   
with beauty1 with proportion1 with the  
splendor of the body and of mind2 and so
 great was their admiration for the     
harmoniously developed1 that ,sophocles 
had the honor of walking naked at the   
head of a great procession4  ,the       

,greeks1 through their love of physical 
and mental development1 gave us the     
statues--the most precious of all       
inanimate things--of far more worth than
 all the diamonds and rubies and pearls 
that ever glittered in crowns and       
tiaras1 on altars or thrones1 or1       
flashing1 rose and fell on woman's      
billowed breast4 ,in these marbles we   
find the highest types of life1 of      
superb endeavor and supreme repose4 ,in 
looking at them we feel that blood      
flows1 that hearts throb and souls      
aspire4 ,these miracles of art are the  
richest legacies the ancient world has  
left our race4  ,the nations in love    
with life1 have games4 ,to them         
existence is exultation4 ,they are fond 
of nature4 ,they1 seek the woods and    
streams4 ,they love the winds and waves 
of the sea4 ,they enjoy the poem of the 
day1 the drama of the year4  ,our       
,puritan fathers were oppressed with a  
sense of infinite responsibility4 ,they 
were disconsolate and sad1 and no more  

thought of sport1 except the flogging   
of2 ,quakers1 than shipwrecked wretches 
huddled on a raft would turn their      
attention to amateur theatricals4  ,for 
many centuries the body was regarded as 
a decaying2 casket1 in which had been   
placed the gem called the soul1 and the 
nearer rotten the casket the more       
brilliant the jewel4  ,in those blessed 
days1 the diseased were sainted and     
insanity born of fasting and self-denial
 and abuse of the body1 was looked upon 
as evidence of inspiration4 ,cleanliness
 was not next to godliness--it was the  
opposite2 and in those days1 what was   
known as the odor of sanctity had a     
substantial foundation4 ,diseased bodies
 produced all kinds of mental maladies4 
,there is a direct relation between     
sickness and superstition4 ,everybody   
knows that ,calvinism was the child of  
indigestion4  ,spooks and phantoms hover
 about the undeveloped and diseased1 as 
vultures sail above the dead4  ,our     
ancestors had the idea that they ought  

to be spiritual1 and that good health   
was inconsistent with the highest forms 
of piety4 ,this heresy crept into the   
minds even of secular writers1 and the  
novelists described their heroines as   
weak and languishing1 pale as lilies1   
and in the place of health's brave flag 
they put the hectic flush4  ,weakness   
was interesting1 and fainting captured  
the hearts of all4 ,nothing was so      
attractive as a society belle with a    
drug-store attachment4  ,people became  
ashamed of labor1 and consequently1 of  
the evidences of labor4 ,they avoided   
sun-burnt mirth--were proud of pallor1  
and regarded small1 white hands as proof
 that they had noble blood within their 
veins4 ,it was a joy to be too weak to  
work1 too languishing to labor4  ,the   
tide has turned4 ,people are becoming   
sensible enough to desire health1 to    
admire physical development1 symmetry of
 form1 and we now know that a race with 
little feet and hands has passed the    
climax and is traveling toward the      

eternal night4  ,when the central force 
is strong1 men and women are full of    
life to the finger tips4 ,when the fires
 burn low1 they begin to shrivel at the 
extremities--the hands and feet grow    
small1 and the mental flame wavers and  
wanes4  ,to be self-respecting we must  
be self-supporting4  ,nobility is a     
question of character1 not of birth4    
,honor cannot be received as alms--it   
must be earned4  ,it is the brow that   
makes the wreath of glory green4  ,all  
exercise should be for the sake of      
development--that is to say1 for the    
sake of health1 and for the sake of the 
mind--all to the end that the person may
 become better1 greater1 more useful4   
,the gymnast or the athelete should seek
 for health as the student should seek  
for truth2 but when athletics degenerate
 into mere personal contests1 they      
become dangerous1 because the           
contestants lose sight of health1 as in 
the excitement of debate the students   
prefer personal victory to the          

ascertainment of truth4  ,there is      
another thing to be avoided by all      
athletic clubs1 and that is1 anything   
that tends to brutalize1 destroy or dull
 the finer feelings4 ,nothing is more   
disgusting1 more disgraceful1 than      
pugilism--nothing more demoralizing than
 an exhibition of strength united with  
ferocity1 and where the very body       
developed by exercise is mutilated and  
disfigured4  ,sports that can by no     
possibility give pleasure1 except to the
 unfeeling1 the hardened and the really 
brainless1 should be avoided4 ,no       
gentleman should countenance            
rabbit-coursing1 fighting of dogs1 the  
shooting of pigeons1 simply as an       
exhibition of skill4  ,all these things 
are calculated to demoralize and        
brutalize not only the actors1 but the  
lookers on4 ,such sports are savage1 fit
 only to be participated in and enjoyed 
by the cannibals of ,central ,africa or 
the anthropoid apes4  ,find what a man  
enjoys--what he laughs at--what he calls

 diversion--and you know what he is4    
,think of a man calling himself         
civilized1 who is in raptures at a bull 
fight--who smiles when he sees the      
hounds pursue and catch and tear in     
pieces the timid hare1 and who roars    
with laughter when he watches the       
pugilists pound each other's faces1     
closing each other's eyes1 breaking jaws
 and smashing noses4 ,such men are      
beneath the animals they torture--on a  
level with the pugilists they applaud4  
,gentlemen should hold such sports in   
unspeakable contempt4 ,no man finds     
pleasure in inflicting pain4  ,in every 
public school there should be a         
gymnasium4  ,it is useless to cram minds
 and deform bodies4 ,hands should be    
educated as well as heads4 ,all should  
be taught the sports and games that     
require mind1 muscle1 nerve and         
judgment4  ,even those who labor should 
take exercise1 to the end that the whole
 body may be developed4 ,those who work 
at one employment become deformed4      

,proportion is lost4 ,but where harmony 
is preserved by the proper exercise1    
even old age is beautiful4  ,to the well
 developed1 to the strong1 life seems   
rich1 obstacles small1 and success easy4
 ,they laugh at cold and storm4         
,whatever the season may be their hearts
 are filled with summer4  ,millions go  
from the cradle to the coffin without   
knowing what it is to live4 ,they simply
 succeed in postponing death4 ,without  
appetites1 without passions1 without    
struggle1 they slowly rot in a waveless 
pool4 ,they never know the glory of     
success1 the rapture of the fight4  ,to 
become effeminate is to invite misery4  
,in the most delicate bodies may be     
found the most degraded souls4 ,it was  
the ,duchess ,josiane whose pampered    
flesh became so sensitive that she      
thought of hell as a place where people 
were compelled to sleep between coarse  
sheets4  ,we need the open air--we need 
the experience of heat and cold4 ,we    
need not only the rewards and caresses1 

but the discipline of our mother        
,nature4 ,life is not all sunshine1     
neither is it all storm1 but man should 
be enabled to enjoy the one and to      
withstand the other4  ,i believe in the 
religion of the body--of physical       
development--in devotional exercise--in 
the beatitudes of cheerfulness1 good    
health1 good food1 good clothes1        
comradeship1 generosity1 and above all1 
in happiness4 ,i believe in salvation   
here and now4 ,salvation from deformity 
and disease--from weakness and          
pain--from ennui and insanity4 ,i       
believe in heaven here and now--the     
heaven of health and good digestion--of 
strength and long life--of usefulness   
and joy4 ,i believe in the builders and 
defenders of homes4  ,the gentlemen whom
 we honor to-night have done a great    
work4 ,to their energy we are indebted  
for the nearest perfect1 for the        
grandest athletic clubhouse in the      
world4 ,let these clubs multiply4 ,let  
the example be followed1 until our      

country is filled with physical and     
intellectual athletes--superb fathers1  
perfect mothers1 and every child an heir
 to health and joy4     ,,the           
,,liederkranz ,,club1 ,,seidl-,,stanton 
,,banquet4  ,new ,york1 ,april #b1 #ahia
   ,,toast3 ,,music1 ,,noblest ,,of     
,,the ,,arts4  ,,it is probable that ,i 
was selected to speak about music1      
because1 not knowing one note from      
another1 ,i have no prejudice on the    
subject4  ,all ,i can say is1 that ,i   
know what ,i like1 and1 to tell the     
truth1 ,i like every kind1 enjoy it all1
 from the hand organ to the orchestra4  
,knowing nothing of the science of      
music1 ,i am not always looking for     
defects1 or listening for discords4 ,as 
the young robin cheerfully swallows     
whatever comes1 ,i hear with gladness   
all that is played4  ,music has been1 ,i
 suppose1 a gradual growth1 subject to  
the law of evolution2 as nearly         
everything1 with the possible exception 
of theology1 has been and is under this 

law4  ,music may be divided into three  
kinds3 ,first1 the music of simple time1
 without any particular emphasis--and   
this may be called the music of the     
heels2 second1 music in which time is   
varied1 in which there is the eager     
haste and the delicious delay1 that is1 
the fast and slow1 in accordance with   
our feelings1 with our emotions--and    
this may be called the music of the     
heart2 third1 the music that includes   
time and emphasis1 the hastening and the
 delay1 and something in addition1 that 
produces not only states of feeling1 but
 states of thought4 ,this may be called 
the music of the head1--the music of the
 brain4  ,music expresses feeling and   
thought1 without language4 ,it was below
 and before speech1 and it is above and 
beyond all words4 ,beneath the waves is 
the sea--above the clouds is the sky4   
,before man found a name for any        
thought1 or thing1 he had hopes and     
fears and passions1 and these were      
rudely expressed in tones4  ,of one     

thing1 however1 ,i am certain1 and that 
is1 that ,music was born of ,love4 ,had 
there never been any human affection1   
there never could have been uttered a   
strain of music4 ,possibly some mother1 
looking in the eyes of her babe1 gave   
the first melody to the enraptured air4 
,language is not subtle enough1 tender  
enough1 to express all that we feel2 and
 when language fails1 the highest and   
deepest longings are translated into    
music4 ,music is the sunshine--the      
climate--of the soul1 and it floods the 
heart with a perfect ,june4  ,i am also 
satisfied that the greatest music is the
 most marvelous mingling of ,love and   
,death4 ,love is the greatest of all    
passions1 and ,death is its shadow4     
,death gets all its terror from ,love1  
and ,love gets its intensity1 its       
radiance1 its glory and its rapture1    
from the darkness of ,death4 ,love is a 
flower that grows on the edge of the    
grave4  ,the old music1 for the most    
part1 expresses emotion1 or feeling-1   

through time and emphasis1 and what is  
known as melody4 ,most of the old operas
 consist of a few melodies connected by 
unmeaning recitative4 ,there should be  
no unmeaning music4 ,it is as though a  
writer should suddenly leave his subject
 and write a paragraph consisting of    
nothing but a repetition of one word    
like the1 the1 the1 or if1 if4 if1      
varying the repetition of these words1  
but without meaning1--and then resume   
the subject of his article4  ,i am not  
saying that great music was not produced
 before ,wagner1 but ,i am simply       
endeavoring to show-the steps that have 
been taken4 ,it was necessary that all  
the music should have been written1 in  
order that the greatest might be        
produced4 ,the same is true of the      
drama1 ,thousands and thousands prepared
 the way for the supreme dramatist1 as  
millions prepared the way for the       
supreme composer4  ,when ,i read        
,shakespeare1 ,i am astonished that he  
has expressed so much with common words1

 to which he gives new meaning2 and so  
when ,i hear ,wagner1 ,i exclaim3 ,is it
 possible that all this is done with    
common air8  ,in ,wagner's music there  
is a touch of chaos that suggests the   
infinite4 ,the melodies seem strange and
 changing forms1 like summer clouds1 and
 weird harmonies come like sounds from  
the sea brought by fitful winds1 and    
others moan like waves on desolate      
shores1 and mingled with these1 are     
shouts of joy1 with sighs and sobs and  
ripples of laughter1 and the wondrous   
voices of eternal love4  ,wagner is the 
,shakespeare of ,music4  ,the funeral   
march for ,siegfried is the funeral     
music for all the dead2 ,should all the 
gods die1 this music would be perfectly 
appropriate4 ,it is elemental1          
universal1 eternal4  ,the love-music in 
,tristan and ,isolde is1 like ,romeo and
 ,juliet1 an expression of the human    
heart for all time4 ,so the love-duet in
 ,the ,flying ,dutchman has in it the   
consecration1 the infinite self-denial1 

of love4 ,the whole heart is given2     
every note has wings1 and rises and     
poises like an eagle in the heaven of   
sound4  ,when ,i listen to the music of 
,wagner1 ,i see pictures1 forms1        
glimpses of the perfect1 the swell of a 
hip1 the wave of a breast1 the glance of
 an eye4 ,i am in the midst of great    
galleries4 ,before me are passing1 the  
endless panoramas4 ,i see vast          
landscapes with valleys of verdure and  
vine1 with soaring crags1 snow-crowned4 
,i am on the wide seas1 where countless 
billows burst into the white caps of    
joy4 ,i am in the depths of caverns     
roofed with mighty crags1 while through 
some rent ,i see the eternal stars4 ,in 
a moment the music1 becomes a river of  
melody1 flowing through some wondrous   
land2 suddenly it falls in strange      
chasms1 and the mighty cataract is      
changed to seven-hued foam4 4  ,great   
music is always sad1 because it tells us
 of the perfect2 and such is the        
difference between what we are and that 

which music suggests1 that even in the  
vase of joy we find some tears4  ,the   
music of ,wagner has color1 and when ,i 
hear the violins1 the morning seems to  
slowly come4 ,a horn puts a star above  
the horizon4 ,the night1 in the purple  
hum of the bass1 wanders away like some 
enormous bee across wide fields of dead 
clover4 ,the light grows whiter as the  
violins increase4 ,colors come from     
other instruments1 and then the full    
orchestra floods the world with day4    
,wagner seems not only to have given us 
new tones1 new combinations1 but the    
moment the orchestra begins to play his 
music1 all the instruments are          
transfigured4 ,they seem to utter the   
sounds that they have been longing to   
utter4 ,the horns run riot2 the drums   
and cymbals join in the general joy2 the
 old bass viols are alive with passion2 
the 'cellos throb with love2 the violins
 are seized with a divine fury1 and the 
notes rush out as eager for the air as  
pardoned prisoners for the roads and    

fields4  ,the music of ,wagner is filled
 with landscapes4 ,there are some       
strains1 like midnight1 thick with      
constellations1 and there are harmonies 
like islands in the far seas1 and others
 like palms on the desert's edge4 ,his  
music satisfies the heart and brain4 ,it
 is not only for memory2 not only for   
the present1 but for prophecy4  ,wagner 
was a sculptor1 a painter1 in sound4    
,when he died1 the greatest fountain of 
melody that ever enchanted the world1   
ceased4 ,his music will instruct and    
refine forever4  ,all that ,i know about
 the operas of ,wagner ,i have learned  
from ,anton ,seidl4 ,i believe that he  
is the noblest1 tenderest and the most  
artistic interpreter of the great       
composer that has ever lived4     ,,the 
,,frank ,b4 ,,carpenter ,,dinner4  ,new 
,york1 ,december #a1 #ahia       99     
,there was a notable gathering of       
leading artists1 authors1               
scientists1 journalists1 lawyer1        
clergymen and other      professional   

men at ,sherry's last evening4 ,the     
occasion was      a dinner tendered to  
,mr4 ,f4 ,b4 ,carpenter1 the famous     
portrait and portrait group artist1 by  
his immediate friends      to celebrate 
the completion of his new historical    
painting1      entitled ,international  
,arbitration1 which is to be sent to    
,queen ,victoria next week as the gift  
of a wealthy ,american      lady4 ,no   
such tribute has ever been paid before  
to an artist      of-this country4 ,let 
us hope that the extraordinary          
attention thus paid to ,mr4 ,carpenter  
will give our ,english      cousins some
 idea of how he is prized and his work  
indorsed      at home4 ,the dinner to   
,mr4 ,carpenter was a great success--   
most enjoyable in every way4 ,the table 
was laid in the form      ol a horse    
shoe with a train of smilax1 and sweet  
flowers      extending the entire length
 of the table1 amid pots of             
chrysanthemums and roses4 ,ex-,minister 
,andrew ,d ,white      presided in the  

absence of ,john ,russell               
,young4444444444,mr4 ,white said3       
,during the entire course of      these 
proceedings we have been endeavoring to 
find a      representative of the great 
,fourth ,estate who would present       
its claims in relation to arbitration on
 this occasion4      ,there are present 
men whose names are household words in  
connection with the press throughout    
this land4 ,there is      certainly one 
distinguished as orator3 there is       
another      distinguished as a scholar4
 ,but they prefer to be silent4 ,we     
will therefore consider that the toast  
of ',the ,press in      ,connection with
 ,war and ,peace' has been duly honored 
although it has not been responded to1  
and now there is one      subject which 
,i think you will consider as coming    
strangely      at this late hour4 ,it is
 a renewal of the subject with which    
we began1 and ,i am to ask to speak to  
it a man who is      admired and feared 
throughout the country4 ,at one moment  

he      smashes the most cherished      
convictions of the country1 and      at 
another he raises our highest           
aspirations for the future      of      
humanity4       ,it happened several    
years ago that ,i was crossing the      
,atlantic1 and when ,i had sufficiently 
recovered from      seasickness to sit  
out on the deck ,i came across ,colonel 
,ingersoll1 and of all subjects of      
discussion you can imagine      we fell 
upon the subject of art1 and we went at 
it hot and      heavy4 ,so ,i said to   
him to-night that ,i had a rod in pickle
      for him and that he was not to    
know anything about it until      it was
 displayed4       ,i now call upon him  
to talk to us about art1 and if he      
talks now as he talked on the deck of   
the steamer ,i do not      know whether 
it would clear the room1 but it would   
make a      sensation in this ,state and
 country4 ,i have great pleasure      in
 announcing ,colonel ,ingersoll1 to     
speak on the subject of      art--or on 

any other subject1 for no matter upon   
what he      speaks his words are always
 welcome4       ,new ,york ,press1      
,december #b1 #ahia4   ,,toast3 ,,art4  
,i ,,presume ,i take about as much      
interest in what that picture represents
 as anybody else4 ,i believe that it has
 been said this evening that the world  
will never be civilized so long as      
differences between nations are settled 
by gun or cannon or sword4 ,barbarians  
still settle their personal differences 
with clubs or arms1 and finally1 when   
they agree to submit their differences  
to their peers1 to a court1 we call them
 civilized4 ,now1 nations sustain the   
same relations to each other that       
barbarians sustain2 that is1 they settle
 their differences by force2 each nation
 being the judge of the righteousness of
 its cause1 and its judgment depending  
entirely--or for the most part--on its  
strength2 and the strongest nation is   
the nearest right4 ,now1 until nations  
submit their differences to an          

international court--a court with the   
power to carry its judgment into effect 
by having the armies and navies of all  
the rest of the world pledged to support
 it--the world will not be civilized4   
,our differences will not be settled by 
arbitration until more of the great     
nations set the example1 and until that 
is done1 ,i am in favor of the ,united  
,states being armed4 ,until that is done
 it will give me joy to know that       
another magnificent man-of-war has been 
launched upon our waters4 ,and ,i will  
tell you why4 ,look again at that       
picture4 ,there is another face2 it is  
not painted there1 and yet without it   
that picture would not have been        
painted1 and that is the face of ,u4 ,s4
 ,grant4 ,the olive branch1 to be of any
 force1 to be of any beneficent power1  
must be offered by the mailed hand4 ,it 
must be offered by a nation which has   
back of the olive branch the force4 ,it 
cannot be offered by weakness1 because  
then it will excite only ridicule4 ,the 

powerful1 the imperial1 must offer that 
branch4 ,then it will be accepted in the
 true spirit2 otherwise not4 ,so1 until 
the world is a little more civilized ,i 
am in favor of the largest guns that can
 be made and the best navy that floats4 
,i do not want any navy unless we have  
the best1 because if you have a poor one
 you will simply make a present of it to
 the enemy as soon as war opens4 ,we    
should be ready to defend ourselves     
against the world4 ,not that ,i think   
there is going to be any war1 but       
because ,i think that is the best way to
 prevent it4 ,until the whole world     
shall have entered into the same spirit 
as the artist when he painted that      
picture1 until that spirit becomes      
general we have got to be prepared for  
war4 ,and we cannot depend upon war     
suasion4 ,if a fleet of men-of-war      
should sail into our harbor1 talk would 
not be of any good2 we must be ready to 
answer them in their own way4  ,i       
suppose ,i have been selected to speak  

on art because ,i can speak on that     
subject without prejudice1 knowing      
nothing about it4 ,i have on this       
subject no hobbies1 no pet theories1 and
 consequently will give you not what ,i 
know1 but what ,i think4 ,i am an       
,agnostic in many things1 and the way ,i
 understand art is this3 ,in the first  
place we are all invisible to each      
other4 ,there is something called soul2 
something that thinks and hopes and     
loves4 ,it is never seen4 ,it occupies a
 world that we call the brain1 and is   
forever1 so far as we know1 invisible4  
,each soul lives in a world of its own1 
and it endeavors to communicate with    
another soul living in a world of its   
own1 each invisible to the other1 and it
 does this in a variety of ways4 ,that  
is the noblest art which expresses the  
noblest thought1 that gives to another  
the noblest emotions that this unseen   
soul has4 ,in order to do this we have  
to seize upon the seen1 the visible4 ,in
 other words1 nature is a vast          

dictionary that we use simply to convey 
from one invisible world to another what
 happens in our invisible world4 ,the   
man that lives in the greatest world and
 succeeds in letting other worlds know  
what happens in his world1 is the       
greatest artist4  ,i believe that all   
arts have the same father and the same  
mother1 and no matter whether you       
express what happens in these unseen    
worlds in mere words--because nearly all
 pictures have been made with words--or 
whether you express it in marble1 or    
form and color in what we call painting1
 it is to carry on that commerce between
 these invisible worlds1 and he is the  
greatest artist who expresses the       
tenderest1 noblest thoughts to the      
unseen worlds about him4 ,so that all   
art consists in this commerce1 every    
soul being an artist and every brain    
that is worth talking about being an art
 gallery1 and there is no gallery in    
this world1 not in the ,vatican or the  
,louvre or any other place1 comparable  

with the gallery in every great brain4  
,the millions of pictures that are in   
every brain to-night2 the landscapes1   
the faces1 the groups1 the millions of  
millions of millions of things that are 
now living here in every brain1 all     
unseen1 all invisible forever6 ,yet we  
communicate with each other by showing  
each other these pictures1 these        
studies1 and by inviting others into our
 galleries and showing them what we     
have1 and the greatest artist is he who 
has the most pictures to show to other  
artists4  ,i love anything in art that  
suggests the tender1 the beautiful4     
,what is beauty8 ,of course there is no 
absolute beauty4 ,all beauty is         
relative4 ,probably the most beautiful  
thing to a frog is the speckled belly of
 another frog1 or to a snake the        
markings of another snake4 ,so there is 
no such thing as absolute beauty4 ,but  
what ,i call beauty is what suggests to 
me the highest and the tenderest        
thought2 something that answers to      

something in my world4 ,so every work of
 art has to be born in some brain1 and  
it must be made by the unseen artist we 
call the soul4 ,now1 if a man simply    
copies what he sees1 he is nothing but a
 copyist4 ,that does not require genius4
 ,that requires industry and the habit  
of observation4 ,but it is not genius2  
it is not art4 ,those little daubs and  
shreds and patches we get by copying1   
are pieces of iron that need to be put  
into the flame of genius to be molten   
and then cast in noble forms2 otherwise 
there is no genius4  ,the great picture 
should have1 not only the technical part
 of art1 which is neither moral nor     
immoral1 but in addition some great     
thought1 some great event4 ,it should   
contain not only a history but a        
prophecy4 ,there should be in it soul1  
feeling1 thought ,i love those little   
pictures of the home1 of the fireside1  
of the old lady1 boiling the kettle1 the
 vine running over the cottage door1    
scenes suggesting to me happiness1      

contentment4 ,i think more of them than 
of the great war pieces1 and ,i hope ,i 
shall have a few years in some such     
scenes1 during which ,i shall not care  
what time it is1 what day of the week or
 month it is4 ,just that feeling of     
content when it is enough to live1 to   
breathe1 to have the blue sky above you 
and to hear the music of the water4 ,all
 art that gives us that content1 that   
delight1 enriches this world and makes  
life better and holier4  ,that1 in a    
general kind of way1 as ,i said before1 
is my idea of art1 and ,i hope that the 
artists of ,america--and they ought to  
be as good here as in any place on      
earth--will grow day by day and year by 
year independent of all other art in the
 world1 and be true to the ,american or 
republican spirit always4 ,as to this   
picture1 it is representative1 it is    
,american4 ,there is one word ,mr4      
,daniel ,dougherty said to which ,i     
would like to refer4 ,i have never said 
very much in my life in defence of      

,england1 at the same time ,i have never
 blamed ,england for being against us   
during our war1 and ,i will tell you    
why4 ,we had been a nation of           
hypocrites4 ,we pretended to be in favor
 of liberty and yet we had four or five 
millions of our people enslaved4 ,that  
was a very awkward position4 ,we had    
bloodhounds to hunt human beings and the
 apostles setting them on2 and while    
this was going on these poor wretches   
sought and found liberty on ,british    
soil4 ,now1 why not be honest about it8 
,we were rather a contemptible people1  
though ,mr4 ,dougherty thinks the       
,english were wholly at fault4 ,but     
,england abolished the slave-trade in   
#ahjc2 she abolished slavery in her     
colonies in #ahcc4 ,we were lagging     
behind4 ,that is all there is about it4 
,no matter why1 we put ourselves in the 
position of pretending to be a free     
people while we had millions of slaves1 
and it was only natural that ,england   
should dislike it4  ,i think the        

chairman said that there had been no    
great historic picture of the signing of
 the ,constitution4 ,there never should 
be1 never6 ,it was fit1 it was proper1  
to have a picture of the signing of the 
,declaration of ,independence4 ,that was
 an honest document4 ,our people wanted 
to give a good reason for fighting      
,great ,britain1 and in order to do that
 they had to dig down to the bed-rock of
 human rights1 and then they said all   
men are created equal4 ,but just as soon
 as we got our independence we made a   
,constitution that gave the lie to the  
,declaration of ,independence1 and that 
is why the signing of the ,constitution 
never ought to be painted4 ,we put in   
that ,constitution a clause that the    
slave-trade should not be interfered    
with for years1 and another clause that 
this entire ,government was pledged to  
hand back to slavery any poor woman with
 a child at her breast1 seeking freedom 
by flight4 ,it was a very poor document4
 ,a little while ago they celebrated the

 one hundredth anniversary of that      
business and talked about the           
,constitution being such a wonderful    
thing2 yet what was in that             
,constitution brought on the most       
terrible civil war ever known1 and      
during that war they said3 ,give us the 
,constitution as it is and the ,union as
 it was4 ,and ,i said then3 ,curse the  
,constitution as it is and the ,union as
 it was4 ,don't talk to me about        
fighting for a ,constitution that has   
brought on a war like this2 let us make 
a new one4 ,no1 ,i am in favor of a     
painting that would celebrate the       
adoption of the amendment to the        
,constitution that declares that there  
shall be no more slavery on this soil4  
,i believe that we are getting a little 
more free every day--a little more      
sensible all the time4 ,a few years ago 
a woman in ,germany made a speech1 in   
which she asked3 ,why should the ,german
 mother in pain and agony give birth to 
a child and rear that child through     

industry and poverty1 and teach him that
 when he arrives at the age of          
twenty-one it will be his duty to kill  
the child of the ,french mother8 ,and   
why should the ,french mother teach her 
son1 that it will be his duty sometime  
to kill the child of the ,german mother8
 ,there is more sense in that than in   
all the diplomacy ,i ever read1 and ,i  
think the time is coming when that      
question will be asked by every         
mother--,why should she raise a child to
 kill the child of another mother8  ,the
 time is coming when we will do away    
with all this4 ,man has been taught that
 he ought to fight for the country where
 he was born2 no matter about that      
country being wrong1 whether it         
supported him or not1 whether it        
enslaved him and trampled on every right
 he had1 still it was his duty to march 
up in support of that country4 ,the time
 will come when the man will make up his
 mind himself whether the country is    
worth while fighting for1 and he is the 

greatest patriot who seeks to make his  
country worth fighting for1 and not he  
who says1 ,i am for it anyhow1 whether  
it is right or not4 ,these patriots will
 be the force ,mr4 ,george was speaking 
about4 ,if war between this country and 
,great ,britain were declared1 and there
 were men in both countries sufficient  
to take a right view of it1 that would  
be the end of war4 ,the thing would be  
settled by arbitration--settled by some 
court--and no one would dream of rushing
 to the field of battle4 ,so1 that is my
 hope for the world2 more policy1 more  
good1 solid1 sound sense and less mud   
patriotism4  ,i think that this country 
is going to grow4 ,i think it will take 
in ,mr4 ,wiman's country4 ,i do not mean
 that we are going to take any country4 
,i mean that they are going to come to  
us4 ,i do not believe in conquest4      
,canada will come just as soon as it is 
to her interest to come1 and ,i think   
she will come or be a great country to  
herself4 ,i do not believe in those     

people1 intelligent as they are1 sending
 three thousand miles for information   
they have at home4 ,i do not believe in 
their being governed by anybody except  
themselves4 ,so if they come we shall be
 glad to have them1 if they don't want  
to come ,i don't want them4  ,yes1 we   
are growing4 ,i don't know how many     
millions of people we have now1 probably
 over sixty-two if they all get counted2
 and they are still coming4 ,i expect to
 live to see one hundred millions here4 
,i know some say that we are getting too
 many foreigners1 but ,i say the more   
that come the better4 ,we have got to   
have somebody to take the places of the 
sons of our rich people4 ,so ,i say let 
them come4 ,there is plenty of land     
here1 everywhere4 ,i say to the people  
of every country1 come2 do your work    
here1 and we will protect you against   
other countries4 ,we will give you all  
the work to supply yourselves and your  
neighbors4  ,then if we have differences
 with another country we shall have a   

strong navy1 big ships1 big guns1       
magnificent men and plenty of them1 and 
if we put out the hand of fellowship and
 friendship they will know there is no  
foolishness about it4 ,they will know we
 are not asking any favor4 ,we will just
 say3 ,we want peace1 and we tell you   
over the glistening leaves of this olive
 branch that if you don't compromise we 
will mop the earth with you4  ,that is  
the sort of arbitration ,i believe in1  
and it is the only sort1 in my judgment1
 that will be effectual for all time4   
,and ,i hope that we may still grow1 and
 grow more and more artistic1 and more  
and more in favor of peace1 and ,i pray 
that we may finally arrive at being     
absolutely worthy of having presented   
that picture1 with all that it implies1 
to the most warlike nation in the       
world--to the nation that first sends   
the gospel and then the musket          
immediately after1 and says3 ,you have  
got to be civilized1 and the only       
evidence of civilization that you can   

give is to buy our goods and to buy them
 now1 and to pay for them4 ,i wish us to
 be worthy of the picture presented to  
such a nation1 and my prayer is that    
,america may be worthy to have sent such
 a token in such a spirit1 and my second
 prayer is that ,england may be worthy  
to receive it and to keep it1 and that  
she may receive it in the same spirit   
that it is sent4  ,i am glad that it is 
to be sent by a woman4 ,the gentleman   
who spoke to the toast1 ,woman as a     
,peacemaker1 seemed to believe that     
woman brought all the sorrows that ever 
happened1 not only of war1 but troubles 
of every kind4 ,i want to say to him    
that ,i would rather live with the woman
 ,i love in a world of war1 in a world  
full of troubles and sorrows1 than to   
live in heaven with nobody but men4 ,i  
believe that woman is a peacemaker1 and 
so ,i am glad that a woman presents this
 token to another woman2 and woman is a 
far higher title than queen1 in my      
judgment2 far higher4 ,there are no     

higher titles than woman1 mother1 wife1 
sister1 and when they come to calling   
them countesses and duchesses and       
queens1 that is all rot4 ,that adds     
nothing to that unseen artist who       
inhabits the world called the brain4    
,that unseen artist is great by nature  
and cannot be made greater by the       
addition of titles4 ,and so one woman   
gives to another woman the picture that 
prophesies war is finally to cease1 and 
the civilized nations of the world will 
henceforth arbitrate their differences  
and no longer strew the plains with     
corpses of brethren4 ,that is the       
supreme lesson that is taught by this   
picture1 and ,i congratulate ,mr4       
,carpenter that his name is associated  
with it and also with the ,proclamation 
of ,emancipation4 ,in the latter work he
 has associated his name with that of   
,lincoln1 which is the greatest name in 
history1 and the gentlest memory in this
 world4 ,mr4 ,carpenter has associated  
his name with that and with this and    

with that of ,general ,grant1 for ,i say
 that this picture would never have been
 possible had there not been behind it  
,grant2 if there had not been behind it 
the victorious armies of the ,north and 
the great armies of the ,south1 that    
would have united instantly to repel any
 foreign foe4     ,,unitarian ,,club    
,,dinner4  ,new ,york1 ,january         
#ae1ahib4   ,,toast3 ,,the ,,ideal4     
,,mr4 ,,president1 ,ladies and          
,gentlemen3 ,in the first place1 ,i wish
 to tender my thanks to this club for   
having generosity and sense enough to   
invite me to speak this evening4 ,it is 
probably the best thing the club has    
ever done4 ,you have shown that you are 
not afraid of a man simply because he   
does not happen to agree entirely with  
you1 although in a very general way it  
may be said that ,i come within one of  
you4  ,so ,i think1 not only that you   
have honored me--that1 ,i most          
cheerfully and gratefully admit--but1   
upon my word1 ,i think that you have    

honored yourselves4 ,and imagine the    
distance the religious world has        
traveled in the last few years to make a
 thing of this kind possible6 ,you      
know--,i presume every one of you       
knows--that ,i have no religion--not    
enough to last a minute--none           
whatever--that is1 in the ordinary sense
 of that word4 ,and yet you have become 
so nearly civilized that you are willing
 to hear what ,i have to say2 and ,i    
have become so nearly civilized that ,i 
am willing to say what ,i think4  ,and1 
in the second place1 let me say that ,i 
have great respect for the ,unitarian   
,church4 ,i have great respect for the  
memory of ,theodore ,parker4 ,i have    
great respect for every man who has     
assisted in reaving the heavens of an   
infinite monster4 ,i have great respect 
for every man who has helped to put out 
the fires of hell4 ,in other words1 ,i  
have great respect for every man who has
 tried to civilize my race4  ,the       
,unitarian ,church has done more than   

any other church--and may be more than  
all other churches--to substitute       
character for creed1 and to say that a  
man should be judged by his spirit2 by  
the climate of his heart2 by the autumn 
of his generosity2 by the spring of his 
hope2 that he should be judged by what  
he does2 by the influence that he       
exerts1 rather than by the mythology he 
may believe4 ,and whether there be one  
,god or a million1 ,i am perfectly      
satisfied that every duty that devolves 
upon me is within my reach2 it is       
something that ,i can do myself1 without
 the help of anybody else1 either in    
this world or any other4  ,now1 in order
 to make myself plain on this           
subject--,i think ,i was to speak about 
the ,ideal--,i want to thank the        
,unitarian ,church for what it has done2
 and ,i want to thank the ,universalist 
,church1 too4 ,they at least believe in 
a ,god who is a gentleman2 and that is  
much more than was ever done by an      
orthodox church4 ,they believe1 at      

least1 in a heavenly father who will    
leave the latch string out until the    
last child gets home2 and as that lets  
me in--especially in reference to the   
last--,i have great respect for that    
church4  ,but now ,i am coming to the   
,ideal2 and in what ,i may say you may  
not all agree4 ,i hope you won't1       
because that would be to me evidence    
that ,i am wrong4 ,you cannot expect    
everybody to agree in the right1 and ,i 
cannot expect to be always in the right 
myself4 ,i have to judge with the       
standard called my reason1 and ,i do not
 know whether it is right or not2 ,i    
will admit that4 ,but as opposed to any 
other man's1 ,i will bet on mine4 ,that 
is to say1 for home use4 ,in the first  
place1 ,i think it is said in some      
book--and if ,i am wrong there are      
plenty here to correct me--that the fear
 of the ,lord is the beginning of       
wisdom4 ,i think a knowledge of the     
limitations of the human mind is the    
beginning of wisdom1 and1 ,i may almost 

say1 the end of it--really to understand
 yourself4  ,now1 let me lay down this  
proposition4 ,the imagination of man has
 the horizon of experience2 and beyond  
experience or nature man cannot go1 even
 in imagination4 ,man is not a creator4 
,he combines2 he adds together2 he      
divides2 he subtracts2 he does not      
create1 even in the world of            
imagination4 ,let me make myself a      
little plainer3 ,not one here--not one  
in the wide1 wide world can think of a  
color that he never saw4 ,no human being
 can imagine a sound that he has not    
heard1 and no one can think of a taste  
that he has not experienced4 ,he can add
 to--that is add together--combine2 but 
he cannot1 by any possibility1 create4  
,man originally1 we will say--go back to
 the age of barbarism1 and you will not 
have to go far2 our own childhood1      
probably1 is as far as is necessary--but
 go back to what is called the age of   
savagery2 every man was an idealist1 as 
every man is to-day an idealist4 ,every 

man in savage or civilized time1        
commencing with the first that ever     
crawled out of a cave and pushed the    
hair back from his forehead to look at  
the sun--commence with him and end with 
,judge ,wright--the last expression on  
the ,god question--and from that cave to
 the soul that lives in this temple1    
everyone has been an idealist and has   
endeavored to account in some way for   
what he saw and for what he felt2 in    
other words1 for the phenomena of       
nature4 ,the easiest way to account for 
it by the rudest savage1 is the way it  
has been accounted for to-night4 ,what  
makes the river run8 ,there's a god in  
it4 ,what makes the tree grow8 ,there's 
a god in it4 ,what makes the star shine8
 ,there's a god in it4 ,what makes the  
sun rise8 ,why1 he is a god himself4    
,and what makes the nightingale sing    
until the air is faint with melody8     
,there's a god in it4  ,they commenced  
making gods to account for everything   
that happens2 gods of dreams and gods of

 love and friendship1 and heroism and   
courage4 ,splendid6 ,they kept making   
more and more4 ,the more they found out 
in nature1 up to a certain point1 the   
more gods they needed2 and they kept on 
making gods until almost every wave of  
the sea bore a god4 ,gods on every      
mountain1 and in every vale and field1  
and by every stream6 ,gods in flowers1  
gods in grass2 gods everywhere6 ,all    
accounting for this world and for what  
happened in this world4  ,then1 when    
they had got about to the top1 when     
their ingenuity had been exhausted1 they
 had not produced anything1 and they did
 not produce anything beyond their own  
experience4 ,we are told that they were 
idolaters4 ,that is a mistake1 except in
 the sense that we are all idolaters4   
,they said1 ,here is a god2 let us      
express our idea of him4 ,he is stronger
 than a man2 let us give him the body of
 a lion4 ,he is swifter than a man2 let 
us give him the wings of an eagle4 ,he  
is wiser than a man--and when a man was 

very savage he said1 let us give him the
 head of a serpent2 a serpent is        
wonderfully wise2 he travels without    
feet2 he climbs without claws2 he lives 
without food1 and he is of the simplest 
conceivable form4  ,and that was simply 
to represent their idea of power1 of    
swiftness1 of wisdom4 ,and yet this     
impossible monster was simply made of   
what man had seen in nature1 and he put 
the various attributes or parts together
 by his imagination4 ,he created        
nothing4 ,he simply took these parts of 
certain beasts1 when beasts were        
supposed to be superior to man in some  
particulars1 and in that way expressed  
his thought4  ,you go into the territory
 of ,arizona to-day1 and you will find  
there pictures of ,god4 ,he was clothed 
in stone1 through which no arrow could  
pierce1 and so they called ,god the     
,stone-,shirted whom no ,indian could   
kill4 ,that was for the simple and only 
reason that it was impossible to get an 
arrow through his armor4 ,they got the  

idea from the armadillo4  ,now1 ,i am   
simply saying this to show that they    
were making gods for all these          
centuries1 and making them out of       
something they found in nature4 ,then1  
after they got through with the beast   
business1 they made gods after the image
 of man2 and they are the best gods1 so 
far as ,i know1 that have been made4    
,the gods that were first made after the
 image of man were not made after the   
pattern of very good men2 but they were 
good men according to the standard of   
that time1 because1 as ,i will show you 
in a moment1 all these things are       
relative4 ,the qualities or things that 
we call mercy1 justice1 charity and     
religion are all relative4 ,there was a 
time when the victor on the field of    
battle was exceedingly merciful if he   
failed to eat his prisoner2 he was      
regarded as a very charitable gentleman 
if he refused to eat the man he had     
captured in battle4 ,afterward he was   
regarded as an exceedingly benevolent   

person if he would spare a prisoner's   
life and make him a slave4  ,so         
that--but you all know it as well as ,i 
do or you would not be ,unitarians--all 
this has been simply a growth from year 
to year1 from generation to generation1 
from age to age4 ,and let me tell you   
the first thing about these gods that   
they made after the image of men4 ,after
 a time there were men on the earth who 
were better than these gods in heaven4  
,then those gods began to die1 one after
 another1 and dropped from their        
thrones4 ,the time will probably come in
 the history of this world when an      
insurance company can calculate the     
average life of gods as well as they do 
now of men2 because all these gods have 
been made by folks4 ,and1 let me say    
right here1 the folks did the best they 
could4 ,i do not blame them4 ,everybody 
in the business has always done his     
best4 ,i admit it4 ,i admit that man has
 traveled from the first conception up  
to ,unitarianism by a necessary road4   

,under the conditions he could have come
 up in no other way4 ,i admit all that4 
,i blame nobody4 ,but ,i am simply      
trying to tell1 in a very feeble manner1
 how it is4  ,now1 in a little while1 ,i
 say1 men got better than their gods4   
,then the gods began to die4 ,then we   
began to find out a few things in       
nature1 and we found out that we were   
supporting more gods than were          
necessary--that fewer gods could do the 
business--and that1 from an economical  
point of view1 expenses ought to be cut 
down4 ,there were too many temples1 too 
many priests1 and you always had to give
 tithes of something to each one1 and   
these gods were about to eat up the     
substance of the world4  ,and there came
 a time when it got to that point that  
either the gods would eat up the people 
or the people must destroy some gods1   
and of course they destroyed the        
gods--one by one and in their places    
they put forces of nature to do the     
business--forces of nature that needed  

no church1 that needed no theologians2  
forces of nature that you are under no  
obligation to2 that you do not have to  
pay anything to keep working4 ,we found 
that the attraction of gravitation would
 attend to its business1 night and day1 
at its own expense4 ,there was a great  
saving4 ,i wish it were the same with   
all kinds of law1 so that we could all  
go into some useful business1 including 
myself4  ,so day by day1 they dispensed 
with this expense of deities2 and the   
world got along just as well--a good    
deal better4 ,they used to think--a     
community thought--that if a man was    
allowed to say a word against a deity1  
the god would visit his vengeance upon  
the entire nation4 ,but they found out1 
after a while1 that no harm came of it2 
so they went on destroying the gods4    
,now1 all these things are relative2 and
 they made gods a little better all the 
time--,i admit that--till we struck the 
,presbyterian1 which is probably the    
worst ever made4 ,the ,presbyterians    

seem to have bred back4  ,but no matter4
 ,as man became more just1 or nearer    
just1 as he became more charitable1 or  
nearer charitable1 his god grew to be a 
little better and a little better4 ,he  
was very bad in ,geneva--the three that 
we then had4 ,they were very bad in     
,scotland--horrible6 ,very bad in ,new  
,england--infamous6 ,i might as well    
tell the truth about it--very bad6 ,and 
then men went to work1 finally1 to      
civilize their gods1 to civilize heaven1
 to give heaven the benefit of the      
freedom of this brave world4 ,that's    
what we did4 ,we wanted to civilize     
religion--civilize what is known as     
,christianity4 ,and nothing on earth    
needed civilization more2 and nothing   
needs it more than that to-night4       
,civilization6 ,i am not so much for the
 freedom of religion as ,i am for the   
religion of freedom4  ,now1 there was a 
time when our ancestors--good people1   
away back1 all dead1 no great regret    
expressed at this meeting on that       

account--there was a time when our      
ancestors were happy in their belief    
that nearly everybody was to be lost1   
and that a few1 including themselves1   
were to be saved4 ,that religion1 ,i    
say1 fitted that time4 ,it fitted their 
geology4 ,it was a very good running    
mate for their astronomy4 ,it was a good
 match for their chemistry4 ,in other   
words1 they were about equal in every   
department of human ignorance4  ,and    
they insisted that there lived up there 
somewhere--generally up--exactly where  
nobody has1 ,i believe1 yet said--a     
being1 an infinite person without body1 
parts1 or passions1 and yet without     
passions he was angry at the wicked     
every day2 without body he inhabited a  
certain place2 and without parts he was1
 after all1 in some strange and         
miraculous manner1 organized so that he 
thought4  ,and ,i don't know that it is 
possible for anyone here--,i don't know 
that anyone here is gifted with         
imagination enough--to conceive of such 

a being4 ,our fathers had not           
imagination enough to do so1 at least1  
and so they said of this ,god1 that he  
loves and he hates2 he punishes and he  
rewards2 and that religion has been     
described perfectly tonight by ,judge   
,wright as really making ,god a monster1
 and men poor1 helpless victims4 ,and   
the highest possible conception of the  
orthodox man was1 finally1 to be a good 
servant--just lucky enough to get       
in--feathers somewhat singed1 but enough
 left to fly4 ,that was the idea of our 
fathers4 ,and then came these divisions1
 simply because men began to think4     
,and why did they begin to think8       
,because in every direction1 in all     
departments1 they were getting more and 
more information4 ,and then the religion
 did not fit4 ,when they found out      
something of the history of this globe  
they found out that the ,scriptures were
 not true4 ,i will not say not inspired1
 because ,i do not know whether they are
 inspired or not4 ,it is a question1 to 

me1 of no possible importance1 whether  
they are inspired or not4 ,the question 
is3 ,are they true8 ,if they are true1  
they do not need inspiration2 and if    
they are not true1 inspiration will not 
help them4 ,so that is a matter that ,i 
care nothing about4  ,on every hand1 ,i 
say1 they studied and thought4 ,they    
began to grow--to have new ideas of     
mercy1 kindness1 justice2 new ideas of  
duty--new ideas of life4 ,the old gods1 
after we got past the civilization of   
the ,greeks1 past their mythology--and  
it is the best mythology that man has   
ever made--after we got past that1 ,i   
say1 the gods cared very little about   
women4 ,women occupied no place in the  
state--no place by the hearth1 except   
one of subordination1 and almost of     
slavery4 ,so the early churches made    
,god after that image who held women in 
contempt4 ,it was only natural--,i am   
not blaming anybody--they had to do it1 
it was part of the must6  ,now1 ,i say  
that we have advanced up to the point   

that we demand not only intelligence1   
but justice and mercy1 in the sky2 we   
demand that--that idea of ,god4 ,then   
comes my trouble4 ,i want to be honest  
about it4 ,here is my trouble--and ,i   
want it also understood that if ,i      
should see a man praying to a stone     
image or to a stuffed serpent1 with that
 man's wife or daughter or son lying at 
the point of death1 and that poor savage
 on his knees imploring that image or   
that stuffed serpent to save his child  
or his wife1 there is nothing in my     
heart that could suggest the slightest  
scorn1 or any other feeling than that of
 sympathy2 any other feeling than that  
of grief that the stuffed serpent could 
not answer the prayer and that the stone
 image did not feel2 ,i want that       
understood4 ,and wherever man prays for 
the right--no matter to whom or to what 
he prays2 where he prays for strength to
 conquer the wrong1 ,i hope his prayer  
may be heard2 and if ,i think there is  
no one else to hear it ,i will hear it1 

and ,i am willing to help answer it to  
the extent of my power4  ,so ,i want it 
distinctly understood that that is my   
feeling4 ,but here is my trouble3 ,i    
find this world made on a very cruel    
plan4 ,i do not say it is wrong--,i just
 say that that is the way it seems to   
me4 ,i may be wrong myself1 because this
 is the only world ,i was ever in2 ,i am
 provincial4 ,this grain of sand and    
tear they call the earth is the only    
world ,i have ever lived in4 ,and you   
have no idea how little ,i know about   
the rest of this universe2 you never    
will know how little ,i know about it   
until you examine your own minds on the 
same subject4  ,the plan is this3 ,life 
feeds on life4 ,justice does not always 
triumph3 ,innocence is not a perfect    
shield4 ,there is my trouble4 ,no matter
 now1 whether you agree with me or not2 
,i beg of you to be honest and fair with
 me in your thought1 as ,i am toward you
 in mine4  ,i hope1 as devoutly as you1 
that there is a power somewhere in this 

universe that will finally bring        
everything as it should be4 ,i take a   
little consolation in the perhaps--in   
the guess that this is only one scene of
 a great drama1 and that when the       
curtain rises on the fifth act1 if ,i   
live that long1 ,i may see the coherence
 and the relation of things4 ,but up to 
the present writing--or speaking--,i do 
not4 ,i do not understand it--a ,god    
that has life feed on life2 every joy in
 the world born of some agony6 ,i do not
 understand why in this world1 over the 
,niagara of cruelty1 should run this    
ocean of blood4 ,i do not understand it4
 ,and1 then1 why does not justice always
 triumph8 ,why is not innocence a       
perfect shield8 ,these are my troubles4 
,suppose a man had control of the       
atmosphere1 knew enough of the secrets  
of nature1 had read enough in nature's  
infinite book of secrecy so that he     
could control the wind and rain2 suppose
 a man had that power1 and suppose that 
last year he kept the rain from ,russia 

and did not allow the crops to ripen    
when hundreds of thousands were         
famishing and when little babes were    
found with their lips on the breasts of 
dead mothers6 ,what would you think of  
such a man8 ,now1 there is my trouble4  
,if there be a ,god he understood this4 
,he knew when he withheld his rain that 
the famine would come4 ,he saw the dead 
mothers1 he saw the empty breasts of    
death1 and he saw the helpless babes4   
,there is my trouble4 ,i am perfectly   
frank with you and honest4 ,that is my  
trouble4  ,now1 understand me6 ,i do not
 say there is no ,god4 ,i do not know4  
,as ,i told you before1 ,i have traveled
 but very little--only in this world4   
,i want it understood that ,i do not    
pretend to know4 ,i say ,i think4 ,and  
in my mind the idea expressed by ,judge 
,wright so eloquently and so beautifully
 is not exactly true4 ,i cannot conceive
 of the ,god he endeavors to describe1  
because he gives to that ,god will1     
purpose1 achievement1 benevolence1 love1

 and no form--no organization--no wants4
 ,there's the trouble4 ,no wants4 ,and  
let me say why that is a trouble4 ,man  
acts only because he wants4 ,you        
civilize man by increasing his wants1   
or1 as his wants increase he becomes    
civilized4 ,you find a lazy savage who  
would not hunt an elephant tusk to save 
your life4 ,but let him have a few      
tastes of whiskey and tobacco1 and he   
will run his legs off for tusks4 ,you   
have given him another want and he is   
willing to work4 ,and they nearly all   
started on the road toward              
,unitarianism--that is to say1 toward   
civilization--in that way4 ,you must    
increase their wants4  ,the question    
arises3 ,can an infinite being want     
anything8 ,if he does and cannot get it1
 he is not happy4 ,if he does not want  
anything1 ,i cannot help him4 ,i am     
under no obligation to do anything for  
anybody who does not need anything and  
who does not want anything4 ,now1 there 
is my trouble4 ,i may be wrong1 and ,i  

may get paid for it some time1 but that 
is my trouble4  ,i do not see--admitting
 that all is true that has been said    
about the existence of ,god--,i do not  
see what ,i can do for him2 and ,i do   
not see either what he can do for me1   
judging by what he has done for others4 
,and then ,i come to the other point1   
that religion so-called1 explains our   
duties to this supposed being1 when we  
do not even know that he exists2 and no 
human being has got imagination enough  
to describe him1 or to use such words   
that you understand what he is trying to
 say4 ,i have listened with great       
pleasure to ,judge ,wright this evening1
 and ,i have heard a great many other   
beautiful things on the same            
subject--none better than his4 ,but ,i  
never understood them--never4  ,now1    
then1 what is religion8 ,i say1 religion
 is all here in this world--right       
here--and that all our duties are right 
here to our fellow-men2 that the man    
that builds a home2 marries the girl    

that he loves2 takes good care of her2  
likes the family2 stays home nights1 as 
a general thing2 pays his debts2 tries  
to find out what he can2 gets all the   
ideas and beautiful things that his mind
 will hold2 turns a part of his brain   
into a gallery of fine arts2 has a host 
of paintings and statues there2 then has
 another niche devoted to music--a      
magnificent dome1 filled with winged    
notes that rise to glory--now1 the man  
who does that gets all he can from the  
great ones dead2 swaps all the thoughts 
he can with the ones that are alive2    
true to the ideal that he has here in   
his brain--he is what ,i call a         
religious man1 because he makes the     
world better1 happier2 he puts the      
dimples of joy in the cheeks of the ones
 he loves1 and he lets the gods run     
heaven to suit themselves4 ,and ,i am   
not saying that he is right2 ,i do not  
know4  ,this is all the religion that ,i
 have2 to make somebody else happier if 
,i can4  ,i divide this world into two  

classes--the cruel and the kind2 and ,i 
think a thousand times more of a kind   
man than ,i do of an intelligent man4 ,i
 think more of kindness than ,i do of   
genius1 ,i think more of real1 good1    
human nature in that way--of one who is 
willing to lend a helping hand and who  
goes through the world with a face that 
looks as if its owner were willing to   
answer a decent question--,i think a    
thousand times more of that than ,i do  
of being theologically right2 because ,i
 do not care whether ,i am theologically
 right or not4 ,it is something that is 
not worth talking about1 because it is  
something that ,i never1 never1 never   
shall understand2 and every one of you  
will die and you won't understand it    
either--until after you die at any rate4
 ,i do not know what will happen then4  
,i am not denying anything4 ,there is   
another ideal1 and it is a beautiful    
ideal4 ,it is the greatest dream that   
ever entered the heart or brain of      
man--the ,dream of ,immortality4 ,it was

 born of human affection4 ,it did not   
come to us from heaven4 ,it was born of 
the human heart4 ,and when he who loved1
 kissed the lips of her who was dead1   
there came into his heart the dream3 ,we
 may meet again4  ,and1 let me tell you1
 that hope of immortality never came    
from any religion4 ,that hope of        
immortality has helped make religion4   
,it has been the great oak around which 
have climbed the poisonous vines of     
superstition--that hope of immortality  
is the great oak4  ,and yet the moment a
 man expresses a doubt about the truth  
of ,joshua or ,jonah or the other three 
fellows in a furnace1 up hops some poor 
little wretch and says1 ,why1 he doesn't
 want to live any more2 he wants to die 
and go down like a dog1 and that is the 
end of him and his wife and children4   
,they really seem to think that the     
moment a man is what they call an       
,infidel he has no affections1 no heart1
 no feeling1 no hope--nothing--nothing4 
,just anxious to be annihilated6 ,but1  

if the orthodox creed be true1 ,i make  
my choice to-night4 ,i take hell4 ,and  
if it is between hell and annihilation1 
,i take annihilation4  ,i will tell you 
why ,i take hell in making the first    
choice4 ,we have heard from both of     
those places--heaven and hell4          
,according to the ,new ,testament there 
was a rich man in hell1 and a poor man1 
,lazarus1 in heaven4 ,and there was     
another gentleman by the name of        
,abraham4 ,the rich man in hell was in  
flames1 and he called for water1 and    
they told him they couldn't give him    
any4 ,no bridge6 ,but they did not      
express the slightest regret that they  
could not give him any water4 ,mr4      
,abraham was not decent enough to say he
 would if he could2 no1 sir2 nothing4   
,it did not make any difference to him4 
,but this rich man in hell--in          
torment--his heart was all right1 for he
 remembered his brothers2 and he said to
 this ,abraham1 ,if you cannot go1 why1 
send a man to my five brethren1 so that 

they will not come to this place6 ,good 
fellow1 to think of his five brothers   
when he was burning up4 ,good fellow4   
,best fellow we ever heard from on the  
other side--in either world4  ,so1 ,i   
say there is my place4 ,and1            
incidentally1 ,abraham at that time gave
 his judgment as to the value of        
miracles4 ,he said1 ,though one should  
arise from the dead he wouldn't help    
your five brethren6 ,there are ,moses   
and the prophets4 ,no need of raising   
people from the dead4  ,that is my idea1
 in a general way1 about religion2 and  
,i want the imagination to go to work   
upon it1 taking the perfections of one  
church1 of one school1 of one system1   
and putting them together1 just as the  
sculptor makes a great statue by taking 
the eyes from one1 the nose from        
another1 the limbs from another1 and so 
on2 just as they make a great painting  
from a landscape by putting a river in  
this place1 instead of over there1      
changing the location of a tree and     

improving on what they call nature--that
 is to say1 simply by adding to1 taking 
from2 that is all we can do4 ,but let us
 go on doing that until there shall be a
 church in sympathy with the best human 
heart and in harmony with the best human
 brain4  ,and1 what is more1 let us have
 that religion for the world we live in4
 ,right here6 ,let us have that religion
 until it cannot be said that they who  
do the most work have the least to eat4 
,let us have that religion here until   
hundreds and thousands of women are not 
compelled to make a living with the     
needle that has been called the asp for 
the breast of the poor1 and to live in  
tenements1 in filth1 where modesty is   
impossible4  ,i say1 let us preach that 
religion here until men will be ashamed 
to have forty or fifty millions1 or any 
more than they need1 while their        
brethren lack bread--while their sisters
 die from want4 ,let us preach that     
religion here until man will have more  
ambition to become wise and good than to

 become rich and powerful4 ,let us      
preach that religion here among         
ourselves until there are no abused and 
beaten wives4 ,let us preach that       
religion until children are no longer   
afraid of their own parents and until   
there is no back of a child bearing the 
scars of a father's lash4 ,let us preach
 it1 ,i say1 until we understand and    
know that every man does as he must1 and
 that1 if we want better men and women1 
we must have better conditions4  ,let us
 preach this grand religion until       
everywhere1 the world over1 men are just
 and kind to each other4 ,and then1 if  
there be another world1 we shall be     
prepared for it4 ,and if ,i come into   
the presence of an infinite1 good1 and  
wise being1 he will say1 ,well1 you did 
the best you could4 ,you did very well1 
indeed4 ,there is plenty of work for you
 to do here4 ,try and get a little      
higher than you were before4 ,let us    
preach that one drop of restitution is  
worth an ocean of repentance4  ,and if  

there is a life of eternal progress     
before us1 ,i shall be as glad as any   
other angel to find that out4  ,but ,i  
will not sacrifice the world ,i have for
 one ,i know not of4 ,i will not live   
here in fear1 when ,i do not know that  
that which ,i fear lives4  ,i am going  
to live a perfectly free man4 ,i am     
going to reap the harvest of my mind1 no
 matter how poor it is1 whether it is   
wheat or corn or worthless weeds4 ,and  
,i am going to scatter it4 ,some may    
fall on stony ground4 ,but ,i think ,i  
have struck good soil to-night4  ,and   
so1 ladies and gentlemen1 ,i thank you a
 thousand times for your attention4 ,i  
beg that you will forgive the time that 
,i have taken1 and allow me to say1 once
 more1 that this event marks an epoch in
 ,religious ,liberty in the ,united     
,states4     ,,western ,,society ,,of   
,,the ,,army ,,of ,,the ,,potomac       
,,banquet4  ,chicago1 ,january #ca1     
#ahid4       99 ,every soldier of the   
,army of the ,potomac3 remembers1 the   

colors that for two years floated over  
the headquarters of      ,gen4 ,meade4  
,last night when one hundred and fifty  
men who      fought in that army        
gathered around the banquet board at the
      ,grand ,pacific hotel a fac-simile
 of that flag floated over      them4   
,it was a handsome guidon1 on one side a
 field of      solferino red bearing a  
life-sized golden eagle surrounded      
by a silver wreath of laurel2 on the    
other were the national      colors with
 the names of the corps of the army4    
,the fifth annual banquet of the        
,western ,society of the ,army      of  
the ,potomac will be remembered on      
account of the presence      of many    
distinguished men4 ,the cigars had not  
been lighted      when ,col4 ,robert ,g4
 ,ingersoll1 escorted by ,gen4 ,newberry
 and      ,col4 ,burbanks1 came in4 ,the
 bald head and sparse gray hair      of 
the famous orator were recognized by    
all1 and he was      given a mighty     
welcome4       ,save for the emblems of 

the ,union and the fac-simile of ,gen4  
,meade's flag the decorations were      
simple4 ,there were no      flowers1 but
 the soldiers could read on little signs
 stuck      up around the tables such   
names as ,petersburg1 ,white      ,oak1 
,mine ,run1 ,cold ,harbor1 ,fair ,oaks  
and ,south      ,mountain4 ,the         
exercises began and ended with bugle    
call and      military song1 and the    
heroes of the ,potomac showed that      
they still remembered the words of the  
songs sung in camp4       ,col4 ,freeman
 ,connor1 the retiring president1 acted 
as      toastmaster4 ,seated near him   
were ,maj4-,gen4 ,nelson ,miles1        
,united ,states army2 ,gen4 ,newberry1  
,col4 ,ingersoll1 ,thomas ,b4           
,bryan1 ,col4 ,james ,a44 ,sexton1 ,maj4
 ,e4 ,a4 ,blodgett1 ,fred ,w4           
,spink1 ,col4 ,williston and ,maj4      
,heyle4       ,the exercises began with 
the singing of ,america by all          
,col4 ,conner made a few remarks and    
then ,col4 ,c4 ,s4 ,mc,entee            

presented the new-comer to the society4 
,when ,colonel      ,ingersoll was      
introduced1 the veterans jumped up on   
chairs1      waved their handkerchiefs  
and greeted him with a mighty           
shout4 ,the ,colonel spoke only fifteen 
minutes4       ,at the conclusion of    
,colonel ,ingersoll's speech he was     
again      cheered for several minutes4 
,a motion was made to make him      an  
honorary member of the ,western ,society
 of the ,army of the      ,potomac4 ,the
 toastmaster in putting the question    
said3 ,all      who are in favor will   
rise and yell1 and every comrade        
yelled4       --,chicago ,record1       
,february #a1 #ahid4   ,,first of all1  
,i wish to thank you for allowing me to 
be present4 ,next1 ,i wish to           
congratulate you that you are all alive4
 ,i congratulate you that you were born 
in this century1 the greatest century in
 the world's history1 the greatest      
century of intellectual genius and of   
physical1 mental and moral progress that

 the world ever knew4 ,i congratulate   
you all that you are members of the     
,army of the ,potomac4 ,i believe that  
no better army ever marched under the   
flag of any nation4 ,there was no       
difficulty that discouraged you2 no     
defeat that disheartened you4 ,for years
 you bore the heat and burden of battle2
 for years you saw your comrades torn by
 shot and shell1 but wiping the tears1  
from your cheeks you marched on with    
greater determination than ever to fight
 to the end4  ,to the ,army of the      
,potomac belongs the eternal honor of   
having obtained finally the sword of    
,rebellion4 ,i congratulate you because 
you fought for the ,republic1 and ,i    
thank you for your courage4 ,for by you 
the ,united ,states was kept on the map 
of the world1 and our flag was kept     
floating4 ,if not for your work1 neither
 would have been there4 ,you removed    
from it the only stain that was ever on 
it4 ,you fought not only the battle of  
the ,union1 but of the whole world4  ,i 

congratulate you that you live in a     
period when the ,north has attained a   
higher moral altitude than was ever     
attained by any nation4 ,you now live in
 a country which believes in absolute   
freedom for all4 ,in this country any   
man may reap what he sows and may give  
his honest thought to his fellow-men4   
,it is wonderful to think what this     
,nation was before the ,army of the     
,potomac came into existence4 ,it       
believed in liberty as the convict      
believes in liberty4 ,it was a country  
where men that had honest thoughts were 
ostracized4 ,i thank you and your       
courage for what we are4 ,nothing       
ennobles a man so much as fighting for  
the right4 ,whoever fights for the wrong
 wounds himself4 ,i believe that every  
man who fought in the ,union army came  
out a stronger and a better and a nobler
 man4  ,i believe in this country4 ,i am
 so young and so full of enthusiasm that
 ,i am a believer in ,national growth4  
,i want this country to be territorial  

and to become larger than it is4 ,i want
 a country worthy of ,chicago4 ,i want  
to pick up the ,west ,indies1 take in   
the ,bermudas1 the ,bahamas and         
,barbadoes4 ,they are our islands4 ,they
 belong to this continent and it is a   
piece of impudence for any other nation 
to think of owning them4 ,we want to    
grow4 ,such is the extravagance of my   
ambition that ,i even want the ,sandwich
 ,islands4 ,they say that these islands 
are too far away from us2 that they are 
two thousand miles from our shores4 ,but
 they are nearer to our shores than to  
any other4 ,i want them4 ,i want a naval
 station there4 ,i want ,america to be  
mistress of the ,pacific4 ,then there is
 another thing in my mind4 ,i want to   
grow ,north and ,south4 ,i want         
,canada--good people--good land4 ,i want
 that country4 ,i do not want to steal  
it1 but ,i want it4 ,i want to go ,south
 with this ,nation4 ,my idea is this3   
,there is only air enough between the   
,isthmus of ,panama and the ,north ,pole

 for one flag4 ,a country that          
guarantees liberty to all cannot be too 
large4 ,if any of these people are      
ignorant1 we will educate them2 give    
them the benefit of our free schools4   
,another thing--,i might as well sow a  
few seeds for next fall4 ,i have heard  
many reasons why the ,south failed in   
the ,rebellion1 and why with the help of
 ,northern dissensions and a ,european  
hatred the ,south did not succeed4 ,i   
will tell you4 ,in my judgment1 the     
,south failed1 not on account of its    
army1 but from other conditions4        
,luckily for us1 the ,south had always  
been in favor of free trade4            
,secondly--,the ,south raised and sold  
raw material1 and when the war came it  
had no foundries1 no factories1 and no  
looms to weave the cloth for uniforms2  
no shops to make munitions of war1 and  
it had to get what supplies it could by 
running the blockade4 ,we of the ,north 
had the cloth to clothe our soldiers1   
shops to make our bayonets2 we had all  

the curious wheels that invention had   
produced1 and had labor and genius1 the 
power of steam1 and the water to make   
what we needed1 and we did not require  
anything from any other country4        
,suppose this whole country raised raw  
material and shipped it out1 we would be
 in the condition that the ,south was4  
,we want this ,nation to be independent 
of the whole world4 ,a nation to be     
ready to settle questions of dispute by 
war should be in a condition of absolute
 independence4 ,for that reason ,i want 
all the wheels turning in this country1 
all the chimneys full of fire1 all the  
looms running1 the iron red hot         
everywhere4 ,i want to see all mechanics
 having plenty of work with good wages  
and good homes for their families1 good 
food1 schools for their children1 plenty
 of clothes1 and enough to take care of 
a child if it happens to take sick4 ,i  
am for the independence of ,america1 the
 growth of ,america physically1         
mentally1 and every other way4 ,the time

 will come when all nations combined    
cannot take that flag out of the sky4 ,i
 want to see this country so that if a  
deluge sweeps every other nation from   
the face of the globe we would have all 
we want made right here by our          
factories1 by ,american brain and hand4 
,i thank you that the ,republic still   
lives4 ,i thank you that we are all     
lovers of freedom4 ,i thank you for     
having helped establish a ,government   
where every child has an opportunity1   
and where every avenue of advancement if
 open to all4     ,,lotos ,,club        
,,dinner ,,in ,,honor ,,of ,,anton      
,,seidl4  ,new ,york1 ,february #b1     
#ahie4   ,,mr4 ,,president1 ,mr4 ,anton 
,seidl1 and ,gentlemen3 ,i was enjoying 
myself with music and song2 why ,i      
should be troubled1 why ,i should be    
called upon to trouble you1 is a        
question ,i can hardly answer4 ,still1  
as the president has remarked1 the      
,american people like to hear speeches4 
,why1 ,i don't know4 ,it has always been

 a matter of amazement that anybody     
wanted to hear me4 ,talking is so       
universal2 with few exceptions--the deaf
 and dumb--everybody seems to be in the 
business4 ,why they should be so anxious
 to hear a rival ,i never could         
understand4 ,but1 gentlemen1 we are all 
pupils of nature2 we are taught by the  
countless things that touch us on every 
side2 by field and flower and star and  
cloud and river and sea1 where the waves
 break into whitecaps1 and by the       
prairie1 and by the mountain that lifts 
its granite forehead to the sun2 all    
things in nature touch us1 educate us1  
sharpen us1 cause the heart to bud1 to  
burst1 it may be1 into blossom2 to      
produce fruit4 ,in common with the rest 
of the world ,i have been educated a    
little that way2 by the things ,i have  
seen and by the things ,i have heard and
 by the people ,i have met4 ,but there  
are a few things that stand out in my   
recollection as having touched me more  
deeply than others1 a few men to whom ,i

 feel indebted for the little ,i know1  
and for the little ,i happen to be4     
,those men1 those things1 are forever   
present in my mind4 ,but ,i want to tell
 you to-night that the first man that   
let up the curtain in my mind1 that ever
 opened a blind1 that ever allowed a    
little sunshine to straggle in1 was     
,robert ,burns4 ,i went to get my shoes 
mended1 and ,i had to go with them4 ,and
 ,i had to wait till they were done4 ,i 
was like the fellow standing by the     
stream naked washing his shirt4 ,a lady 
and gentleman were riding by in a       
carriage1 and upon seeing him the man   
indignantly shouted1 ,why don't you put 
on another shirt when you are washing   
one8 ,the fellow said1 ,i suppose you   
think ,i've got a hundred shirts6  ,when
 ,i went into the shop of the old       
,scotch shoemaker he was reading a book1
 and when he took my shoes in hand ,i   
took his book1 which was ,robert ,burns4
 ,in a few days ,i had a copy2 and1     
indeed1 gentlemen1 from that time if    

,burns had been destroyed ,i could have 
restored more than half of it4 ,it was  
in my mind day and night4 ,burns you    
know is a little valley1 not very wide1 
but full of sunshine2 a little stream   
runs down making music over the rocks1  
and children play upon the banks2 narrow
 roads overrun with vines1 covered with 
blossoms1 happy children1 the hum of    
bees1 and little birds pour out their   
hearts and enrich the air4 ,that is     
,burns4 ,then1 you must know that ,i was
 raised respectably4 ,certain books were
 not thought to be good for the young   
person2 only such books as would start  
you in the narrow road for the ,new     
,jerusalem4 ,but one night ,i stopped at
 a little hotel in ,illinois1 many years
 ago1 when we were not quite civilized1 
when the footsteps of the red man were  
still in the prairies4 ,while ,i was    
waiting for supper an old man was       
reading from a book1 and among others   
who were listening was myself4 ,i was   
filled with wonder4 ,i had never heard  

anything like it4 ,i was ashamed to ask 
him what he was reading2 ,i supposed    
that an intelligent boy ought to know4  
,so ,i waited1 and when the little bell 
rang for supper ,i hung back and they   
went out4 ,i picked up the book2 it was 
,sam ,johnson's edition of ,shakespeare4
 ,the next day ,i bought a copy for four
 dollars4 ,my ,god6 more than the       
national debt4 ,you talk about the      
present straits of the ,treasury6 ,for  
days1 for nights1 for months1 for years1
 ,i read those books1 two volumes1 and  
,i commenced with the introduction4 ,i  
haven't read that introduction for      
nearly fifty years1 certainly           
forty-five1 but ,i remember it still4   
,other writers are like a garden        
diligently planted and watered1 but     
,shakespeare a forest where the oaks and
 elms toss their branches to the storm1 
where the pine towers1 where the vine   
bursts into blossom at its foot4 ,that  
book opened to me a new world1 another  
nature4 ,while ,burns was the valley1   

here was a range of mountains with      
thousands of such valleys2 while ,burns 
was as sweet a star as ever rose into   
the horizon1 here was a heaven filled   
with constellations4 ,that book has been
 a source of perpetual joy to me from   
that day to this2 and whenever ,i read  
,shakespeare--if it ever happens that ,i
 fail to find some new beauty1 some new 
presentation of some wonderful truth1 or
 another word that bursts into blossom1 
,i shall make up my mind that my mental 
faculties are failing1 that it is not   
the fault of the book4 ,those1 then1 are
 two things that helped to educate me a 
little4  ,afterward ,i saw a few        
paintings by ,rembrandt1 and all at once
 ,i was overwhelmed with the genius of  
the man that could convey so much       
thought in form and color4 ,then ,i saw 
a few landscapes by ,corot1 and ,i began
 to think ,i knew something about art4  
,during all my life1 of course1 like    
other people1 ,i had heard what they    
call music1 and ,i had my favorite      

pieces1 most of those favorite pieces   
being favorites on account of           
association2 and nine-tenths of the     
music that is beautiful to the world is 
beautiful because of the association1   
not because the music is good1 but      
because of association44 ,we cannot     
write a very poetic thing about a pump  
or about water works2 they are not old  
enough4  ,we can write a poetic thing   
about a well and a sweep and an old     
moss-covered bucket1 and you can write a
 poem about a spring1 because a spring  
seems a gift of nature1 something that  
cost no trouble and no work1 something  
that will sing of nature under the quiet
 stars of ,june4 ,so1 it is poetic on   
account of association4 ,the stage coach
 is more poetic than the car1 but the   
time will come when cars will be poetic1
 because human feelings1 love's         
remembrances1 will twine around them1   
and consequently they will become       
beautiful4 ,there are two pieces of     
music1 ,the ,last ,rose of ,summer1 and 

,home ,sweet ,home1 with the music a    
little weak in the back2 but association
 makes them both beautiful4 ,so1 in the 
,marseillaise is the ,french            
,revolution1 that whirlwind and flame of
 war1 of heroism the highest possible1  
of generosity1 of self-denial1 of       
cruelty1 of all of which the human heart
 and brain are capable2 so that music   
now sounds as though its notes were made
 of stars1 and it is beautiful mostly by
 association4  ,now1 ,i always felt that
 there must be some greater music       
somewhere1 somehow4 ,you know this      
little music that comes back with       
recurring emphasis every two inches or  
every three-and-a-half inches2 ,i       
thought there ought to be music         
somewhere with a great sweep from       
horizon to horizon1 and that could fill 
the great dome of sound with winged     
notes like the eagle2 if there was not  
such music1 somebody1 sometime1 would   
make it1 and ,i was waiting for it4 ,one
 day ,i heard it1 and ,i said1 ,what    

music is that8 ,who wrote that8 ,i felt 
it everywhere4 ,i was cold4 ,i was      
almost hysterical4 ,it answered to my   
brain1 to my heart2 not only to         
association1 but to all there was of    
hope and aspiration1 all my future2 and 
they said this is the music of ,wagner4 
,i never knew one note from another--of 
course ,i would know it from a          
promissory note--and was utterly and    
absolutely ignorant of music until ,i   
heard ,wagner interpreted by the        
greatest leader1 in my judgment1 in the 
world--,anton ,seidl4 ,he not only      
understands ,wagner in the brain1 but he
 feels him in the heart1 and there is in
 his blood the same kind of wild and    
splendid independence that was in the   
brain of ,wagner4 ,i want to say        
to-night1 because there are so many     
heresies1 ,mr4 ,president1 creeping into
 this world1 ,i want to say and say it  
with all my might1 that ,robert ,burns  
was not ,scotch4 ,he was far wider than 
,scotland3 he had in him the universal  

tide1 and wherever it touches the shore 
of a human being it finds access4 ,not  
,scotch1 gentlemen1 but a man1 a man6 ,i
 can swear to it1 or rather affirm1 that
 ,shakespeare was not ,english1 but     
another man1 kindred of all1 of all     
races and peoples1 and who understood   
the universal brain and heart of the    
human race1 and who had imagination     
enough to put himself in the place of   
all4  ,and so ,i want to say to-night1  
because ,i want to be consistent1       
,richard ,wagner was not a ,german1 and 
his music is not ,german2 and why8      
,germany would not have it4 ,germany    
denied that it was music4 ,the great    
,german critics said it was nothing in  
the world but noise4 ,the best          
interpreter of ,wagner in the world is  
not ,german1 and no man has to be       
,german to understand ,richard ,wagner4 
,in the heart of nearly every man is an 
,a,eolian harp1 and when the breath of  
true genius touches that harp1 every man
 that has one1 or that knows what music 

is or has the depth and height of       
feeling necessary to appreciate it1     
appreciates ,richard ,wagner4 ,to       
understand that music1 to hear it as    
interpreted by this great leader1 is an 
education4 ,it develops the brain2 it   
gives to the imagination wings2 the     
little earth grows larger2 the people   
grow important2 and not only that1 it   
civilizes the heart2 and the man who    
understands that music can love better  
and with greater intensity than he ever 
did before4 ,the man who understands and
 appreciates that music1 becomes in the 
highest sense spiritual--and ,i don't   
mean by spiritual1 worshiping some      
phantom1 or dwelling upon what is going 
to happen to some of us--,i mean        
spiritual in the highest sense2 when a  
perfume arises from the heart in        
gratitude1 and when you feel that you   
know what there is of beauty1 of        
sublimity1 of heroism and honor and love
 in the human heart4 ,this is what ,i   
mean by being spiritual4 ,i don't mean  

denying yourself here and living on a   
crust with the expectation of eternal   
joy--that is not what ,i mean4 ,by      
spiritual ,i mean a man that has an     
ideal1 a great ideal1 and who is        
splendid enough to live to that ideal2  
that is what ,i mean by spiritual4 ,and 
the man who has heard the music of      
,wagner1 that music of love and death1  
the greatest music1 in my judgment1 that
 ever issued from the human brain1 the  
man who has heard that and understands  
it has been civilized4  ,another man to 
whom ,i feel under obligation whose name
 ,i do not know--,i know ,burns1        
,shakespeare1 ,rembrandt and ,wagner1   
but there are some other fellows whose  
names ,i do not know--is he who chiseled
 the ,venus de ,milo4 ,this man helped  
to civilize the world2 and there is     
nothing under the sun so pathetic as the
 perfect4 ,whoever creates the perfect  
has thought and labored and suffered2   
and no perfect thing has ever been done 
except through suffering and except     

through the highest and holiest thought1
 and among this class of men is ,wagner4
 ,let me tell you something more4 ,you  
know ,i am a great believer4 ,there is  
no man in the world who believes more in
 human nature than ,i do4 ,no man       
believes more in the nobility and       
splendor of humanity than ,i do2 no man 
feels more grateful than ,i to the      
self-denying1 heroic1 splendid souls who
 have made this world fit for ladies and
 gentlemen to live in4 ,but ,i believe  
that the human mind has reached its top 
in three departments4 ,i don't believe  
the human race--no matter if it lives   
millions of years more upon this        
wheeling world--,i don't believe the    
human race will ever produce in the     
world anything greater1 sublimer1 than  
the marbles of the ,greeks4 ,i do not   
believe it4 ,i believe they reach       
absolutely the perfection of form and   
the expression of force and passion in  
stone4 ,the ,greeks made marble as      
sensitive as flesh and as passionate as 

blood4 ,i don't believe that any human  
being of any coming race--no matter how 
many suns may rise and set1 or how many 
religions may rise and fall1 or how many
 languages be born and decay--,i don't  
believe any human being will ever excel 
the dramas of ,shakespeare4 ,neither do 
,i believe that the time will ever come 
when any man with such instruments of   
music as we now have1 and having nothing
 but the common air that we now breathe1
 will ever produce greater pictures in  
sound1 greater music1 than ,wagner4     
,never6 ,never6 ,and ,i don't believe he
 will ever have a better interpreter    
than ,anton ,seidl4 ,seidl is a poet in 
sound1 a sculptor in sound4 ,he is what 
you might call an orchestral orator1 and
 as such he expresses the deepest       
feelings1 the highest aspirations and   
the in-tensest and truest love of which 
the brain and heart of man are capable4 
,now1 ,i am glad1 ,i am delighted1 that 
the people here in this city and in     
various other cities of our great       

country are becoming civilized enough to
 appreciate these harmonies2 ,i am glad 
they are civilized at last enough to    
know that the home of music is tone1 not
 tune2 that the home of music is in     
harmonies where you braid them like     
rainbows2 ,i am glad they are great     
enough and civilized enough to          
appreciate the music of ,wagner1 the    
greatest music in this world4 ,wagner   
sustains the same relation to other     
composers that ,shakespeare does to     
other dramatists1 and any other         
dramatist compared with ,shakespeare is 
like one tree compared with an          
immeasurable forest1 or rather like one 
leaf compared with a forest2 and all the
 other composers of the world are       
embraced in the music of ,wagner4       
,nobody has written anything more tender
 than he1 nobody anything sublimer than 
he4 ,whether it is the song of the deep1
 or the warble of the mated bird1 nobody
 has excelled ,wagner2 he has expressed 
all that the human heart is capable of  

appreciating4 ,and now1 gentlemen1      
having troubled you long enough1 and    
saying long live ,anton ,seidl1 ,i bid  
you good-night4     ,,lotos ,,club      
,,dinner ,,in ,,honor ,,of ,,rear       
,,admiral ,,schley4  ,new ,york1        
,november #bf1 #ahih4       99 ,the     
,lotos ,club did honor to ,rear ,admiral
 ,winfield ,scott      ,schley1 and     
incidentally1 to the ,united ,states1 at
 its      clubhouse in ,fifth ,avenue   
last night4 ,all day long the           
square1 blue pennant1 blazoned with the 
two stars of a ,rear      ,admiral1     
snapped in the wind1 signifying to all  
who saw it      that the ,lotos         
,clubhouse was for the time being the   
flagship      of the erstwhile ,flying  
,squadron4       ,within the home of the
 club were gathered men who like the    
guest of the evening were prominent in  
the war with ,spain1      ,the navy was 
represented by ,capt4 ,charles ,d4      
,sigs-,dee1 ,capt4      ,a4 ,t4 ,mahan  
and ,captain ,goodrich4 ,from the army  

there was      ,brig4 ,gen4 ,w ,f4      
,randolph1 and from civil life many men 
prominent in the business1 professional 
and social life of      the city4 ,the  
one impulse that led these men to brave 
the      storm was their desire to pay  
their respects to one of the      men   
who had done so much to win laurels for 
the ,american      arms4       ,the     
parlors and dining rooms of the         
clubhouse wore thrown      into one in  
order to accommodate the three hundred  
men      present fit the dinner4 ,smilax
 covered the walls1 save hero      and  
there where the ,american flag was      
draped in graceful      folds4 ,from the
 archway under which the table of honor 
was      spread1 hung a large ,national 
ensign and a ,rear ,admiral's           
pennant4       ,the menu was unique4    
,etched on a cream-tinted paper appeared
      an open nook1 and on the tops of  
the pages was inscribed1      ,logge of 
the ,goode ,ship ,lotos4 ,dinner to     
,rear ,admiral      ,winfield ,scott    

,schley1 given in the cabin of ye       
,shippe1 ,nov4      #bf1 l#hih1 ,lat4   
#dj degrees #db minutes #dc seconds     
north2      longitude1 #gd degrees #c   
seconds west4       ,on each side of the
 menu was stretched a string of signal  
flags1 giving the orders made famous by 
,admiral ,schley in      the naval      
engagement of ,july #c1 #ahih4 ,on the  
second page of      the menu was a fine 
etching of the ,brooklyn1 ,admiral      
,schley's flagship4 ,the souvenir menu  
was inclosed in blue      paper1 upon   
which were two white stars1 the whole   
representing ,rear ,admiral ,schley's   
pennant4   ,,mr4,,president1 ,gentlemen 
of the ,club--,boys3 ,i congratulate all
 of you and ,i congratulate myself1 and 
,i will tell you why4 ,in the first     
place1 we were well born1 and we were   
all born rich1 all of us4 ,we belong to 
a great race4 ,that is something2 that  
is having a start1 to feel that in your 
veins flows heroic blood1 blood that has
 accomplished great things and has      

planted the flag of victory on the field
 of war4 ,it is a great thing to belong 
to a great race4  ,i congratulate you   
and myself on another thing2 we were    
born in a great nation1 and you can't be
 much of a man without having a nation  
behind you1 with you2 ,just think about 
it6 ,what would ,shakespeare have been1 
if he had been born in ,labrador8 ,i    
used to know an old lawyer in southern  
,illinois1 a smart old chap1 who mourned
 his unfortunate surroundings4 ,he lived
 in ,pinkneyville1 and occasionally     
drank a little too freely of ,illinois  
wine2 and when in his cups he sometimes 
grew philosophic and egotistic4 ,he said
 one day1 ,boys1 ,i have got more brains
 than you have1 ,i have1 but ,i have    
never had a chance4 ,i want you just to 
think of it4 ,what would ,daniel        
,webster have been1 by ,god1 if he had  
settled in ,pinkneyville8  ,so ,i       
congratulate you all that you were born 
in a great nation1 born rich2 and why do
 ,i say rich8 ,because you fell heir to 

a great1 expressive1 flexible language2 
that is one thing4 ,what could a man do 
who speaks a poor language1 a language  
of a few words that you could almost    
count on your fingers8 ,what could he   
do8 ,you were born heirs to a great     
literature1 the greatest in the         
world--in all the world4 ,all the       
literature of ,greece and ,rome would   
not make one act of ,hamlet4 ,all the   
literature of the ancient world added to
 all of the modern world1 except        
,england1 would not equal the literature
 that we have4 ,we were born to it1     
heirs to that vast intellectual         
possession4  ,so ,i say you were all    
born rich1 all4 ,and then you were very 
fortunate in being born in this country1
 where people have some rights1 not as  
many as they should have1 not as many as
 they would have if it were not for the 
preachers1 may be1 but where we have    
some2 and no man yet was ever great     
unless a great drama was being played on
 some great stage and he got a part4    

,nature deals you a hand1 and all she   
asks is for you to have the sense to    
play it4 ,if no hand is dealt to you1   
you win no money4 ,you must have the    
opportunity1 must be on the stage1 and  
some great drama must be there4 ,take it
 in our own country4 ,the ,revolutionary
 war was a drama1 and a few great actors
 appeared2 the ,war of #ahab was        
another1 and a few appeared2 the ,civil 
war another4 ,where would have been the 
heroes whose brows we have crowned with 
laurel had there been no ,civil war8    
,what would have become of ,lincoln1 a  
lawyer in a country town8 ,what would   
have become of ,grant8 ,he would have   
been covered with the mantle of absolute
 obscurity1 tucked in at all the edges1 
his name never heard of by any human    
being not related to him4  ,now1 you    
have got to have the chance1 and you    
cannot create it4 ,i heard a gentleman  
say here a few minutes ago that this war
 could have been averted4 ,that is not  
true4 ,i am not doubting his veracity1  

but rather his philosophy4 ,nothing ever
 happened beneath the dome of heaven    
that could have been avoided4           
,everything that is possible happens4   
,that may not suit all the creeds1 but  
it is true4 ,and everything that is     
possible will continue to happen4 ,the  
war could not have been averted1 and the
 thing that makes me glad and proud is  
that it was not averted4 ,i will tell   
you why4  ,it was the first war in the  
history of this world that was waged    
unselfishly for the good of others2 the 
first war4 ,almost anybody will fight   
for himself2 a great many people will   
fight for their country1 their          
fellow-men1 their fellow-citizens2 but  
it requires something besides courage to
 fight for the rights of aliens2 it     
requires not only courage1 but principle
 and the highest morality4 ,this war was
 waged to compel ,spain to take her     
bloody hands from the throat of ,cuba4  
,that is exactly what it was waged for4 
,another great drama was put upon the   

boards1 another play was advertised1 and
 the actors had their opportunity4 ,had 
there been no such war1 many of the     
actors would never have been heard of4  
,but the thing is to take advantage of  
the occasion when it arrives4 ,in this  
war we added to the greatness and the   
glory of our history4 ,that is another  
thing that we all fell heirs to--the    
history of our people1 the history of   
our ,nation4 ,we fell heirs to all the  
great and grand things that had been    
accomplished1 to all the great deeds1 to
 the splendid achievements either in the
 realm of mind or on the field of       
battle4  ,then there was another great  
drama4 ,the first thing we knew1 a man  
in the far ,pacific1 a gentleman from   
,vermont1 sailed one ,may morning into  
the bay of ,manila1 and the next news   
was that the ,spanish fleet had been    
beached1 burned1 destroyed1 and nothing 
had happened to him4 ,i have read a     
little history1 not much1 and a good    
deal that ,i have read was not true4 ,i 

have read something about our own navy1 
not much4 ,i recollect when ,i was a boy
 my hero was ,john ,paul ,jones2 he     
covered the ocean2 and afterward ,i knew
 of ,hull and ,perry and ,decatur and   
,bainbridge and a good many others that 
,i don't remember now4 ,and then came   
the ,civil war1 and ,i remember a little
 about ,farragut1 a great ,admiral1 as  
great as ever trod a deck1 in my        
judgment4 ,and ,i have also read about  
other admirals and sailors of the world4
 ,i knew something of ,drake and ,i have
 read the ,life of ,nelson and several  
other sea dogs2 but when ,i got the news
 from ,manila ,i said1 ,there is the    
most wonderful victory ever won upon the
 sea2 and ,i did not think it would ever
 be paralleled4 ,i thought such things  
come one in a box4 ,but a little while  
afterward another of ,spain's fleets was
 heard from4 ,oh1 those ,spaniards6     
,they have got the courage of passion1  
but that is not the highest courage4    
,they have got plenty of that2 but it is

 necessary to be coolly courageous1 and 
to have the brain working with the      
accuracy of an engine--courageous1 ,i   
don't care how mad you get1 but there   
must not be a cloud in the heaven of    
your judgment4 ,that is ,anglo-,saxon   
courage1 and there is no higher type4   
,the ,spaniards sprinkled the holy water
 on their guns1 then banged away and    
left it to the ,holy ,ghost to direct   
the rest4  ,another fleet1 at ,santiago1
 ventured out one day1 and another great
 victory was won by the ,american ,navy4
 ,i don't know which victory was the    
more wonderful1 that at ,manila ,bay or 
that at ,santiago4 ,the ,spanish ships  
were1 some of them1 of the best class   
and type1 and had fine guns1 yet in a   
few moments they were wrecks on the     
shore of defeat1 gone1 lost4  ,now1 when
 ,i used to read about these things in  
the olden times1 what ideas ,i had of   
the hero6 ,i never expected to see one2 
and yet to-night ,i have the happiness  
of dining with one1 with one whose name 

is associated with as great a victory1  
in my judgment1 as was ever won2 a      
victory that required courage1          
intelligence1 that power of will that   
holds itself firm until the thing sought
 has been accomplished2 and that has my 
greatest admiration4 ,i thank ,admiral  
,schley for having enriched my country1 
for having added a little to my own     
height1 to my own pride1 so that ,i     
utter the word ,america with a little   
more unction than ,i ever did before1   
and the old flag looks a little         
brighter1 better1 and has an added      
glory4 ,when ,i see it now1 it looks as 
if the air had burst into blossom1 and  
it stands for all that he has           
accomplished4  ,admiral ,schley has     
added not only to our wealth1 but to the
 wealth of the children yet unborn that 
are going to come into the great        
heritage not only of wealth1 but of the 
highest possible riches1 glory1 honor1  
achievement4 ,that is the reason ,i     
congratulate you to-night4 ,and ,i      

congratulate you on another thing1 that 
this country has entered upon the great 
highway1 ,i believe1 of progress4 ,i    
believe that the great nation has the   
sentiment1 the feeling of growth4 ,the  
successful farmer wants to buy the land 
adjoining him2 the great nation loves to
 see its territory increase4 ,and what  
has been our history8 ,why1 when we     
bought ,louisiana from ,napoleon1 in    
#ahjc1 thousands of people were opposed 
to imperialism1 to expansion2 the poor  
old moss-backs were opposed to it4 ,when
 we bought ,florida1 it was the same4   
,when we took the vast ,west from       
,mexico in #ahdh it was the same4 ,when 
we took ,alaska it was the same4 ,now1  
is anybody in favor of modifying that   
sentiment8  ,we have annexed ,hawaii1   
and we have got the biggest volcano in  
the business4 ,a man ,i know visited    
that volcano some years ago and came    
back and told me about his visit4 ,he   
said that at the little hotel they had a
 guest-book in which the people wrote   

their feelings on seeing the volcano in 
action4 ,now1 he said1 ,i will tell you 
this so that you may know how you are   
spreading out yourself4 ,one man had    
written in that book1 'if ,bob          
,ingersoll were here1 ,i think he would 
change his mind about hell4'  ,i want   
that volcano4 ,i want the ,philippines4 
,it would be simply infamous to hand    
those people back to the brutality of   
,spain4 ,spain has been ,christianizing 
them for about four hundred years4 ,the 
first thing the poor devils did was to  
sign a petition asking for the expulsion
 of the priests4 ,that was their idea of
 the commencement of liberty4 ,they are 
not quite so savage as some people      
imagine4 ,i want those islands2 ,i want 
all of them1 and ,i don't know that ,i  
disagree with the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,slicer as 
to the use we can put them to4 ,i don't 
know that they will be of any use1 but  
,i want them2 they might come handy4    
,and ,i wanted to pick up the small     
change1 the ,ladrones and the           

,carolines4 ,i am glad we have got      
,porto ,rico4 ,i don't know as it will  
be of any use1 but there's no harm in   
having the title4 ,i want ,cuba whenever
 ,cuba wants us1 and ,i favor the idea  
of getting her in the notion of wanting 
us4 ,i want it in the interest1 as ,i   
believe1 of humanity1 of progress2 in   
other words1 of human liberty4 ,that is 
what the war was waged for1 and the fact
 that it was waged for that1 gives an   
additional glory to these naval officers
 and to the officers in the army4 ,they 
fought in the first righteous war2 ,i   
mean righteous in the sense that we     
fought for the liberty of others4  ,now1
 gentlemen1 ,i feel that we have all    
honored ourselves to-night by honoring  
,rear ,admiral ,schley4 ,i want you to  
know that long after we are dead and    
long after the ,admiral has ceased to   
sail1 he will be remembered1 and in the 
constellation of glory one of the       
brightest stars will stand for the name 
of ,winfield ,scott ,schley1 as brave an

 officer as ever sailed a ship4 ,i am   
glad ,i am here to-night1 and again1    
gentlemen1 ,i congratulate you all upon 
being here4 ,i congratulate you that you
 belong to this race1 to this nation1   
and that you are equal heirs in the     
glory of the great ,republic4           
,,address ,,to ,,the ,,actors' ,,fund   
,,of ,,america4  ,new ,york1 ,june #e1  
#ahhh4   ,,mr4 ,,president1 ,ladies and 
,gentlemen3 ,i have addressed1 or       
annoyed1 a great many audiences in my   
life and ,i have not the slightest doubt
 that ,i stand now before more ability1 
a greater variety of talent1 and more   
real genius than ,i ever addressed in my
 life4  ,i know all about respectable   
stupidity1 and ,i am perfectly          
acquainted with the brainless wealth and
 success of this life1 and ,i know1     
after all1 how poor the world would be  
without that divine thing that we call  
genius--what a worthless habitation1 if 
you take from it all that genius has    
given4  ,i know also that all joy       

springs from a love of nature4 ,i know  
that all joy is what ,i call ,pagan4    
,the natural man takes delight in       
everything that grows1 in everything    
that shines1 in everything that         
enjoys--he has an immense sympathy with 
the whole human race4  ,of that feeling1
 of that spirit1 the drama is born4     
,people must first be in love with life 
before they can think it worth          
representing4 ,they must have sympathy  
with their fellows before they can enter
 into their feelings and know what their
 heart throbs about4 ,so1 ,i say1 back  
of the drama is this love of life1 this 
love of nature4 ,and whenever a country 
becomes prosperous--and this has been   
pointed cut many times--when a wave of  
wealth runs over a land1--behind it you 
will see all the sons and daughters of  
genius4 ,when a man becomes of some     
account he is worth painting4 ,when by  
success and prosperity he gets the pose 
of a victor1 the sculptor is inspired2  
and when love is really in his heart1   

words burst into blossom and the poet is
 born4 ,when great virtues appear1 when 
magnificent things are done by heroines 
and heroes1 then the stage is built1 and
 the life of a nation is compressed into
 a few hours1 or--to use the language of
 the greatest--turning the              
accomplishment of many years into an    
hour-glass2 the stage is born1 and we   
love it because we love life--and he who
 loves the stage has a kind of double   
life4  ,the drama is a crystallization  
of history1 an epitome of the human     
heart4 ,the past is lived again and     
again1 and we see upon the stage1 love1 
sacrifice1 fidelity1 courage--all the   
virtues mingled with all the follies4   
,and what is the great thing that the   
stage does8 ,it cultivates the          
imagination4 ,and let me say now1 that  
the imagination constitutes the great   
difference between human beings4  ,the  
imagination is the mother of pity1 the  
mother of generosity1 the mother of     
every possible virtue4 ,it is by the    

imagination that you are enabled to put 
yourself in the place of another4 ,every
 dollar that has been paid into your    
treasury came from an imagination vivid 
enough to imagine himself or herself    
lying upon the lonely bed of pain1 or as
 having fallen by the wayside of life1  
dying alone4 ,it is this imagination    
that makes the difference in men4  ,do  
you believe that a man would plunge the 
dagger into the heart of another if he  
had imagination enough to see him       
dead--imagination enough to see his     
widow throw her arms about the corpse   
and cover his face with sacred          
tears--imagination enough to see them   
digging his grave1 and to see the       
funeral and to hear the clods fall upon 
the coffin and the sobs of those who    
stood about--do you believe he would    
commit the crime8 ,would any man be     
false who had imagination enough to see 
the woman that he once loved1 in the    
darkness of night1 when the black clouds
 were floating through the sky hurried  

by the blast as thoughts and memories   
were hurrying through her poor brain--if
 he could see the white flutter of her  
garment as she leaped to the eternal1   
blessed sleep of death--do you believe  
that he would be false to her8 ,i tell  
you that he would be true4  ,so that1 in
 my judgment1 the great mission of the  
stage is to cultivate the human         
imagination4 ,that is the reason fiction
 has done so much good4 ,compared with  
the stupid lies-called history1 how     
beautiful are the imagined things with  
painted wings4 ,everybody detests a     
thing that pretends to be true and is   
not2 but when it says1 ,i am about to   
create1 then it is beautiful in the     
proportion that it is artistic1 in the  
proportion that it is a success4        
,imagination is the mother of           
enthusiasm4 ,imagination fans the little
 spark into a flame great enough to warm
 the human race2 and enthusiasm is to   
the mind what spring is to the world4 4 
,now ,i am going to say a few words     

because ,i want to1 and because ,i have 
the chance4  ,what is known as orthodox 
religion has always been the enemy of   
the theatre4 ,it has been the enemy of  
every possible comfort1 of every        
rational joy--that is to say1 of        
amusement4 ,and there is a reason for   
this4 ,because1 if that religion be     
true1 there should be no amusement4 ,if 
you believe that in every moment is the 
peril of eternal pain--do not amuse     
yourself4 ,stop the orchestra1 ring down
 the curtain1 and be as miserable as you
 can4 ,that idea puts an infinite       
responsibility upon the soul--an        
infinite responsibility--and how can    
there be any art1 how can there be any  
joy1 after that8 ,you might as well pile
 all the ,alps on one unfortunate ant1  
and then say1 ,why don't you play8      
,enjoy yourself4  ,if that doctrine be  
true1 every one should regard time as a 
kind of dock1 a pier running out into   
the ocean of eternity1 on which you sit 
on your trunk and wait for the ship of  

death--solemn1 lugubrious1 melancholy to
 the last degree4  ,and that is why ,i  
have said joy is ,pagan4 ,it comes from 
a love of nature1 from a love of this   
world1 from a love of this life4        
,according to the idea of some good     
people1 life is a kind of green-room1   
where you are getting ready for a play  
in some other country4  ,you all        
remember the story of ,great            
,expectations1 and ,i presume you have  
all had them4 ,that is another thing    
about this profession of acting that ,i 
like--you do not know how it is coming  
out--and there is this delightful       
uncertainty4  ,you have all read the    
book called ,great ,expectations1       
written1 in my judgment1 by the greatest
 novelist that ever wrote the ,english  
language--the man who created a vast    
realm of joy4 ,i love the               
joy-makers--not the solemn1 mournful    
wretches4 ,and when ,i think of the     
church asking something of the theatre1 
,i remember that story of ,great        

,expectations4 ,you remember ,miss      
,haversham--she was to have been married
 some fifty or sixty years before that  
time--sitting there in the darkness1 in 
all of her wedding finery1 the laces    
having turned yellow by time1 the old   
wedding cake crumbled1 various insects  
having made it their palatial           
residence--you remember that she sent   
for that poor little boy ,pip1 and when 
he got there in the midst of all these  
horrors1 she looked at him and said1    
,pip1 play6 ,and if their doctrine be   
true1 every actor is in that situation4 
,i have always loved the theatre--loved 
the stage1 simply because it has added  
to the happiness of this life4 ,oh1 but1
 they say1 is it moral8 ,a superstitious
 man suspects everything that is        
pleasant4 ,it seems inbred in his       
nature1 and in the nature of most       
people4 ,you let such a man pull up a   
little weed and taste it1 and if it is  
sweet and good1 he says1 ,i'll bet it is
 poison4 ,but if it tastes awful1 so    

that his face becomes a mask of disgust1
 he says1 ,i'll bet you that it is good 
medicine4  ,now1 ,i believe that        
everything in the world that tends to   
make man happy1 is moral4 ,that is my   
definition of morality4 ,anything that  
bursts into bud and blossom1 and bears  
the fruit of joy1 is moral4  ,some      
people expect to make the world good by 
destroying desire--by a kind of pious   
petrifaction1 feeling that if you do not
 want anything1 you will not want       
anything bad4 ,in other words1 you will 
be good and moral if you will only stop 
growing1 stop wishing1 turn all your    
energies in the direction of repression1
 and if from the tree of life you pull  
every leaf1 and then every bud--and if  
an apple happens to get ripe in spite of
 you1 don't touch it--snakes6  ,i insist
 that happiness is the end--virtue the  
means--and anything that wipes a tear   
from the face of man is good4           
,everything that gives laughter to the  
world--laughter springing from good     

nature1 that is the most wonderful music
 that has ever enriched the ears of man4
 ,and let me say that nothing can be    
more immoral than to waste your own     
life1 and sour that of others4  ,is the 
theatre moral8 ,i suppose you have had  
an election to-day4 ,they had an        
election at the ,metropolitan ,opera    
,house for bishops1 and they voted      
forged tickets2 and after the election  
was over1 ,i suppose they asked the old 
question in the same solemn tone3 ,is   
the theatre moral8  ,at last1 all the   
intelligence of the world admits that   
the theatre is a great1 a splendid      
instrumentality for increasing the      
well-being of man4 ,but only a few years
 ago our fathers were poor barbarians4  
,they only wanted the essentials of     
life1 and through nearly all the        
centuries ,genius was a vagabond--,art  
was a servant4 ,he was the companion of 
the clown4 ,writers1 poets1 actors1     
either sat below the salt or devoured   
the remainder biscuit1 and drank what   

drunkenness happened to leave1 or lived 
on crumbs1 and they had less than the   
crumbs of respect4 ,the painter had to  
have a patron1 and then in order to pay 
the patron1 he took the patron's wife   
for ,venus--and the man1 he was the     
,apollo6 ,so the writer had to have a   
patron1 and he endeavored to immortalize
 him in a preface of obsequious lies4   
,the writer had no courage4 ,the        
painter1 the sculptor--poor             
wretches--had patrons4 ,some of the     
greatest of the world were treated as   
servants1 and yet they were the real    
kings of the human race4  ,now the      
public is the patron4 ,the public has   
the intelligence to see what it wants4  
,the stage does not have to flatter any 
man4 ,the actor now does not enroll     
himself as the servant of duke or lord4 
,he has the great public1 and if he is a
 great actor1 he stands as high in the  
public estimation as any other man in   
any other walk of life4  ,and these men 
of genius1 these vagabonds1 these sturdy

 vagrants of the old law--and let me say
 one thing right here3 ,i do not believe
 that there ever was a man of genius    
that had not a little touch of the      
vagabond in him somewhere--just a little
 touch of chaos--that is to say1 he must
 have generosity enough now and then    
absolutely to forget himself--he must be
 generous to that degree that he starts 
out without thinking of the shore and   
without caring for the sea--and that is 
that touch of chaos4 ,and yet1 through  
all those years the poets and the actors
 lacked bread4 ,imagine the number of   
respectable dolts who felt above them4  
,the men of genius lived on the bounty  
of the few1 grudgingly given4  ,now1    
just think what would happen1 what we   
would be1 if you could blot from this   
world what these men have done4 ,if you 
could take from the walls the pictures2 
from the niches the statues2 from the   
memory of man the songs that have been  
sung by ,the ,plowman--take from the    
memory of the world what has been done  

by the actors and play-writers1 and this
 great globe would be like a vast skull 
emptied of all thought4  ,and let me say
 one word more1 and that is as to the   
dignity of your profession4  ,the       
greatest genius of this world has       
produced your literature4 ,i am not now 
alluding simply to one--but there has   
been more genius lavished upon the      
stage--more real genius1 more creative  
talent1 than upon any other department  
of human effort4 ,and when men and women
 belong to a profession that can count  
,shakespeare in its number1 they should 
feel nothing but pride4  ,nothing gives 
me more pleasure than to speak of       
,shakespeare--,shakespeare1 in whose    
brain were the fruits of all thoughts   
past1 the seeds of all to               
be--,shakespeare1 an intellectual ocean 
toward which all rivers ran1 and from   
which now the isles and continents of   
thought receive their dew and rain4  ,a 
profession that can boast that          
,shakespeare was one of its members1 and

 that from his brain poured out that    
mighty intellectual cataract--that      
,mississippi that will enrich all coming
 generations--the man that belongs to   
that profession--should feel that no    
other man by reason of belonging to some
 other1 can be his superior4  ,and such 
a man1 when he dies--or the friend of   
such a man1 when that man dies--should  
not imagine that it is a very generous  
and liberal thing for some minister to  
say a few words above the corpse--and ,i
 do not want to see this profession     
cringe before any other4  ,one word     
more4 ,i hope that you will sustain this
 splendid charity4 ,i do not believe    
that more generous people exist than    
actors4 ,i hope you will sustain this   
charity4 ,and yet1 there was one little 
thing ,i saw in your report of last     
year1 that ,i want to call attention to4
 ,you had benefits all over this        
country1 and of the amount raised1 one  
hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars
 were given to religious societies and  

twelve thousand dollars to the ,actors' 
,fund--and yet they say actors are not  
,christians6 ,do you not love your      
enemies8 ,after this1 ,i hope that you  
will also love your friends4     ,,the  
,,children ,,of ,,the ,,stage4  ,new    
,york1 ,march #bc1 #ahii4       99 ,col4
 ,robert ,g4 ,ingersoll was the special 
star among stars      at the benefit    
given yesterday afternoon at the ,fifth 
,avenue      ,theatre for the ,actors'  
,fund4 ,there were a great many other   
stars and a very long programme4 ,the   
consequence was that      the           
performance began before one o'clock and
 was not over      until almost dinner  
time4       ,usually in such cases the  
least important performers are          
placed at the beginning and the audience
 straggles in      leisurely without    
worrying a great deal over what it has  
missed4 ,yesterday1 however1 it had been
 announced in advance      that ,col4   
,ingersoll would start the ball         
a-rolling and the      result was that  

before the overture was finished the    
house      was packed to the doors4     
,col4 ,ingersoll's contribution was a   
short address delivered      in his     
characteristic style of florid          
eloquence4--,the ,world1      ,new      
,york1 ,march #bd1 #ahii4   ,disguise it
 as we may1 we live in a frightful      
world1 with evils1 with enemies1 on     
every side4 ,from the hedges along the  
path of life1 leap the bandits that     
murder and destroy2 and every human     
being1 no matter how often he escapes1  
at last will fall beneath the assassin's
 knife4  ,to change the figure3 ,we are 
all passengers on the train of life4    
,the tickets give the names of the      
stations where we boarded the car1 but  
the destination is unknown4 ,at every   
station some passengers1 pallid1        
breathless1 dead1 are put away1 and some
 with the light of morning in their     
eyes1 get on4  ,to change the figure    
again3 ,on the wide sea of life we are  
all on ships or rafts or spars1 and some

 by friendly winds are borne to the     
fortunate isles1 and some by storms are 
wrecked on the cruel rocks4 ,and yet    
upon the isles the same as upon the     
rocks1 death waits for all4 ,and death  
alone can truly say1 ,all things come to
 him who waits4  ,and yet1 strangely    
enough1 there is in this world of       
misery1 of misfortune and of death1 the 
blessed spirit of mirth4 ,the travelers 
on the path1 on the train1 on the ships1
 the rafts and spars1 sometimes forget  
their perils and their doom4  ,all      
blessings on the man whose face was     
first illuminated by a smile6  ,all     
blessings on the man who first gave to  
the common air the music of             
laughter--the music that for the moment 
drove fears from the heart1 tears from  
the eyes1 and dimpled cheeks with joy6  
,all blessings on the man who sowed with
 merry hands the seeds of humor1 and at 
the lipless skull of death snapped the  
reckless fingers of disdain6 ,laughter  
is the blessed boundary line between the

 brute and man4  ,who are the friends of
 the human race8 ,they who hide with    
vine and flower the cruel rocks of      
fate--the children of genius1 the sons  
and daughters of mirth and laughter1 of 
imagination1 those whose thoughts1 like 
moths with painted wings1 fill the      
heaven of the mind4  ,among these sons  
and daughters are the children of the   
stage1 the citizens of the mimic        
world--the world enriched by all the    
wealth of genius--enriched by painter1  
orator1 composer and poet4 ,the world of
 which ,shakespeare1 the greatest of    
human beings1 is still the unchallenged 
emperor4 ,these children of the stage   
have delighted the weary travelers on   
the thorny path1 amused the passengers  
on the fated train1 and filled with joy 
the hearts of the clingers to spars1 and
 the floaters on rafts4  ,these1        
children of the stage1 with fancy's wand
 rebuild the past4 ,the dead are brought
 to life and made to act again the parts
 they played4 ,the hearts and lips that 

long ago were dust1 are made to beat and
 speak again4 ,the dead kings are       
crowned once more1 and from the shadows 
of the past emerge the queens1 jeweled  
and sceptred as of yore4 ,lovers leave  
their graves and breathe again their    
burning vows2 and again the white       
breasts rise and fall in passion's      
storm4 ,the laughter that died away     
beneath the touch of death is heard     
again and lips that fell to ashes long  
ago are curved once more with mirth4    
,again the hero bares his breast to     
death2 again the patriot falls1 and     
again the scaffold1 stained with noble  
blood1 becomes a shrine4  ,the citizens 
of the real world gain joy and comfort  
from the stage4 ,the broker1 the        
speculator ruined by rumor1 the lawyer  
baffled by the intelligence of a jury or
 the stupidity of a judge1 the doctor   
who lost his patience because he lost   
his patients1 the merchant in the dark  
days of depression1 and all the children
 of misfortune1 the victims of hope     

deferred1 forget their troubles for a   
little while when looking on the mimic  
world4 ,when the shaft of wit flies like
 the arrow of ,ulysses through all the  
rings and strikes the centre2 when words
 of wisdom mingle with the clown's      
conceits2 when folly laughing shows her 
pearls1 and mirth holds carnival2 when  
the villain fails and the right         
triumphs1 the trials and the griefs of  
life for the moment fade away4  ,and so 
the maiden longing to be loved1 the     
young man waiting for the ,yes deferred2
 the unloved wife1 hear the old1 old    
story told again1--and again within     
their hearts is the ecstasy of requited 
love4  ,the stage brings solace to the  
wounded1 peace to the troubled1 and with
 the wizard's wand touches the tears of 
grief and they are changed to the smiles
 of joy4  ,the stage has ever been the  
altar1 the pulpit1 the cathedral of the 
heart4 ,there the enslaved and the      
oppressed1 the erring1 the fallen1 even 
the outcast1 find sympathy1 and pity    

gives them all her tears--and there1 in 
spite of wealth and power1 in spite of  
caste and cruel pride1 true love has    
ever triumphed over all4  ,the stage has
 taught the noblest lesson1 the highest 
truth1 and that is this3 ,it is better  
to deserve without receiving than to    
receive without deserving4 ,as a matter 
of fact1 it is better to be the victim  
of villainy than to be a villain4       
,better to be stolen from than to be a  
thief1 and in the last analysis the     
oppressed1 the slave1 is less           
unfortunate than the oppressor1 the     
master4  ,the children of the stage1    
these citizens of the mimic world1 are  
not the grasping1 shrewd and prudent    
people of the mart2 they are improvident
 enough to enjoy the present and        
credulous enough to believe the promises
 of the universal liar known as ,hope4  
,their hearts and hands are open4 ,as a 
rule genius is generous1 luxurious1     
lavish1 reckless and royal4 ,and so1    
when they have reached the ladder's     

topmost round1 they think the world is  
theirs and that the heaven of the future
 can have no cloud4 ,but from the ranks 
of youth the rival steps4 ,upon the     
veteran brows the wreaths begin to fade1
 the leaves to fall2 and failure sadly  
sups on memory4 ,they tread the stage no
 more4 ,they leave the mimic world1 fair
 fancy's realm2 they leave their palaces
 and thrones2 their crowns are gone1 and
 from their hands the sceptres fall4 ,at
 last1 in age and want1 in lodgings     
small and bare1 they wait the prompter's
 call2 and when the end is reached1     
maybe a vision glorifies the closing    
scene4 ,again they are on the stage2    
again their hearts throb high2 again    
they utter perfect words2 again the     
flowers fall about their feet2 and as   
the curtain falls1 the last sound that  
greets their ears1 is the music of      
applause1 the bravos for an encore4     
,and then the silence falls on darkness4
  ,some loving hands should close their 
eyes1 some loving lips should leave upon

 their pallid brows a kiss2 some friends
 should lay the breathless forms away1  
and on the graves drop blossoms jeweled 
with the tears of love4  ,this is the   
work of the generous men and women who  
contribute to the ,actors' ,fund4 ,this 
is charity2 and these generous men and  
women have taught1 and are teaching1 a  
lesson that all the world should learn1 
and that is this3 ,the hands that help  
are holier than the lips that pray4     
,,address ,,to ,,the ,,press ,,club4    
,new ,orleans1 ,february #a1 #ahih4     
,,ladies ,,and ,,gentlemen of the ,new  
,orleans  ,press ,club3 ,i do not       
remember to have agreed or consented to 
make any remarks about the press or     
anything else on the present occasion1  
but ,i am glad of this opportunity to   
say a word or two4 ,of course1 ,i have  
the very greatest respect for this      
profession1 the profession of the press1
 knowing it1 as ,i do1 to be one of the 
greatest civilizers of the world4 ,above
 all other institutions and all other   

influences1 it is the greatest agency in
 breaking down the hedges of            
provincialism4 ,in olden times one      
nation had no knowledge or understanding
 of another nation1 and no insight or   
understanding into its life2 and1       
indeed1 various parts of one nation held
 the other parts of it somewhat in the  
attitude of hostility1 because of a lack
 of more thorough knowledge2 and1       
curiously enough1 we are prone to look  
upon strangers more or less in the light
 of enemies4 ,indeed1 enemy and stranger
 in the old vocabularies are pretty much
 of the same significance4 ,a stranger  
was an enemy4 ,i think it is ,darwin who
 alludes to the instinctive fear a child
 has of a stranger as one of the        
heritages of centuries of instinctive   
cultivation1 the handed-down instinct of
 years ago4 ,and even now it is a fact  
that we have very little sympathy with  
people of a different country1 even     
people speaking the same language1      
having the same god with a different    

name1 or another god with the same name1
 recognizing the same principles of     
right and wrong4  ,but the moment people
 began to trade with each other1 the    
moment they began to enjoy the results  
of each other's industry and brain1 the 
moment that1 through this medium1 they  
began to get an insight into each       
other's life1 people began to see each  
other as they were2 and so commerce     
became the greatest of all missionaries 
of civilization1 because1 like the      
press1 it tended to do away with        
provincialism4  ,you know there is no   
one else in the world so egotistic as   
the man who knows nothing4 ,no man is   
more certain than the man who knows     
nothing4 ,the savage knows everything4  
,the moment man begins to be civilized  
he begins to appreciate how little he   
knows1 how very circumscribed in its    
very nature human knowledge is4  ,now1  
after commerce came the press4 ,from the
 ,moors1 ,i believe1 we learned the     
first rudiments of that art which has   

civilized the world4 ,with the invention
 of movable type came an easy and cheap 
method of preserving the thoughts and   
history of one generation to another and
 transmitting the life of one nation to 
another4 ,facts became immortal1 and    
from that day to this the intelligence  
of the world has rapidly and steadily   
increased4  ,and now1 if we are         
provincial1 it is our own fault1 and if 
we are hateful and odious and           
circumscribed and narrow and peevish and
 limited in the light we get from the   
known universe1 it is our own fault4    
,day by day the world is growing smaller
 and men larger4 ,but a few years ago   
the ,state of ,new ,york was as large as
 the ,united ,states is to-day4 ,it     
required as much time to reach ,albany  
from ,new ,york as it now requires to   
reach ,san ,francisco from the same     
city1 and so far as the transmission of 
thought goes the world is but a hamlet4 
,i count as one of the great good things
 of the modern press--as one of the     

specific good things--that the same     
news1 the same direction of thought is  
transmitted to many millions of people  
each day4 ,so that the thoughts of      
multitudes of men are substantially     
tending at the same time along the same 
direction4 ,it tends more and more to   
make us citizens in the highest sense of
 the term1 and that is the reason that  
,i have so much respect for the press4  
,of course ,i know that the news and    
opinions are written by folks liable to 
the same percentage of error as         
characterizes all mankind4 ,no one makes
 no mistakes but the man who knows      
everything--no one makes no mistakes but
 the hypocrite4  ,i must confess1       
however1 that there are things about the
 press of to-day that ,i would have     
changed--that ,i do not like4  ,i hate  
to see brain the slave of the material  
god4 ,i hate to see money own genius4   
,so ,i think that every writer on every 
paper should be compelled to sign his   
name to everything he writes4 ,there are

 many reasons why he has a right to the 
reputation he makes4 ,his reputation is 
his property1 his capital1 his stock in 
trade1 and it is not just or fair or    
right that it should be absorbed by the 
corporation which employs him4 ,after   
giving great thoughts to the world1     
after millions of people have read his  
thoughts with delight1 no one knows this
 lonely man or his solitary name4 ,if he
 loses the good will of his employer1 he
 loses his place and with it all that   
his labor and time and brain have earned
 for himself as his own inalienable     
property1 and his corporation or        
employer reaps the benefit of it4       
,there is another reason establishing   
the absolute equity of this proposition1
 a reason pointing in other directions  
than to the writer and his rights4 ,it  
is no more than right to the reader that
 the opinion or the narrative should be 
that of ,mr4 ,smith or ,mr4 ,brown or   
,mr4 ,so and ,so1 and not that of1 say1 
the ,picayune4 ,that is too impersonal4 

,it is no more than right that a single 
man should have his honor at stake for  
what is said1 and not an impersonal     
something4 ,i know that we are all      
liable to believe it if the ,picayune   
says it1 and yet1 after all1 it is the  
individual man who is saying it and it  
is in the interest of justice that the  
reader be apprised of the fact4  ,i     
believe ,i have just a little fault to  
find with the tendency of the modern    
press to go into personal affairs--into 
so-called private affairs4 ,in saying   
this1 ,i have no complaint to lodge on  
my own behalf1 for ,i have no private   
affairs4 ,i am not so much opposed to   
what is called sensationalism1 for that 
must exist as long as crime is          
considered news1 and believe me1 when   
virtue becomes news it can only be when 
this will have become an exceedingly bad
 world4 ,at the same time ,i think that 
the publication of crime may have more  
or less the tendency of increasing it4  
,i read not long ago that if some heavy 

piece of furniture were dropped in a    
room in which there was a string        
instrument1 the strings in harmony with 
the vibrations of the air made by that  
noise would take up the sound4 ,now a   
man with a tendency to crime would pick 
up that criminal feeling inspiring the  
act which he sees blazoned forth in all 
its detail in the press4 ,in that view  
of the matter it seems to me better not 
to give details of all offences4  ,now1 
as to the matter of being too personal1 
,i think that one of the results of that
 sort of journalism is to drive a great 
many capable and excellent men out of   
public life4 ,i heard a little story    
quite recently of a man who was being   
urged for the ,legislature1 and yet     
hesitated because of his fear of        
newspaper criticism of this character4  
,i don't want to run1 said he to his    
wife1 who urged that this was an        
opportunity to do himself and his       
friends honor1 and that it was a sort of
 duty in him4 ,i would if ,i were you1  

said his wife4 ,well1 but there is no   
saying1 he responded1 what the          
newspapers might print about me4 ,why1  
your life has always been honorable1    
said she2 they could not say anything to
 your disparagement4 ,but they might    
attack my father4 ,well1 there was      
nothing in his career of which any one  
might feel ashamed4 ,he was as          
irreproachable as you4 ,ay1 but they    
might attack you and tell of some       
devilment you went into before we were  
married4 ,then you better not run1 said 
his wife promptly4 ,i think this fear on
 the part of husband and wife is        
identical with that which keeps many a  
great man out of public service4  ,now1 
there is another thing which every one  
ought to abhor4 ,all men and newspapers 
are entirely too apt to criticise the   
motives of men4 ,it is a fault common to
 all good men--except the clergy1 of    
course--this habit of attacking motives4
 ,and whenever we see a man do something
 which is great and praiseworthy1 let us

 talk about the act itself and not go   
into a speculation or an attack upon the
 motive which prompted the act4 ,attack 
what a man actually does4  ,but these   
are only small matters4 ,the press is   
the most powerful of all agencies for   
the dissemination of intelligence1 and  
as such ,i hail it always4 ,it has      
nearly always been very friendly and    
kind to me and certainly ,i have        
received at the hands of the ,new       
,orleans press a treatment ,i shall     
never forget4  ,our ,sunday newspapers1 
to my mind1 rank among the greatest     
institutions of the present day4 ,one   
finds in them matter that could not be  
found in several hundreds of            
books1--beautiful thoughts1 broad       
intelligence1 a range of information    
perfectly startling in its usefulness   
and perfectly charming in its           
entertainment4 ,contrast1 please1 how we
 are enabled by their good offices to   
spend the ,sabbath1 with the            
descriptions of hell with all its       

terrors and all the gloom characterizing
 the ,sabbaths our forefathers had to   
spend4 ,the ,sunday newspaper is an     
absolute blessing to the ,american      
people1 a picture gallery1 short        
stories1 little poems1 a symposium of   
brain and intelligence and refinement   
and--divorce proceedings4  ,as ,i have  
said1 the good will and the fair        
treatment of the ,american press have   
nearly always been my lot4 ,there have  
been some misguided people who have said
 harsh things1 but when ,i remember all 
the misguided things ,i have done1 ,i am
 inclined to be charitable for their    
shortcomings4  ,i do not know that ,i   
have anything else to say1 except that  
,i wish you all good luck and sunshine  
and prosperity1 and enough of it to last
 you through a long life4     ,,the     
,,circulation ,,of ,,obscene            
,,literature4       99 ,from ,ingersoll 
,as ,he ,is1 by ,e4 ,m4 ,macdonald4     
,,one of the charges most persistently  
made against ,colonel ,ingersoll is that

 during and after the trial of ,d4 ,m4  
,bennett1 persecuted by ,anthony        
,comstock1 the ,colonel endeavored to   
have the law against sending obscene    
literature through the mail repealed4   
,that the charge is maliciously false is
 fully shown by the following brief     
history of events connected with the    
prosecution of ,d4 ,m4 ,bennett1 and    
,mr4 ,ingersoll's efforts in his        
behalf4444  ,after ,mr4 ,bennett's      
arrest in #ahgg1 he printed a petition  
to ,congress1 written by ,t4 ,b4        
,wakeman1 asking for the repeal or      
modification of ,comstock's law by which
 he expected to stamp out the           
publications of ,freethinkers4444  ,the 
connection of ,mr4 ,ingersoll with this 
petition is soon explained4 ,mr4        
,ingersoll knew of ,comstock's attempts 
to suppress heresy by means of this law1
 and when called upon by the ,washington
 committee in charge of the petition1 he
 allowed his name to go on the petition 
for modification1 but he told them      

distinctly and plainly that he was not  
in favor of the repeal of the law1 as he
 was willing and anxious that obscenity 
should be suppressed by all legal means4
 ,his sentiments are best expressed by  
himself in a letter to the ,boston      
,journal4 ,he says3  ',washington1      
,march #ah1 #ahgh4  ',to the ,editor of 
the ,boston ,journal3  ',my attention   
has been called to the following article
 that recently appeared in your paper3  
',col4 ,robert ,g4 ,ingersoll1 and      
others1 feel aggrieved because          
,congress1 in #ahgc1 enacted a law for  
the suppression of obscene literature1  
and1 believing it an infringement of the
 rights of certain citizens1 and an     
effort to muzzle the press and          
conscience1 petition for its repeal4    
,when a man's conscience permits him to 
spread broadcast obscene literature1 it 
is time that conscience was muzzled4    
,the law is a terror only to evil-doers4
  ',no one wishes the repeal of any law 
for the suppression of obscene          

literature4 ,for my part1 ,i wish all   
such laws rigidly enforced4 ,the only   
objection ,i have to the law of #ahgc   
is1 that it has been construed to       
include books and pamphlets written     
against the religion of the day1        
although containing nothing that can be 
called obscene or impure4 ,certain      
religious fanatics1 taking advantage of 
the word immoral in the law1 have       
claimed that all writings against what  
they are pleased to call orthodox       
religion are immoral1 and such books    
have been seized and their authors      
arrested4 ,to this1 and this only1 ,i   
object4  ',your article does me great   
injustice1 and ,i ask that you will have
 the kindness to publish this note4     
',from the bottom of my heart ,i despise
 the publishers of obscene literature4  
,below them there is no depth of filth4 
,and ,i also despise those1 who1 under  
the pretence of suppressing obscene     
literature1 endeavor to prevent honest  
and pure men from writing and publishing

 honest and pure thoughts4 ,yours truly4
  ',r4 ,g4 ,ingersoll4'   ,this is      
sufficiently easy of comprehension even 
for ministers1 but of course they       
misrepresented and lied about the       
writer4 ,from that day to this he has   
been accused of favoring the            
dissemination of obscene literature4    
,that the friends of ,colonel ,ingersoll
 may know just how infamous this is1 we 
will give a brief history of the repeal 
or modification movement4444  ,on       
,october #bf1 the ,national ,liberal    
,league held its ,congress in ,syracuse4
 ,at this ,congress the ,league left the
 matter of repeal or modification of the
 laws open1 taking no action as an      
organization1 either way1 but elected   
officers known to be in favor of repeal4
 ,on ,december #aj1 ,mr4 ,bennett was   
again arrested4 ,he was tried1 and found
 guilty2 he appealed1 the conviction was
 affirmed1 and he was sentenced to      
thirteen months' imprisonment at hard   
labor4  ,after the trial ,colonel       

,ingersoll interposed1 and endeavored to
 get a pardon for ,mr4 ,bennett1 who was
 held in ,ludlow street jail pending    
,president ,hayes's reply4 ,the man who 
occupied the ,president's office        
promised to pardon the ,infidel editor2 
then he went back on his word1 and ,mr4 
,bennett served his term of             
imprisonment4  ,then preachers opened   
the sluiceways of vituperation and      
billingsgate upon ,colonel ,ingersoll   
for having interceded for a man         
convicted of mailing obscene literature4
 ,the charges were as infamously false  
then as they are now1 and to show it1 it
 is only necessary to quote ,colonel    
,ingersoll's words during the year or   
two succeeding1 when the ,freethinkers  
and the ,christians were not only       
opposing each other vigorously1 but the 
,freethinkers themselves were divided on
 the question4 ,in #ahgi1 while ,mr4    
,bennett was in prison1 a correspondent 
of the ,nashville1 ,tenn41 ,banner said 
that the ,national ,liberal ,league and 

,colonel ,ingersoll were in favor of    
disseminating obscene literature4 ,to   
this ,colonel ,ingersoll replied in a   
letter to a friend3  #adag ,g ,st41     
,washington1 ,aug4 #ba1 #ahgi4  ',my    
,dear ,sir3 ,the article in the         
,nashville ,banner by ,j4 ,l4 is utterly
 and maliciously false4  ',a petition   
was sent to ,congress praying for the   
repeal or modification of certain postal
 laws1 to the end that the freedom of   
conscience and of the press should not  
be abridged4  ',nobody holds in greater 
contempt than ,i the writers1           
publishers1 or dealers in obscene       
literature4 ,one of my objections to the
 ,bible is that it contains hundreds of 
grossly obscene passages not fit to be  
read by any decent man1 thousands of    
passages1 in my judgment1 calculated to 
corrupt the minds of youth4 ,i hope the 
time will soon come when the good sense 
of the ,american people will demand a   
,bible with all obscene passages left   
out4  ',the only reason a modification  

of the postal laws is necessary is that 
at present1 under color of those laws1  
books and pamphlets are excluded from   
the mails simply because they are       
considered heterodox and blasphemous4   
,in other words1 every man should be    
allowed to write1 publish1 and send     
through the mails his thoughts upon any 
subject1 expressed in a decent and      
becoming manner4 ,as to the propriety of
 giving anybody authority to overhaul   
mails1 break seals1 and read private    
correspondence1 that is another         
question4  ',every minister and every   
layman who charges me with directly or  
indirectly favoring the dissemination of
 anything that is impure1 retails what  
he knows to be a wilful and malicious   
lie4 ,i remain1 ,yours truly1  ',r4 ,g4 
,ingersoll4'   ,three weeks after this  
letter was written the ,national        
,liberal ,league held its third annual  
,congress at ,cincinnati4 ,colonel      
,ingersoll was chairman of the committee
 on resolutions and platform and        

unfinished business of the ,league4 ,one
 of the subjects to be dealt with was   
these ,comstock laws4 ,the following are
 ,colonel ,ingersoll's remarks and the  
resolutions he presented3  ',it may be  
proper1 before presenting the           
resolutions of the committee1 to say a  
word in explanation4 ,the committee were
 charged with the consideration of the  
unfinished business of the ,league4 ,it 
seems that at ,syracuse there was a     
division as to what course should be    
taken in regard to the postal laws of   
the ,united ,states4 ,these laws were   
used as an engine of oppression against 
the free circulation of what we         
understand to be scientific literature4 
,every honest man in this country is in 
favor of allowing every other human     
being every right that he claims for    
himself4 ,the majority at ,syracuse were
 at that time simply in favor of the    
absolute repeal of those laws1 believing
 them to be unconstitutional--not       
because they were in favor of anything  

obscene1 but because they were opposed  
to the mails of the ,united ,states     
being under the espionage and bigotry of
 the church4 ,they therefore demanded an
 absolute repeal of the law4 ,others1   
feeling that they might be              
misunderstood1 and knowing that theology
 can coin the meanest words to act as   
the vehicle of the lowest lies1 were    
afraid of being misunderstood1 and      
therefore they said1 ,let us amend these
 laws so that our literature shall be   
upon an equality with that of theology4 
,i know that there is not a ,liberal    
here1 or in the ,united ,states1 that is
 in favor of the dissemination of       
obscene literature4 ,one of the         
objections which we have to the book    
said to be written by ,god is that it is
 obscene4  ',the ,liberals of this      
country believe in purity1 and they     
believe that every fact in nature and in
 science is as pure as a star4 ,we do   
not need to ask for any more than we    
want4 ,we simply want the laws of our   

country so framed that we are not       
discriminated against4 ,so1 taking that 
view of the vexed question1 we want to  
put the boot upon the other foot4 ,we   
want to put the charge of obscenity     
where it belongs1 and the committee1 of 
which ,i have the honor to be one of the
 members1 have endeavored to do just    
that thing4 ,men have no right to talk  
to me about obscenity who regard the    
story of ,lot and his daughters as a fit
 thing for men1 women1 and children to  
read1 and who worship a ,god in whom the
 violation of ,cheers drowned the       
conclusion of this sentence so the      
reporters could not hear it4 ,such a    
,god ,i hold in infinite contempt4      
',now ,i will read you the resolutions  
recommended by the committee4           
',,resolutions4  ',your committee have  
the honor to submit the following       
report3 ',first1 ,as to the unfinished  
business of the ,league1 your committee 
submits the following resolutions3      
',resolved41 ,that we are in favor of   

such postal laws as will allow the free 
transportation through the mails of the 
,united ,states of all books1 pamphlets1
 and papers1 irrespective of the        
religious1 irreligious1 political1 and  
scientific views they may contain1 so   
that the literature of science may be   
placed upon an equality with that of    
superstition4  ',resolved1 ,that we are 
utterly opposed to the dissemination1   
through the mails1 or by any other      
means1 of obscene literature1 whether   
inspired or uninspired1 and hold in     
measureless contempt its authors and    
disseminators4  ',resolved1 ,that we    
call upon the ,christian world to       
expunge from the so-called sacred ,bible
 every passage that cannot be read      
without covering the cheek of modesty   
with the blush of shame2 and until such 
passages are expunged1 we demand that   
the laws against the dissemination of   
obscene literature be impartially       
enforced4 '444  ,we believe that        
lotteries and obscenity should be dealt 

with by ,state and municipal            
legislation1 and offenders punished in  
the county in which they commit their   
offence4 ,so in those days we argued for
 the repeal of the ,comstock laws1 as   
did dozens of others--,james ,parton1   
,elizur ,wright1 ,o4 ,b4 ,frothingham1  
,t4 ,c4 ,leland1 ,courtlandt ,palmer1   
and many more whose names we do not     
recall4 ,but ,colonel ,ingersoll did    
not1 and when the ,national ,liberal    
,league met the next year at ,chicago   
7,september #ag1 #ahhj71 he was opposed 
to the ,league's making a pledge to     
defend every case under the ,comstock   
laws1 and he was opposed to a resolution
 demanding a repeal of those laws4 ,the 
following is what ,colonel ,ingersoll   
said upon the subject3  ',mr4 ,chairman1
 ,i wish to offer the following         
resolution in place and instead of      
resolutions numbered #e and #f3         
',resolved1 ,that the committee of      
defence1 whenever a person has been     
indicted for what he claims to have been

 an honest exercise of the freedom of   
thought and expression1 shall           
investigate the case1 and if it appears 
that such person has been guilty of no  
offence1 then it shall be the duty of   
said committee to defend such person if 
he is unable to defend himself4'  ',now1
 allow me one moment to state my        
reasons4 ,i do not1 ,i have not1 ,i     
never shall1 accuse or suspect a        
solitary member of the ,liberal ,league 
of the ,united ,states of being in favor
 of doing any act under heaven that he  
is not thoroughly convinced is right4   
,we all claim freedom of speech1 and it 
is the gem of the human soul4 ,we all   
claim a right to express our honest     
thoughts4 ,did it ever occur to any     
,liberal that he wished to express any  
thought honestly1 truly1 and legally    
that he considered immoral8 ,how does it
 happen that we have any interest in    
what is known as immoral literature8 ,i 
deny that the ,league has any interest  
in that kind of literature4 ,whenever we

 mention it1 whenever we speak of it1 we
 put ourselves in a false position4     
,what do we want8 ,we want to see to it 
that the church party shall not smother 
the literature of ,liberalism4 ,we want 
to see to it that the viper of          
intellectual slavery shall not sting our
 cause4 ,we want it so that every honest
 man1 so that every honest woman1 can   
express his or her honest thought upon  
any subject in the world4 ,and the      
question1 and the only question1 as to  
whether they are amenable to the law1 in
 my mind1 is1 ,were they honest8 ,was   
their effort to benefit mankind8 ,was   
that their intention8 ,and no man1 no   
woman1 should be convicted of any       
offence that that man or woman did not  
intend to commit4 ,now1 then1 suppose   
some person is arrested1 and it is      
claimed that a work written by him is   
immoral1 is illegal4 ,then1 ,i say1 let 
our committee of defence examine that   
case1 and if our enemies are seeking to 
trample out ,freethought under the name 

of immorality1 and under the cover and  
shield of our criminal law1 then let us 
defend that man to the last dollar we   
have4 ,but we do not wish to put        
ourselves in the position of general    
defenders of all the slush that may be  
written in this or any other country4   
,you cannot afford to do it4 ,you cannot
 afford to put into the mouth of        
theology a perpetual and continual slur4
 ,you cannot afford to do it4 ,and this 
meeting is not the time to go into the  
question of what authority the ,united  
,states may have over the mails4 ,it is 
a very wide question4 ,it embraces many 
others4 ,has the ,government a right to 
say what shall go into the mails8 ,why1 
in one sense1 assuredly4 ,certainly they
 have a right to say you shall not send 
a horse and wagon by mail4 ,they have a 
right to fix some limit2 and the only   
thing we want is that the literature of 
liberty1 the literature of real         
,freethought1 shall not be discriminated
 against4 ,and we know now as well as if

 it had been perfectly and absolutely   
demonstrated1 that the literature of    
,freethought will be absolutely pure4   
,we know it1 ,we call upon the          
,christian world to expunge obscenity   
from their book1 and until that is      
expunged we demand that the laws against
 obscene literature shall be executed4  
,and how can we1 in the next resolution1
 say those laws ought all to be         
repealed8 ,we cannot do that4 ,i have   
always been in favor of such an         
amendment of the law that by no trick1  
by no device1 by no judicial discretion1
 an honest1 high1 pure-minded man should
 be subjected to punishment simply for  
giving his best and his honest thought4 
,what more do we need8 ,what more can we
 ask8 ,i am as much opposed as my friend
 ,mr4 ,wakeman can be to the assumption 
of the church that it is the guardian of
 morality4 ,if our morality is to be    
guarded by that sentiment alone1 then is
 the end come4 ,the natural instinct of 
self-defence in mankind and in all      

organized society is the fortress of the
 morality in mankind4 ,the church itself
 was at one time the outgrowth of that  
same feeling1 but now the feeling has   
outgrown the church4 ,now1 then1 we will
 have a ,committee of ,defence4 ,that   
committee will examine every case4      
,suppose some man has been indicted1 and
 suppose he is guilty4 ,suppose he has  
endeavored to soil the human mind4      
,suppose he has been willing to make    
money by pandering to the lowest        
passions in the human breast4 ,what will
 that committee do with him then8 ,we   
will say1 ,go on2 let the law take its  
course4 ,but if1 upon reading his book1 
we find that he is all wrong1 horribly  
wrong1 idiotically wrong1 but make up   
our minds that he was honest in his     
error1 ,i will give as much as any other
 living man of my means to defend that  
man4 ,and ,i believe you will all bear  
me witness when ,i say that ,i have the 
cause of intellectual liberty at heart  
as much as ,i am capable of having      

anything at heart4 ,and ,i know hundreds
 of others here just the same4 ,i       
understand that4 ,i understand their    
motive4 ,i believe it to be perfectly   
good1 but ,i truly and honestly think   
they are mistaken4  ,if we have an      
interest in the business1 ,i would fight
 for it4 ,if our cause were assailed by 
law1 then ,i say fight2 and our cause is
 assailed1 and ,i say fight4 ,they will 
not allow me1 in many ,states of this   
,union1 to testify4 ,i say fight until  
every one of those laws is repealed4    
,they discriminate against a man simply 
because he is honest4 ,repeal such laws4
 ,the church1 if it had the power       
to-day1 would trample out every particle
 of free literature in this land4 ,and  
when they endeavor to do that1 ,i say   
fight4 ,but there is a distinction wide 
as the ,mississippi--yes1 wider than the
 ,atlantic1 wider than all the          
oceans--between the literature of       
immorality and the literature of        
,freethought4 ,one is a crawling1 slimy 

lizard1 and the other an angel with     
wings of light4 ,now1 let us draw this  
distinction1 let us understand          
ourselves1 and do not give to the common
 enemy a word covered with mire1 a word 
stained with cloaca1 to throw at us4 ,we
 thought we had settled that question a 
year ago4 ,we buried it then1 and ,i say
 let it rot4  ',this question is of     
great importance4 ,it is the most       
important one we have here4 ,i have     
fought this question2 ,i am ever going  
to do so1 and ,i will not allow anybody 
to put a stain upon me4 ,this question  
must be understood if it takes all      
summer4 ,here is a case in point4 ,some 
lady has written a work which1 ,i am    
informed1 is a good work1 and that has  
nothing wrong about it4 ,her opinions   
may be foolish or wise4 ,let this       
committee examine that case4 ,if they   
find that she is a good woman1 that she 
had good intentions1 no matter how      
terrible the work may be1 if her        
intentions are good1 she has committed  

no crime4 ,i want the honest thought4 ,i
 think ,i have always been in favor of  
it4 ,but we haven't the time to go into 
all these questions4  ',then comes the  
question for this house to decide in a  
moment whether these cases should have  
been tried in the ,state or ,federal    
court4 ,i want it understood that ,i    
have confidence in the ,federal courts  
of the nation4 ,there may be some bad   
judges1 there may be some idiotic       
jurors4 ,i think there was in that case 
of ,mr4 ,bennett4 ,but the ,committee of
 ,defence1 if ,i understand it1 supplied
 means1 for the defence of that man4    
,they did1 but are we ready now to      
decide in a moment what courts shall    
have jurisdiction8 ,are we ready to say 
that the ,federal courts shall be denied
 jurisdiction in any case arising about 
the mails8 ,suppose somebody robs the   
mails8 ,before whom shall we try the    
robber8 ,try him before a ,federal      
judge4 ,why8 ,because he has violated a 
,federal law4 ,we have not any time for 

such an investigation as this4 ,what we 
want to do is to defend free speech     
everywhere4 ,what we want to do is to   
defend the expression of thought in     
papers1 in pamphlets1 in books4 ,what we
 want to do is to see to it that these  
books1 papers1 and pamphlets are on an  
equality with all other books1 papers1  
and pamphlets in the ,united ,states    
mails4 ,and then the next step we want  
to take1 if any man is indicted under   
the pretence that he is publishing      
immoral books1 is to have our ,committee
 of ,defence well examine the case2 and 
if we believe the man to be innocent we 
will help defend him if he is unable to 
defend himself2 and if we find that the 
law is wrong in that particular1 we will
 go for the amendment of that law4 ,i   
beg of you to have some sense in this   
matter4 ,we must have it4 ,if we don't1 
upon that rock we shall split--upon that
 rock we shall again divide4 ,let us not
 do it4 ,the cause of intellectual      
liberty is the highest to the human     

mind4 ,let us stand by it1 and we can   
help all these people by this           
resolution4 ,we can do justice          
everywhere with it1 while if we agree to
 the fifth and sixth resolutions that   
have been offered ,i say we lay         
ourselves open to the charge1 and it    
will be hurled against us1 no matter how
 unjustly1 that we are in favor of      
widespread immorality4  ',mr4 ,clarke3  
,we are not afraid of it4  ',colonel    
,ingersoll3 ,you may say we are not     
afraid4 ,i am not afraid4 ,he only is a 
fool who rushes into unnecessary danger4
  ',mr4 ,clarke3 ,what are you talking  
about1 anyway8  ',colonel ,ingersoll3 ,i
 am talking with endeavor to put a      
little sense into such men as you4 ,your
 very question shows that it was        
necessary that ,i should talk4 ,and now 
,i move that my resolution be adopted4  
',mr4 ,wakeman moved that it be added to
 that portion of the sixth resolution   
which recommended the constitution of   
the ,committee of ,defence4  ',col4     

,ingersoll3 ,i cannot agree to the sixth
 resolution4 ,i think nearly every word 
of it is wrong in principle4 ,i think it
 binds us to a course of action that we 
shall not be willing to follow2 and my  
resolution covers every possible case4  
,my resolution binds us to defend every 
honest man in the exercise of his right4
 ,i can't be bound to say that the      
,government hasn't control of its       
morals--that we cannot trust the        
,federal courts--that1 under any        
circumstances1 at any time1 ,i am bound 
to defend1 either by word or money1 any 
man who violates the laws of this       
country4  ',mr4 ,wakeman3 ,we do not say
 that4  ',colonel ,ingersoll3 ,i beg of 
you1 ,i beseech you1 not to pass the    
sixth resolution4 ,if you do1 ,i        
wouldn't give that snapping his fingers 
for the platform4 ,a part of the        
,comstock law authorizes the vilest     
possible trick4 ,we are all opposed to  
that4  ',mr4 ,leland3 ,what is the      
question8  ',colonel ,ingersoll3 ,don't 

let us be silly4 ,don't let us say we   
are opposed to what we are not opposed  
to4 ,if any man here is opposed to      
putting down the vilest of all possible 
trash he ought to go home4 ,we are      
opposed to only a part of the           
law--opposed to it whenever they        
endeavor to trample ,freethought under  
foot in the name of immorality4         
,afterward1 at the same session of the  
,congress1 the following colloquy took  
place between ,colonel ,ingersoll and   
,t4 ,b4 ,wakeman3  ',colonel ,ingersoll3
 ,you know as well as ,i that there are 
certain books not fit to go through the 
mails--books and pictures not fit to be 
delivered4  ',mr4 ,wakeman3 ,that is so4
  ',colonel ,ingersoll3 ,there is not a 
man here who is not in favor1 when these
 books and pictures come into the       
control of the ,united ,states1 of      
burning them up when they are manifestly
 obscene4 ,you don't want any grand jury
 there4  ',mr4 ,wakeman3 ,yes1 we do4   
',colonel ,ingersoll3 ,no1 we don't4    

,when they are manifestly obscene1 burn 
them up4  ',a delegate3 ,who is to be   
judge of that8  ',colonel ,ingersoll3   
,there are books that nobody differs    
about4 ,there are certain things about  
which we can use discretion4 ,if that   
discretion is abused1 a man has his     
remedy4 ,we stand for the free thought  
of this country4 ,we stand for the      
progressive spirit of the ,united       
,states4 ,we can't afford to say that   
all these laws should be repealed4 ,if  
we had time to investigate them we could
 say in what they should be amended4    
,don't tie us to this nonsense--to the  
idea that we have an interest in immoral
 literature4 ,let us remember that ,mr4 
,wakeman is sore4 ,he had a case before 
the ,federal courts1 and he imagines1   
having lost that case1 you cannot depend
 on them4 ,i have lost hundreds of      
cases4 ,i have as much confidence in the
 ,federal courts as in the ,state       
courts4 ,i am not to be a party to      
throwing a slur upon the ,federal       

judiciary4 ,all we want is fair play4   
,we want the same chance for our        
doctrines that others have for theirs4  
,and how this infernal question of      
obscenity ever got into the ,liberal    
,league ,i could never understand4 ,if  
an innocent man is convicted of larceny1
 should we repeal all the laws on the   
subject8 ,i don't pretend to be better  
than other people4  ,it is easy to talk 
right--so easy to be right that ,i never
 care to have the luxury of being wrong4
 ,i am advocating something that we can 
stand upon4 ,i do not misunderstand ,mr4
 ,wakeman's motives4 ,i believe they are
 perfectly good--that he is thoroughly  
honest4 ,why not just say we will stand 
by freedom of thought and its           
expression8 ,why not say that we are in 
favor of amending any law that is wrong8
 ,but do not make the wholesale         
statement that all these laws ought to  
be repealed4 ,they ought not to be      
repealed4 ,some of them are good4 ,the  
law against sending instruments of vice 

in the mails is good1 as is the law     
against sending obscene books and       
pictures1 and the law against letting   
ignorant hyenas prey upon sick people1  
and the law which prevents the getters  
up of bogus lotteries sending their     
letters through the mail4'  ,at the     
evening session of the ,congress1 on the
 same day1 ,mr4 ,ingersoll made this    
speech in opposition to the resolution  
demanding the repeal of the ,comstock   
laws3  ',i am not in favor of the repeal
 of those laws4 ,i have never been1 and 
,i never expect to be4 ,but ,i do wish  
that every law providing for the        
punishment of a criminal offence should 
distinctly define the offence4 ,that is 
the objection to this law1 that it does 
not define the offence1 so that an      
,american citizen can readily know when 
he is about to violate it and           
consequently the law ought in all       
probability to be modified in that      
regard4 ,i am in favor of every law     
defining with perfect distinctness the  

offence to be punished1 but ,i cannot   
say by wholesale these laws should be   
repealed4 ,i have the cause of          
,freethought too much at heart4 ,neither
 will ,i consent to the repeal simply   
because the church is in favor of those 
laws4 ,in so far as the church agrees   
with me1 ,i congratulate the church4 ,in
 so far as superstition is willing to   
help me1 good6 ,i am willing to accept  
it4 ,i believe1 also1 that this ,league 
is upon a secular basis1 and there      
should be nothing in our platform that  
would prevent any ,christian from acting
 with us4 ,what is our platform8--and we
 ought to leave it as it is4 ,it needs  
no amendment4 ,our platform is for a    
secular government4 ,is it improper in a
 secular government to endeavor to      
prevent the spread of obscene           
literature8 ,it is the business of a    
secular government to do it1 but if that
 government attempts to stamp out       
,freethought in the name of obscenity1  
it is then for the friends of           

,freethought to call for a definition of
 the word1 and such a definition as will
 allow ,freethought to go everywhere    
through all the mails of the ,united    
,states4 ,we are also in favor of       
secular schools4 ,good6 ,we are in favor
 of doing away with every law that      
discriminates against a man on account  
of his belief4 ,good6 ,we are in favor  
of universal education4 ,good6 ,we are  
in favor of the taxation of church      
property4 ,good6--because the experience
 of the world shows that where you allow
 superstition to own property without   
taxing it1 it will absorb the net       
profits4 ,is it time now that we should 
throw into the scale1 against all these 
splendid purposes1 an effort to repeal  
some postal laws against obscenity8 ,as 
well might we turn the ,league into an  
engine to do away with all laws against 
the sale of stale eggs4  ',what have we 
to do with those things8 ,is it possible
 that ,freethought can be charged with  
being obscene8 ,is it possible that1 if 

the charge is made1 it can be           
substantiated8 ,can you not attack any  
superstition in the world in perfectly  
pure language8 ,can you not attack      
anything you please in perfectly pure   
language8 ,and where a man intends      
right1 no law should find him guilty2   
and if the law is weak in that respect1 
let it be modified4 ,but ,i say to you  
that ,i cannot go with any body of men  
who demand the unconditional repeal of  
these laws4 ,i believe in liberty as    
much as any man that breathes4 ,i will  
do as much1 according to my ability1 as 
any other man to make this an absolutely
 free and secular government ,i will do 
as much as any other man of my strength 
and of my intellectual power to give    
every human being every right that ,i   
claim for myself4 ,but this obscene law 
business is a stumbling block4 ,had it  
not been for this1 instead of the few   
people voting here--less than one       
hundred--we would have had a ,congress  
numbered by thousands4 ,had it not been 

for this business1 the ,liberal ,league 
of the ,united ,states would to-night   
hold in its hand the political destiny  
of the ,united ,states4 ,instead of     
that1 we have thrown away our power upon
 a question in which we are not         
interested4 ,instead of that1 we have   
wasted our resources and our brain for  
the repeal of a law that we don't want  
repealed4 ,if we want anything1 we      
simply want a modification4 ,now1 then1 
don't stain this cause by such a course4
 ,and don't understand that ,i am       
pretending1 or am insinuating1 that     
anyone here is in favor of obscene      
literature4 ,it is a question1 not of   
principle1 but of means1 and ,i beg     
pardon of this ,convention if ,i have   
done anything so horrible as has been   
described by ,mr4 ,pillsbury4 ,i regret 
it if ,i have ever endeavored to trample
 upon the rights of this ,convention4   
',there is one thing ,i have not        
done--,i have not endeavored to cast    
five votes when ,i didn't have a        

solitary vote4 ,let us be fair2 let us  
be fair4 ,i have simply given my vote4  
,i wish to trample upon the rights of no
 one2 and when ,mr4 ,pillsbury gave     
those votes he supposed he had a right  
to give them2 and if he had a right1 the
 votes would have been counted4 ,i      
attribute nothing wrong to him1 but ,i  
say this3 ,i have the right to make a   
motion in this ,congress1 ,i have the   
right to argue that motion1 but ,i have 
no more rights than any other member1   
and ,i claim none4 ,but ,i want to say  
to you--and ,i want you to know and feel
 it--that ,i want to act with every     
,liberal man and woman in this world4 ,i
 want you to know and feel it that ,i   
want to do everything ,i can to get     
every one of these statutes off our     
books that discriminates against a man  
because of his religious belief--that ,i
 am in favor of a secular government1   
and of all these rights4 ,but ,i cannot1
 and ,i will not1 operate with any      
organization that asks for the          

unconditional repeal of those laws4 ,i  
will stand alone1 and ,i have stood     
alone4 ,i can tell my thoughts to my    
countrymen1 and ,i will do it1 and      
whatever position you take1 whether ,i  
am with you or not1 you will find me    
battling everywhere for the absolute    
freedom of the human mind4 ,you will    
find me battling everywhere to make this
 world better and grander2 and whatever 
my personal conduct may be1 ,i shall    
endeavor to keep my theories right4 ,i  
beg of you1 ,i implore you1 do not pass 
the resolution ,no4 #f4 ,it is not for  
our interest2 it will do us no good4 ,it
 will lose us hosts of honest1 splendid 
friends4 ,do not do it2 it will be a    
mistake2 and the only reason ,i offered 
the motion was to give the members time 
to think this over4 ,i am not pretending
 to know more than other people4 ,i am  
perfectly willing to say that in many   
things ,i know less4 ,but upon this     
subject ,i want you to think4 ,no matter
 whether you are afraid of your sons1   

your daughters1 your wives1 or your     
husbands1 that isn't it--,i don't want  
the splendid prospects of this ,league  
put in jeopardy upon such an issue as   
this4 ,i have no more to say4 ,but if   
that resolution is passed1 all ,i have  
to say is that1 while ,i shall be for   
liberty everywhere1 ,i cannot act with  
this organization1 and ,i will not4'    
,the resolution was finally adopted1 and
 ,colonel ,ingersoll resigned his office
 of vice-president in the ,league1 and  
never acted with it again until the     
,league dropped all side issues1 and    
came back to first principles--the      
enforcement of the ,nine ,demands of    
,liberalism4  ,in #ahib1 writing upon   
this subject in answer to a minister who
 had repeated these absurd charges1     
,colonel ,ingersoll made this offer3  ,i
 will pay a premium of one thousand     
dollars a word for each and every word  
,i ever said or wrote in favor of       
sending obscene publications through the
 mails4     ,,convention ,,of ,,the     

,,national ,,liberal ,,league4          
,cincinnati1 ,o41 ,september #ad4ahgh4  
,,ladies ,,and ,,gentlemen3 ,allow me to
 say that the cause nearest my heart1   
and to which ,i am willing to devote the
 remainder of my life1 is the absolute1 
the absolute1 enfranchisement of the    
human mind4 ,i believe that the family  
is the unit of good government1 and that
 every good government is simply an     
aggregation of good families4 ,i        
therefore not only believe in perfect   
civil and religious liberty1 but ,i     
believe in the one man loving the one   
woman4 ,i believe the real temple of the
 human heart is the hearthstone1 and    
that there is where the sacrifice of    
life should be made2 and just in        
proportion as we have that idea in this 
country1 just in that proportion we     
shall advance and become a great1       
glorious and splendid nation4 ,i do not 
want the church or the state to come    
between the man and wife4 ,i want to do 
what little ,i can while ,i live to     

strengthen and render still more sacred 
the family relation4 ,i am also in favor
 of granting every right to every other 
human being that ,i claim for myself2   
and when ,i look about upon the world   
and see how the children that are born  
to-day1 or this year1 or this age1 came 
into a world that has nearly all been   
taken up before their arrival2 when ,i  
see that they have not even an          
opportunity to labor for bread2 when ,i 
see that in our splendid country some   
who do the most have the least1 and     
others who do the least have the most2  
,i say to myself there is something     
wrong somewhere1 and ,i hope the time   
will come when every child that nature  
has invited to our feast will have an   
equal right with all the others4 ,there 
is only one way1 in my judgment1 to     
bring that about2 and that is1 first1   
not simply by the education of the head1
 but by the universal education of the  
heart4 ,the time will come when a man   
with millions in his possession will not

 be respected unless with those millions
 he improves the condition of his       
fellow-men4  ,the time will come when it
 will be utterly impossible for a man to
 go down to death1 grasping millions in 
the clutch of avarice4 ,the time will   
come when it will be impossible for such
 a man to exist1 for he will be followed
 by the scorn and execration of mankind4
 ,the time will come when such a man    
when stricken by death1 cannot purchase 
the favor of posterity by leaving a     
portion of the gains which he has wrung 
from the poor1 to some church or ,bible 
society for the glory of ,god4  ,now1   
let me say that we have met together as 
a ,liberal ,league4 ,we have passed the 
same platform again2 but if you will    
read that platform you will see that it 
covers nearly every word that ,i have   
spoken--universal education--the laws of
 science included1 not the guesses of   
superstition--universal education1 not  
for the next world but for              
this--happiness1 not so much for an     

unknown land beyond the clouds as for   
this life in this world4 ,i do not say  
that there is not another life4 ,if     
there is any ,god who has allowed his   
children to be oppressed in this world  
he certainly needs another life to      
reform the blunders he has made in this4
  ,now1 let us all agree that we will   
stand by each other splendidly1 grandly2
 and when we come into convention let us
 pass resolutions that are broad1 kind1 
and genial1 because1 if you are true    
,liberals1 you will hold in a kind of   
tender pity the most outrageous         
superstitions in the world4 ,i have said
 some things in my time that were not   
altogether charitable2 but1 after all1  
when ,i think it over1 ,i see that men  
are as they are1 because they are the   
result of every thing that has ever     
been4  ,sometimes ,i think the clergy a 
necessary evil2 but ,i say1 let us be   
genial and kind1 and let us know that   
every other person has the same right to
 be a ,catholic or a ,presbyterian1 and 

gather consolation from the doctrine of 
reprobation1 that he has the same right 
to be a ,methodist or a ,christian      
,disciple or a ,baptist2 the same right 
to believe these phantasies and follies 
and superstitions--,a voice--,and to    
burn heretics8  ,no--,the same right    
that we have to believe that it is all  
superstition4 ,but when that ,catholic  
or ,baptist or ,methodist endeavors to  
put chains on the bodies or intellects  
of men1 it is then the duty of every    
,liberal to prevent it at all hazards4  
,if we can do any good in our day and   
generation1 let us do it4  ,there is no 
office ,i want in this world4 ,i will   
make up my mind as to the next when ,i  
get there1 because my motto is--and with
 that motto ,i will close what ,i have  
to say--,my motto is3 ,one world at a   
time6     ,,convention ,,of ,,the       
,,american ,,secular ,,union4  ,albany1 
,n4 ,y41 ,september #ac1 #ahhe4         
,,ladies ,,and ,,gentlemen3 ,while ,i   
have never sought any place in any      

organization1 and while ,i never        
intended to accept any place in any     
organization1 yet as you have done me   
the honor to elect me president of the  
,american ,secular ,union1 ,i not only  
accept the place1 but tender to you each
 and all my sincere thanks4  ,this is a 
position that a man cannot obtain by    
repressing his honest thought4 ,nearly  
all other positions he obtains in that  
way4 ,but ,i am glad that the time has  
come when men can afford to preserve    
their manhood in this country4 ,maybe   
they cannot be elected to the           
,legislature1 cannot become errand boys 
in ,congress1 cannot be placed as       
weather-vanes in the presidential chair1
 but the time has come when a man can   
express his honest thought and be       
treated like a gentleman in the ,united 
,states4 ,we have arrived at a point    
where priests do not govern1 and have   
reached that stage of our journey where 
we1 as ,harriet ,martineau expressed it1
 are free rovers on the breezy common of

 the universe4 ,day by day we are       
getting rid of the aristocracy of the   
air4 ,we have been the slaves of        
phantoms long enough1 and a new day1 a  
day of glory1 has dawned upon this new  
world--this new world which is far      
beyond the old in the real freedom of   
thought4  ,in the selection of your     
officers1 without referring to myself1  
,i think you have shown great good      
sense4 ,the first man chosen as         
vice-president1 ,mr4 ,charles ,watts1 is
 a gentleman of sound1 logical mind2 one
 who knows what he wants to say and how 
to say it2 who is familiar with the     
organization of ,secular societies1     
knows what we wish to accomplish and the
 means to attain it4 ,i am glad that he 
is about to make this country his home1 
and ,i know of no man who1 in my        
judgment1 can do more for the cause of  
intellectual liberty4  ,the next        
vice-president1 ,mr4 ,remsburg1 has done
 splendid work all over the country4 ,he
 is an absolutely fearless man1 and     

tells really and truly what his mind    
produces4 ,we need such men everywhere4 
,you know it is almost a rule1 or at any
 rate the practice1 in political parties
 and in organizations generally1 to be  
so anxious for success that all the     
offices and places of honor are given to
 those who will come in at the eleventh 
hour4 ,the rule is to hold out these    
honors as bribes for newcomers instead  
of conferring them upon those who have  
borne the heat and burden of the day4 ,i
 hope that the ,american ,secular ,union
 will not be guilty of any such         
injustice4 ,bestow your honors upon the 
men who stood by you when you had few   
friends1 the men who enlisted for the   
war when the cause needed soldiers4     
,give your places to them1 and if others
 want to join your ranks1 welcome them  
heartily to the places of honor in the  
rear and let them learn how to keep     
step4  ,in this particular1 leaving out 
myself as ,i have said1 you have done   
magnificently well4 ,mrs4 ,mattie       

,krekel1 another vice-president1 is a   
woman who has the courage to express her
 opinions1 and she is all the more to be
 commended because1 as you know1 women  
have to suffer a little more punishment 
than men1 being amenable to social laws 
that are more exacting and tyrannical   
than those passed by ,legislatures4  ,of
 ,mr4 ,wakeman it is not necessary to   
speak4 ,you all know him to be an able1 
thoughtful1 and experienced man1 capable
 in every respect2 one who has been in  
this organization from the beginning1   
and who is now president of the ,new    
,york society4 ,elizur ,wright1 one of  
the patriarchs of ,freethought1 who was 
battling for liberty before ,i was born1
 and who will be found in the front rank
 until he ceases to be4 ,you have       
honored yourselves by electing ,james   
,parton1 a thoughtful man1 a scholar1 a 
philosopher1 and a                      
philanthropist--honest1 courageous1 and 
logical--with a mind as clear as a      
cloudless sky4 ,parker ,pillsbury1 who  

has always been on the side of liberty1 
always willing1 if need be1 to stand    
alone--a man who has been mobbed many   
times because he had the goodness and   
courage to denounce the institution of  
slavery--a man possessed of the true    
martyr spirit4 ,messrs4 ,algie and      
,adams1 our friends from ,canada1 men of
 the highest character1 worthy of our   
fullest confidence and                  
esteem--conscientious1 upright1 and     
faithful4  ,and permit me to say that ,i
 know of no man of kinder heart1 of     
gentler disposition1 with more real1    
good human feeling toward all the world1
 with a more forgiving and tender       
spirit1 than ,horace ,seaver4 ,he and   
,mr4 ,mendum are the editors of the     
,investigator1 the first ,infidel paper 
,i ever saw1 and ,i guess the first that
 any one of you ever saw--a paper once  
edited by ,abner ,kneeland1 who was put 
in prison for saying1 ,the              
,universalists believe in a ,god which  
,i do not4 ,the court decided that he   

had denied the existence of a ,supreme  
,being1 and at that time it was not     
thought safe to allow a remark of that  
kind to be made1 and so1 for the purpose
 of keeping an infinite ,god from       
tumbling off his throne1 ,mr4 ,kneeland 
was put in jail4 ,but ,horace ,seaver   
and ,mr4 ,mendum went on with his work4 
,they are pioneers in this cause1 and   
they have been absolutely true to the   
principles of ,freethought from the     
first day until now4  ,if there is      
anybody belonging to our ,secular ,union
 more enthusiastic and better calculated
 to impart something of his enthusiasm  
to others than ,samuel ,p4 ,putnam1 our 
secretary1 ,i do not know him4          
,courtlandt ,palmer1 your treasurer1 you
 all know1 and you will presently know  
him better when you hear the speech he  
is about to make1 and that speech will  
speak better for him than ,i possibly   
can4 ,wait until you hear him1 as he is 
now waiting for me to get through that  
you may hear him4 ,he will give you the 

definition of the true gentleman1 and   
that definition will be a truthful      
description of himself4  ,mr4 ,reynolds 
is on our side if anybody is or ever    
was1 and ,mr4 ,macdonald1 editor of ,the
 ,truth ,seeker1 aiming not only to seek
 the truth but to expose error1 has done
 and is doing incalculable good in the  
cause of mental freedom4  ,all these men
 and women are men and women of         
character1 of high purpose2 in favor of 
,freethought not as a peculiarity or as 
an eccentricity of the hour1 but with   
all their hearts1 through and through1  
to the very center and core of          
conviction1 life1 and purpose4  ,and so 
,i can congratulate you on your choice1 
and believe that you have entered upon  
the most prosperous year of your        
existence4 ,i believe that you will do  
all you can to have every law repealed  
that puts a hypocrite above an honest   
mail4 ,we know that no man is thoroughly
 honest who does not tell his honest    
thought4 ,we want the ,sabbath day for  

ourselves and our families4 ,let the    
gods have the heavens4 ,give us the     
earth4 ,if the gods want to stay at home
 ,sundays and look solemn1 let them do  
it2 let us have a little wholesome      
recreation and pleasure4 ,if the gods   
wish to go out with their wives and     
children1 let them go4 ,if they want to 
play billiards with the stars1 so they  
don't carom on us1 let them play4  ,we  
want to do what we can to compel every  
church to pay taxes on its property as  
other people pay on theirs4 ,do you know
 that if church property is allowed to  
go without taxation1 it is only a       
question of time when they will own a   
large per cent1 of the property of the  
civilized world8 ,it is the same as     
compound interest2 only give it time4   
,if you allow it to increase without    
taxing it for its protection1 its growth
 can only be measured by the time in    
which it has to grow4 ,the church builds
 an edifice in some small town1 gets    
several acres of land4 ,in time a city  

rises around it4 ,the labor of others   
has added to the value of this property1
 until it is worth millions4 ,if this   
property is not taxed1 the churches will
 have so much in their hands that they  
will again become dangerous to the      
liberties of mankind4 ,there never will 
be real liberty in this country until   
all property is put upon a perfect      
equality4 ,if you want to build a ,joss 
house1 pay taxes4 ,if you want to build 
churches1 pay taxes4 ,if you want to    
build a hall or temple in which         
,freethought and science are to be      
taught1 pay taxes4 ,let there be no     
property untaxed4 ,when you fail to tax 
any species of property1 you increase   
the tax of other people owning the rest4
 ,to that extent1 you unite church and  
state4 ,you compel the ,infidel to      
support the ,catholic4 ,i do not want to
 support the ,catholic ,church4 ,it is  
not worth supporting4 ,it is an         
unadulterated evil4 ,neither do ,i want 
to reform the ,catholic ,church4 ,the   

only reformation of which that church or
 any orthodox church is capable1 is     
destruction4 ,i want to spend no more   
money on superstition4 ,neither should  
our money be taken to support sectarian 
schools4 ,we do not wish to employ any  
chaplains in the navy1 or in the army1  
or in the ,legislatures1 or in          
,congress4 ,it is useless to ask ,god to
 help the political party that happens  
to be in power4 ,we want no ,president1 
no ,governor clothed with a little brief
 authority1 to issue a proclamation as  
though he were an agent of ,god1        
authorized to tell all his loving       
subjects to fast on a certain day1 or to
 enter their churches and pray for the  
accomplishment of a certain object4 ,it 
is none of his business4 ,when they     
called on ,thomas ,jefferson to issue a 
proclamation1 he said he had no right to
 do it1 that religion was a personal1   
individual matter1 and that the state   
had no right1 no power1 to interfere4   
,i now have the pleasure of introducing 

,mr4 ,courtlandt ,palmer1 who will speak
 to you on the ,aristocracy of          
,freethought1 in my judgment the        
aristocracy not only of the present1 but
 the aristocracy of the future4         
,,the ,,religious ,,belief ,,of         
,,abraham ,,lincoln4  ,new ,york1 ,may  
#bh1 #ahif4   ,,my ,,dear ,,mr4 ,,seip3 
,i have carefully read your article on  
the religious belief of ,abraham        
,lincoln1 and in accordance with your   
request ,i will not only give you my    
opinion of the evidence upon which you  
rely1 as set out in your article1 but my
 belief as to the religious opinions of 
,mr4 ,lincoln1 and the facts on which my
 belief rests4  ,you speak of a         
controversy between myself and ,general 
,collis upon this subject4 ,a few years 
ago ,i delivered a lecture on ,mr4      
,lincoln1 in this city1 and in that     
lecture said that ,lincoln1 so far as   
his religious opinions were concerned1  
substantially agreed with ,franklin1    
,jefferson1 ,paine and ,voltaire4       

,thereupon ,general ,collis wrote me a  
note contradicting what ,i had said and 
asserting that ,lincoln invoked the     
power of ,almighty ,god1 not the ,deist 
,god1 but the ,god whom he worshiped    
under the forms of the ,christian church
 of which he was a member4 ,to this ,i  
replied saying that ,voltaire and ,paine
 both believed in ,god1 and that        
,lincoln was never a member of any      
,christian church4  ,general ,collis    
wrote another letter to which1 ,i think1
 ,i made no reply1 for the reason that  
the ,general had demonstrated that he   
knew nothing whatever on the subject4   
,it was evident that he had never read  
the life of ,lincoln1 because if he had1
 he would not have said that he was a   
member of a church4 ,it was also evident
 that he knew nothing about the         
religious opinions of ,franklin1        
,voltaire or ,paine1 or he would have   
known that they were believers in the   
existence of a ,supreme ,being4 ,it did 
not seem to me that his letter was      

worthy of a reply4  ,now as to your     
article3 ,i find in what you have       
written very little that is new4 ,i do  
not remember ever to have seen anything 
about the statement of the daughter of  
the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,gurley in regard to     
,lincoln's letters4 ,the daughter1      
however1 does not pretend to know the   
contents of the letters and says that   
they were destroyed by fire2            
consequently these letters1 so far as   
this question is concerned1 are of no   
possible importance4 ,the only thing in 
your article tending to show that       
,lincoln was a ,christian is the        
following3 ,i think ,i can say with     
sincerity that ,i hope ,i am a          
,christian4 ,i had lived until my       
,willie died without fully realizing    
these things4 ,that blow overwhelmed me4
 ,it showed me my weakness as ,i had    
never felt it before1 and ,i think ,i   
can safely say that ,i know something of
 a change of heart1 and ,i will further 
add that it has been my intention for   

some time1 at a suitable opportunity1 to
 make a public religious profession4    
,now1 if you had given the name of the  
person to whom this was said1 and if    
that person had told you that ,lincoln  
did utter these words1 then the evidence
 would have been good2 but you are      
forced to say that this was said to an  
eminent ,christian lady4 ,you do not    
give this lady's name4 ,i take it for   
granted that her name is unknown1 and   
that the name of the person to whom she 
told the story is also unknown1 and that
 the name of the man who gave the story 
to the world is unknown4 ,this          
falsehood1 according to your own        
showing1 is an orphan1 a lonely lie     
without father or mother4 ,such         
testimony cannot be accepted4 ,it is not
 even good hearsay4  ,in the next point 
you make1 you also bring forward the    
remarks claimed to have been made by    
,mr4 ,lincoln when some colored people  
of ,baltimore presented him with a      
,bible4 ,you say that he said that the  

,bible was ,god's best gift to man1 and 
but for the ,bible we could not know    
right from wrong4 ,it is impossible that
 ,lincoln should have uttered these     
words4 ,he certainly would not have said
 to some colored people that the book   
that instituted human slavery was ,god's
 best gift to man2 neither could he have
 said that but for this book we could   
not know right from wrong4 ,if he said  
these things he was temporarily insane4 
,mr4 ,lincoln was familiar with the     
lives of ,socrates1 ,epictetus1         
,epicurus1 ,zeno1 ,confucius1 ,zoroaster
 and ,buddha1 not one of whom ever heard
 of the ,bible4 ,certainly these men    
knew right from wrong4 ,in my judgment  
they would compare favorably with       
,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 ,david and the
 ,jews that crucified ,christ4 ,these   
pretended remarks must be thrown away2  
they could have been uttered only by an 
ignorant and thoughtless zealot1 not by 
a sensible1 thoughtful man4 ,neither can
 we rely on any new evidence given by   

the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,gurley4 ,if ,mr4 ,gurley
 at any time claimed that ,lincoln was a
 ,christian1 such claim was born of an  
afterthought4 ,mr4 ,gurley preached a   
funeral sermon over the body of ,lincoln
 at the ,white ,house1 and in that      
sermon he did not claim that ,mr4       
,lincoln was in any sense a ,christian4 
,he said nothing about ,christ4 ,so1 the
 testimony of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,sunderland
 amounts to nothing4 ,lincoln did not   
tell him that he was a ,christian or    
that he believed in ,christ4 ,not one of
 the ministers that claim that ,lincoln 
was a ,christian1 not one1 testifies    
that ,lincoln so said in his hearing4   
,so1 the lives that have been written of
 ,lincoln by ,holland and ,arnold are of
 no possible authority4 ,holland knew   
nothing about ,lincoln2 he relied on    
gossip1 and was exceedingly anxious to  
make ,lincoln a ,christian so that his  
,life would sell4 ,as a matter of fact1 
,mr4 ,arnold knew little of ,lincoln1   
and knew no more of his religious       

opinions than he seems to have known    
about the opinions of ,washington4  ,i  
find also in your article a claim that  
,lincoln said to somebody that under    
certain conditions1 that is to say1 if a
 church had the ,golden ,rule for its   
creed1 he would join that church2 but   
you do not give the name of the friend  
to whom ,lincoln made this declaration4 
,still1 if he made it1 it does not tend 
to show that he was a ,christian4 ,a    
church founded on the ,golden ,rule1 ,do
 unto others as you would that others   
should do unto you1 would not in any    
sense be a ,christian church4 ,it would 
be an ethical society4 ,the testimony of
 ,mr4 ,bateman has been changed by      
himself1 he having admitted that it was 
colored1 that he was not properly       
reported2 so the night-walking scene    
given by ,james ,e4 ,murdoch1 does not  
even tend to show that ,lincoln was a   
,christian4 ,according to ,mr4 ,murdoch 
he was praying to the ,god of ,solomon  
and he never mentioned the name of      

,christ4 ,i think1 however1 ,mr4        
,murdoch's story is too theatrical1 and 
my own opinion is that it was a waking  
dream4 ,i think ,lincoln was a man of   
too much sense1 too much tact1 to have  
said anything to ,god about ,solomon4   
,lincoln knew that what ,god did for    
,solomon ended in failure1 and if he    
wanted ,god to do something for him     
7,lincoln7 he would not have called     
attention to the other case4 ,so ,bishop
 ,simpson1 in his oration or funeral    
sermon1 said nothing about ,lincoln's   
having been a ,christian4  ,now1 what is
 the testimony that you present that    
,lincoln was a ,christian8  ,first1     
,several of your witnesses say that he  
believed in ,god4  ,second1 ,some say   
that he believed in the efficacy of     
prayer4  ,third1 ,some say that he was a
 believer in ,providence4  ,fourth1 ,an 
unknown person says that he said to     
another unknown person that he was a    
,christian4  ,fifth1 ,you also claim    
that he said the ,bible was the best    

gift of ,god to man1 and that without it
 we could not have known right from     
wrong4  ,the anonymous testimony has to 
be thrown away1 so nothing is left      
except the remarks claimed to have been 
made when the ,bible was presented by   
the colored people1 and these remarks   
destroy themselves4 ,it is absolutely   
impossible that ,lincoln could have     
uttered the words attributed to him on  
that occasion4 ,i know of no one who    
heard the words1 ,i know of no witness  
who says he heard them or that he knows 
anybody who did4 ,these remarks were not
 even heard by an eminent ,christian    
lady1 and we are driven to say that if  
,lincoln was a ,christian he took great 
pains to keep it a secret4  ,i believe  
that ,i am familiar with the material   
facts bearing upon the religious belief 
of ,mr4 ,lincoln1 and that ,i know what 
he thought of orthodox ,christianity4 ,i
 was somewhat acquainted with him and   
well acquainted with many of his        
associates and friends1 and ,i am       

familiar with ,mr4 ,lincoln's public    
utterances4 ,orthodox ,christians have  
the habit of claiming all great men1 all
 men who have held important positions1 
men of reputation1 men of wealth4 ,as   
soon as the funeral is over clergymen   
begin to relate imaginary conversations 
with the deceased1 and in a very little 
while the great man is changed to a     
,christian--possibly to a saint4  ,all  
this happened in ,mr4 ,lincoln's case4  
,many pious falsehoods were told1       
conversations were manufactured1 and    
suddenly the church claimed that the    
great ,president was an orthodox        
,christian4 ,the truth is that ,lincoln 
in his religious views agreed with      
,franklin1 ,jefferson1 and ,voltaire4   
,he did not believe in the inspiration  
of the ,bible or the divinity of ,christ
 or the scheme of salvation1 and he     
utterly repudiated the dogma of eternal 
pain4  ,in making up my mind as to what 
,mr4 ,lincoln really believed1 ,i do not
 take into consideration the evidence of

 unnamed persons or the contents of     
anonymous letters2 ,i take the testimony
 of those who knew and loved him1 of    
those to whom he opened his heart and to
 whom he spoke in the freedom of perfect
 confidence4  ,mr4 ,herndon was his     
friend and partner for many years4 ,i   
knew ,mr4 ,herndon well4 ,i know that   
,lincoln never had a better1 warmer1    
truer friend4 ,herndon was an honest1   
thoughtful1 able1 studious man1         
respected by all who knew him4 ,he was  
as natural and sincere as ,lincoln      
himself4 ,on several occasions ,mr4     
,herndon told me what ,lincoln believed 
and what he rejected in the realm of    
religion4 ,he told me again and again   
that ,mr4 ,lincoln did not believe in   
the inspiration of the ,bible1 the      
divinity of ,christ1 or in the existence
 of a personal ,god4 ,there was no      
possible reason for ,mr4 ,herndon to    
make a mistake or to color the facts4   
,justice ,david ,davis was a life-long  
friend and associate of ,mr4 ,lincoln1  

and ,judge ,davis knew ,lincoln's       
religious opinions and knew ,lincoln as 
well as anybody did4 ,judge ,davis told 
me that ,lincoln was a ,freethinker1    
that he denied the inspiration of the   
,bible1 the divinity of ,christ1 and all
 miracles4 ,davis also told me that he  
had talked with ,lincoln on these       
subjects hundreds of times4  ,i was well
 acquainted with ,col4 ,ward ,h4 ,lamon 
and had many conversations with him     
about ,mr4 ,lincoln's religious belief1 
before and after he wrote his life of   
,lincoln4 ,he told me that he had told  
the exact truth in his life of ,lincoln1
 that ,lincoln never did believe in the 
,bible1 or in the divinity of ,christ1  
or in the dogma of eternal pain2 that   
,lincoln was a ,freethinker4  ,for many 
years ,i was well acquainted with the   
,hon4 ,jesse ,w4 ,fell1 one of          
,lincoln's warmest friends4 ,mr4 ,fell  
often came to my house and we had many  
talks about the religious belief of ,mr4
 ,lincoln4 ,mr4 ,fell told me that      

,lincoln did not believe in the         
inspiration of the ,scriptures1 and that
 he denied the divinity of ,jesus       
,christ4 ,mr4 ,fell was very liberal in 
his own ideas1 a great admirer of       
,theodore ,parker and a perfectly       
sincere and honorable man4  ,for several
 years ,i was well acquainted with      
,william ,g4 ,green1 who was a clerk    
with ,lincoln at ,new ,salem in the     
early days1 and who admired and loved   
,lincoln with all his heart4 ,green told
 me that ,lincoln was always an         
,infidel1 and that he had heard him     
argue against the ,bible hundreds of    
times4 ,mr4 ,green knew ,lincoln1 and   
knew him well1 up to the time of        
,lincoln's death4  ,the ,hon4 ,james    
,tuttle of ,illinois was a great friend 
of ,lincoln1 and he is1 if living1 a    
friend of mine1 and ,i am a friend of   
his4 ,he knew ,lincoln well for many    
years1 and he told me again and again   
that ,lincoln was an ,infidel4 ,mr4     
,tuttle is a ,freethinker himself and   

has always enjoyed the respect of his   
neighbors4 ,a man with purer motives    
does not live4  ,so ,i place great      
reliance on the testimony of ,col4 ,john
 ,g4 ,nicolay4 ,six weeks after ,mr4    
,lincoln's death ,colonel ,nicolay said 
that he did not in any way change his   
religious ideas1 opinions or belief from
 the time he left ,springfield until the
 day of his death4  ,in addition to all 
said by the persons ,i have mentioned1  
,mrs4 ,lincoln said that her husband was
 not a ,christian4 ,there are many other
 witnesses upon this question whose     
testimony can be found in a book        
entitled ,abraham ,lincoln1 was he a    
,christian8 written by ,john ,e4        
,remsburg1 and published in #ahic4 ,in  
that book will be found all the evidence
 on both sides4 ,mr4 ,remsburg states   
the case with great clearness and       
demonstrates that ,lincoln was not a    
,christian4  ,now1 what is a ,christian8
  ,first4 ,he is a believer in the      
existence of ,god1 the ,creator and     

,governor of the ,universe4  ,second4   
,he believes in the inspiration of the  
,old and ,new ,testaments4  ,third4 ,he 
believes in the miraculous birth of     
,jesus ,christ2 that the ,holy ,ghost   
was his father4  ,fourth4 ,he believes  
that this ,christ was offered as a      
sacrifice for the sins of men1 that he  
was crucified1 dead and buried1 that he 
arose from the dead and that he ascended
 into heaven4  ,fifth4 ,he believes in  
the fall of man1 in the scheme of       
redemption through the atonement4       
,sixth4 ,he believes in salvation by    
faith1 that the few are to be eternally 
happy1 and that the many are to be      
eternally damned4  ,seventh4 ,he        
believes in the ,trinity1 in ,god the   
,father1 ,god the ,son and ,god the     
,holy ,ghost4  ,now1 is there the       
slightest evidence to show that ,lincoln
 believed in the inspiration of the ,old
 and ,new ,testaments8  ,has anybody    
said that he was heard to say that he so
 believed8  ,does anybody testify that  

,lincoln believed in the miraculous     
birth of ,jesus ,christ1 that the ,holy 
,ghost was the father or that ,christ   
was or is ,god8  ,has anybody testified 
that ,lincoln believed that ,christ was 
raised from the dead8  ,did anyone ever 
hear him say that he believed in the    
ascension of ,jesus ,christ8 ,did anyone
 ever hear him assert that he believed  
in the forgiveness of sins1 or in       
salvation by faith1 or that belief was a
 virtue and investigation a crime8      
,where1 then1 is the evidence that he   
was a ,christian8  ,there is another    
reason for thinking that ,lincoln never 
became a ,christian4  ,all will admit   
that he was an honest man1 that he      
discharged all obligations perceived1   
and did what he believed to be his duty4
 ,if he had become a ,christian it was  
his duty publicly to say so4 ,he was    
,president2 he had the ear of the       
nation2 every citizen1 had he spoken1   
would have listened4 ,it was his duty to
 make a clear1 explicit statement of his

 conversion1 and it was his duty to join
 some orthodox church1 and he should    
have given his reasons4 ,he should have 
endeavored to reach the heart and brain 
of the ,republic4 ,it was unmanly for   
him to keep his second birth a secret   
and sneak into heaven leaving his old   
friends to travel the road to hell4     
,great pains have been taken to show    
that ,mr4 ,lincoln believed in1 and     
worshiped the one true ,god4 ,this by   
many is held to have been his greatest  
virtue1 the foundation of his character1
 and yet1 the ,god he worshiped1 the    
,god to whom he prayed1 allowed him to  
be assassinated4  ,is it possible that  
,god will not protect his friends8      
,,organized ,,charities4  ,i ,,have no  
great confidence in organized charities4
 ,money is left and buildings are       
erected and sinecures provided for a    
good many worthless people4 ,those in   
immediate control are almost1 or when   
they were appointed were almost1 in want
 themselves1 and they naturally hate    

other beggars4  ,they regard persons who
 ask assistance as their enemies4 ,there
 is an old story of a tramp who begged a
 breakfast4 ,after breakfast another    
tramp came to the same place to beg his 
breakfast1 and the first tramp with     
blows and curses drove him away1 saying 
at the same time3 ,i expect to get      
dinner here myself4  ,this is the       
general attitude of beggar toward       
beggar4  ,another trouble with organized
 charities is the machinery1 the various
 methods they have adopted to prevent   
what they call fraud4 ,they are         
exceedingly anxious that the needy1 that
 those who ask help1 who have been      
without fault1 shall be attended to1    
their rule apparently being to assist   
only the unfortunate perfect4  ,the     
trouble is that ,nature produces very   
few specimens of that kind4 ,as a rule1 
men come to want on account of their    
imperfections1 on account of their      
ignorance1 on account of their vices1   
and their vices are born of their lack  

of capacity1 of their want of brain4 ,in
 other words1 they are failures of      
,nature1 and the fact that they need    
help is not their own fault1 but the    
fault of their construction1 their      
surroundings4  ,very few people have the
 opportunity of selecting their parents1
 and it is exceedingly difficult in the 
matter of grandparents4 ,consequently1  
,i do not hold people responsible for   
hereditary tendencies1 traits and vices4
 ,neither do ,i praise them for having  
hereditary virtues4  ,a man going to one
 of these various charitable            
establishments is cross-examined4 ,he   
must give his biography4 ,and after he  
has answered all the supercilious1      
impudent questions1 he is asked for     
references4  ,then the people referred  
to are sought out1 to find whether the  
statements made by the applicant are    
true4 ,by the time the thing is settled 
the man who asked aid has either gotten 
it somewhere else or has1 in the        
language of the ,spiritualists1 passed  

over to the other side4  ,of course this
 does not trouble the persons in charge 
of the organized charities1 because     
their salaries are going on4  ,as a     
rule1 these charities were commenced by 
the best of people4 ,some generous1     
philanthropic man or woman gave a life  
to establish a home1 it may be1 for aged
 women1 for orphans1 for the waifs of   
the pavements4  ,these generous people1 
filled with the spirit of charity1      
raised a little money1 succeeded in     
hiring or erecting a humble building1   
and the money they collected1 so        
honestly given1 they honestly used to   
bind up the wounds and wipe away the    
tears of the unfortunate1 and to save1  
if possible1 some who had been wrecked  
on the rocks and reefs of crime4  ,then 
some very rich man dies who had no      
charity and who would not have left a   
dollar could he have taken his money    
with him4 ,this rich man1 who hated his 
relatives and the people he actually    
knew1 gives a large sum of money to some

 particular charity--not that he had any
 charity1 but because he wanted to be   
remembered as a philanthropist4  ,then  
the organized charity becomes rich1 and 
the richer the meaner1 the richer the   
harder of heart and the closer of fist4 
,now1 ,i believe that ,trinity ,church1 
in this city1 would be called an        
organized charity4 ,the church was      
started to save1 if possible1 a few     
souls from eternal torment1 and on the  
plea of saving these souls money was    
given to the church4  ,finally the      
church became rich4 ,it is now a        
landlord--has many buildings to rent4   
,and if what ,i hear is true there is no
 harder landlord in the city of ,new    
,york4  ,so1 ,i have heard it said of   
,dublin ,university1 that it is about   
the hardest landlord in ,ireland4  ,i   
think you will find that all such       
institutions try to collect the very    
last cent1 and1 in the name of pity1    
drive pity from their hearts4  ,i think 
it is ,shakespeare who says1 ,pity      

drives out pity1 and he must have had   
organized charities in his mind when he 
uttered this remark4 ,of course a great 
many really good and philanthropic      
people leave vast sums of money to      
charities4  ,i find that it is sometimes
 very difficult to get an injured man1  
or one seized with some sudden illness1 
taken into a city hospital4 ,there are  
so many rules and so many regulations1  
so many things necessary to be done1    
that while the rules are being complied 
with the soul of the sick or injured    
man1 weary of the waiting1 takes its    
flight4 ,and after the man is dead1 the 
doctors are kind enough to certify that 
he died of heart failure4  ,so--in a    
general way--,i speak of all the        
asylums1 of all the homes for orphans4  
,when ,i see one of those buildings ,i  
feel that it is full of petty tyranny1  
of what might be called pious meanness1 
devout deviltry1 where the object is to 
break the will of every recipient of    
public favor4  ,i may be all wrong4 ,i  

hope ,i am4 ,at the same time ,i fear   
that ,i am somewhere near right4  ,you  
may take our prisons2 the treatment of  
prisoners is often infamous4 ,the       
,elmira ,reformatory is a worthy        
successor of the ,inquisition1 a        
disgrace1 in my judgment1 to the ,state 
of ,new ,york1 to the civilization of   
our day4 ,every little while something  
comes to light showing the cruelty1 the 
tyranny1 the meanness1 of these         
professional distributers of public     
charity--of these professed reformers4  
,i know that they are visited now and   
then by committees from the             
,legislature1 and ,i know that the      
keepers of these places know when the   
committee may be expected4  ,i know that
 everything is scoured and swept and    
burnished for the occasion2 and ,i know 
that the poor devils that have been     
abused or whipped or starved1 fear to   
open their mouths1 knowing that if they 
do they may not be believed and that    
they will be treated afterward as though

 they were wild beasts4  ,i think these 
public institutions ought to be open to 
inspection at all times4 ,i think the   
very best men ought to be put in control
 of them4 ,i think only those doctors   
who have passed1 and recently passed1   
examinations as to their fitness1 as to 
their intelligence and professional     
acquirements1 ought to be put in charge4
  ,i do not think that hospitals should 
be places for young doctors to practice 
sawing off the arms and legs of paupers 
or hunting in the stomachs of old women 
for tumors4 ,i think only the skillful1 
the experienced1 should be employed in  
such places4 ,neither do ,i think       
hospitals should be places where        
medicine is distributed by students to  
the poor4  ,ignorance is a poor doctor1 
even for the poor1 and if we pretend to 
be charitable we ought to carry it out4 
,i would like to see tyranny done away  
with in prisons1 in the reformatories1  
and in all places under the government  
or supervision of the ,state4  ,i would 

like to have all corporal punishment    
abolished1 and ,i would also like to see
 the money that is given to charity     
distributed by charity and by           
intelligence4 ,i hope all these         
institutions will be overhauled4  ,i    
hope all places where people are        
pretending to take care of the poor and 
for which they collect money from the   
public1 will be visited1 and will be    
visited unexpectedly and the truth told4
  ,in my judgment there is some better  
way4 ,i think every hospital1 every     
asylum1 every home for waifs and orphans
 should be supported by taxation1 not by
 charity2 should be under the care and  
control of the ,state absolutely4  ,i do
 not believe in these institutions being
 managed by any individual or by any    
society1 religious or secular1 but by   
the ,state4 ,i would no more have       
hospitals and asylums depend on charity 
than ,i would have the public school    
depend on voluntary contributions4  ,i  
want the schools supported by taxation  

and to be controlled by the ,state1 and 
,i want the hospitals and asylums and   
charitable institutions founded and     
controlled and carried on in the same   
way4 ,let the property of the ,state do 
it4  ,let those pay the taxes who are   
able4 ,and let us do away forever with  
the idea that to take care of the sick1 
of the helpless1 is a charity4 ,it is   
not a charity4 ,it is a duty4 ,it is    
something to be done for our own sakes4 
,it is no more a charity than it is to  
pave or light the streets1 no more a    
charity than it is to have a system of  
sewers4  ,it is all for the purpose of  
protecting society and of civilizing    
ourselves4     ,,spain ,,and ,,the      
,,spaniards4   ,,spain has always been  
exceedingly religious and exceedingly   
cruel4 ,that country had an unfortunate 
experience4 ,the ,spaniards fought the  
,moors for about seven hundred or eight 
hundred years1 and during that time     
,catholicism and patriotism became      
synonymous4 ,they were fighting the     

,moslems4 ,it was a religious war4 ,for 
this reason they became intense in their
 ,catholicism1 and they were fearful    
that if they should grant the least     
concession to the ,moor1 ,god would     
destroy them4 ,their idea was that the  
only way to secure divine aid was to    
have absolute faith1 and this faith was 
proved by their hatred of all ideas     
inconsistent with their own4  ,spain has
 been and is the victim of superstition4
 ,the ,spaniards expelled the ,jews1 who
 at that time represented a good deal of
 wealth and considerable intelligence4  
,this expulsion was characterized by    
infinite brutality and by cruelties that
 words can not express4 ,they drove out 
the ,moors at last4 ,not satisfied with 
this1 they drove out the ,moriscoes4    
,these were ,moors who had been         
converted to ,catholicism4  ,the        
,spaniards1 however1 had no confidence  
in the honesty of the conversion1 and   
for the purpose of gaining the good will
 of ,god1 they drove them out4 ,they had

 succeeded in getting rid of ,jews1     
,moors and ,moriscoes2 that is to say1  
of the intelligence and industry of     
,spain4 ,nothing was left but           
,spaniards2 that is to say1 indolence1  
pride1 cruelty and infinite             
superstition4 ,so ,spain destroyed all  
freedom of thought through the          
,inquisition1 and for many years the sky
 was livid with the flames of the ,auto 
da fe2 ,spain was busy carrying fagots  
to the feet of philosophy1 busy in      
burning people for thinking1 for        
investigating1 for expressing honest    
opinions4 ,the result was that a great  
darkness settled over ,spain1 pierced by
 no star and shone upon by no rising    
sun4  ,at one time ,spain was the       
greatest of powers1 owner of half the   
world1 and now she has only a few       
islands1 the small change of her great  
fortune1 the few pennies in the almost  
empty purse1 souvenirs of departed      
wealth1 of vanished greatness4 ,now     
,spain is bankrupt1 bankrupt not only in

 purse1 but in the higher faculties of  
the mind1 a nation without progress1    
without thought2 still devoted to bull  
fights and superstition1 still trying to
 affright contagious diseases by        
religious processions4 ,spain is a part 
of the mediaeval ages1 belongs to an    
ancient generation4 ,it really has no   
place in the nineteenth century4  ,spain
 has always been cruel4 ,s4 ,s4         
,prentice1 many years ago1 speaking of  
,spain said3 ,on the shore of discovery 
it leaped an armed robber1 and sought   
for gold even in the throats of its     
victims4 ,the bloodiest pages in the    
history of this world have been written 
by ,spain4 ,spain in ,peru1 in ,mexico1 
,spain in the low countries--all        
possible cruelties come back to the mind
 when we say ,philip ,,ii41 when we say 
the ,duke of ,alva1 when we pronounce   
the names of ,ferdinand and ,isabella4  
,spain has inflicted every torture1 has 
practiced every cruelty1 has been guilty
 of every possible outrage4 ,there has  

been no break between ,torquemada and   
,weyler1 between the ,inquisition and   
the infamies committed in ,cuba4  ,when 
,columbus found ,cuba1 the original     
inhabitants were the kindest and        
gentlest of people4 ,they practiced no  
inhuman rites1 they were good1 contented
 people4 ,the ,spaniards enslaved them  
or sought to enslave them4 ,the people  
rising1 they were hunted with dogs1 they
 were tortured1 they were murdered1 and 
finally exterminated4 ,this was the     
commencement of ,spanish rule on the    
island of ,cuba4 ,the same spirit is in 
,spain to-day that was in ,spain then4  
,the idea is not to conciliate1 but to  
coerce1 not to treat justly1 but to rob 
and enslave4 ,no ,spaniard regards a    
,cuban as having equal rights with      
himself4 ,he looks upon the island as   
property1 and upon the people as a part 
of that property1 both equally belonging
 to ,spain4  ,spain has kept no promises
 made to the ,cubans and never will4 ,at
 last the ,cubans know exactly what     

,spain is1 and they have made up their  
minds to be free or to be exterminated4 
,there is nothing in history to equal   
the atrocities and outrages that have   
been perpetrated by ,spain upon ,cuba4  
,what ,spain does now1 all know is only 
a repetition of what ,spain has done1   
and this is a prophecy of what ,spain   
will do if she has the power4  ,so far  
as ,i am concerned1 ,i have no idea that
 there is to be any war between ,spain  
and the ,united ,states4 ,a country that
 can't conquer ,cuba1 certainly has no  
very flattering chance of overwhelming  
the ,united ,states4 ,a man that cannot 
whip one of his own boys is foolish when
 he threatens to clean out the whole    
neighborhood4 ,of course1 there is some 
wisdom even in ,spain1 and the          
,spaniards who know anything of this    
country know that it would be absolute  
madness and the utmost extreme of folly 
to attack us4 ,i believe in treating    
even ,spain with perfect fairness4 ,i   
feel about the country as ,burns did    

about the ,devil3 ,o wad ye tak' a      
thought an' mend6 ,i know that nations1 
like people1 do as they must1 and ,i    
regard ,spain as the victim and result  
of conditions1 the fruit of a tree that 
was planted by ignorance and watered by 
superstition4  ,i believe that ,cuba is 
to be free1 and ,i want that island to  
give a new flag to the air1 whether it  
ever becomes a part of the ,united      
,states or not4 ,my sympathies are all  
with those who are struggling for their 
rights1 trying to get the clutch of     
tyranny from their throats2 for those   
who are defending their homes1 their    
firesides1 against tyrants and robbers4 
,whether the ,maine was blown up by the 
,spaniards is still a question4 ,i      
suppose it will soon be decided4 ,in my 
own opinion1 the disaster came from the 
outside1 but ,i do not know1 and not    
knowing1 ,i am willing to wait for the  
sake of human nature4 ,i sincerely hope 
that it was an accident4 ,i hate to     
think that there are people base and    

cruel enough to commit such an act4     
,still1 ,i think that all these matters 
will be settled without war4  ,i am in  
favor of an international court1 the    
members to be selected by the ruling    
nations of the world2 and before this   
court ,i think all questions between    
nations should be decided1 and the only 
army and the only navy should be under  
its direction1 and used only for the    
purpose of enforcing its decrees4 ,were 
there such a court now1 before which    
,cuba could appear and tell the story of
 her wrongs1 of the murders1 the        
assassinations1 the treachery1 the      
starvings1 the cruelty1 ,i think that   
the decision would instantly be in her  
favor and that ,spain would be driven   
from the island4 ,until there is such a 
court there is no need of talking about 
the world being civilized4  ,i am not a 
,christian1 but ,i do believe in the    
religion of justice1 of kindness4 ,i    
believe in humanity4 ,i do believe that 
usefulness is the highest possible form 

of worship4 ,the useful man is the good 
man1 the useful man is the real saint4  
,i care nothing about supernatural myths
 and mysteries1 but ,i do care for human
 beings4 ,i have a little short creed of
 my own1 not very hard to understand1   
that has in it no contradictions1 and it
 is this3 ,happiness is the only good4  
,the time to be happy is now4 ,the place
 to be happy is here4 ,the way to be    
happy is to make others so4  ,i think   
this creed if adopted1 would do away    
with war4 ,i think it would destroy     
superstition1 and ,i think it would     
civilize even ,spain4     ,,our ,,new   
,,possessions4   ,,as ,i understand it1 
the ,united ,states went into this war  
against ,spain in the cause of freedom4 
,for three years ,spain has been        
endeavoring to conquer these people4    
,the means employed were savage4        
,hundreds of thousands were starved4    
,yet the ,cubans1 with great heroism1   
were continuing the struggle4 ,in spite 
of their burned homes1 their wasted     

fields1 their dead comrades1 the ,cubans
 were not conquered and still waged war4
 ,under those circumstances we said to  
,spain1 ,you must withdraw from the     
,western ,world4 ,the ,cubans have the  
right to be free6 ,they have been robbed
 and enslaved by ,spanish officers and  
soldiers4 ,undoubtedly they were savages
 when first found1 and undoubtedly they 
are worse now than when discovered--more
 barbarous4 ,they wouldn't make very    
good citizens of the ,united ,states2   
they are probably incapable of          
self-government1 but no people can be   
ignorant enough to be justly robbed or  
savage enough to be rightly enslaved4 ,i
 think that we should keep the islands1 
not for our own sake1 but for the sake  
of these people4  ,it was understood and
 declared at the time1 that we were not 
waging war for the sake of territory1   
that we were not trying to annex ,cuba1 
but that we were moved by compassion--a 
compassion that became as stern as      
justice4 ,i did not think at the time   

there would be war4 ,i supposed that the
 ,spanish people had some sense1 that   
they knew their own condition and the   
condition of this ,republic4 ,but the   
improbable happened1 and now1 after the 
successes we have had1 the end of the   
war appears to be in sight1 and the     
question arises3 ,what shall we do with 
the ,spanish islands that we have taken 
already1 or that we may take before     
peace comes8  ,of course1 we could not1 
without stultifying ourselves and       
committing the greatest of crimes1 hand 
back ,cuba to ,spain4 ,but to do that   
would be no more criminal1 no more      
infamous1 than to hand back the         
,philippines4 ,in those islands there   
are from eight to ten millions of       
people4  ,as far as the ,philippines are
 concerned1 ,i think that we should     
endeavor to civilize them1 and to do    
this we should send teachers1 not       
preachers4 ,we should not endeavor to   
give them our superstition in place of  
,spanish superstition4 ,they have had   

superstition enough4 ,they don't need   
churches1 they need schools4 ,we should 
teach them our arts2 how to cultivate   
the soil1 how to manufacture the things 
they need4 ,in other words1 we should   
deal honestly with them1 and try our    
best to make them a self-supporting and 
a self-governing people4 ,the eagle     
should spread its wings over those      
islands for that and for no other       
purpose4 ,we can not afford to give them
 to other nations or to throw fragments 
of them to the wild beasts of ,europe4  
,we can not say to ,russia1 ,you may    
have a part1 and to ,germany1 ,you may  
have a share1 and to ,france1 ,you take 
something1 and so divide out these      
people as thieves divide plunder4 ,that 
we will never do4  ,there is1 moreover1 
in my mind1 a little sentiment mixed    
with this matter4 ,manila ,bay has been 
filled with ,american glory4 ,there was 
won one of our greatest triumphs1 one of
 the greatest naval victories of the    
world--won by ,american courage and     

genius4 ,we can not allow any other     
nation to become the owner of the stage 
on which this ,american drama was       
played4 ,i know that we can be of great 
assistance to the inhabitants of the    
,philippines4 ,i know that we can be an 
unmixed blessing to them1 and that is   
the only ambition ,i have in regard to  
those islands4 ,i would no more think of
 handing them back to ,spain than ,i    
would of butchering the entire          
population in cold blood4 ,spain is     
unfit to govern4 ,spain has always been 
a robber4 ,she has never made an effort 
to civilize a human being4 ,the history 
of ,spain1 ,i think1 is the darkest page
 in the history of the world4  ,at the  
same time ,i have a kind of pity for the
 ,spanish people4 ,i feel that they have
 been victims--victims of superstition4 
,their blood has been sucked1 their     
energies have been wasted and           
misdirected1 and they excite my         
sympathies4 ,of course1 there are many  
good ,spaniards1 good men1 good women4  

,cervera appears to be a civilized man1 
a gentleman1 and ,i feel obliged to him 
for his treatment of ,hobson4 ,the great
 mass of the ,spaniards1 however1 must  
be exceedingly ignorant4 ,their         
so-called leaders dare not tell them the
 truth about the progress of this war4  
,they seem to be afraid to state the    
facts4 ,they always commence with a lie1
 then change it a little1 then change it
 a little more1 and may be at last tell 
the truth4 ,they never seem to dare to  
tell the truth at first1 if the truth is
 bad4 ,they put me in mind of the story 
of a man telegraphing to a wife about   
the condition of her husband4 ,the first
 dispatch was1 ,your husband is well1   
never better4 ,the second was1 ,your    
husband is sick1 but not very4 ,the     
third was1 ,your husband is much worse1 
but we still have hope4 ,the fourth was1
 ,you may as well know the truth--we    
buried your husband yesterday4 ,that is 
about the way the ,spanish people get   
their war news4  ,that is why it may be 

incorrect to assume that peace is coming
 quickly4 ,if the ,spaniards were a     
normal people1 who acted as other folks 
do1 we might prophesy a speedy peace1   
but nobody has prophetic vision enough  
to tell what such a people will do4 ,in 
spite of all appearances1 and all our   
successes1 and of all sense1 the war may
 drag on4 ,but ,i hope not1 not only for
 our own sake1 but for the sake of the  
,spaniards themselves4 ,i can't help    
thinking of the poor peasants who will  
be killed1 neither can ,i help thinking 
of the poor peasants who will have to   
toil for many years on the melancholy   
fields of ,spain to pay the cost of this
 war4 ,i am sorry for them1 and ,i am   
sorry also for the widows and orphans1  
and no one will be more delighted when  
peace comes4  ,the argument has been    
advanced in the ,national ,senate and   
elsewhere1 that the ,federal            
,constitution makes no provision for the
 holding of colonies or dependencies1   
such as the ,philippines would be2 that 

we can only acquire them as territories1
 and eventually must take them in as    
,states1 with their population of mixed 
and inferior races4 ,that is hardly an  
effective argument4  ,when this country 
was an infant1 still in its cradle1     
,george ,washington gave the child some 
very good advice2 told him to beware of 
entangling alliances1 to stay at home   
and attend to his own business4 ,under  
the circumstances this was all very     
good4 ,but the infant has been growing1 
and the ,republic is now one of the most
 powerful nations in the world1 and yet1
 from its infant days until now1 good1  
conservative people have been repeating 
the advice of ,washington4 ,it was      
repeated again and again when we were   
talking about purchasing ,louisiana1 and
 many ,senators and ,congressmen became 
hysterical and predicted the fall of the
 ,republic if that was done4 ,the same  
thing took place when we purchased      
,florida1 and again when we got one     
million square miles from ,mexico1 and  

still again when we bought ,alaska4     
,these ideas about violating the        
,constitution and wrecking the ,republic
 were promulgated by our great and wise 
statesmen on all these previous         
occasions1 but1 after all1 the          
,constitution seems to have borne the   
strain4 ,there seems to be as much      
liberty now as there was then1 and1 in  
fact1 a great deal more4 ,our           
,territories have given us no trouble1  
while they have greatly added to our    
population and vastly increased our     
wealth4  ,beside this1 the statesmen of 
the olden time1 the wise men with whom  
wisdom was supposed to have perished1   
could not and did not imagine the       
improvements that would take place after
 they were gone4 ,in their time1        
practically speaking1 it was farther    
from ,new ,york to ,buffalo than it is  
now from ,new ,york to ,san ,francisco1 
and so far as the transportation of     
intelligence is concerned1 ,san         
,francisco is as near ,new ,york as it  

would have been in their day had it been
 just across the ,harlem ,river4 ,taking
 into consideration the railways1 the   
telegraphs and the telephones1 this     
country now1 with its area of three     
million five hundred thousand square    
miles1 is not so large as the thirteen  
original colonies were2 that is to say1 
the distances are more easily traveled  
and more easily overcome4 ,in those days
 it required months and months to cross 
the continent4 ,now it is the work of   
four or five days4  ,yet1 when we came  
to talk about annexing the ,hawaiian    
,islands1 the advice of ,george         
,washington was again repeated1 and the 
older the ,senator the fonder he was of 
this advice4 ,these ,senators had the   
idea that the ,constitution1 having     
nothing in favor of it1 must contain    
something1 at least in spirit1 against  
it4 ,of course1 our fathers had no idea 
of the growth of the ,republic4 ,we     
have1 because with us it is a matter of 
experience4 ,i don't see that ,alaska   

has imperiled any of the liberties of   
,new ,york4 ,we need not admit ,alaska  
as a ,state unless it has a population  
entitling it to admission1 and we are   
not bound to take in the ,sandwich      
,islands until the people are civilized1
 until they are fit companions of free  
men and free women4 ,it may be that a   
good many of our citizens will go to the
 ,sandwich ,islands1 and that1 in a     
short time1 the people there will be    
ready to be admitted as a ,state4 ,all  
this the ,constitution can stand1 and in
 it there is no danger of imperialism4  
,i believe in national growth4 ,as a    
rule1 the prosperous farmer wants to buy
 the land that adjoins him1 and ,i think
 a prosperous nation has the ambition of
 growth4 ,it is better to expand than to
 shrivel2 and1 if our ,constitution is  
too narrow to spread over the territory 
that we have the courage to acquire1 why
 we can make a broader one4 ,it is a    
very easy matter to make a constitution1
 and no human happiness1 no prosperity1 

no progress should be sacrificed for the
 sake of a piece of paper with writing  
on it2 because there is plenty of paper 
and plenty of men to do the writing1 and
 plenty of people to say what the       
writing should be4 ,i take more interest
 in people than ,i do in constitutions4 
,i regard constitutions as secondary2   
they are means to an end1 but the dear1 
old1 conservative gentlemen seem to     
regard constitutions as ends in         
themselves4  ,i have read what          
ex-,president ,cleveland had to say on  
this important subject1 and ,i am happy 
to say that ,i entirely disagree with   
him4 ,so1 too1 ,i disagree with ,senator
 ,edmunds1 and with ,mr4 ,bryan1 and    
with ,senator ,hoar1 and with all the   
other gentlemen who wish to stop the    
growth of the ,republic4 ,i want it to  
grow4  ,as to the final destiny of the  
island possessions won from ,spain1 my  
idea is that the ,philippine ,islands   
will finally be free1 protected1 it may 
be for a long time1 by the ,united      

,states4 ,i think ,cuba will come to us 
for protection1 naturally1 and1 so far  
as ,i am concerned1 ,i want ,cuba only  
when ,cuba wants us4 ,i think that      
,porto ,rico and some of those islands  
will belong permanently to the ,united  
,states1 and ,i believe ,cuba will      
finally become a part of our ,republic4 
,when the opponents of progress found   
that they couldn't make the ,american   
people take the back track by holding up
 their hands over the ,constitution1    
they dragged in the ,monroe doctrine4   
,when we concluded not to allow ,spain  
any longer to enslave her colonists1 or 
the people who had been her colonists1  
in the ,new ,world1 that was a very     
humane and wise resolve1 and it was     
strictly in accord with the ,monroe     
doctrine4 ,for the purpose of conquering
 ,spain1 we attacked her fleet in       
,manila ,bay1 and destroyed it4 ,i can  
not conceive how that action of ours can
 be twisted into a violation of the     
,monroe doctrine4 ,the most that can be 

said is1 that it is an extension of that
 doctrine1 and that we are now saying to
 ,spain1 ,you shall not enslave1 you    
shall not rob1 anywhere that we have the
 power to prevent it4  ,having taken the
 ,philippines1 the same humanity that   
dictated the declaration of what is     
called the ,monroe doctrine1 will force 
us to act there in accordance with the  
spirit of that doctrine4 ,the other day 
,i saw in the paper an extract1 ,i      
think1 from ,goldwin ,smith1 in which he
 says that if we were to bombard ,cadiz 
we would give up the ,monroe doctrine4  
,i do not see the application4 ,we are  
at war with ,spain1 and we have a right 
to invade that country1 and the invasion
 would have nothing whatever to do with 
the ,monroe doctrine4 ,war being        
declared1 we have the right to do       
anything consistent with civilized      
warfare to gain the victory4 ,the       
bombardment of ,cadiz would have no more
 to do with the ,monroe doctrine than   
with the attraction of gravitation4 ,if1

 by the ,monroe doctrine is meant that  
we have agreed to stay in this          
hemisphere1 and to prevent other nations
 from interfering with any people on    
this hemisphere1 and if it is said that1
 growing out of this1 is another        
doctrine1 namely1 that we are pledged   
not to interfere with any people living 
on the other hemisphere1 then it might  
be called a violation of the ,monroe    
doctrine for us to bombard ,cadiz4 ,but 
such is not the ,monroe doctrine4 ,if1  
we being at war with ,england1 she      
should bombard the city of ,new ,york1  
or we should bombard some city of       
,england1 would anybody say that either 
nation had violated the ,monroe         
doctrine8 ,i do not see how that        
doctrine is involved1 whether we fight  
at sea or on the territory of the enemy4
  ,this is the first war1 so far as ,i  
know1 in the history of the world that  
has been waged absolutely in the        
interest of humanity2 the only war born 
of pity1 of sympathy2 and for that      

reason ,i have taken a deep interest in 
it1 and ,i must say that ,i was greatly 
astonished by the victory of ,admiral   
,dewey in ,manila ,bay4 ,i think it one 
of the most wonderful in the history of 
the world1 and ,i think all that ,dewey 
has done shows clearly that he is a man 
of thought1 of courage and of genius4   
,so1 too1 the victory over the fleet of 
,cervera by ,commodore ,schley1 is one  
of the most marvelous and the most      
brilliant in all the annals of the      
world4 ,the marksmanship1 the courage1  
the absolute precision with which       
everything was done1 is to my mind      
astonishing4 ,neither should we forget  
,wainwright's heroic exploit1 as        
commander of the ,gloucester1 by which  
he demonstrated that torpedo destroyers 
have no terrors for a yacht manned by   
,american pluck4 ,manila ,bay and       
,santiago both are surpassingly         
wonderful4 ,there are no words with     
which to describe such deeds--deeds that
 leap like flames above the clouds and  

glorify the whole heavens4  ,the        
,spanish have shown in this contest that
 they possess courage1 and they have    
displayed what you might call the       
heroism of desperation1 but the         
,anglo-,saxon has courage and           
coolness--courage not blinded by        
passion1 courage that is the absolute   
servant of intelligence4 ,the           
,anglo-,saxon has a fixedness of purpose
 that is never interfered with by       
feeling2 he does not become enraged--he 
becomes firm1 unyielding1 his mind is   
absolutely made up1 clasped1 locked1 and
 he carries out his will4 ,with the     
,spaniard it is excitement1 nervousness2
 he becomes frantic4 ,i think this war  
has shown the superiority1 not simply of
 our ships1 or our armor1 or our guns1  
but the superiority of our men1 of our  
officers1 of our gunners4 ,the courage  
of our army about ,santiago was         
splendid1 the steadiness and bravery of 
the volunteers magnificent4 ,i think    
that what has already been done has     

given us the admiration of the civilized
 world4  ,i know1 of course1 that some  
countries hate us4 ,germany is filled   
with malice1 and has been just on the   
crumbling edge of meanness for months1  
wishing but not daring to interfere2    
hateful1 hostile1 but keeping just      
within the overt act4 ,we could teach   
,germany a lesson and her ships would go
 down before ours just the same as the  
,spanish ships have done4 ,sometimes ,i 
have almost wished that a hostile       
,german shot might be fired4 ,but ,i    
think we will get even with ,germany and
 with ,france--at least ,i hope so4     
,and there is another thing ,i          
hope--that the good feeling now existing
 between ,england and the ,united       
,states may be eternal4 ,in other words1
 ,i hope it will be to the interests of 
both to be friends4 ,i think the        
,english-speaking peoples are to rule   
this world4 ,they are the kings of      
invention1 of manufactures1 of commerce1
 of administration1 and they have a     

higher conception of human liberty than 
any other people4 ,of course1 they are  
not entirely free2 they still have some 
of the rags and tatters and ravelings of
 superstition2 but they are tatters and 
they are rags and they are ravelings1   
and the people know it4 ,and1 besides   
all this1 the ,english language holds   
the greatest literature of the world4   
,a ,,few ,,fragments ,,on ,,expansion4  
,a ,,nation rises from infancy to       
manhood and sinks from dotage to death4 
,i think that the great ,republic is in 
the morning of her life--the sun just   
above the horizon--the grass still wet  
with dew4  ,our country has the courage 
and enthusiasm of youth--her blood flows
 full--her heart beats strong and her   
brow is fair4 ,we stand on the threshold
 of a great1 a sublime career4 ,all the 
conditions are favorable--the           
environment kind4 ,the best part of this
 hemisphere is ours4 ,we have a thousand
 million acres of fertile land1 vast    
forests1 whole ,states underlaid with   

coal2 ranges of mountains filled with   
iron1 silver and gold1 and we have      
seventy-five millions of the most       
energetic1 active1 inventive1           
progressive and practical people in the 
world4 ,the great ,republic is a happy  
combination of mind and muscle1 of head 
and heart1 of courage and good nature4  
,we are growing4 ,we have the instinct  
of expansion4 ,we are full of life and  
health4 ,we are about to take our       
rightful place at the head of the       
nations4 ,the great powers have been    
struggling to obtain markets4 ,they are 
fighting for the trade of the ,east4    
,they are contending for ,china4 ,we    
watched1 but we did not act4 ,they paid 
no attention to us or we to them4       
,conditions have changed4 ,we own the   
,hawaiian ,islands4 ,we will own the    
,philippines4  ,japan and ,china will be
 our neighbors--our customers4 ,our     
interests must be protected4 ,in ,china 
we want the open door1 and we will see  
to it that the door is kept open4 ,the  

nation that tries to shut it1 will get  
its fingers pinched4 ,we have taught the
 ,old ,world that the ,republic must be 
consulted4 ,we have entered on the great
 highway1 and we are destined to become 
the most powerful1 the most successful  
and the most generous of nations4 ,i am 
for expansion4 ,the more people beneath 
the flag the better4 ,let the ,republic 
grow44   ,i ,,believe in growth4 ,of    
course there are many moss-back         
conservatives who fear expansion4       
,thousands opposed the purchase of      
,louisiana from ,napoleon1 thousands    
were against the acquisition of ,florida
 and of the vast territory we obtained  
from ,mexico4 ,so1 thousands were       
against the purchase of ,alaska1 and    
some dear old mummies opposed the       
annexation of the ,sandwich ,islands1   
and yet1 ,i do not believe that there is
 an intelligent ,american who would like
 to part with one acre that has been    
acquired by the ,government4 ,now1 there
 are some timid1 withered statesmen who 

do not want ,porto ,rico--who beg us in 
a trembling1 patriotic voice not to keep
 the ,philippines4 ,but the sensible    
people feel exactly the other way4 ,they
 love to see our borders extended4 ,they
 love to see the flag floating over the 
islands of the tropics1--showering its  
blessings upon the poor people who have 
been robbed and tortured by the         
,spanish4 ,let the ,republic grow6 ,let 
us spread the gospel of ,freedom6 ,in a 
few years ,i hope that ,canada will be  
ours--,i want ,mexico--in other words1  
,i want all of ,north ,america4 ,i want 
to see our flag waving from the ,north  
,pole4  ,i think it was a mistake to    
appoint a peace commission4 ,the        
,president should have demanded the     
unconditional surrender of ,cuba1 ,porto
 ,rico and the ,philippines4 ,spain was 
helpless4 ,the war would have ended on  
our terms1 and all this commission      
nonsense would have been saved4 ,still1 
,i make no complaint4 ,it will probably 
come out right1 though it would have    

been far better to have ended the       
business when we could--when ,spain was 
prostrate4 ,it was foolish to let her   
get up and catch her breath and hunt for
 friends4  ,,only a few days ago our    
,president1 by proclamation1 thanked    
,god for giving us the victory at       
,santiago4 ,he did not thank him for    
sending the yellow fever4 ,to be        
consistent the ,president should have   
thanked him equally for both4 ,man      
should think2 he should use all his     
senses2 he should examine2 he should    
reason4 ,the man who cannot think is    
less than man2 the man who will not     
think is a traitor to himself2 the man  
who fears to think is superstition's    
slave4 ,i do not thank ,god for the     
splendid victory in ,manila ,bay4 ,i    
don't know whether he had anything to do
 with it2 if ,i find out that he did ,i 
will thank him readily4 ,meanwhile1 ,i  
will thank ,admiral ,george ,dewey and  
the brave fellows who were with him4  ,i
 do not thank ,god for the destruction  

of ,cervera's fleet at ,santiago4 ,no1  
,i thank ,schley and the men with the   
trained eyes and the nerves of steel1   
who stood behind the guns4 ,i do not    
thank ,god because we won the battle of 
,santiago4 ,i thank the ,regular ,army1 
black and white--the ,volunteers--the   
,rough ,riders1 and all the men who made
 the grand charge at ,san ,juan ,hill4  
,i have asked1 ,why should ,god help us 
to whip ,spain8 and have been answered3 
,for the sake of the ,cubans1 who have  
been crushed and ill-treated by their   
,spanish masters4 ,then why did not ,god
 help the ,cubans long before8          
,certainly1 they were fighting long     
enough and needed his help badly enough4
 ,but1 ,i am told1 ,god's ways are      
inscrutable4 ,suppose ,spain had whipped
 us2 would the ,christians then say that
 ,god did it8 ,very likely they would1  
and would have as an excuse1 that we    
broke the ,sabbath with our base-ball1  
our bicycles and bloomers4     ,,is ,,it
 ,,ever ,,right ,,for ,,husband ,,or    

,,wife ,,to ,,kill ,,rival8   ,,how far 
should a husband or wife go in defending
 the sanctity of home8  ,is it right for
 the husband to kill the paramour of his
 wife8  ,is it right for the wife to    
kill the paramour of her husband8       
,these three questions are in substance 
one1 and one answer will be sufficient  
for all4  ,in the first place1 we should
 have an understanding of the real      
relation that exists1 or should exist1  
between husband and wife4  ,the real    
good orthodox people1 those who admire  
,st4 ,paul1 look upon the wife as the   
property of the husband4 ,he owns1 not  
only her body1 but her very soul4 ,this 
being the case1 no other man has the    
right to steal or try to steal this     
property4 ,the owner has the right to   
defend his possession1 even to the      
death4 ,in the olden time the husband   
was never regarded as the property of   
the wife4 ,she had a claim on him for   
support1 and there was usually some way 
to enforce the claim4 ,if the husband   

deserted the wife for the sake of some  
other woman1 or transferred his         
affections to another1 the wife1 as a   
rule1 suffered in silence4 ,sometimes   
she took her revenge on the woman1 but  
generally she did nothing4 ,men killed  
the destroyers of their homes1 but the  
women1 having no homes1 being only      
wives1 nothing but mothers--bearers of  
babes for masters--allowed their        
destroyers to live4  ,in recent years   
women have advanced4 ,they have stepped 
to the front4 ,wives are no longer      
slaves4 ,they are the equals of         
husbands4 ,they have homes to defend1   
husbands to protect and destroyers to   
kill4 ,the rights of husbands and wives 
are now equal4 ,they live under the same
 moral code4 ,their obligations to each 
other are mutual4 ,both are bound1 and  
equally bound1 to live virtuous lives4  
,now1 if ,a falls in love with the wife 
of ,b1 and she returns his love1 has ,b 
the right to kill him8 ,or if ,a falls  
in love with the husband of ,b1 and he  

returns her love1 has ,b the right to   
kill her8  ,if the wronged husband has  
the right to kill1 so has the wronged   
wife4  ,suppose that a young man and    
woman are engaged to be married1 and    
that she falls in love with another and 
marries him1 has the first lover a right
 to kill the last8  ,this leads me to   
another question3 ,what is marriage8    
,men and women cannot truly be married  
by any set or form of words1 or by any  
ceremonies however solemn1 or by        
contract signed1 sealed and witnessed1  
or by the words or declarations of      
priests or judges4 ,all these put       
together do not constitute marriage4 ,at
 the very best they are only evidences  
of the fact of marriage--something that 
really happened between the parties4    
,without pure1 honest1 mutual love there
 can be no real marriage4 ,marriage     
without love is only a form of          
prostitution4 ,marriage for the sake of 
position or wealth is immoral4 ,no good1
 sensible man wants to marry a woman    

whose heart is not absolutely his1 and  
no good1 sensible woman wants to marry a
 man whose heart is not absolutely hers4
 ,now1 if there can be no real marriage 
without mutual love1 does the marriage  
outlast the love8 ,if it is immoral for 
a woman to marry a man without loving   
him1 is it moral for her to live as the 
wife of a man whom she has ceased to    
love8 ,is she bound by the words1 by the
 ceremony1 after the real marriage is   
dead8 ,is she so bound that the man she 
hates has the right to be the father of 
her babes8  ,if a girl is engaged and   
afterward meets her ideal1 a young man  
whose presence is joy1 whose touch is   
ecstasy1 is it her duty to fulfill her  
engagement8 ,would it not be a thousand 
times nobler and purer for her to say to
 the first lover3 ,i thought ,i loved   
you2 ,i was mistaken4 ,i belong heart   
and soul to another1 and if ,i married  
you ,i could not be yours4  ,so1 if a   
young man is engaged and finds that he  
has made a mistake1 is it honorable for 

him to keep his contract8 ,would it not 
be far nobler for him to tell her the   
truth8  ,the civilized man loves a woman
 not only for his own sake1 but for her 
sake4 ,he longs to make her happy--to   
fill her life with joy4 ,he is willing  
to make sacrifices for her1 but he does 
not want her to sacrifice herself for   
him4 ,the civilized husband wants his   
wife to be free--wants the love that she
 cannot help giving him4 ,he does not   
want her1 from a sense of duty1 or      
because of the contract or ceremony1 to 
act as though she loved him1 when in    
fact her heart is far away4 ,he does not
 want her to pollute her soul and live a
 lie for his sake4 ,the civilized       
husband places the happiness of his wife
 above his own4 ,her love is the wealth 
of his heart1 and to guard her from evil
 is the business of his life4  ,but the 
civilized husband knows when his wife   
ceases to love him that the real        
marriage has also ceased4 ,he knows that
 it is then infamous for him to compel  

her to remain his wife4 ,he knows that  
it is her right to be free--that her    
body belongs to her1 that her soul is   
her own4 ,he knows1 too1 if he knows    
anything1 that her affection is not the 
slave of her will4  ,in a case like     
this1 the civilized husband would1 so   
far as he had the power1 release his    
wife from the contract of marriage1     
divide his property fairly with her and 
do what he could for her welfare4       
,civilized love never turns to hatred4  
,suppose he should find that there was a
 man in the case1 that another had won  
her love1 or that she had given her love
 to another1 would it then be his right 
or duty to kill that man8 ,would the    
killing do any good8 ,would it bring    
back her love8 ,would it reunite the    
family8 ,would it annihilate the        
disgrace or the memory of the shame8    
,would it lessen the husband's loss8    
,society says that the husband should   
kill the man because he led the woman   
astray4  ,how do we know that he        

betrayed the woman8 ,mrs4 ,potiphar left
 many daughters1 and ,joseph certainly  
had but few sons4 ,how do we know that  
it was not the husband's fault8 ,she may
 for years have shivered in the winter  
of his neglect4 ,she may have borne his 
cruelties of word and deed until her    
love w'as dead and buried side by side  
with hope4 ,another man comes into her  
life4 ,he pities her4 ,she looks and    
loves4 ,he lifts her from the grave4    
,again she really lives1 and her poor   
heart is rich with love's red blood4    
,ought this man to be killed8 ,he has   
robbed no husband1 wronged no man4 ,he  
has rescued a victim1 released an       
innocent prisoner and made a life worth 
living4 ,but the brutal husband says    
that the wife has been led astray2 that 
he has been wronged and dishonored1 and 
that it is his right1 his duty1 to shed 
the seducer's blood4 ,he finds the facts
 himself4 ,he is witness1 jury1 judge   
and executioner4 ,he forgets his        
neglect1 his cruelties1 his             

faithlessness2 forgets that he drove her
 from his heart1 remembers only that she
 loves another1 and then in the name of 
justice he takes the life of the one she
 loves4  ,a husband deserts his wife1   
leaves her without money1 without the   
means to live1 with his babes in her    
arms4 ,she cannot get a divorce2 she    
must wait1 and in the meantime she must 
live4 ,a man falls in love with her and 
she with him4 ,he takes care of her and 
the deserted children4 ,the wronged     
husband returns and kills the betrayer  
of his wife4 ,he believes in the        
sacredness of marriage1 the holiness of 
home4  ,it may be admitted that the     
deserted wife did wrong1 and that the   
man who cared for her and her worse than
 fatherless children also did wrong1 but
 certainly he had done nothing for which
 he deserved to be murdered4  ,a woman  
finds that her husband is in love with  
another woman1 that he is false1 and the
 question is whether it is her right to 
kill the other woman4 ,the wronged      

husband has always claimed that the man 
led his wife astray1 that he had crept  
and crawled into his ,eden1 but now the 
wronged wife claims that the woman      
seduced her husband1 that she spread the
 net1 wove the web and baited the trap  
in which the innocent husband was       
caught4 ,thereupon she kills the other  
woman4  ,in the first place1 how can she
 be sure of the facts8 ,how does she    
know whose fault it was8 ,possibly she  
was to blame herself4  ,but what good   
has the killing done8 ,it will not give 
her back her husband's love4 ,it will   
not cool the fervor of her jealousy4 ,it
 will not give her better sleep or      
happier dreams4  ,it would have been far
 better if she had said to her husband3 
,go with the woman you love4 ,i do not  
want your body without your heart1 your 
presence without your love4  ,so1 it    
would be better for the wronged husband 
to say to the unfaithful wife3 ,go with 
the man you love4 ,your heart is his1 ,i
 am not your master4 ,you are free4     

,after all1 murder is a poor remedy4 ,if
 you kill a man for one wrong1 why not  
for another8 ,if you take the law into  
your own hands and kill a man because he
 loves your wife and your wife loves    
him1 why not kill him for any injury he 
may inflict on you or yours8444  ,in a  
civilized nation the people are governed
 by law4 ,they do not redress their own 
wrongs4 ,they submit their differences  
to courts4 ,if they are wronged they    
appeal to the law4 ,savages redress what
 they call their wrongs4 ,they appeal to
 knife or gun4 ,they kill1 they         
assassinate1 they murder2 and they do   
this to preserve their honor4 ,admit    
that the seducer of the wife deserves   
death1 that the woman who leads the     
husband astray deserves death1 admit    
that both have justly forfeited their   
lives1 the question yet remains whether 
the wronged husband and the wronged wife
 have the right to commit murder4  ,if  
they have this right1 then there ought  
to be some way provided for ascertaining

 the facts4 ,before the husband kills   
the betrayer1 the fact that the wife was
 really led astray should be            
established1 and the wronged husband who
 claims the right to kill1 should show  
that he had been a good1 loving and true
 husband4  ,as a rule1 the wives of good
 and generous men are true and faithful4
 ,they love their homes1 they adore     
their children4 ,in poverty and disaster
 they cling the closer4 ,but when       
husbands are indolent and mean1 when    
they are cruel and selfish1 when they   
make a hell of home1 why should we      
insist that their wives should love them
 still8  ,when the civilized man finds  
that his wife loves another he does not 
kill1 he does not murder4 ,he says to   
his wife1 ,you are free4  ,when the     
civilized woman finds that her husband  
loves another she does not kill1 she    
does not murder4 ,she says to her       
husband1 ,i am free4 ,this1 in my       
judgment1 is the better way4 ,it is in  
accordance with a far higher philosophy 

of life1 of the real rights of others4  
,the civilized man is governed by his   
reason1 his intelligence2 the savage by 
his passions4 ,the civilized1 man seeks 
for the right1 regardless of himself2   
the savage for revenge1 regardless of   
the rights of others4  ,i do not believe
 that murder guards the sacredness of   
home1 the purity of the fireside4 ,i do 
not believe that crime wins victories   
for virtue4 ,i believe in liberty and ,i
 believe in law4 ,that country is free  
where the people make and honestly      
uphold the law4 ,i am opposed to a      
redress of grievances or the punishment 
of criminals by mobs and ,i am equally  
opposed to giving the wronged husbands  
and the wronged wives the right to kill 
the men and women they suspect4 ,in     
other words1 ,i believe in civilization4
  ,a few years ago a merchant living in 
the ,west suspected that his wife and   
bookkeeper were in love4 ,one morning he
 started for a distant city1 pretending 
that he would be absent for a couple of 

weeks4 ,he came back that night and     
found the lovers occupying the same     
room4 ,he did not kill the man1 but said
 to him3 ,take her2 she is yours4 ,treat
 her well and you will not be troubled4 
,abuse or desert her and ,i will be her 
avenger4  ,he did not kill his wife1 but
 said3 ,we part forever4 ,you are       
entitled to one-half of the property we 
have accumulated4 ,you shall have it4   
,farewell6  ,the merchant was a         
civilized man--a philosopher4           
,,professor ,,briggs4  ,to the study of 
the ,bible he has given the best years  
of his life4 ,when he commenced this    
study he was probably a devout believer 
in the plenary inspiration of the       
,scripture--thought that the ,bible was 
without an error2 that all the so-called
 contradictions could be easily         
explained4 ,he had been educated by     
,presbyterians and had confidence in his
 teachers4  ,in spite of his early      
training1 in spite of his prejudices1 he
 was led1 in some mysterious way1 to    

rely a little on his own reason4 ,this  
was a dangerous thing to do4 ,the moment
 a man talks about reason he is on      
dangerous ground4 ,he is liable to      
contradict the ,word of ,god4 ,then he  
loses spirituality and begins to think  
more of truth than creed4 ,this is a    
step toward heresy--toward ,infidelity4 
,professor ,briggs began to have doubts 
about some of the miracles4 ,these      
doubts1 like rats1 began to gnaw the    
foundations of his faith4 ,he examined  
these wonderful stories in the light of 
what is known to have happened1 and in  
the light of like miracles found in the 
other sacred books of the world4 ,and he
 concluded that they were not quite     
true4 ,he was not ready to say that they
 were actually false2 that would be too 
brutally candid4  ,i once read of an    
,english lord who had a very polite     
gamekeeper4 ,the lord wishing to show   
his skill with the rifle fired at a     
target4 ,he and the gamekeeper went to  
see where the bullet had struck4 ,the   

gamekeeper was first at the target1 and 
the lord cried out3 ,did ,i miss it8  ,i
 would not1 said the gamekeeper1 go so  
far as to say that your lordship missed 
it1 but--but--you didn't hit it4        
,professor ,briggs saw clearly that the 
,bible was the product1 the growth of   
many centuries2 that legends and facts1 
mistakes1 contradictions1 miracles1     
myths and history1 interpolations1      
prophecies and dreams1 wisdom1          
foolishness1 justice1 cruelty1 poetry   
and bathos were mixed1 mingled and      
interwoven4 ,in other words1 that the   
gold of truth was surrounded by meaner  
metals and worthless stones4  ,he saw   
that it was necessary to construct what 
might be called a sacred smelter to     
divide the true from the false4         
,undoubtedly he reached this conclusion 
in the interest of what he believed to  
be the truth4 ,he had the mistaken but  
honest idea that a ,christian should    
really think4 ,of course1 we know that  
all heresy has been the result of       

thought4 ,it has always been dangerous  
to grow4 ,shrinking is safe4  ,studying 
the ,bible was the first mistake that   
,professor ,briggs made1 reasoning was  
the second1 and publishing his          
conclusions was the third4 ,if he had   
read without studying1 if he had        
believed without reasoning1 he would    
have remained a good1 orthodox          
,presbyterian4 ,he probably read the    
works of ,humboldt1 ,darwin and         
,haeckel1 and found that the author of  
,genesis was not a geologist1 not a     
scientist4 ,he seems to have his doubts 
about the truth of the story of the     
deluge4 ,should he be blamed for this8  
,is there a sensible man in the wide    
world who really believes in the flood8 
,this flood business puts ,jehovah in   
such an idiotic light4  ,of course1 he  
must have known1 after the fall of ,adam
 and ,eve1 that he would have to drown  
their descendants4 ,certainly it would  
have been more merciful to have killed  
,adam and ,eve1 made a new pair and kept

 the serpent out of the ,garden of      
,eden4 ,if ,jehovah had been an         
intelligent ,god he never would have    
created the serpent4 ,then there would  
have been no fall1 no flood1 no         
atonement1 no hell4  ,think of a ,god   
who drowned a world6 ,what a merciless  
monster6 ,the cruelty of the flood is   
exceeded only by its stupidity4         
,thousands of little theologians have   
tried to explain this miracle4 ,this is 
the very top of absurdity4 ,to explain a
 miracle is to destroy it4 ,some have   
said that the flood was local4 ,how     
could water that rose over the mountains
 remain local8  ,why should we expect   
mercy from a ,god who drowned millions  
of men1 women and babes8 ,i would no    
more think of softening the heart of    
such a ,god by prayer than of protecting
 myself from a hungry tiger by repeating
 poetry4  ,professor ,briggs has sense  
enough to see that the story of the     
flood is but an ignorant legend4 ,he is 
trying to rescue ,jehovah from the      

frightful slander4 ,after all1 why      
should we believe the unreasonable8     
,must we be foolish to be virtuous8 ,the
 rain fell for forty days2 this caused  
the flood4 ,the water was at least      
thirty thousand feet in depth4 ,seven   
hundred and fifty feet a day--more than 
thirty feet an hour1 six inches a       
minute2 the rain fell for forty days4   
,does any man with sense enough to eat  
and breathe believe this idiotic lie8   
,professor ,briggs knows that the ,jews 
got the story of the flood from the     
,babylonians1 and that it is no more    
inspired than the history of ,peter     
,wilkins and ,his ,flying ,wife4 ,the   
destruction of ,sodom and ,gomorrah is  
another legend4  ,if those cities were  
destroyed sensible people believe the   
phenomenon was as natural as the        
destruction of ,herculaneum and         
,pompeii4 ,they do not believe that in  
either case it was the result of the    
wickedness of the people4  ,neither does
 any thinking man believe that the wife 

of ,lot was changed or turned into a    
pillar of salt as a punishment for      
having looked back at her burning home4 
,how could flesh1 bones and blood be    
changed to salt8 ,this presupposes two  
miracles4 ,first1 the annihilation of   
the woman1 and second1 the creation of  
salt4 ,a ,god cannot annihilate or      
create matter4 ,annihilation and        
creation are both                       
impossible--unthinkable4 ,a grain of    
sand can defy all the gods4 ,what was   
,mrs4 ,lot turned to salt for8 ,what    
good was achieved8 ,what useful lesson  
taught8 ,what man with a head fertile   
enough to raise one hair can believe a  
story like this8  ,does a man who denies
 the truth of this childish absurdity   
weaken the foundation of virtue8 ,does  
he discourage truth-telling by          
denouncing lies8 ,should a man be true  
to himself8 ,if reason is not the       
standard1 what is8 ,can a man think one 
way and believe another8 ,of course he  
can talk one way and think another4 ,if 

a man should be honest with himself he  
should be honest with others4 ,a man who
 conceals his doubts lives a dishonest  
life4 ,he defiles his own soul4  ,when a
 truth-loving man reads about the       
plagues of ,egypt1 should he reason as  
he reads8 ,should he take into          
consideration the fact that like stories
 have been told and believed by savages 
for thousands of years8 ,should he ask  
himself whether ,jehovah in his efforts 
to induce the ,egyptian ,king to free   
the ,hebrews acted like a sensible ,god8
 ,should he ask himself whether a good  
,god would kill the babes of the people 
on account of the sins of the king8     
,whether he would torture1 mangle and   
kill innocent cattle to get even with a 
monarch8  ,is it better to believe      
without thinking than to think without  
believing8 ,if there be a ,god can we   
please him by believing that he acted   
like a fiend8  ,probably ,professor     
,briggs has a higher conception of ,god 
than the author of ,exodus4 ,the writer 

of that book was a barbarian--an honest 
barbarian1 and he wrote what he supposed
 was the truth4 ,i do not blame him for 
having written falsehoods4 ,neither do  
,i blame ,professor ,briggs for having  
detected these falsehoods4 ,in our day  
no man capable of reasoning believes the
 miracles wrought for the ,hebrews in   
their flight through the wilderness4    
,the opening of the sea1 the cloud and  
pillar1 the quails1 the manna1 the      
serpents and hornets are no more        
believed than the miracles of the       
,mormons when they crossed the plains4  
,the probability is that the ,hebrews   
never were in ,egypt4 ,in the ,hebrew   
language there are no ,egyptian words1  
and in the ,egyptian no ,hebrew4 ,this  
proves that the ,hebrews could not have 
mingled with the ,egyptians for four    
hundred and thirty years4 ,as a matter  
of fact1 ,moses is a myth4 ,the         
enslavement of the ,hebrews1 the flight1
 the journey through the wilderness     
existed only in the imagination of      

ignorance4  ,so ,professor ,briggs has  
his doubts about the sun and moon having
 been stopped for a day in order that   
,gen4 ,joshua might kill more heathen4  
,theologians have gathered around this  
miracle like moths around a flame4 ,they
 have done their best to make it        
reasonable4 ,they have talked about     
refraction and reflection1 about the    
nature of the air having been changed so
 that the sun was visible all night4    
,they have even gone so far as to say   
that ,joshua and his soldiers killed so 
many that afterward1 when thinking about
 it1 they concluded that it must have   
taken them at least two days4  ,this    
miracle can be accounted for only in one
 way4 ,jehovah must have stopped the    
earth4 ,the earth1 turning over at about
 one thousand miles an hour--weighing   
trillions of tons--had to be stopped4   
,now we know that all arrested motion   
changes instantly to heat4 ,it has been 
calculated that to stop the earth would 
cause as much heat as could be produced 

by burning three lumps of coal1 each    
lump as large as this world4  ,now1 is  
it possible that a ,god in his right    
mind would waste all that force8 ,the   
,bible also tells us that at the same   
time ,god cast hailstones from heaven on
 the poor heathen4 ,if the writer had   
known something of astronomy he would   
have had more hailstones and said       
nothing about the sun and moon4  ,is it 
wise for ministers to ask their         
congregations to believe this story8 ,is
 it wise for congregations to ask their 
ministers to believe this story8 ,if    
,jehovah performed this miracle he must 
have been insane4 ,there should be some 
relation1 some proportion1 between means
 and ends4 ,no sane general would call  
into the field a million soldiers and a 
hundred batteries to kill one insect4   
,and yet the disproportion of means to  
the end sought would be reasonable when 
compared with what ,jehovah is claimed  
to have done4  ,if ,jehovah existed let 
us admit that he had some sense4  ,if it

 should be demonstrated that the book of
 ,joshua is all false1 what harm could  
follow8 ,there would remain the same    
reasons for living a useful and virtuous
 life2 the same reasons against theft   
and murder4 ,virtue would lose no prop  
and vice would gain no crutch4 ,take all
 the miracles from the ,old ,testament  
and the book would be improved4 ,throw  
away all its cruelties and absurdities  
and its influence would be far better4  
,professor ,briggs seems to have doubts 
about the inspiration of ,ruth4 ,is     
there any harm in that8 ,what difference
 does it make whether the story of ,ruth
 is fact or fiction2 history or poetry8 
,its value is just the same4 ,who cares 
whether ,hamlet or ,lear lived8 ,who    
cares whether ,imogen and ,perdita were 
real women or the creation of           
,shakespeare's imagination8  ,the book  
of ,esther is absurd and cruel4 ,it has 
no ethical value4 ,there is not a line1 
a word in it calculated to make a human 
being better4 ,the king issued a decree 

to kill the ,jews4 ,esther succeeded in 
getting this decree set aside1 and      
induced the king to issue another decree
 that the ,jews should kill the other   
folks1 and so the ,jews killed some     
seventy-five thousand of the king's     
subjects4 ,is it really important to    
believe that the book of ,esther is     
inspired8 ,is it possible that ,jehovah 
is proud of having written this book8   
,does he guard his copyright with the   
fires of hell8 ,why should the facts be 
kept from the people8 ,every intelligent
 minister knows that ,moses did not     
write the ,pentateuch2 that ,david did  
not write the ,psalms1 and that ,solomon
 was not the author of the song or the  
book of ,ecclesiastes4 ,why not say so8 
,no intelligent minister believes the   
story of ,daniel in the ,lion's den1 or 
of the three men who were cast into the 
furnace1 or the story of ,jonah4 ,these 
miracles seem to have done no good--seem
 to have convinced nobody and to have   
had no consequences4 ,daniel w'as       

miraculously saved from the lions1 and  
then the king sent for the men who had  
accused ,daniel1 for their wives and    
their children1 and threw them all into 
the den of lions and they were devoured 
by beasts almost as cruel as ,jehovah4  
,what a beautiful story6 ,how can any   
man be wicked enough to doubt its truth8
  ,god told ,jonah to go to ,nineveh4   
,jonah ran away1 took a boat for another
 place4 ,god raised a storm1 the sailors
 became frightened1 threw ,jonah        
overboard1 and the poor wretch was      
swallowed and carried ashore by a fish  
that ,god had prepared4 ,then he made   
his proclamation in ,nineveh4 ,then the 
people repented and ,jonah was          
disappointed4 ,then he became malicious 
and found fault with ,god4 ,then comes  
the story of the gourd1 the worm and the
 east wind1 and the effect of the sun on
 a bald-headed prophet4 ,would not this 
story be just as beautiful with the     
storm and fish left out8 ,could we not  
dispense with the gourd1 the worm and   

the east wind8  ,professor ,briggs does 
not believe this story4 ,he does not    
reject it because he is wicked or       
because he wishes to destroy religion1  
but because1 in his judgment1 it is not 
true4 ,this may not be religious1 but it
 is honest4 ,it may not become a        
minister1 but it certainly becomes a    
man4  ,professor ,briggs wishes to free 
the ,old ,testament from interpolations1
 from excrescences1 from fungus growths1
 from mistakes and falsehoods4  ,i am   
satisfied that he is sincere1 actuated  
by the noblest motives4  ,suppose that  
all the interpolations in the ,bible    
should be found and the original be     
perfectly restored1 what evidence would 
we have that it was written by inspired 
men8 ,how can the fact of inspiration be
 established8 ,when was it established8 
,did ,jehovah furnish anybody with a    
list of books he had inspired8 ,does    
anybody know that he ever said that he  
had inspired anybody8 ,did the writer of
 ,genesis claim that he was inspired8   

,did any writer of any part of the      
,pentateuch make the claim8 ,did the    
authors of ,joshua1 ,judges1 ,kings or  
,chronicles pretend that they had       
obtained their facts from ,jehovah8     
,does the author of ,job or of the      
,psalms pretend to have received        
assistance from ,god8  ,there is not the
 slightest reference to ,god in ,esther 
or in ,solomon's ,song4 ,why should     
theologians say that those books were   
inspired8 ,the dogma of inspiration     
rests on no established fact4 ,it rests 
only on assertion--the assertion of     
those who have no knowledge on the      
subject4 ,professor ,briggs calls the   
,bible a holy book4 ,he seems to think  
that much of it was inspired2 that it is
 in some sense a message from ,god4 ,the
 reasons he has for thinking so ,i      
cannot even guess4 ,he seems also to    
have his doubts about certain parts of  
the ,new ,testament4 ,he is not certain 
that the angel who appeared to ,joseph  
in a dream was entirely truthful1 or he 

is not certain that ,joseph had the     
dream4  ,it seems clear that when the   
gospel according to ,matthew was first  
written the writer believed that ,christ
 was a lineal descendant of ,david1     
through his father1 ,joseph4 ,the       
genealogy is given for the purpose of   
showing that the blood of ,david flowed 
in the veins of ,christ4 ,the man who   
wrote that genealogy had never heard    
that the ,holy ,ghost was the father of 
,christ4 ,that was an afterthought4     
,how is it possible to prove that the   
,holy ,ghost was the father of ,christ8 
,the ,holy ,ghost said nothing on the   
subject4 ,mary wrote nothing and we have
 no evidence that ,joseph had a dream4  
,the divinity of ,christ rests upon a   
dream that somebody said ,joseph had4   
,according to the ,new ,testament1 ,mary
 herself called ,joseph the father of   
,christ4 ,she told ,christ that ,joseph1
 his father1 had been looking for him4  
,her statement is better evidence than  
,joseph's dream--if he really had it4   

,if there are legends in ,holy          
,scripture1 as ,professor ,briggs       
declares1 certainly the divine parentage
 of ,christ is one of them4 ,the story  
lacks even originality4 ,among the      
,greeks many persons had gods for       
fathers4 ,among ,hindoos and ,egyptians 
these god-men were common4 ,so in many  
other countries the blood of gods was in
 the veins of men4 ,such wonders1 told  
in ,sanscrit1 are just as reasonable as 
when told in ,hebrew--just as reasonable
 in ,india as in ,palestine4 ,of course1
 there is no evidence that any human    
being had a god for a father1 or a      
goddess for a mother4 ,intelligent      
people have outgrown these myths4       
,centaurs1 satyrs1 nymphs and god-men   
have faded away4 ,science murdered them 
all4  ,there are many contradictions in 
the gospels4 ,they differ not only on   
questions of fact1 but as to            
,christianity itself4 ,according to     
,matthew1 ,mark and ,luke1 if you will  
forgive others ,god will forgive you4   

,this is the one condition of salvation4
 ,but in ,john we find an entirely      
different religion4 ,according to ,john 
you must be born again and believe in   
,jesus ,christ4 ,there you find for the 
first time about the atonement--that    
,christ died to save sinners4 ,the      
gospel of ,john discloses a regular     
theological system--a new one4 ,to      
forgive others is not enough4 ,you must 
have faith4 ,you must be born again4    
,the four gospels cannot be harmonized4 
,if ,john is true the others are false4 
,if the others are true ,john is false4 
,from this there is no escape4 ,i do not
 for a moment suppose that ,professor   
,briggs agrees with me on these         
questions4 ,he probably regards me as a 
very bad and wicked man1 and my opinions
 as blasphemies4 ,i find no fault with  
him for that4 ,i believe him to be an   
honest man2 right in some things and    
wrong in many4 ,he seems to be true to  
his thought and ,i honor him for that4  
,he would like to get all the           

stumbling-blocks out of the ,bible1 so  
that a really thoughtful man can        
believe4 ,if theologians cling to the   
miracles recorded in the ,new ,testament
 the entire book will be disparaged and 
denied4 ,the ,gospel ship is overloaded4
 ,somethings must be thrown overboard or
 the boat will go down4 ,if the churches
 try to save all they will lose all4    
,they must throw the miracles away4     
,they must admit that ,christ did not   
cast devils out of the bodies of men and
 women--that he did not cure diseases   
with a word1 or blindness with spittle  
and clay2 that he had no power over     
winds and waves2 that he did not raise  
the dead2 that he was not raised from   
the dead himself1 and that he did not   
ascend bodily to heaven4 ,these         
absurdities must be given up1 or in a   
little while the orthodox ministers will
 be preaching the tidings of great joy  
to benches1 bonnets and bibs4           
,professor ,briggs1 as ,i understand    
him1 is willing to give up the absurdest

 absurdities1 but wishes to keep all the
 miracles that can possibly be believed4
 ,he is anxious to preserve the         
important miracles--the great central   
falsehoods--but the little lies that    
were told just to embellish the         
story--to furnish vines for the         
columns--he is willing to cast aside4   
,but ,professor ,briggs was honest      
enough to say that we do not know the   
authors of most of the books in the     
,bible2 that we do not know who wrote   
the ,psalms or ,job or ,proverbs or the 
,song of ,songs or ,ecclesiastes or the 
,epistle to the ,hebrews4 ,he also said 
that no translation can ever take the   
place of the original ,scriptures1      
because a translation is at best the    
work of men4 ,in other words1 that ,god 
has not revealed to us the names of the 
inspired books4 ,that this must be      
determined by us4 ,professor ,briggs    
puts reason above revelation4 ,by reason
 we are to decide what books are        
inspired4 ,by reason we are to decide   

whether anything has been improperly    
added to those books4 ,by reason we are 
to decide the real meaning of those     
books4  ,it therefore follows that if   
the books are unreasonable they are     
uninspired4 ,it seems to me that this   
position is absolutely correct4 ,there  
is no other that can be defended4 ,the  
,presbyterians who pretend to answer    
,professor ,briggs seem to be actuated  
by hatred4  ,dr4 ,da ,costa answers with
 vituperation and epithet4 ,he answers  
no argument2 brings forward no fact2    
points out no mistake4 ,he simply       
attacks the man4 ,he exhibits the       
ordinary malice of those who love their 
enemies4  ,president ,patton1 of        
,princeton1 is a despiser of reason2 a  
hater of thought4 ,progress is the only 
thing that he fears4 ,he knows that the 
,bible is absolutely true4 ,he knows    
that every word is inspired4 ,according 
to him1 all questions have been settled1
 and criticism said its last word when  
the ,king ,james ,bible was printed4    

,the ,presbyterian ,church is           
infallible1 and whoever doubts or denies
 will be damned4 ,morality is worthless 
without the creed4 ,this1 is the        
religion1 the philosophy1 of ,dr4       
,patton4 ,he fights with the ancient    
weapons1 with stone and club4 ,he is a  
private in ,captain ,calvin's company1  
and he marches to defeat with the       
courage of invincible ignorance4  ,i do 
not blame the ,presbyterian ,church for 
closing the mouth of ,professor ,briggs4
 ,that church believes the ,bible--all  
of it--and the members did not feel like
 paying a man for showing that it was   
not all inspired4 ,long ago the         
,presbyterians stopped growing4 ,they   
have been petrified for many years4     
,professor ,briggs had been growing4 ,he
 had to leave the church or shrink4 ,he 
left4 ,then he joined the ,episcopal    
,church4 ,he probably supposed that that
 church preferred the living to the     
dead4 ,he knew about ,colenso1 ,stanley1
 ,temple1 ,heber ,newton1 ,dr4          

,rainsford and ,farrar1 and thought that
 the finger and thumb of authority would
 not insist on plucking from the mind   
the buds of thought4  ,whether he was   
mistaken or not remains to be seen4     
,the ,episcopal ,church may refuse to   
ordain him1 and by such refusal put the 
bigot brand upon its brow4  ,the refusal
 cannot injure ,professor ,briggs4 ,it  
will leave him where it found him--with 
too much science for a churchman and too
 much superstition for a scientist2 with
 his feet in the gutter and his head in 
the clouds4  ,i admire every man who is 
true to himself1 to his highest ideal1  
and who preserves unstained the veracity
 of his soul4  ,i believe in growth4 ,i 
prefer the living to the dead4 ,men are 
superior to mummies4 ,cradles are more  
beautiful than coffins4 ,development is 
grander than decay4 ,i do not agree with
 ,professor ,briggs4 ,i do not believe  
in inspired books1 or in the ,holy      
,ghost1 or that any ,god has ever       
appeared to man4 ,i deny the existence  

of the supernatural4 ,i know of no      
religion that is founded on facts4  ,but
 ,i cheerfully admit that ,professor    
,briggs appears to be candid1 good      
tempered and conscientious--the opposite
 of those who attack him4 ,he is not a  
,freethinker1 but he honestly thinks    
that he is free4     ,,fragments4       
,,clover4       99 ,a letter written to 
,col4 ,thomas ,donaldson1 of            
,philadelphia1      declining an        
invitation to be a guest of the ,clover 
,club of      that city4  ,i regret that
 ,i cannot be in clover with you on the 
#bhth instant4  ,a wonderful thing is   
clover6 ,it means honey and cream1--that
 is to say1 industry and                
contentment1--that is to say1 the happy 
bees in perfumed fields1 and at the     
cottage gate bos the bountiful serenely 
chewing satisfaction's cud1 in that     
blessed twilight pause that like a      
benediction falls between all toil and  
sleep4  ,this clover makes me dream of  
happy hours2 of childhood's rosy cheeks2

 of dimpled babes2 of wholesome1 loving 
wives2 of honest men2 of springs and    
brooks and violets and all there is of  
stainless joy in peaceful human life4   
,a wonderful word is clover6 ,drop the  
c1 and you have the happiest of mankind4
 ,drop the r1 and c1 and you have left  
the only thing that makes a heaven of   
this dull and barren earth4 ,drop the r1
 and there remains a warm1 deceitful bud
 that sweetens breath and keeps the     
peace in countless homes whose masters  
frequent clubs4 ,after all1 ,bottom was 
right3  ,good hay1 sweet hay1 hath no   
fellow4  ,yours sincerely and           
regretfully1  ,r4 ,g4 ,,ingersoll4      
,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,january #af1     
#ahhc4  9999999999  ,,superstition puts 
belief above goodness--credulity above  
virtue4  ,here are two men4 ,one is     
industrious1 frugal1 honest1 generous4  
,he has a happy home--loves his wife and
 children--fills their lives with       
sunshine4 ,he enjoys study1 thoughts1   
music1 and all the subtleties of        

,art--but he does not believe the       
creed--cares nothing for sacred books1  
worships no god and fears no devil4     
,the other is ignorant1 coarse1 brutal1 
beats his wife and children--but he     
believes--regards the ,bible as         
inspired--bows to the priests1 counts   
his beads1 says his prayers1 confesses  
and contributes1 and the ,catholic      
,church declares and the ,protestant    
,churches declare that he is the better 
man4  ,the ignorant believer1 coarse and
 brutal as he is1 is going to heaven4   
,he will be washed in the blood of the  
,lamb4 ,he will have wings--a harp and a
 halo4  ,the intelligent and generous   
man who loves his fellow-men--who       
develops his brain1 who enjoys the      
beautiful1 is going to hell--to the     
eternal prison4  ,such is the justice of
 ,god--the mercy of ,christ4  9999999999
  ,,while reading the accounts of the   
coronation of the ,czar1 of the         
pageants1 processions and feasts1 of the
 pomp and parade1 of the barbaric       

splendor1 of cloth of gold and          
glittering gems1 ,i could not help      
thinking of the poor and melancholy     
peasants1 of the toiling1 half-fed      
millions1 of the sad and ignorant       
multitudes who belong body and soul to  
this ,czar4  ,i thought of the backs    
that have been scarred by the knout1 of 
the thousands in prisons for having     
dared to say a whispered word for       
freedom1 of the great multitude who had 
been driven like cattle along the weary 
roads that lead to the hell of ,siberia4
  ,the cannon at ,moscow were not loud  
enough1 nor the clang of the bells1 nor 
the blare of the trumpets1 to drown the 
groans of the captives4  ,i thought of  
the fathers that had been torn from     
wives and children for the crime of     
speaking like men4  ,and when the       
priests spoke of the ,czar as the       
,god-selected man1 the ,god-adorned man1
 my blood grew warm4  ,when ,i read of  
the coronation of the ,czarina ,i       
thought of ,siberia4 ,i thought of girls

 working in the mines1 hauling ore from 
the pits with chains about their waists2
 young girls1 almost naked1 at the mercy
 of brutal officials2 young girls       
weeping and moaning their lives away    
because between their pure lips the word
 ,liberty had burst into blossom4  ,yet 
law neglects1 forgets them1 and crowns  
the ,czarina4 ,the injustice1 the agony 
and horror in this poor world are enough
 to make mankind insane4  ,ignorance and
 superstition crown impudence and       
tyranny4 ,millions of money squandered  
for the humiliation of man1 to dishonor 
the people4  ,back of the coronation1   
back of all the ceremonies1 back of all 
the hypocrisy there is nothing but a    
lie4  ,it is not true that ,god selected
 this ,czar to rule and rob a hundred   
millions of human beings4  ,it is all an
 ignorant1 barbaric1 superstitious      
lie--a lie that pomp and pageant1 and   
flaunting flags1 and robed priests1 and 
swinging censers1 cannot change to      
truth4  ,those who are not blinded by   

the glare and glitter at ,moscow see    
millions of homes on which the shadows  
fall2 see millions of weeping mothers1  
whose children have been stolen by the  
,czar2 see thousands of villages without
 schools1 millions of houses without    
books1 millions and millions of men1    
women and children in whose future there
 is no star and whose only friend is    
death4  ,the coronation is an insult to 
the nineteenth century4  ,long live the 
people of ,russia6  9999999999          
,,music4--,the savage enjoys            
noises--explosion--the imitation of     
thunder4 ,this noise expresses his      
feeling4 ,he enjoys concussion4 ,his ear
 and brain are in harmony4 ,so1 he takes
 cognizance of but few colors4 ,the     
neutral tints make no impression on his 
eyes4 ,he appreciates the flames of red 
and yellow4 ,that is to say1 there is a 
harmony between his brain and eye4 ,as  
he advances1 develops1 progresses1 his  
ear catches other sounds1 his eye other 
colors4 ,he becomes a complex being1 and

 there has entered into his mind the    
idea of proportion4 ,the music of the   
drum no longer satisfies him4 ,he sees  
that there is as much difference between
 noises and melodies as between stones  
and statues4 ,the strings in ,corti's   
,harp become sensitive and possibly new 
ones are developed4  ,the eye keeps pace
 with the ear1 and the worlds of sound  
and sight increase from age to age4     
,the first idea of music is the keeping 
of time--a recurring emphasis at        
intervals of equal length or duration4  
,this is afterward modified--the music  
of joy being fast1 the emphasis at short
 intervals1 and that of sorrow slow4    
,after all1 this music of time          
corresponds to the action of the blood  
and muscles4 ,there is a rise and fall  
under excitement of both4 ,in joy the   
heart beats fast1 and the music         
corresponding to such emotion is quick4 
,in grief--in sadness1 the blood is     
delayed4 ,in music the broad division is
 one of time4 ,in language1 words of joy

 are born of light--that which          
shines--words of grief of darkness and  
gloom4 ,there is still another division3
 ,the language of happiness comes also  
from heat1 and that of sadness from     
cold4  ,these ideas or divisions are    
universal4 ,in all art are the light and
 shadow--the heat and cold4  9999999999 
,,of ,,course ,,england has no love for 
,america4 ,by ,england ,i mean the      
governing class4 ,why should monarchy be
 in love with republicanism1 with       
democracy8 ,the monarch insists that he 
gets his right to rule from what he is  
pleased to call the will of ,god1       
whereas in a republic the sovereign     
authority is the will of the people4 ,it
 is impossible that there should be any 
real friendship between the two forms of
 government4  ,we must1 however1        
remember one thing1 and that is1 that   
there is an ,england within ,england--an
 ,england that does not belong to the   
titled classes--an ,england that has not
 been bribed or demoralized by those in 

authority2 and that ,england has always 
been our friend1 because that ,england  
is the friend of liberty and of progress
 everywhere4 ,but the lackeys1 the      
snobs1 the flatterers of the titled1    
those who are willing to crawl that they
 may rise1 are now and always have been 
the enemies of the great ,republic4  ,it
 is a curious fact that in monarchical  
governments the highest and lowest are  
generally friends4 ,there may be a      
foundation for this friendship in the   
fact that both are parasites--both live 
on the labor of honest men4 ,after all1 
there is a kinship between the prince   
and the pauper4 ,both extend the hand   
for alms1 and the fact that one is      
jeweled and the other extremely dirty   
makes no difference in principle--and   
the owners of these hands have always   
been fast friends1 and1 in accordance   
with the great law of ingratitude1 both 
have held in contempt the people who    
supported them4  ,one thing we must not 
forget1 and that is that the best people

 of ,england are our friends4 ,the best 
writers1 the best thinkers are on our   
side4 ,it is only natural that all who  
visit ,america should find some fault4  
,we find fault ourselves1 and to be     
thin-skinned is almost a plea of guilty4
 ,for my part1 ,i have no doubt about   
the future of ,america4 ,it not only is1
 but is to be for many1 many            
generations1 the greatest nation of the 
world4  ,i ,,do not care so much where1 
as with whom1 ,i live4 ,if the right    
folks are with me ,i can manage to get a
 good deal of happiness in the city or  
in the country4 ,cats love places and   
become attached to chimney-corners and  
all sorts of nooks--but ,i have but     
little of the cat in me1 and am not     
particularly in love with places4 ,after
 all1 a palace without affection is a   
poor hovel1 and the meanest hut with    
love in it is a palace for the soul4    
,if the time comes when poverty and want
 cease for the most part to exist1 then 
the city will be far better than the    

country4 ,people are always talking     
about the beauties of nature and the    
delights of solitude1 but to me some    
people are more interesting than rocks  
and trees4 ,as to city and country life 
,i think that ,i substantially agree    
with ,touchstone3  ,in respect that it  
is solitary ,i like it very well2 but in
 respect that it is private it is a very
 vile life4 ,now1 in respect it is in   
the fields it pleaseth me well2 but in  
respect it is not in the court it is    
tedious4  9999999999  ,,what do ,i think
 of the lynchings in ,georgia8  ,i      
suppose these outrages--these frightful 
crimes--make the same impression on my  
mind that they do on the minds of all   
civilized people4 ,i know of no words   
strong enough1 bitter enough1 to express
 my indignation and horror4 ,men who    
belong to the superior race take a      
negro--a criminal1 a supposed murderer1 
one alleged to have assaulted a white   
woman--chain him to a tree1 saturate his
 clothing with kerosene1 pile fagots    

about his feet4 ,this is the preparation
 for the festival4 ,the people flock in 
from the neighborhood--come in special  
trains from the towns4 ,they are going  
to enjoy themselves4  ,laughing and     
cursing they gather about the victim4 ,a
 man steps from the crowd--a man who    
hates crime and loves virtue4 ,he draws 
his knife1 and in a spirit of merry     
sport cuts off one of the victim's ears4
 ,this he keeps for a trophy--a         
souvenir4 ,another gentlemen fond of a  
jest cuts off the other ear4 ,another   
cuts off the nose of the chained and    
helpless wretch4 ,the victim suffered in
 silence4 ,he uttered no groan1 no      
word--the one man of the two thousand   
who had courage4  ,other white heroes   
cut and slashed his flesh4 ,the crowd   
cheered4 ,the people were intoxicated   
with joy4 ,then the fagots were lighted 
and the bleeding and mutilated man was  
clothed in flame4  ,the people were wild
 with hideous delight4 ,with greedy eyes
 they watched him burn2 with hungry ears

 they listened for his shrieks--for the 
music of his moans and cries4 ,he did   
not shriek4 ,the festival was not quite 
perfect4  ,but they had their revenge4  
,they trampled on the charred and       
burning corpse4 ,they divided among     
themselves the broken bones4 ,they      
wanted mementos--keepsakes that they    
could give to their loving wives and    
gentle babes4  ,these horrors were      
perpetrated in the name of justice4 ,the
 savages who did these things belong to 
the superior race4 ,they are citizens of
 the great ,republic4 ,and yet1 it does 
not seem possible that such fiends are  
human beings4 ,they are a disgrace to   
our country1 our century and the human  
race4  ,ex-,governor ,atkinson protested
 against this savagery4 ,he was         
threatened with death4 ,the good people 
were helpless4 ,while these lynchers    
murder the blacks they will destroy     
their own country4 ,no civilized man    
wishes to live where the mob is supreme4
 ,he does not wish to be governed by    

murderers4  ,let me say that what ,i    
have said is flattery compared with what
 ,i feel4 ,when ,i think of the other   
lynching--of the poor man mutilated and 
hanged without the slightest evidence1  
of the negro who said that these murders
 would be avenged1 and who was brutally 
murdered for the utterance of a natural 
feeling--,i am utterly at a loss for    
words4  ,are the white people insane8   
,has mercy fled to beasts8 ,has the     
,united ,states no power to protect a   
citizen8 ,a nation that cannot or will  
not protect its citizens in time of     
peace has no right to ask its citizens  
to protect it in time of ,war4          
9999999999  ,,our ,,country4--,our      
country is all we hope for--all we are4 
,it is the grave of our father1 of our  
mother1 of each and every one of the    
sacred dead4  ,it is every glorious     
memory of our race4 ,every heroic deed4 
,every act of self-sacrifice done by our
 blood4 ,it is all the accomplishments  
of the past--all the wise things        

said--all the kind things done--all the 
poems written and all the poems         
lived--all the defeats sustained--all   
the victories won--the girls we         
love--the wives we adore--the children  
we carry in our hearts--all the         
firesides of home--all the quiet        
springs1 the babbling brooks1 the       
rushing rivers1 the mountains1 plains   
and woods--the dells and dales and vines
 and vales4  9999999999  ,,gift         
,,giving4--,i believe in the festival   
called ,christmas--not in the           
celebration of the birth of any man1 but
 to celebrate the triumph of light over 
darkness--the victory of the sun4  ,i   
believe in giving gifts on that day1 and
 a real gift should be given to those   
who cannot return it2 gifts from the    
rich to the poor1 from the prosperous to
 the unfortunate1 from parents to       
children4  ,there is no need of giving  
water to the sea or light to the sun4   
,let us give to those who need1 neither 
asking nor expecting return1 not even   

asking gratitude1 only asking that the  
gift shall make the receiver happy--and 
he who gives in that way increases his  
own joy4  9999999999  ,we have no right 
to enslave our children4 ,we have no    
right to bequeath chains and manacles to
 our heirs4 ,we have no right to leave a
 legacy of mental degradation4  ,liberty
 is the birthright of all4 ,parents     
should not deprive their children of the
 great gifts of nature4 ,we cannot all  
leave lands and gold to those we love2  
but we can leave ,liberty1 and that is  
of more value than all the wealth of    
,india4  ,the dead have no right to     
enslave the living4 ,to worship         
ancestors is to curse posterity4 ,he who
 bows to the ,past insults the ,future2 
and allows1 so to speak1 the dead to rob
 the unborn4 ,the coffin is good enough 
in its way1 but the cradle is far       
better4 ,with the bones of the fathers  
they beat out the brains of the         
children4  9999999999  ,,random         
,,thoughts4--,the road is short to      

anything we fear4       ,joy lives in   
the house beyond the one we reach4      
,in youth the time is halting1 slow and 
lame4      ,in age the time is winged   
and eager as a flame4      ,the sea     
seems narrow as we near the farther     
shore4  ,youth goes hand in hand with   
hope--old age with fear4 4  ,youth has a
 wish--old age a dread4  ,in youth the  
leaves and buds seem loath to grow4     
,youth shakes the glass to speed the    
lingering sands4  ,youth says to ,time3 
,o crutched and limping laggard1 get    
thee wings4  ,the dawn comes slowly1 but
 the ,westering day leaps like a lover  
to the dusky bosom of the ,ethiop night4
  9999999999  ,i ,,think that all days  
are substantially alike in the long run4
 ,it is no worse to drink on ,sunday    
than on ,monday4 ,the idea that one day 
in the week is holy is wholly idiotic4  
,besides1 these closing laws do no good4
  ,laws are not locks and keys4 ,saloon 
doors care nothing about laws4 ,law or  
no law1 people will slip in1 and then1  

having had so much trouble getting      
there1 they will stay until they stagger
 out4 ,these nasty1 meddlesome1         
,pharisaic1 hypocritical laws make      
sneaks and hypocrites4 ,the children of 
these laws are like the fathers of the  
laws4 ,ever since ,i can remember1      
people have been trying to make other   
people temperate by intemperate laws4 ,i
 have never known of the slightest      
success4 ,it is a pity that ,christ     
manufactured wine1 a pity that ,paul    
took heart and thanked ,god when he saw 
the sign of the ,three ,taverns2 a pity 
that ,jehovah put alcohol in almost     
everything that grows2 a great pity that
 prayer-meetings are not more popular   
than saloons2 a pity that our workingmen
 do not amuse themselves reading        
religious papers and the genealogies in 
the ,old ,testament4  ,rum has caused   
many quarrels and many murders4         
,religion has caused many wars and      
covered countless fields with dead4  ,of
 course1 all men should be              

temperate1--should avoid excess--should 
keep the golden path between            
extremes--should gather roses1 not      
thorns4 ,the only way to make men       
temperate is to develop the brain4      
,when passions and appetites are        
stronger than the intellect1 men are    
savages2 when the intellect governs the 
passions1 when the passions are         
servants1 men are civilized4 ,the people
 need education--facts--philosophy4     
,drunkenness is one form of             
intemperance1 prohibition is another    
form4 ,another trouble is that these    
little laws and ordinances can not be   
enforced4  ,both parties want votes1 and
 to get votes they will allow unpopular 
laws to sleep1 neglected1 and finally   
refuse to enforce them4 ,these spasms of
 virtue1 these convulsions of conscience
 are soon over1 and then comes a long   
period of neglectful rest4  9999999999  
,,the ,,old ,,and ,,new ,,year4--,for   
countless ages the old earth has been   
making1 in alternating light and shade1 

in gleam and gloom1 the whirling circuit
 of the sun1 leaving the record of its  
flight in many forms--in leaves of      
stone1 in growth of tree and vine and   
flower1 in glittering gems of many hues1
 in curious forms of monstrous life1 in 
ravages of flood and flame1 in fossil   
fragments stolen from decay by chance1  
in molten masses hurled from lips of    
fire1 in gorges worn by waveless1       
foamless cataracts of ice1 in coast     
lines beaten back by the imprisoned sea1
 in mountain ranges and in ocean reefs1 
in islands lifted from the              
underworld--in continents submerged and 
given back to light and life4  ,another 
year has joined his shadowy fellows in  
the wide and voiceless desert of the    
past1 where1 from the eternal hour-glass
 forever fall the sands of time4        
,another year1 with all its joy and     
grief1 of birth and death1 of failure   
and success--of love and hate4 ,and now1
 the first day of the new o'er arches   
all4 ,standing between the buried and   

the babe1 we cry1 ,farewell and         
,hail6--,january #a1ahic4  9999999999   
,,knowledge consists in the perception  
of facts1 their relations--conditions1  
modes and results of action4 ,experience
 is the foundation of knowledge--without
 experience it is impossible to know4   
,it may be that experience can be       
transmitted--inherited4 ,suppose that an
 infinite being existed in infinite     
space4 ,he being the only existence1    
what knowledge could he gain by         
experience8 ,he could see nothing1 hear 
nothing1 feel nothing4 ,he would have no
 use for what we call the senses4 ,could
 he use what we call the faculties of   
the mind8 ,he could not compare1        
remember1 hope or fear4 ,he could not   
reason4 ,how could he know that he      
existed8 ,how could he use force8 ,there
 was in the universe nothing that would 
resist--nothing4  9999999999  ,most men 
are economical when dealing with        
abundance1 hoarding gold and wasting    
time--throwing away the sunshine of     

life--the few remaining hours1 and      
hugging to their shriveled hearts that  
which they do not and cannot even expect
 to use4 ,old age should enjoy the      
luxury of giving4 ,how divine to live in
 the atmosphere1 the climate of         
gratitude6 ,the men who clutch and      
fiercely hold and look at wife and      
children with eyes dimmed by age and    
darkened by suspicion1 giving naught    
until the end1 then give to death the   
gratitude that should have been their   
own4  9999999999  ,,death ,,of ,,the    
,,aged4       99 ,from a letter of      
condolence written to a friend on the   
death of his mother4  ,after all1 there 
is something tenderly appropriate in the
 serene death of the old4 ,nothing is   
more touching than the death of the     
young1 the strong4 ,but when the duties 
of life have all been nobly done2 when  
the sun touches the horizon2 when the   
purple twilight falls upon the past1 the
 present1 and the future2 when memory1  
with dim eyes1 can scarcely spell the   

blurred and faded records of the        
vanished days--then1 surrounded by      
kindred and by friends1 death comes like
 a strain of music4 ,the day has been   
long1 the road weary1 and the traveler  
gladly stops at the welcome inn4        
,nearly forty-eight years ago1 under the
 snow1 in the little town of ,cazenovia1
 my poor mother was buried4 ,i was but  
two years old4 ,i remember her as she   
looked in death4 ,that sweet1 cold face 
has kept my heart warm through all the  
changing years4  9999999999       ,there
 is no cunning art to trace      ,in any
 feature1 form or face1       ,or       
wrinkled palm1 with criss-cross lines   
,the good or bad in peoples' minds4     
,nor can we guess men's thoughts or aims
      ,by seeing how they write their   
names4       ,we could as well foretell 
their acts      ,by getting outlines of 
their tracks4       ,ourselves we do not
 know--how then      ,can we find out   
our fellow-men8       ,and yet--although
 the reason laughs--       ,we like to  

look at autographs--       ,and almost  
think that we can guess      ,what lines
 and dots of ink express4        99     
,from the autograph collection of ,miss 
,eva ,ingersoll      ,farrell4          
,august #aa1 #ahib4 ,r4 ,g4 ,ingersoll4 
9999999999  ,the ,world is ,growing     
,poor4--,darwin the naturalist1 the     
observer1 the philosopher1 is dead4     
,wagner the greatest composer the world 
has produced1 is silent4 ,hugo the poet1
 patriot and philanthropist1 is at rest4
 ,three mighty rivers have ceased to    
flow4 ,the smallest insect was made     
interesting by ,darwin's glance2 the    
poor blind worm became the farmer's     
friend--the maker of the farm1--and even
 weeds began to dream and hope4         
9999999999  ,but if we live beyond      
life's day and reach the dusk1 and      
slowly travel in the shadows of the     
night1 the way seems long1 and being    
weary we ask for rest1 and then1 as in  
our youth1 we chide the loitering hours4
 ,when eyes are dim and memory fails to 

keep a record of events2 when ears are  
dull and muscles fail to obey the will2 
when the pulse is low and the tired     
heart is weak1 and the poor brain has   
hardly power to think1 then comes the   
dream1 the hope of rest1 the longing for
 the peace of dreamless sleep4          
9999999999  ,,saints4--,the saints have 
poisoned life with piety4 ,they have    
soured the mother's milk4 ,they have    
insisted that joy is crime--that beauty 
is a bait with which the ,devil captures
 the souls of men--that laughter leads  
to sin--that pleasure1 in its every     
form1 degrades1 and that love itself is 
but the loathsome serpent of unclean    
desire4 ,they have tried to compel men  
to love shadows rather than             
women--phantoms rather than people4     
,the saints have been the assassins of  
sunshine1--the skeletons at feasts4     
,they have been the enemies of          
happiness4 ,they have hated the singing 
birds1 the blossoming plants4 ,they have
 loved the barren and the desolate--the 

croaking raven and the hooting          
owl--tombstones1 rather than statues4   
,and yet1 with a strange inconsistency1 
happiness was to be enjoyed forever1 in 
another world4 ,there1 pleasure1 with   
all its corrupting influences1 was to be
 eternal4 ,no one pretended that heaven 
was to be filled with self-denial1 with 
fastings and scourgings1 with weepings  
and regrets1 with solemn and emaciated  
angels1 with sad-eyed seraphim1 with    
lonely parsons1 with mumbling monks1    
with shriveled nuns1 with days of       
penance and with nights of prayer4  ,yet
 all this self-denial on the part of the
 saints was founded in the purest       
selfishness4 ,they were to be paid for  
all their sufferings in another world4  
,they were laying up treasures in       
heaven4 ,they had made a bargain with   
,god4 ,he had offered eternal joy to    
those who would make themselves         
miserable here4 ,the saints gladly and  
cheerfully accepted the terms4 ,they    
expected pay for every pang of hunger1  

for every groan1 for every tear1 for    
every temptation resisted2 and this pay 
was to bean eternity of joy4 ,the       
selfishness of the saints was equaled   
only by the stupidity of the saints4    
,it is not true that character is the   
aim of life4 ,happiness should be the   
aim--and as a matter of fact is and     
always has been the aim1 not only of    
sinners1 but of saints4 ,the saints     
seemed to think that happiness was      
better in another world than here1 and  
they expected this happiness beyond the 
clouds4 ,they looked upon the sinner as 
foolish to enjoy himself for the moment 
here1 and in consequence thereof to     
suffer forever4 ,character is not an    
end1 it is a means to an end4 ,the      
object of the saint is happiness        
hereafter--the means1 to make himself   
miserable here4 ,the object of the      
philosopher is happiness here and now1  
and hereafter1--if there be another     
world4  ,if struggle and temptation1    
misery and misfortune1 are essential to 

the formation of what you call          
character1 how do you account for the   
perfection of your angels1 or for the   
goodness of your ,god8 ,were the angels 
perfected through misfortune8 ,if       
happiness is the only good in heaven1   
why should it not be considered the only
 good here8  ,in order to be happy1 we  
must be in harmony with the conditions  
of happiness4 ,it cannot be obtained by 
prayer1--it does not come from          
heaven--it must be found here1 and      
nothing should be done1 or left undone1 
for the sake of any supernatural being1 
but for the sake of ourselves and other 
natural beings4  ,the early ,christians 
were preparing for the end of the world4
 ,in their view1 life was of no         
importance except as it gave them time  
to prepare for ,the ,second ,coming4    
,they were crazed by fear4 ,since that  
time1 the world not coming to the       
expected end1 they have been preparing  
for ,the ,day of ,judgment1 and have1 to
 the extent of their ability1 filled the

 world with horror4 ,for centuries1 it  
was1 and still is1 their business to    
destroy the pleasures of this life4 ,in 
the midst of prosperity they have       
prophesied disaster4 ,at every feast    
they have spoken of famine1 and over the
 cradle they have talked of death4 ,they
 have held skulls before the faces of   
terrified babes4 ,on the cheeks of      
health they see the worms of the grave1 
and in their eyes the white breasts of  
love are naught but corruption and      
decay4  9999999999  ,,the ,,waste       
,,forces ,,of ,,nature4--,for countless 
years the great cataracts1 as for       
instance1 ,niagara1 have been singing   
their solemn songs1 filling the savage  
with terror1 the civilized with awe2    
recording its achievements in books of  
stone--useless and sublime2 inspiring   
beholders with the majesty of           
purposeless force and the wastefulness  
of nature4  ,force great enough to turn 
the wheels of the world1 lost1 useless4 
,so with the great tides that rise and  

fall on all the shores of the           
world--lost forces4 ,and yet man is     
compelled to use to exhaustion's point  
the little strength he has4  ,this will 
be changed4  ,the great cataracts and   
the great tides will submit to the      
genius of man4 ,they are to be for use4 
,niagara will not be allowed to remain a
 barren roar4 ,it must become the       
servant of man4 ,it will weave robes for
 men and women4 ,it will fashion        
implements for the farmer and the       
mechanic4 ,it will propel coaches for   
rich and poor4 ,it will fill streets and
 homes with light1 and the old barren   
roar will be changed to songs of        
success1 to the voices of love and      
content and joy4  ,science at last has  
found that all forces are convertible   
into each other1 and that all are only  
different aspects of one fact4  ,so the 
flood is still a terror1 but1 in my     
judgment1 the time will come when the   
floods will be controlled by the genius 
of man1 when the tributaries of the     

great rivers and their tributaries will 
be dammed in such a way as to collect   
the waters of every flood and give them 
out gradually through all the year1     
maintaining an equal current at all     
times in the great rivers4  ,we have at 
last found that force occupies a circle1
 that ,niagara is a child of the        
,sun--that the sun shines1 the mist     
rises1 clouds form1 the rain falls1 the 
rivers flow to the lakes1 and ,niagara  
fills the heavens with its song4 ,man   
will arrest the falling flood2 he will  
change its force to electricity2 that is
 to say1 to light1 and then force will  
have made the circuit from light to     
light4  9999999999  ,,are ,men's        
characters fully determined at the age  
of thirty8  ,it depends1 first1 on what 
their opportunities have been--that is  
to say1 on their surroundings1 their    
education1 their advantages2 second1 on 
the shape1 quality and quantity of brain
 they happen to possess2 third1 on their
 mental and moral courage2 and1 fourth1 

on the character of the people among    
whom they live4  ,the natural man       
continues to grow4 ,the longer he lives1
 the more he ought to know1 and the more
 he knows1 the more he changes the views
 and opinions held by him in his youth4 
,every new fact results in a change of  
views more or less radical4 ,this growth
 of the mind may be hindered by the     
tyrannous north wind of public opinion2 
by the bigotry of his associates2 by the
 fear that he cannot make a living if he
 becomes unpopular2 and it is to some   
extent affected by the ambition of the  
person2 that is to say1 if he wishes to 
hold office the tendency is to agree    
with his neighbor1 or at least to round 
off and smooth the corners and angles of
 difference4 ,if a man wishes to        
ascertain the truth1 regardless of the  
opinions of his fellow-citizens1 the    
probability is that he will change from 
day to day and from year to year--that  
is1 his intellectual horizon will       
widen--and that what he once deemed of  

great importance will be regarded as an 
exceedingly small segment of a greater  
circle4  ,growth means change4 ,if a man
 grows after thirty years he must       
necessarily change4 ,many men probably  
reach their intellectual height long    
before they have lived thirty years1 and
 spend the balance of their lives in    
defending the mistakes of their youth4  
,a great man continues to grow until his
 death1 and growth--as ,i said          
before--means change4 ,darwin was       
continually finding new facts1 and kept 
his mind as open to a new truth as the  
,east is to the rising of another sun4  
,humboldt at the age of ninety          
maintained the attitude of a pupil1 and 
was1 until the moment of his death1     
willing to learn4  ,the more a man      
knows1 the more willing he is to learn4 
,the less a man knows1 the more         
positive1 a8 is that he knows           
everything4  ,the smallest minds mature 
the earliest4 ,the less there is to a   
man the quicker he attains his growth4  

,i have known many people who reached   
their intellectual height while in their
 mother's arms4 ,i have known people who
 were exceedingly smart babies to become
 excessively stupid people4 ,it is with 
men as with other things4 ,the mullein  
needs only a year1 but the oak a        
century1 and the greatest men are those 
who have continued to grow as long as   
they have lived4 ,small people delight  
in what they call consistency--that is1 
it gives them immense pleasure to say   
that they believe now exactly as they   
did ten years ago4 ,this simply amounts 
to a certificate that they have not     
grown--that they have not developed--and
 that they know just as little now as   
they ever did4 ,the highest possible    
conception of consistency is to be true 
to the knowledge of to-day1 without the 
slightest reference to what your opinion
 was years ago4  ,there is another view 
of this subject4 ,few men have settled  
opinions before or at thirty4 ,of       
course1 ,i do not include persons of    

genius4 ,at thirty the passions have1 as
 a rule1 too much influence2 the        
intellect is not the pilot4 ,at thirty  
most men have prejudices rather than    
opinions--that is to say1 rather than   
judgments--and few men have lived to be 
sixty without materially modifying the  
opinions they held at thirty4  ,as ,i   
said in the first place1 much depends on
 the shape1 quality and quantity of     
brain2 much depends on mental and moral 
courage4 ,there are many people with    
great physical courage who are afraid to
 express their opinions2 men who will   
meet death without a tremor and will yet
 hesitate to express their views4  ,so1 
much depends on the character of the    
people among whom we live4 ,a man in the
 old times living in ,new ,england      
thought several times before he         
expressed any opinion contrary to the   
views of the majority4 ,but if the      
people have intellectual hospitality1   
then men express their views--and it may
 be that we change somewhat in          

proportion to the decency of our        
neighbors4 ,in the old times it was     
thought that ,god was opposed to any    
change of opinion1 and that nothing so  
excited the auger of the deity as the   
expression of a new thought4 ,that idea 
is fading away4  ,the real truth is that
 men change their opinions as long as   
they grow1 and only those remain of the 
same opinion still who have reached the 
intellectual autumn of their lives2 who 
have gone to seed1 and who are simply   
waiting for the winter of death4 ,now   
and then there is a brain in which there
 is the climate of perpetual spring--men
 who never grow old--and when such a one
 is found we say1 ,here is a genius4    
,talent has the four seasons3 spring1   
that is to say1 the sowing of the seeds2
 summer1 growth2 autumn1 the harvest2   
winter1 intellectual death4 ,but there  
is now and then a genius who has no     
winter1 and1 no matter how many years he
 may live1 on the blossom of his thought
 no snow falls4 ,genius has the climate 

of perpetual growth4  9999999999  ,,the 
,,moiety ,,system4--,the ,secretary of  
the ,treasury recommends a revival of   
the moiety system4 ,against this        
infamous step every honest citizen ought
 to protest4  ,in this country1 taxes   
cannot be collected through such        
instrumentalities4 ,an informer is not  
indigenous to our soil4 ,he always has  
been and always will be held in merited 
contempt4  ,every inducement1 by this   
system1 is held out to the informer to  
become a liar4 ,the spy becomes an      
officer of the ,government4 ,he soon    
becomes the terror of his superior4 ,he 
is a sword without a hilt and without a 
scabbard4 ,every taxpayer becomes the   
lawful prey of a detective whose        
property depends upon the destruction of
 his prey4  ,these informers and spies  
are corrupters of public morals4 ,they  
resort to all known dishonest means for 
the accomplishment of what they pretend 
to be an honest object4 ,with them      
perjury becomes a fine art4 ,their words

 are a commodity bought and sold in     
courts of justice4  ,this is the first  
phase4 ,in a little while juries will   
refuse to believe them1 and every suit  
in which they are introduced will be    
lost by the ,government4 ,of this the   
real thieves will be quick to take      
advantage4 ,so many honest men will have
 been falsely charged by perjured       
informers and moiety miscreants1 that to
 convict the guilty will become         
impossible4 ,if the ,government wishes  
to collect the taxes it must set an     
honorable example4 ,it must deal kindly 
and honestly with the people4 ,it must  
not inaugurate a vampire system of      
espionage4 ,it must not take it for     
granted that every manufacturer and     
importer is a thief1 and that all spies 
and informers are honest men4  ,the     
revenues of this country are as honestly
 paid as they are expended4 ,there has  
been as much fair dealing outside as    
inside of the ,treasury ,department4    
,but1 however that may be1 the informer 

system will not make them honest men1   
but will in all probability produce     
exactly the opposite result4 ,if our    
system of taxation is so unpopular that 
the revenues cannot be collected without
 bribing men to tell the truth2 if our  
officers must be offered rewards beyond 
their salaries to state the facts2 if it
 is impossible to employ men to         
discharge their duties honestly1 then   
let us change the system4 ,the moiety   
system makes the ,treasury ,department a
 vast vampire sucking the blood of the  
people upon shares4 ,americans detest   
informers1 spies1 detectives1 turners of
 ,state's evidence1 eavesdroppers1 paid 
listeners1 hypocrites1 public smellers1 
trackers1 human hounds and ferrets4     
,they despise men who suspect for a     
living2 they hate legal lyers-in-wait   
and the highwaymen of the law4 ,they    
abhor the betrayers of friends and those
 who lead and tempt others to commit a  
crime in order that they may detect it4 
,in a monarchy1 the detective system is 

a necessity4 ,the great thief has to be 
sustained by smaller ones4--,december   
#d1ahgg4  9999999999  ,,language4--,most
 people imagine that men have always    
talked2 that language is as old as the  
race2 and it is supposed that some      
language was taught by some mythological
 god to the first pair4 ,but we now     
know1 if we know anything1 that language
 is a growth2 that every word had to be 
created by man1 and that back of every  
word is some want1 some wish1 some      
necessity of the body or mind1 and also 
a genius to embody that want or that    
wish1 to express that thought in some   
sound that we call a word4  ,at first1  
the probability is that men uttered     
sounds of fear1 of content1 of anger1 or
 happiness4 ,and the probability is that
 the first sounds or cries expressed    
such feelings1 and these sounds were    
nouns1 adjectives1 and verbs4  ,after a 
time1 man began to give his ideas to    
others by rude pictures1 drawings of    
animals and trees and the various other 

things with which he could give rude    
thoughts4 ,at first he would make a     
picture of the whole animal4 ,afterward 
some part of the animal would stand for 
the whole1 and in some of the old       
picture-writings the curve of the       
nostril of a horse stands for the       
animal4 ,this was the shorthand of      
picture-writing4 ,but it was a long     
journey to where marks would stand1 not 
for pictures1 but for sounds4 ,and then 
think of the distance still to the      
alphabet4 ,then to writing1 so that     
marks took entirely the place of        
pictures4 ,then the invention of movable
 type1 and then the press1 making it    
possible to save the wealth of the      
brain2 making it possible for a man to  
leave not simply his property to his    
fellow-man1 not houses and lands and    
dollars1 but his ideas1 his thoughts1   
his theories1 his dreams1 the poetry and
 pathos of his soul4 ,now each          
generation is heir to all the past4  ,if
 we had free thought1 then we could     

collect the wealth of the intellectual  
world4 ,in the physical world1 springs  
make the creeks and brooks1 and they the
 rivers1 and the rivers empty into the  
great sea4 ,so each brain should add to 
the sum of human knowledge4 ,if we deny 
freedom of thought1 the springs cease to
 gurgle1 the rivers to run1 and the     
great ocean of knowledge becomes a      
desert of barren1 ignorant sand4        
9999999999  ,,this ,,is ,,an ,,age ,,of 
,,money-,,getting1 of materialism1 of   
cold1 unfeeling science4 ,the question  
arises1 ,is the world growing less      
generous1 less heroic1 less chivalric8  
,let us answer this4 ,the experience of 
the individual is much like the         
experience of a generation1 or of a     
race4 ,an old man imagines that         
everything was better when he was young2
 that the weather could then be depended
 on2 that sudden changes are recent     
inventions4 ,so he will tell you that   
people used to be honest2 that the      
grocers gave full weight and the        

merchants full measure1 and that the    
bank cashier did not spend the evening  
of his days in ,canada4  ,he will also  
tell you that the women were handsome   
and virtuous4 ,there were no scandals   
then1 no divorces1 and that in religion 
all were orthodox--no ,infidels4 ,before
 he gets through1 he will probably tell 
you that the art of cooking has been    
lost--that nobody can make biscuit now1 
and that he never expects to eat another
 slice of good bread4  ,he mistakes the 
twilight of his own life for the coming 
of the night of universal decay and     
death4 ,he imagines that that has       
happened to the world1 which has only   
happened to him4 ,it does not occur to  
him that millions at the moment he is   
talking are undergoing the experience of
 his youth1 and that when they become   
old they will praise the very days that 
he denounces4  ,the ,garden of ,eden has
 always been behind us4 ,the ,golden    
,age1 after all1 is the memory of       
youth--it is the result of remembered   

pleasure in the midst of present pain4  
,to old age youth is divine1 and the    
morning of life cloudless4  ,so now     
thousands and millions of people suppose
 that the age of true chivalry has gone 
by and that honesty has about concluded 
to leave the world4 ,as a matter of     
fact1 the age known as the age of       
chivalry was the age of tyranny1 of     
arrogance and cowardice4 ,men clad in   
complete armor cut down the peasants    
that were covered with leather1 and     
these soldiers of the chivalric age     
armored themselves to that degree that  
if they fell in battle they could not   
rise1 held to the earth by the weight of
 iron that their bravery had got itself 
entrenched within4 ,compare the         
difference in courage between going to  
war in coats of mail against sword and  
spear1 and charging a battery of ,krupp 
guns6  ,the ideas of justice have grown 
larger and nobler4 ,charity now does1   
without a thought1 what the average man 
a few centuries ago was incapable of    

imagining4 ,in the old times slavery was
 upheld1 and imprisonment for debt4     
,hundreds of crimes--or rather          
misdemeanors--were punishable by death4 
,prisons were loathsome beyond          
description4 ,thousands and thousands   
died in chains4 ,the insane were treated
 like wild beasts2 no respect was paid  
to sex or age4 ,women were burned and   
beheaded and torn asunder as though they
 had been hyenas1 and children were     
butchered with the greatest possible    
cheerfulness4  ,so it seems to me that  
the world is more chivalric1 more       
generous1 nearer just and fair1 more    
charitable1 than ever before4           
9999999999  ,,the ,,colored ,,man is    
doing well4 ,he is hungry for knowledge4
 ,their children are going to school4   
,colored boys are taking prizes in the  
colleges4 ,a colored man was the orator 
of ,harvard4 ,they are industrious1 and 
in the ,south many are becoming rich4   
,as the people1 black and white1 become 
educated they become better friends4    

,the old prejudice is the child of      
ignorance4 ,the colored man will succeed
 if the ,south succeeds4 ,the ,south is 
richer to-day than ever before1 more    
prosperous1 and both races are really   
improving4 ,the greatest danger in the  
,south1 and for that matter all over the
 country1 is the mob4 ,it is the duty of
 every good citizen to denounce the mob4
 ,down with the mob4  9999999999        
,,freedom ,,of ,,religion is the        
destruction of religion4 ,in ,rome1     
after people were allowed to worship    
their own gods1 all gods fell into      
disrepute4 ,it will be so in ,america4  
,here is freedom of religion1 and all   
devotees find that the gods of other    
devotees are just as good as theirs4    
,they find that the prayers of others   
are answered precisely as their prayers 
are answered4  ,the ,protestant ,god is 
no better than the ,catholic1 and the   
,catholic is no better than the ,mormon1
 and the ,mormon is no better than      
,nature for answering prayers4 ,in other

 words1 all prayers die in the air which
 they uselessly agitate4 ,there is      
undoubtedly a tendency among the        
,protestant denominations to unite4     
,this tendency is born of weakness1 not 
of strength4 ,in a few years1 if all    
should unite1 they would hardly have    
power enough to obstruct1 for any       
considerable time1 the march of the     
intellectual host destined to conquer   
the world4 ,but let us all be good      
natured2 let us give to others all the  
rights that we claim for ourselves4 ,the
 future1 ,i believe1 has both hands full
 of blessings for the human race4       
9999999999  ,,the ,,deists ,,and        
,,nature4--,we who deny the supernatural
 origin of the ,bible1 must admit not   
only that it exists1 but that it was    
naturally produced4 ,if it is not       
supernatural1 it is natural4 ,it will   
hardly do for the worshipers of ,nature 
to hold the ,bible in contempt1 simply  
because it is not a supernatural book4  
,the ,deists of the last century made a 

mistake4 ,they proceeded to show that   
the ,bible is immoral1 untrue1 cruel and
 absurd1 and therefore came to the      
conclusion that it could not have been  
written by a being of infinite wisdom   
and goodness1--the being whom they      
believed to be the author of ,nature4   
,could not infinite wisdom and goodness 
just as easily command crime as to      
permit it8 ,is it really any worse to   
order the strong to slay the weak1 than 
to stand by and refuse to protect the   
weak8  ,after all1 is ,nature1 taken    
together1 any better than the ,bible8   
,if ,god did not command the ,jews to   
murder the ,canaanites1 ,nature1 to say 
the least1 did not prevent it4 ,if ,god 
did not uphold the practice of polygamy1
 ,nature did4 ,the moment we deny the   
supernatural origin of the ,bible1 we   
declare that ,nature wrote its every    
word1 commanded all its cruelties1 told 
all its falsehoods4 ,the ,bible is1 like
 ,nature1 a mixture of what we call good
 and bad1--of what appears1 and of what 

in reality is4  ,the ,bible must have   
been a perfectly natural production not 
only1 but a necessary one4 ,there was1  
and is1 no power in the universe that   
could have changed one word4 ,all the   
mistakes in translation were necessarily
 made1 and not one1 by any possibility1 
could have been avoided4 ,that book1    
like all other facts in ,nature1 could  
not have been otherwise than it is4 ,the
 fact being that ,nature has produced   
all superstitions1 all persecution1 all 
slavery1 and every crime1 ought to be   
sufficient to deter the average man from
 imagining that this power1 whatever it 
may be1 is worthy of worship4  ,there is
 good in ,nature4 ,it is the nature in  
us that perceives the evil1 that pursues
 the right4 ,in man1 ,nature not only   
contemplates herself1 but approves or   
condemns her actions4 ,of course1 good  
and bad are relative terms1 and things  
are good or bad as they affect man well 
or ill4  ,infidels1 skeptics1--that is  
to say1 ,freethinkers1 have opposed the 

,bible on account of the bad things in  
it1 and ,christians have upheld it1 not 
on account of the bad1 but on account of
 the good4 ,throw away the doctrine of  
inspiration1 and the ,bible will be more
 powerful for good and far less for     
evil4 ,only a few years ago1 ,christians
 looked upon the ,bible as the bulwark  
of human slavery4 ,it was the word of   
,god1 and for that reason was superior  
to the reason of uninspired man4 ,had it
 been considered simply as the work of  
man1 it would not have been quoted to   
establish that which the man of this age
 condemns4 ,throw away the idea of      
inspiration1 and all passages in        
conflict with liberty1 with science1    
with the experience of the intelligent  
part of the human race1 instantly become
 harmless4 ,they are no longer guides   
for man4 ,they are simply the opinions  
of dead barbarians4 ,the good passages  
not only remain1 but their influence is 
increased1 because they are relieved of 
a burden4  ,no one cares whether the    

truth is inspired or not4 ,the truth is 
independent of man1 not only1 but of    
,god4 ,and by truth ,i do not mean the  
absolute1 ,i mean this3 ,truth is the   
relation between things and thoughts1   
and between thoughts and thoughts4 ,the 
perception of this relation bears the   
same relation to the logical faculty in 
man1 that music does to some portion of 
the brain--that is to say1 it is a      
mental melody4 ,this sublime strain has 
been heard by a few1 and ,i am          
enthusiastic enough to believe that it  
will be the music of the future4  ,for  
the good and for the true in the ,old   
and ,new ,testaments ,i have the same   
regard that ,i have for the good and    
true1 no matter where they may be found4
 ,we who know how false the history of  
to-day is2 we who know the almost       
numberless mistakes that men make who   
are endeavoring to tell the truth2 we   
who know how hard it is1 with all the   
facilities we now have--with the daily  
press1 the telegraph1 the fact that     

nearly all can read and write--to get a 
truthful report of the simplest         
occurrence1 must see that nothing short 
of inspiration 7admitting for the moment
 the possibility of such a thing17 could
 have prevented the ,scriptures from    
being filled with error4  9999999999    
,,at ,,last1 ,,the ,,schoolhouse is     
larger than the church4 ,the common     
people have1 through education1 become  
uncommon4 ,they now know how little is  
really known by kings1 presidents1      
legislators1 and professors4 ,at last1  
they are capable of not only            
understanding a few questions1 but they 
have acquired the art of discussing     
those that no one understands4 ,with the
 facility of the cultured1 they can now 
hide behind phrases and make barricades 
of statistics4 ,they understand the     
sophistries of the upper classes2 and   
while the cultured have been turning    
their attention to the classics1 to the 
dead languages1 and the dead ideas that 
they contain1--while they have been     

giving their attention to ceramics1     
artistic decorations1 and compulsory    
prayers1 the common people have been    
compelled to learn the practical things4
 ,they are acquainted with facts1       
because they have done the work of the  
world4  9999999999                      
,,cruelty4--,sometimes it has seemed to 
me that cruelty is the climate of crime1
 and that generosity is the ,spring1    
,summer and ,autumn of virtue4 ,every   
form of wickedness1 of meanness1 springs
 from selfishness1 that is to say1 from 
cruelty4 ,every good man hates and      
despises the wretch who abuses wife and 
child--who rules by curses and blows and
 makes his home a kind of hell4 ,so1 no 
generous man wishes to associate with   
one who overworks his horse and feeds   
the lean and fainting beast with blows4 
,the barbarian delights in inflicting   
pain4 ,he loves to see his victim       
bleed1--but the civilized man staunches 
blood1 binds up wounds and decreases    
pain4 ,he pities the suffering animal as

 well as the suffering man4  ,he would  
no more inflict wanton wounds upon a dog
 than on a man4 ,the heart of the       
civilized man speaks for the dumb and   
helpless4  ,a good man would no more    
think of flaying a living animal than of
 murdering his mother4 ,the man who cuts
 a hoof from the leg of a horse is      
capable of committing any crime that    
does not require courage4 ,such an      
experiment can be of no use4 ,under no  
circumstances are hoofs taken from      
horses for the good of the horses any   
more than their heads would be cut off4 
,think of the pain inflicted by         
separating the hoof of a living horse   
from the flesh6 ,if the poor beast could
 speak what would he say8 ,the same     
knowledge could be obtained by cutting  
away the hoof of a dead horse4          
,knowledge of every bone1 ligament1     
artery and vein1 of every cartilage and 
joint can be obtained by the dissection 
of the dead4 ,but1 says the biologist1  
we must dissect the living4  ,well1     

millions of living animals have been cut
 in pieces2 millions of experiments have
 been tried2 all the nerves have been   
touched2 every possible agony has been  
inflicted that ingenuity could invent   
and cruelty accomplish4 ,many volumes   
have been published filled with accounts
 of these experiments1 giving all the   
details and the results4 ,people who are
 curious about such things can read     
these reports4 ,there is no need of     
repeating these savage experiments4 ,it 
is now known how long a dog can live    
with all the pores of his skin closed1  
how long he can survive the loss of his 
skin1 or one lobe of his brain1 or both 
of his kidneys1 or part of his          
intestines1 or without his liver1 and   
there is no necessity of mutilating and 
mangling thousands of other dogs to     
substantiate what is already known4  ,of
 what possible use is it to know just   
how long an animal can live without     
water--at what time he becomes insane   
from thirst1 or blind or deaf8          

9999999999  ,,the ,,world',s ,,fair will
 do great good4 ,a great many thousand  
people of the ,old ,world will for the  
first time understand the new2 will for 
the first time appreciate what a free   
people can do4 ,for the first time they 
will know the value of free             
institutions1 of individual             
independence1 of a country where people 
express their thoughts1 are not afraid  
of each other1 not afraid to try--a     
people so accustomed to success that    
disaster is not taken into calculation4 
,of course1 we have great advantages4   
,we have a new half of the world4 ,we   
have soil better than is found in other 
countries1 and the soil is new and      
generous and anxious to be cultivated4  
,so we have everything in hill and      
mountain that man can need--silver1 and 
gold1 and iron beyond computation--and1 
in addition to all that1 our people are 
the most inventive4 ,we sustain about   
the same relation to invention that     
,italy in her palmy days did to art1 or 

that ,spain did to superstition4  ,and  
right here it may be well enough to say 
that ,i think it was exceedingly        
unfortunate that this country was       
discovered under the auspices of ,spain4
 ,ferdinand and ,isabella were a couple 
of wretches4 ,the same year that        
,columbus discovered ,america1 these    
sovereigns expelled the ,jews from      
,spain1 and the expulsion was           
accompanied by every outrage1 by every  
atrocity to which man--that is to say1  
savage man--that is to say1 the         
superstitious savage--is capable of     
inflicting4  ,the ,spaniards came to    
,america and destroyed two civilizations
 far better than their own4 ,they were  
natural robbers1 buccaneers1 and thought
 nothing of murdering thousands for     
gold4 ,i am perfectly willing to        
celebrate the fact of discovery1 but for
 the sovereigns of ,spain ,i am not     
willing to celebrate1 except1 perhaps   
their deaths4 ,there is at least some   
joy to be extracted from that4  ,in     

spite of the untoward circumstances     
under which the continent was discovered
 and settled1 there is one thing that   
counteracted to a certain degree the    
influence of the ,old ,world in the     
,new4 ,possibly we owe our liberty to   
the ,indians4 ,if there had been no     
hostile savages on this continent1 the  
kings and princes of the ,old ,world    
would have taken possession and would   
have divided it out among their         
favorites4 ,they tried to do that1 but  
their favorites could not take          
possession4 ,they had to fight for the  
soil and in the conflict of centuries   
they found that a good fighter was a    
good citizen1 and the ideas of caste    
were slowly lost4  ,then another thing  
was of benefit to us4 ,the settlers felt
 that they had earned the soil2 that    
they had fought for it1 gained it by    
their sufferings1 their courage1 their  
selfdenial1 and their labor2 and the    
idea crept into their heads that the    
kings in ,europe1 who had done nothing1 

had no right to dictate to them4  ,thus 
at first the spirit of caste was        
destroyed by respectability resting on  
usefulness4 ,the spirit of subserviency 
to the ,old ,world also died1 and the   
people who had rescued the land made up 
their minds not only to own it1 but to  
control it4 ,they were also firmly      
convinced that the profits belonged to  
them4 ,in this way manhood was          
recognized in the ,new ,world4 ,in this 
way grew up the feeling of nationality  
here4  ,what ,i wish to see celebrated  
in this great exposition are the        
triumphs that have been achieved in this
 ,new ,world4 ,these ,i wish to see     
above all4 ,at the same time ,i want the
 best that labor and thought have       
produced in all countries4 ,it seems to 
me that in the presence of the wonderful
 machines1 of those marvelous mechanical
 contrivances by which we take advantage
 of the forces of nature1 by which we   
make servants of the elemental          
powers--in the presence1 ,i say1 of     

these1 it seems to me respect for labor 
must be born4 ,we shall begin to        
appreciate the men of use instead of    
those who have posed as decorations4    
,all the beautiful things1 all the      
useful things1 come from labor1 and it  
is labor that has made the world a fit  
habitation for the human race4  ,take   
from the ,world's ,fair what labor has  
produced--the work of the great         
artists--and nothing will be left4 ,what
 have the great conquerors to show in   
this great exhibition8 ,what shall we   
get from the ,caesars and the           
,napoleons8 ,what shall we get from     
popes and cardinals8 ,what shall we get 
from the nobility8 ,from princes and    
lords and dukes8 ,what excuse have they 
for having existence and for having     
lived on the bread earned by honest men8
 ,they stand in the show-windows of     
history1 lay figures1 on which fine     
goods are shown1 but inside the raiment 
there is nothing1 and never was4 ,this  
exposition will be the apotheosis of    

labor4 ,no man can attend it without    
losing1 if he has any sense at all1 the 
spirit of caste2 or1 if he still        
maintains it1 he will put the useful in 
the highest class1 and the useless1     
whether carrying sceptres or dishes for 
alms1 in the lowest4--,october1 #ahib4  
9999999999  ,,the ,,savage made of the  
river1 the tree1 the mountain1 a fetich4
 ,he put within1 or behind these things1
 a spirit--according to ,mr4 ,spencer1  
the spirit of a dead ancestor4 ,this is 
considered by the modern ,christian1 and
 in fact by the modern philosopher1 as  
the lowest possible phase of the        
religious idea4 ,to put behind the river
 or the tree1 or within them1 a spirit1 
a something1 is considered the religion 
of savagery2 but to put behind the      
universe1 or within it1 the same kind of
 fetich1 is considered the height of    
philosophy4  ,for my part1 ,i see no    
possible distinction in these systems1  
except that the view of the savage is   
altogether the more poetic4 ,the fetich 

of the savage is the noumenon of the    
,greek1 the ,god of the theologian1 the 
,first ,cause of the metaphysician1 the 
,unknowable of ,spencer4  9999999999    
,,the ,,unthinkable4--,it is admitted by
 all who have thought upon the question 
that a ,first ,cause is                 
unthinkable--that a creative power is   
beyond the reach of human thought4 ,it  
therefore follows that the miraculous is
 unthinkable4 ,there is no possible way 
in which the human mind can even think  
of a miracle4 ,it is infinitely beyond  
our power of conception4 ,we can        
conceive of the statement1 but not of   
the thing4 ,it is impossible for the    
intellect to conceive of a clay pot     
producing oil4 ,it is impossible to     
conceive even1 of human life being      
perpetuated in the midst of fire4 ,this 
is just as unthinkable as that twice two
 are twenty-seven4 ,a man can say that  
three times three are two1 but it is    
impossible to think of any such         
thing--that is1 to think of such a      

statement as true4 ,a man may say that  
he heard a stone sing a song and heard  
it afterward repeat a part of ,milton's 
,paradise ,lost4 ,now1 ,i can conceive  
of a man telling such a falsehood1 but  
,i cannot conceive of the thing having  
happened4  9999999999  ,,can ,,human    
,,testimony ,overcome the ,apparently   
,impossible ,without ,explanation8--,it 
can only be believed by a philosophic   
mind when explained--that is to say1 by 
being destroyed as a miracle1 and       
persisting simply as a fact4  ,now1 ,i  
say that a miracle is unthinkable       
because a power above ,nature1 a power  
that created ,nature1 is unthinkable4   
,and if a power above ,nature be        
unthinkable1 the miracles claiming to be
 supernatural are unthinkable4 ,in other
 words1 all consequences flowing from a 
belief in an infinite ,creator are      
necessarily unthinkable4  9999999999    
,,edouard ,,remenyi4--,this week the    
great violinist1 ,edouard ,remenyi1 as  
my guest1 visited the ,bass ,rocks      

,house1 ,cape ,ann1 ,mass41 and for     
three days delighted and entranced the  
fortunate idlers of the beach4 ,he      
played nearly all the time1 night and   
day1 seemingly carried away with his own
 music4 ,among the many selections      
given1 were the andante from the ,tenth 
,sonata in ,e flat1 also from the       
,twelfth ,sonata in ,g minor1 by        
,mozart4 ,nothing could exceed the      
wonderful playing of the selections from
 the ,twelfth ,sonata4 ,a hush as of    
death fell upon the audience1 and when  
he ceased1 tears fell upon applauding   
hands4 ,then followed the ,elegie from  
,ernst2 then ,the ,ideal ,dance composed
 by himself--a fairy piece1 full of     
wings and glancing feet1 moonlight and  
melody1 where fountains fall in showers 
of pearl1 and waves of music die on     
sands of gold--then came the ,barcarole 
by ,schubert1 and he played this with   
infinite spirit1 in a kind of inspired  
frenzy1 as though music itself were mad 
with joy2 then the grand ,sonata in ,g1 

in three movements1 by                  
,beethoven4--,august1 #ahhj4  ,remenyi's
 ,playing4--,in my mind the old tones   
are still rising and falling--still     
throbbing1 pleading1 beseeching1        
imploring1 wailing like the lost--rising
 winged and triumphant1 superb and      
victorious--then caressing1 whispering  
every thought of love--intoxicated1     
delirious with joy--panting with        
passion--fading to silence as softly and
 imperceptibly as consciousness is lost 
in sleep4  9999999999  ,,the            
,,kindergarten is perfectly adapted to  
the natural needs and desires of        
children4 ,most children dislike the old
 system and go unwillingly to school4   
,they feel imprisoned and wait          
impatiently for their liberty4 ,they    
learn without understanding and take no 
interest in their lessons4 ,in the      
,kindergarten there is perfect liberty1 
and study is transformed into play4 ,to 
learn is a pleasure4 ,there are no      
wearisome tasks--no mental              

drudgery--nothing but enjoyment1--the   
enjoyment of natural development in     
natural ways4 ,children do not have to  
be driven to the ,kindergarten4 ,to be  
kept away is a punishment4  ,the        
experience in many towns and cities     
justifies our belief that the           
,kindergarten is the only valuable      
school for little children4 ,they are   
brought in contact with actual          
things--with forms and colors--things   
that can be seen and touched1 and they  
are taught to use their hands and       
senses--to understand qualities and     
relations1 and all is done under the    
guise of play4 ,we agree with ,froebel  
who said3 ,let us live for our children4
  9999999999  ,,the ,,methodist ,,church
 ,,statistics4--,first4 ,in #ahjj1 a    
resolution in favor of gradual          
emancipation was defeated4  ,second4 ,in
 #ahjd1 resolutions passed requiring    
ministers to exhort slaves to be        
obedient to their masters4  ,third4 ,in 
#ahjh1 everything about laymen owning   

slaves ,stricken out4  ,fourth4 ,in     
#ahbj1 a resolution that ministers      
should not hold slaves was defeated4    
,fifth4 ,in #ahcf1 a resolution passed  
that the ,methodist ,church opposed1    
abolition of slavery--one hundred and   
twenty to fourteen4  ,sixth4 ,in        
#ahde-ahdf1 the ,methodist ,church      
divided--,bishop ,andrews owned slaves4 
,seventh4 ,as late as #ahfj there were  
over ten thousand ,methodists who were  
slaveholders in the ,m4 ,e4 ,church1    
,north4  9999999999  #aag ,east #bast   
,str41 ,n4 ,y4       99 ,response to an 
invitation to a dinner and a billiard   
tournament at the ,manhattan ,athletic  
,club1 ,new ,york ,city4  ,feby4 #ah1   
#ahii4  ,my ,dear ,dr4 ,ranney3  ,i go  
to ,boston to-morrow4 ,so1 you see it is
 impossible for me to be with you on the
 #bb;d inst4 ,i would like to make a few
 remarks on orthodox billiards4 ,the    
fact is that the whole world is a table1
 we are the balls and ,fate plays the   
game4 ,we are knocked and whacked       

against each other1--followed and       
drawn--whirled and twisted1 pocketed and
 spotted1 and all the time we think that
 we are doing the playing4 ,but no      
matter1 we feel that we are in the game1
 and a real good illusion is1 after all1
 it may be1 the only reality that we    
know4 ,at the same time1 ,i feel that   
,fate is a careless player--that he is  
always a little nervous and generally   
forgets to chalk his cue4 ,i know that  
he has made lots of mistakes with       
me--lots of misses4  ,with many thanks1 
,i remain1 yours always4  ,r4 ,g4       
,ingersoll4  9999999999  ,,thoughts ,,on
 ,,christmas1 #ahia4--;,it is beautiful 
to give one day to the ideal--to have   
one day apart2 one day for generous     
deeds1 for good will1 for gladness2 one 
day to forget the shadows1 the rains1   
the storms of life2 to remember the     
sunshine1 the happiness of youth and    
health2 one day to forget the briers and
 thorns of the winding path1 to remember
 the fruits and flowers2 one day in     

which to feed the hungry1 to salute the 
poor and lowly2 one day to feel the     
brotherhood of man2 one day to remember 
the heroic and loving deeds of the dead2
 one day to get acquainted with         
children1 to remember the old1 the      
unfortunate and the imprisoned2 one day 
in which to forget yourself and think   
lovingly of others2 one day for the     
family1 for the fireside1 for wife and  
children1 for the love and laughter1 the
 joy and rapture1 of home2 one day in   
which bonds and stocks and deeds and    
notes and interest and mortgages and all
 kinds of business and trade are        
forgotten1 and all stores and shops and 
factories and offices and banks and     
ledgers and accounts and lawsuits are   
cast aside1 put away and locked up1 and 
the weary heart and brain are given a   
voyage to fairyland4  ,let us hope that 
such a day is a prophecy of what all    
days will be4  9999999999  ,,the        
,,orthodox ,,preachers are several      
centuries in the rear4 ,they all love   

the absurd1 and glory in believing the  
impossible4 ,they are also as           
conservative as though they were        
dead--good people--the leaders of those 
who are going backward4  9999999999     
,the ,man who builds a home erects a    
temple4      ,the flame upon the hearth 
is the sacred fire4      ,he who loves  
wife and children is the true worshiper4
      ,forms and ceremonies1 kneelings  
and fastings are born of selfish fear4  
,a good deed is the best prayer4      ,a
 loving life is the best religion4      
,no one knows whether the ,unknown is   
worthy of worship or not4  9999999999   
,,we ,,two1 ,,the ,,doubting ,,brain    
,,and ,,hoping ,,heart1 with somber     
thought and radiant wish1 in dusk and   
dawn1 in light and shade 'neath star and
 sun1 together journeying toward the    
night4 ,and then the end1 sighs the     
doubting brain--but there is no end1    
says the hoping heart4 ,o ,brain6 if you
 knew1 you would not doubt4 ,o ,heart6  
if you knew1 you would not hope4        

9999999999  ,,rights ,,and ,,duties     
spring from the same source4 ,he who has
 no rights has no duties4 ,without      
liberty there can be no responsibility  
and no conscience4 ,man calls himself to
 an account for the use of his power1   
and passes judgment upon himself4 ,the  
standard of such judgment we call       
conscience4 ,in the proportion that man 
uses his liberty1 his power1 for the    
good of all1 he advances1 becomes       
civilized4 ,civilization does not       
consist merely in invention1 discovery1 
material advancement1 but in doing      
justice4 ,by civilization is meant all  
discoveries1 facts1 theories1 agencies1 
that add to the happiness of man4       
9999999999  ,,at ,,bay4--,sometimes in  
the darkness of night ,i feel as though 
surrounded by the great armies of       
effacement--that the horizon is growing 
smaller every moment--that the final    
surrender is only postponed--that       
everything is taking something from     
me--that ,nature robs me with her       

countless hands--that my heart grows    
weaker with every beat--that even kisses
 wear me away1 and that every thought   
takes toll of my brief life4  9999999999
  ,,the ,,first ,,anniversary499--,one  
year of perfect health--of countless    
smiles--of wonder and surprise--of      
growing thought and love--was duly      
celebrated on this day1 and all paid    
tribute to the infant queen4 ,there were
 whirling things that scattered music as
 they turned--and boxes filled with     
tunes--and curious animals of whittled  
wood--and ivory rings with tinkling     
bells--and little dishes for a          
fairy-feast--horses that rocked1 and    
bleating sheep and monstrous elephants  
of painted tin4 ,a baby-tender1 for a   
tender babe1 garments of silk and       
cushions wrought with flowers1 and      
pictures of her mother when a babe--and 
silver dishes for another year--and     
coach and four and train of cars--and   
bric-a-brac for a baby's house--and last
 of all1 a pearl1 to mark her first     

round year of life and love4       99   
,written on the first anniversary of his
 grandchild1 ,eva                       
,ingersoll-,brown1 ,august #bg1 #ahib4  
9999999999  ,,shelley4--,the light of   
morn beyond the purple hills--a palm    
that lifts its coronet of leaves above  
the desert's sands--an isle of green in 
some far sea--a spring that waits for   
lips of thirst--a strain of music heard 
within some palace wrought of dreams--a 
cloud of gold above a setting sun--a    
fragrance wafted from some unseen shore4
  9999999999  ,,fate4--,never hurried1  
never delayed1 passionless1 pitiless1   
patient1 keeping the tryst--neither     
early nor late--there1 on the very      
stroke and center of the instant fixed4 
9999999999  ,,quiet1 and introspective  
calm come with the afternoon4 ,toward   
evening the mind grows satisfied and    
still4 ,the flare and flicker of youth  
are gone1 and the soul is like the flame
 of a lamp where the air is at rest4    
,age discards the superfluous1 the      

immaterial1 the straw and chaff1 and    
hoards the golden grain4 ,the highway is
 known1 and the paths no longer mislead4
 ,clouds are not mistaken for mountains4
  9999999999  ,,the ,,old ,,man has been
 long at the fair4 ,he is acquainted    
with the jugglers at the booths4 ,his   
curiosity has been satisfied4 ,he no    
longer cares for the exceptional1 the   
monstrous1 the marvelous and deformed4  
,he looks through and beyond the        
gilding1 the glitter and gloss1 not only
 of things1 but of conduct1 of manners1 
theories1 religions and philosophies4   
,he sees clearer4 ,the light no longer  
shines in his eyes4  9999999999  ,the   
time will come when even selfishness    
will be charitable for its own sake1    
because at that time the man will have  
grown and developed to that degree that 
selfishness demands generosity and      
kindness and justice4 ,the self becomes 
so noble that selfishness is a virtue4  
,the lowest form of selfishness is when 
one is willing to be happy1 or wishes to

 be happy1 at the expense or the misery 
of another4 ,the highest form of        
selfishness is when a man becomes so    
noble that he finds his happiness in    
making others so4 ,this is the nobility 
of selfishness4  9999999999  ,,cuba fell
 upon her knees--stretched her thin     
hands toward the great ,republic4 ,we   
saw her tear-filled eyes--her withered  
breasts--her dead babes--her dying--her 
buried and unburied dead4 ,we heard her 
voice1 and pity1 roused to action by her
 grief1 became as stern as justice1 and 
the great ,republic cried to ,spain3    
,sheathe the dagger of assassination2   
take your bloody hand from the throat of
 the helpless2 and take your flag from  
the heaven of the ,western ,world4      
9999999999  ,perhaps ,i have reached the
 years of discretion4 ,but it may be    
that discretion is the enemy of         
happiness4 ,if the buds had discretion  
there might be no fruit4 ,so it may be  
that the follies committed in the spring
 give autumn the harvest4--,august      

#aa1ahib4  9999999999  ,dickens wrote   
for homes--,thackeray for clubs4 ,byron 
did not care for the fireside--for the  
prattle of babes--for the smiles and    
tears of humble life4 ,he was touched by
 grandeur rather than goodness1--loved  
storm and crag and the wild sea4 ,but   
,burns lived in the valley1 touched by  
the joys and griefs of lowly lives4     
,imagine amethysts1 rubies1 diamonds1   
emeralds and opals mingled as           
liquids--then imagine these marvelous   
glories of light and color changed to a 
tone1 and you have the wondrous1 the    
incomparable voice of ,scalchi4         
9999999999  ,,the ,,organ4--,the        
beginnings--the timidities--the half    
thoughts--blushes--suggestions--a phrase
 of grace and feeling--a sustained      
note--the wing on the                   
wind--confidence--the flight--rising    
with many harmonies that unite in the   
voluptuous swell--in the passionate     
tremor--rising still higher--flooding   
the great dome with the soul of         

enraptured sound4  9999999999  ,,new    
,,mexico is a most wonderful country4   
,it is a ragged miser with billions of  
buried treasure4 ,it looks as if ,nature
 had guarded her silver and gold with   
enough desolation to deter all but the  
brave4  9999999999  ,,why ,,should ,,the
 ,,indian ,,summer of a life be         
lost--the long1 serene1 and tender days 
when earth and sky are friends8 ,the    
falling leaves disclose the ripened     
fruit--and so the flight of youth with  
dreams and fancies should show the      
wealth of bending bough4  9999999999    
,give milk to babes1 and wine to youth4 
,but for old age1 when ghosts of more   
than two-score years are wandering on   
the traveled road1 the fragrant tea1    
that loosens gossip's tongue1 is        
best4--,december #be1ahib4       ,from a
 letter thanking a friend for a         
,christmas present of      a chest of   
tea4  9999999999  ,,on ,,memorial ,,day 
our hearts blossom in gratitude as we   
lovingly remember the brave men upon    

whose brows ,death1 with fleshless      
hands1 placed the laurel wreath of fame4
  9999999999  ,,the ,,soul ,,is ,,an    
,a,r,c,h,i,t,e,ct--it builds a          
habitation for itself--and as the soul  
is1 is the habitation4 ,some live in    
dens and caves1 and some in lowly homes 
made rich with love1 and overrun with   
vine and flower4  9999999999  ,,science 
at last holds with honest hand the      
scales wherein are weighed the facts and
 fictions of the world4 ,she neither    
kneels nor prays1 she stands erect and  
thinks4 ,her tongue is not a traitor to 
her brain4 ,her thought and speech      
agree4  9999999999  ,,the ,,negro who   
can pass me in the race of life will    
receive my admiration1 and he can count 
on my friendship4 ,no man ever lived who
 proved his superiority by trampling on 
the weak4  9999999999  ,,religion is    
like a palm tree--it grows at the top4  
,the dead leaves are all orthodox1 while
 the new ones and the buds are all      
heretics4  9999999999  ,,memory is the  

miser of the mind2 forgetfulness the    
spendthrift4  9999999999  ,,hope is the 
only bee that makes honey without       
flowers4  9999999999  ,,the ,,fires ,,of
 ,,the ,,next ,,world sustain the same  
relation to churches that those in this 
world sustain to insurance companies4   
9999999999  ,now and then there arises a
 man who on peril's edge draws from the 
scabbard of despair the sword of        
victory4  9999999999  ,the falling leaf 
that tells of autumn's death is1 in a   
subtler sense1 a prophecy of spring4    
9999999999  ,vice lives either before   
,love is born1 or after ,love is dead4  
9999999999  ,intellectual freedom is    
only the right to be honest4  9999999999
  ,i believe that finally man will go   
through the phase of religion before    
birth4  9999999999  ,when shrill        
chanticleer pierces the dull ear of     
morn4  9999999999  ,orthodoxy is the    
refuge of mediocrity4  9999999999  ,the 
ocean is the womb of all that will be1  
the tomb of all that has been4          

9999999999  ,jealousy never knows the   
value of a fact4  ,envy cannot reason1  
malice cannot prophesy4  9999999999     
,love has a kind of second sight4       
9999999999  ,i have never given to any  
one a sketch of my life4 ,according to  
my idea a life should not be written    
until it has been lived4--,july #a1     
#ahhh4     ,,effect ,,of ,,the          
,,world',s ,,fair ,,on ,,the ,,human    
,,race4   ,,the ,great ,fair should be  
for the intellectual1 mechanical1       
artistic1 political and social          
advancement of the world4 ,nations1 like
 small communities1 are in danger of    
becoming provincial1 and must become so1
 unless they exchange commodities1      
theories1 thoughts1 and ideals4         
,isolation is the soil of ignorance1 and
 ignorance is the soil of egotism2 and  
nations1 like individuals who live      
apart1 mistake provincialism for        
perfection1 and hatred of all other     
nations for patriotism4 ,with most      
people1 strangers are not only enemies1 

but inferiors4 ,they imagine that they  
are progressive because they know little
 of others1 and compare their present1  
not with the present of other nations1  
but with their own past4  ,few people   
have imagination enough to sympathize   
with those of a different complexion1   
with those professing another religion  
or speaking another language1 or even   
wearing garments unlike their own4 ,most
 people regard every difference between 
themselves and others as an evidence of 
the inferiority of the others4 ,they    
have not intelligence enough to put     
themselves in the place of another if   
that other happens to be outwardly      
unlike themselves4  ,countless agencies 
have been at work for many years        
destroying the hedges of thorn that have
 so long divided nations1 and we at last
 are beginning to see that other people 
do not differ from us1 except in the    
same particulars that we differ from    
them4 ,at last1 nations are becoming    
acquainted with each other1 and they now

 know that people everywhere are        
substantially the same4 ,we now know    
that while nations differ outwardly in  
form and feature1 somewhat in theory1   
philosophy and creed1 still1            
inwardly--that is to say1 so far as     
hopes and passions are concerned--they  
are much the same1 having the same      
fears1 experiencing the same joys and   
sorrows4 ,so we are beginning to find   
that the virtues belong exclusively to  
no race1 to no creed1 and to no         
religion2 that the humanities dwell in  
the hearts of men1 whomever and whatever
 they may happen to worship4 ,we have at
 last found that every creed is of      
necessity a provincialism1 destined to  
be lost in the universal4  ,at last1    
,science extends an invitation to all   
nations1 and places at their disposal   
its ships and its cars2 and when these  
people meet--or rather1 the             
representatives of these people--they   
will find that1 in spite of the         
accidents of birth1 they are1 after all1

 about the same2 that their sympathies1 
their ideas' of right and wrong1 of     
virtue and vice1 of heroism and honor1  
are substantially alike4 ,they will find
 that in every land honesty is honored1 
truth respected and admired1 and that   
generosity and charity touch all hearts4
  ,so it is of the greatest importance  
that the inventions of the world should 
be brought beneath one roof4 ,these     
inventions1 in my judgment1 are destined
 to be the liberators of mankind4 ,they 
enslave forces and compel the energies  
of nature to work for man4 ,these forces
 have no backs to feel the lash1 no     
tears to shed1 no hearts to break4  ,the
 history of the world demonstrates that 
man becomes ,what we call civilized by  
increasing his wants4 ,as his           
necessities increase1 he becomes        
industrious and energetic4 ,if his heart
 does not keep pace with his brain1 he  
is cruel1 and the physically or mentally
 strong enslave the physically or       
mentally weak4 ,at present these        

inventions1 while they have greatly     
increased the countless articles needed 
by man1 have to a certain extent        
enslaved mankind4 ,in a savage state    
there are few failures4 ,almost any one 
succeeds in hunting and fishing4 ,the   
wants are few1 and easily supplied4 ,as 
man becomes civilized1 wants increase2  
or rather as wants increase1 man becomes
 civilized4 ,then the struggle for      
existence becomes complex2 failures     
increase4  ,the first result of the     
invention of machinery has been to      
increase the wealth of the few4 ,the    
hope of the world is that through       
invention man can finally take such     
advantage of these forces of nature1 of 
the weight of water1 of the force of    
wind1 of steam1 of electricity1 that    
they will do the work of the world2 and 
it is the hope of the really civilized  
that these inventions will finally cease
 to be the property of the few1 to the  
end that they may do the work of all for
 all4  ,when those who do the work own  

the machines1 when those who toil       
control the invention1 then1 and not    
till then1 can the world be civilized or
 free4 ,when these forces shall do the  
bidding of the individual1 when they    
become the property of the mechanic     
instead of the monopoly1 when they      
belong to labor instead of what is      
called capital1 when these great powers 
are as free to the individual laborer as
 the air and light are now free to all1 
then1 and not until then1 the individual
 will be restored and all forms of      
slavery will disappear4  ,another great 
benefit will come from the ,fair4 ,other
 nations in some directions are more    
artistic than we1 but no other nation   
has made the common as beautiful as we  
have4 ,we have given beauty of form to  
machines1 to common utensils1 to the    
things of every day1 and have thus laid 
the foundation for producing the        
artistic in its highest possible forms4 
,it will be of great benefit to us to   
look upon the paintings and marbles of  

the ,old ,world4 ,to see them is an     
education4  ,the great ,republic has    
lived a greater poem than the brain and 
heart of man have as yet produced1 and  
we have supplied material for artists   
and poets yet unborn2 material for form 
and color and song4 ,the ,republic is   
to-day ,art's greatest market4  ,nothing
 else is so well calculated to make     
friends of all nations as really to     
become acquainted with the best that    
each has produced4  ,the nation that has
 produced a great poet1 a great artist1 
a great statesman1 a great thinker1     
takes its place on an equality with     
other nations of the world1 and         
transfers to all of its citizens some of
 the genius of its most illustrious men4
  ,this great ,fair will be an object   
lesson to other nations4 ,they will see 
the result of a government1 republican  
in form1 where the people are the source
 of authority1 where governors and      
presidents are servants--not rulers4 ,we
 want all nations to see the great      

,republic as it is1 to study and        
understand its growth1 development and  
destiny4 ,we want them to know that     
here1 under our flag1 are sixty-five    
millions of people and that they are the
 best fed1 the best clothed and the best
 housed in the world4 ,we want them to  
know that we are solving the great      
social problems1 and that we are going  
to demonstrate the right and power of   
man to govern himself4 ,we want the     
subjects of other nations to see aland  
filled with citizens--not subjects2     
aland in which the pew is above the     
pulpit2 where the people are superior to
 the state2 where legislators are       
representatives and where authority     
means simply the duty to enforce the    
people's will4  ,let us hope above all  
things that this ,fair will bind the    
nations together closer and stronger2   
and let us hope that this will result in
 the settlement of all national         
difficulties by arbitration instead of  
war4 ,in a savage state1 individuals    

settle their own difficulties by an     
appeal to force4 ,after a time these    
individuals agree that their            
difficulties shall be settled by others4
 ,this is the first great step toward   
civilization4 ,the result is the        
establishment of courts4 ,nations at    
present sustain to each other the same  
relation that savage does to savage4    
,each nation is left to decide for      
itself1 and it generally decides        
according to its strength--not the      
strength of its side of the case1 but   
the strength of its army4 ,the          
consequence is that what is called the  
,law of ,nations is a savage code4 ,the 
world will never be civilized until     
there is an international court4        
,savages begin to be civilized when they
 submit their difficulties to their     
peers4 ,nations will become civilized   
when they submit their difficulties to a
 great court1 the judgments of which can
 be carried out1 all nations pledging   
the co-operation of their armies and    

their navies for that purpose4  ,if the 
holding of the great ,fair shall result 
in hastening the coming of that time it 
will be a blessing to the whole world4  
,and here let me prophesy3 ,the ,fair   
will be worthy of ,chicago1 the most    
wonderful city of the world--of         
,illinois1 the best ,state in the       
,union--of the ,united ,states1 the best
 country on the earth4 ,it will eclipse 
all predecessors in every department4   
,it will represent the progressive      
spirit of the nineteenth century4       
,beneath its ample roofs will be        
gathered the treasures of ,art1 and the 
accomplishments of ,science4 ,at the    
feet of the ,republic will be laid the  
triumphs of our race1 the best of every 
land4--,the illustrated ,world's ,fair1 
,chicago1 ,november1 #ahia4             
,,sabbath ,,superstition4   ,,the idea  
that one day in the week is better than 
the others and should be set apart for  
religious purposes2 that it should be   
considered holy2 that no useful work    

should be done on that day2 that it     
should be given over to pious idleness  
and sad ceremonies connected with the   
worship of a supposed ,being1 seems to  
have been originated by the ,jews4      
,according to the ,old ,testament1 the  
,sabbath was marvelously sacred for two 
reasons2 the first being1 that ,jehovah 
created the universe in six days and    
rested on the seventh3 and the second1  
because the ,jews had been delivered    
from the ,egyptians4  ,the first of     
these reasons we now know to be false2  
and the second has nothing1 so far as we
 are concerned1 to do with the question4
  ,there is no reason for our keeping   
the seventh day because the ,hebrews    
were delivered from the ,egyptians4     
,the ,sabbath was a ,jewish institution1
 and1 according to the ,bible1 only the 
,jews were commanded to keep that day4  
,jehovah said nothing to the ,egyptians 
on that subject2 nothing to the         
,philistines1 nothing to the ,gentiles4 
,the ,jews kept that day with infinite  

strictness1 and with them this space of 
time known as the ,sabbath became so    
holy that he who violated it by working 
was put to death4 ,sabbath-breaking and 
murder were equal crimes4 ,on the       
,sabbath the pious ,jew would not build 
a fire in his house4 ,he ate cold       
victuals and thanked ,god4 ,the gates of
 the city were closed4 ,no business was 
done1 and the traveler who arrived at   
the city on that day remained outside   
until evening4 ,if he happened to fall1 
he remained where he fell until the sun 
had gone done4  ,the early ,christians  
did not hold the seventh day in such    
veneration4 ,as a matter of fact1 they  
ceased to regard it as holy1 and changed
 the sacred day from the seventh to the 
first4 ,this change was really made by  
,constantine1 because the first day of  
the week was the ,sunday of the ,pagans2
 and this day had been given to pleasure
 and recreation and to religious        
ceremonies for many centuries4  ,after  
,constantine designated the first day to

 be kept and observed by ,christians1   
our ,sunday became the sacred time4     
,the early ,christians1 however1 kept   
the day much as it had been kept by the 
,pagans4 ,they attended church in the   
morning1 and in the afternoon enjoyed   
themselves as best they could44  ,the   
,catholic ,church fell in with the      
prevailing customs1 and to accommodate  
itself to ,pagan ways and superstitions1
 it agreed1 as far as it could1 with the
 ideas of the ,pagan4  ,up to the time  
of the ,reformation1 ,sunday had been   
divided between the discharge of        
religious duties and recreation4        
,luther did not believe in the          
sacredness of the ,sabbath4 ,after      
church he enjoyed himself by playing    
games1 and wanted others to do the same4
  ,even ,john ,calvin1 whose view had   
been blurred by the ,five ,points1      
allowed the people to enjoy themselves  
on ,sunday afternoon4  ,the reformers on
 the continent never had the ,jewish    
idea of the sacredness of the ,sabbath4 

,in ,geneva1 ,germany and ,france1 all  
kinds of innocent amusement were allowed
 on that day2 and ,i believe the same   
was true of ,holland4  ,but in ,scotland
 the ,jewish idea was adopted to the    
fullest extent4 ,there ,sabbath-breaking
 was one of the blackest and one of the 
most terrible crimes4 ,nothing was      
considered quite as sacred as the       
,sabbath4  ,the ,scotch went so far as  
to take the ground that it was wrong to 
save people who were drowning on        
,sunday1 the drowning being a punishment
 inflicted by ,god4 ,upon the question  
of keeping the ,sabbath most of the     
,scottish people became insane4  ,the   
same notions about the holy day were    
adopted by the ,dissenters in ,england1 
and it became the principal tenet in    
their creed4  ,the ,puritans and        
,pilgrims were substantially crazy about
 the sacredness of ,sunday4 ,with them  
the first day of the week was set apart 
for preaching1 praying1 attending       
church1 reading the ,bible and studying 

the catechism4 ,walking1 riding1 playing
 on musical instruments1 boating1       
swimming and courting1 were all crimes4 
,no one had the right to be happy on    
that blessed day4 ,it was a time of     
gloom1 sacred1 solemn and religiously   
stupid4  ,they did their best to strip  
their religion of every redeeming       
feature4 ,they hated art and            
music--everything calculated to produce 
joy4 ,they despised everything except   
the ,bible1 the church1 ,god1 ,sunday   
and the creed4  ,the influence of these 
people has been felt in every part of   
our country4 ,the ,sabbath superstition 
became almost universal4 ,no laughter1  
no smiles on that day2 no games1 no     
recreation1 no riding1 no walking       
through the perfumed fields or by the   
winding streams or the shore of the sea4
 ,no communion with the subtile beauties
 of nature2 no wandering in the woods   
with wife and children1 no reading of   
poetry and fiction2 nothing but         
solemnity and gloom1 listening to       

sermons1 thinking about sin1 death1     
graves1 coffins1 shrouds1 epitaphs and  
ceremonies and the marvelous truths of  
sectarian religion1 and the weaknesses  
of those who were natural enough and    
sensible enough to enjoy themselves on  
the ,sabbath day4  ,so universal became 
the ,sabbath superstition that the      
,legislatures of all the ,states1 or    
nearly all1 passed laws to prevent work 
and enjoyment on that day1 and declared 
all contracts void relating to business 
entered into on ,sunday4  ,the ,germans 
gave us the first valuable lesson on    
this subject4 ,they came to this country
 in great numbers2 they did not keep the
 ,american ,sabbath4 ,they listened to  
music and they drank beer on that holy  
day4 ,they took their wives and children
 with them and enjoyed themselves2 yet  
they were good1 kind1 industrious       
people4 ,they paid their debts and their
 credit was the best4  ,our people saw  
that men could be good and women        
virtuous without keeping the ,sabbath4  

,this did us great good1 and changed the
 opinions of hundreds of thousands of   
,americans4  ,but the churches insisted 
on the old way4 ,gradually our people   
began to appreciate the fact that       
one-seventh of the time was being stolen
 by superstition4 ,they began to ask for
 the opening of libraries1 for music in 
the parks and to be allowed to visit    
museums and public places on the        
,sabbath4  ,in several ,states these    
demands were granted1 and the privileges
 have never been abused4 ,the people    
were orderly1 polite to officials and to
 each other4  ,in #ahgf1 when the       
,centennial was held at ,philadelphia1  
the ,sabbatarians had control4          
,philadelphia was a ,sunday city1 and so
 the gates of the ,centennial were      
closed on that day4  ,this was in       
,philadelphia where the ,sabbath        
superstition had been so virulent that  
chains had been put across the streets  
to prevent stages and carriages from    
passing at that holy time4  ,at that    

time millions of ,americans felt that a 
great wrong was done by closing the     
,centennial to the laboring people2 but 
the managers--most of them being        
politicians--took care of themselves and
 kept the gates closed4  ,in #ahgf the  
,sabbatarians triumphed1 and when it was
 determined to hold a world's fair at   
,chicago they made up their minds that  
no one should look upon the world's     
wonders on the ,sabbath day4  ,to       
accomplish this pious and foolish       
purpose committees were appointed all   
over the country2 money was raised to   
make a campaign2 persons were employed  
to go about and arouse the enthusiasm of
 religious people2 petitions by the     
thousand were sent to ,congress and to  
the officers of the ,world's ,fair1     
signed by thousands of people who never 
saw them2 resolutions were passed in    
favor of ,sunday closing by conventions1
 presbyteries1 councils and             
associations4 ,lobbyists were employed  
to influence members of ,congress4      

,great bodies of ,christians threatened 
to boycott the fair and yet the ,world's
 ,fair is open on ,sunday4  ,what is the
 meaning of this8 ,let me tell you4 ,it 
means that in this country the ,scotch  
,new ,england ,sabbath has ceased to be2
 it means that it is dead4 ,the last    
great effort for its salvation has been 
put forth1 and has failed4 ,it belonged 
to the creed of ,jonathan ,edwards and  
the belief of the witch-burners1 and in 
this age it is out of place4  ,there was
 a time when the minister and priest    
were regarded as the foundation of      
wisdom2 when information came from the  
altar1 from the pulpit2 and when the    
sheep were the property of the shepherd4
  ,that day in intelligent communities  
has passed4 ,we no longer go to the     
minister or the church for information4 
,the orthodox minister is losing his    
power1 and the ,sabbath is now regarded 
as a day of rest1 of recreation and of  
pleasure4  ,the church must keep up with
 the people4 ,the minister must take    

another step4 ,the multitude care but   
little about controversies in churches1 
but they do care about the practical    
questions that directly affect their    
daily lives4  ,must we waste one day in 
seven2 must we make ourselves unhappy or
 melancholy one-seventh of the time8    
,these are important questions and for  
many years the church in our country has
 answered them both in the affirmative1 
and a vast number of people not         
,christians have also said yes because  
they wanted votes1 or because they      
feared to incite the hatred of the      
church4  ,now in this year of #ahic a   
,world's ,fair answered this question in
 the negative1 and a large majority of  
the citizens of the ,republic say that  
the officers of the ,fair have done     
right4  ,this marks an epoch in the     
history of the ,sabbath4 ,it is to be   
sacred in a religious sense in this     
country no longer4 ,henceforth in the   
,united ,states the ,sabbath is for the 
use of man4  ,many of those who labored 

for the closing of the ,fair on ,sunday 
took the ground that if the gates were  
opened1 ,god would visit this nation    
with famine1 flood and fire4  ,it hardly
 seems possible that ,god will destroy  
thousands of women and children who had 
nothing to do with the opening of the   
,fair2 still1 if he is the same ,god    
described in the ,christian ,bible1 he  
may destroy our babes as he did those of
 the ,egyptians4 ,it is a little hard to
 tell in advance what a ,god of that    
kind will do4  ,it was believed for many
 centuries that ,god punished the       
,sabbath-breaking individual and the    
,sabbath-breaking nation4 ,of course    
facts never had anything to do with this
 belief1 and the prophecies of the      
pulpit were never fulfilled4 ,people who
 were drowned on ,sunday1 according to  
the church1 lost their lives by the will
 of ,god4 ,those drowned on other days  
were the victims of storm or accident4  
,the nations that kept the ,sabbath were
 no more prosperous than those that     

broke the sacred day4 ,certainly ,france
 is as prosperous as ,scotland4  ,let us
 hope1 however1 that these zealous      
gentlemen who have predicted calamities 
were mistaken2 let us be glad that      
hundreds of thousands of workingmen and 
women will be delighted and refined by  
looking at the statues1 the paintings1  
the machinery1 and the countless        
articles of use and beauty gathered     
together at the great ,fair1 and let us 
be glad that on the one day that they   
can spare from toil1 the gates will be  
open to them4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to     
,,george ,,jacob ,,holyoake4   ,,two    
articles have recently appeared         
attacking the motives of ,george ,jacob 
,holyoake4 ,he is spoken of as a man    
governed by a desire to please the rich 
and powerful1 as one afraid of public   
opinion and who in the perilous hour    
denies or conceals his convictions4  ,in
 these attacks there is not one word of 
truth4 ,they are based upon mistakes and
 misconceptions4  ,there is not in this 

world a nobler1 braver man4 ,in ,england
 he has done more for the great cause of
 intellectual liberty than any other man
 of this generation4 ,he has done more  
for the poor1 for the children of toil1 
for the homeless and wretched than any  
other living man4 ,he has attacked all  
abuses1 all tyranny and all forms of    
hypocrisy4 ,his weapons have been       
reason1 logic1 facts1 kindness1 and     
above all1 example4 ,he has lived his   
creed4 ,he has won the admiration and   
respect of his bitterest antagonists4   
,he has the simplicity of childhood1 the
 enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom of  
age4 ,he is not abusive1 but he is clear
 and conclusive44 ,he is intense without
 violence--firm without anger4 ,he has  
the strength of perfect kindness4 ,he   
does not hate--he pities4 ,he does not  
attack men and women1 but dogmas and    
creeds4 ,and he does not attack them to 
get the better of people1 but to enable 
people to get the better of them4 ,he   
gives the light he has4 ,he shares his  

intellectual wealth with the orthodox   
poor4 ,he assists without insulting1    
guides without arrogance1 and enlightens
 without outrage4 ,besides1 he is       
eminent for the exercise of plain common
 sense4 ,he knows that there are wrongs 
besides those born of superstition--that
 people are not necessarily happy       
because they have renounced the         
,thirty-nine ,articles--and that the    
priest is not the only enemy of mankind4
 ,he has for forty years been preaching 
and practicing industry1 economy1       
self-reliance1 and kindness4 ,he has    
done all within his power to give the   
workingman a better home1 better food1  
better wages1 and better opportunities  
for the education of his children4 ,he  
has demonstrated the success of         
co-operation--of intelligent combination
 for the common good4 ,as a rule1 his   
methods have been perfectly legal4 ,in  
some instances he has knowingly violated
 the law1 and did so with the intention 
to take the consequences4 ,he would     

neither ask nor accept a pardon1 because
 to receive a pardon carries with it the
 implied promise to keep the law1 and an
 admission that you were in the wrong4  
,he would not agree to desist from doing
 what he believed ought to be done1     
neither would he stain his past to      
brighten his future1 nor imprison his   
soul to free his body4 ,he has that     
happy mingling of gentleness and        
firmness found only in the highest type 
of moral heroes4 ,he is an absolutely   
just man1 and will never do an act that 
he would condemn in another4 ,he admits 
that the most bigoted churchman has a   
perfect right to express his opinions   
not only1 but that he must be met with  
argument couched in kind and candid     
terms4 ,mr4 ,holyoake is not only the   
enemy of a theological hierarchy1 but he
 is also opposed to mental mobs4 ,he    
will not use the bludgeon of epithet4   
,perfect fairness is regarded by many as
 weakness4 ,some people have altogether 
more confidence in their beliefs than in

 their own arguments4 ,they resort to   
assertion4 ,if what they assert be      
denied1 the debate becomes a question of
 veracity4 ,on both sides of most       
questions there are plenty of persons   
who imagine that logic dwells only in   
adjectives1 and that to speak kindly of 
an opponent is a virtual surrender4     
,mr4 ,holyoake attacks the church       
because it has been1 is1 and ever will  
be the enemy of mental freedom1 but he  
does not wish to deprive the church even
 of its freedom to express its opinion  
against freedom4 ,he is true to his own 
creed1 knowing that when we have freedom
 we can take care of all its enemies4   
,in one of the articles to which ,i have
 referred it is charged that ,mr4       
,holyoake refused to sign a petition for
 the pardon of persons convicted of     
blasphemy4 ,if this is true1 he         
undoubtedly had a reason satisfactory to
 himself4 ,you will find that his       
action1 or his refusal to act1 rests    
upon a principle that he would not      

violate in his own behalf4  ,why should 
we suspect the motives of this man who  
has given his life for the good of      
others8 ,i know of no one who is his    
mental or moral superior4 ,he is the    
most disinterested of men4 ,his name is 
a synonym of candor4 ,he is a natural   
logician--an intellectual marksman4     
,like an unerring arrow his thought     
flies to the heart and center4 ,he is   
governed by principle1 and makes no     
exception in his own favor4 ,he is      
intellectually honest4 ,he shows you the
 cracks and flaws in his own wares4 ,he 
calls attention to the open joints and  
to the weakest links4 ,he does not want 
a victory for himself1 but for truth4   
,he wishes to expose and oppose1 not    
men1 but error4 ,he is blessed with that
 cloudless mental vision that           
appearances cannot deceive1 that        
interest cannot darken1 and that even   
ingratitude cannot blur4 ,friends cannot
 induce and enemies cannot drive this   
man to do an act that his heart and     

brain would not applaud4 ,that such a   
character was formed without the aid of 
the church1 without the hope of harp or 
fear of flame1 is a demonstration       
against the necessity of superstition4  
,whoever is opposed to mental bondage1  
to the shackles wrought by cruelty and  
worn by fear1 should be the friend of   
this heroic and unselfish man4  ,i know 
something of his life--something of what
 he has suffered--of what he has        
accomplished for his fellow-men4 ,he has
 been maligned1 imprisoned and          
impoverished4 ,he bore the heat and     
burden of the unregarded day and        
remembered the misery of the many4 ,for 
years his only recompense was           
ingratitude4 ,at last he was understood4
 ,he was recognized as an earnest1      
honest1 gifted1 generous1 sterling man1 
loving his country1 sympathizing with   
the poor1 honoring the useful1 and      
holding in supreme abhorrence tyranny   
and falsehood in all their forms4 ,the  
idea that this man could for a moment be

 controlled by any selfish motive1 by   
the hope of preferment1 by the fear of  
losing a supposed annuity1 is simply    
absurd4 ,the authors of these attacks   
are not acquainted with ,mr4 ,holyoake4 
,whoever dislikes him does not know him4
  ,read his ,trial of ,theism--his      
history of ,co-operation in ,england--if
 you wish to know his heart--to discover
 the motives of his life--the depth and 
tenderness of his sympathy--the         
nobleness of his nature--the subtlety of
 his thought--the beauty of his         
spirit--the force and volume of his     
brain--the extent of his                
information--his candor1 his kindness1  
his genius1 and the perfect integrity of
 his stainless soul4  ,there is no man  
for whom ,i have greater respect1       
greater reverence1 greater love1 than   
,george ,jacob ,holyoake4--  ,august #h1
 #ahhc4     ,,at ,,the ,,grave ,,of     
,,benjamin ,w4 ,,parker4       99 ,this 
was the first tribute ever delivered by 
,colonel      ,ingersoll at a grave4    

,mr4 ,parker himself was an ,agnostic1  
was the father of ,mrs4 ,ingersoll1 and 
was always a devoted      friend and    
admirer of the ,colonel even before the 
latter's      marriage with his         
daughter4   ,peoria1 ,ill41 ,may #bd1   
#ahgf4  ,,friends ,,and ,,neighbors3 ,to
 fulfill a promise made many years ago1 
,i wish to say a word4  ,he whom we are 
about to lay in the earth1 was gentle1  
kind and loving in his life4 ,he was    
ambitious only to live with those he    
loved4 ,he was hospitable1 generous1 and
 sincere4 ,he loved his friends1 and the
 friends of his friends4 ,he returned   
good for good4 ,he lived the life of a  
child1 and died without leaving in the  
memory of his family the record of an   
unkind act4 ,without assurance1 and     
without fear1 we give him back to       
,nature1 the source and mother of us    
all4  ,with morn1 with noon1 with night2
 with changing clouds and changeless    
stars2 with grass and trees and birds1  
with leaf and bud1 with flower and      

blossoming vine1--with all the sweet    
influences of nature1 we leave our dead4
  ,husband1 father1 friend1 farewell4   
,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,ebon ,c4 ,,ingersoll
  ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,may #ca1 #ahgi4
       99 ,the funeral of the ,hon4 ,e4 
,c4 ,ingersoll took place      yesterday
 afternoon at four o'clock1 from his    
late      residence1 #adjc ,k ,street   
,the only ceremony at the house1        
other than the viewing of the remains1  
was a most affecting      pathetic1 and 
touching address by ,col4 ,robert ,g4   
ingersoll1      brother of the deceased4
 ,not only the speaker1 but every one   
of his hearers were deeply affected4    
,when he began to read      his eloquent
 characterization of the dead man his   
eyes at      once filled with tears4 ,he
 tried to hide them1 but he could       
not do it1 and finally he bowed his head
 upon the dead man's      coffin in     
uncontrollable grief ,it was only after 
some delay1      and the greatest       
efforts a self-mastery1 that ,colonel   

,ingersoll was able to finish reading   
his address4 ,when he      had ceased   
speaking1 the members of the bereaved   
family      approached the casket and   
looked upon the form which it           
contained1 for the last time4 ,the scene
 was heartrending4      ,the devotion of
 all connected with the household       
excited      the sympathy of all and    
there was not a dry eye to be seen4     
,the pall-bearers--,senator ,william ,b4
 ,allison1 ,senator ,james      ,g4     
,blaine1 ,senator ,david ,davis1        
,senator ,daniel ,w ,voorhees4          
,representative ,james ,a4 ,garfield1   
,senator ,a4 ,s ,paddock1               
,representative ,thomas ,q4 ,boyd of    
,illinois1 the ,hon4 ,ward ,h4          
,lermon1 ex-,congressman ,jere ,wilson1 
and ,representative ,adlai      ,e4     
,stevenson of ,illinois--then bore the  
remains to the      hearse1 and the     
lengthy cortege proceeded to the ,oak   
,hill      ,cemetery1 where the remains 
were interred1 in the presence      of  

the family and friends1 without further 
ceremony4--      ,national ,republican1 
,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,june #c1 #ahgi4  
,,dear ,,friends3 ,i am going to do that
 which the dead oft promised he would do
 for me4  ,the loved and loving brother1
 husband1 father1 friend1 died where    
manhood's morning almost touches noon1  
and while the shadows still were falling
 toward the west4  ,he had not passed on
 life's highway the stone that marks the
 highest point2 but being weary for a   
moment1 he lay down by the wayside1 and 
using his burden for a pillow1 fell into
 that dreamless sleep that kisses down  
his eyelids still4 ,while yet in love   
with life and raptured with the world1  
he passed to silence and pathetic dust4 
,yet1 after all1 it may be best1 just in
 the happiest1 sunniest hour of all the 
voyage1 while eager winds are kissing   
every sail1 to dash against the unseen  
rock1 and in an instant hear the billows
 roar above a sunken ship4 ,for whether 
in mid-sea or 'mong the breakers of the 

farther shore1 a wreck at last must mark
 the end of each and all4 ,and every    
life1 no matter if its every hour is    
rich with love and every moment jeweled 
with a joy1 will1 at its close1 become a
 tragedy as sad and deep and dark as can
 be woven of the warp and woof of       
mystery and death4  ,this brave and     
tender man in every storm of life was   
oak and rock2 but in the sunshine he was
 vine and flower4 ,he was the friend of 
all heroic souls4 ,he climbed the       
heights1 and left all superstitions far 
below1 while on his forehead fell the   
golden dawning of the grander day4  ,he 
loved the beautiful1 and was with color1
 form1 and music touched to tears4 ,he  
sided with the weak1 the poor1 and      
wronged1 and lovingly gave alms4 ,with  
loyal heart and with the purest hands he
 faithfully discharged all public       
trusts4  ,he was a worshiper of liberty1
 a friend of the oppressed4 ,a thousand 
times ,i have heard him quote these     
words3 ,for ,justice all place a temple1

 and all season1 summer4 ,he believed   
that happiness is the only good1 reason 
the only torch1 justice the only        
worship1 humanity the only religion1 and
 love the only priest4 ,he added to the 
sum of human joy2 and were every one to 
whom he did some loving service to bring
 a blossom to his grave1 he would sleep 
tonight beneath a wilderness of flowers4
  ,life is a narrow vale between the    
cold and barren peaks of two eternities4
 ,we strive in vain to look beyond the  
heights4 ,we cry aloud1 and the only    
answer is the echo of our wailing cry4  
,from the voiceless lips of the         
unreplying dead there comes no word2 but
 in the night of death hope sees a star 
and listening love can hear the rustle  
of a wing4  ,he who sleeps here1 when   
dying1 mistaking the approach of death  
for the return of health1 whispered with
 his latest breath1 ,i am better now4   
,let us believe1 in spite of doubts and 
dogmas1 of fears and tears1 that these  
dear words are true of all the countless

 dead4  ,the record of a generous life  
runs like a vine around the memory of   
our dead1 and every sweet1 unselfish act
 is now a perfumed flower4  ,and now1 to
 you1 who have been chosen1 from among  
the many men he loved1 to do the last   
sad office for the dead1 we give his    
sacred dust4  ,speech cannot contain our
 love4 ,there was1 there is1 no gentler1
 stronger1 manlier man4     ,a ,,tribute
 ,,to ,,the ,,rev4 ,,alexander ,,clark4 
,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,july #ac1 #ahgi4  
,,upon the grave of the ,reverend       
,alexander ,clark ,i wish to place one  
flower4 ,utterly destitute of cold1     
dogmatic pride1 that often passes for   
the love of ,god2 without the arrogance 
of the elect2 simple1 free1 and         
kind--this earnest man made me his      
friend by being mine4 ,i forgot that he 
was a ,christian1 and he seemed to      
forget that ,i was not1 while each      
remembered that the other was at least a
 man4  ,frank1 candid1 and sincere1 he  
practiced what he preached1 and looked  

with the holy eyes of charity upon the  
failings and mistakes of men4 ,he       
believed in the power of kindness1 and  
spanned with divine sympathy the hideous
 gulf that separates the fallen from the
 pure4  ,giving freely to others the    
rights that he claimed for himself1 it  
never occurred to him that his ,god     
hated a brave and honest unbeliever4 ,he
 remembered that even an ,infidel had   
rights that love respects2 that hatred  
has no saving power1 and that in order  
to be a ,christian it is not necessary  
to become less than a human being4 ,he  
knew that no one can be maligned into   
kindness2 that epithets cannot convince2
 that curses are not arguments1 and that
 the finger of scorn never points toward
 heaven4 ,with the generosity of an     
honest man1 he accorded to all the      
fullest liberty of thought1 knowing1 as 
he did1 that in the realm of mind a     
chain is but a curse4  ,for this man ,i 
felt the greatest possible regard4 ,in  
spite of the taunts and jeers of his    

brethren1 he publicly proclaimed that he
 would treat ,infidels with fairness and
 respect2 that he would endeavor to     
convince them by argument and win them  
with love4 ,he insisted that the ,god he
 worshiped loved the well-being even of 
an ,atheist4 ,in this grand position he 
stood almost alone4 ,tender1 just1 and  
loving where others were harsh1         
vindictive1 and cruel1 he challenged the
 admiration of every honest man4 ,a few 
more such clergymen might drive calumny 
from the lips of faith and render the   
pulpit worthy of esteem4  ,the          
heartiness and kindness with which this 
generous man treated me can never be    
excelled4 ,he admitted that ,i had not  
lost1 and could not lose1 a single right
 by the expression of my honest thought4
 ,neither did he believe that a servant 
could win the respect of a generous     
master by persecuting and maligning     
those whom the master would willingly   
forgive4  ,while this good man was      
living1 his brethren blamed him for     

having treated me with fairness4 ,but1  
,i trust1 now that he has left the shore
 touched by the mysterious sea that     
never yet has borne1 on any wave1 the   
image of a homeward sail1 this crime    
will be forgiven him by those who still 
remain to preach the love of ,god4  ,his
 sympathies were not confined within the
 prison1 of a creed1 but ran out and    
over the walls like vines1 hiding the   
cruel rocks and rusted bars with leaf   
and flower4 ,he could not echo with his 
heart the fiendish sentence of eternal  
fire4 ,in spite of book and creed1 he   
read between the lines the words of     
tenderness and love1 with promises for  
all the world44 ,above1 beyond1 the     
dogmas of his church--humane even to the
 verge of heresy--causing some to doubt 
his love of ,god because he failed to   
hate his unbelieving fellow-men1 he     
labored for the welfare of mankind and  
to his work gave up his life with all   
his heart4     ,,at ,a ,,child',s       
,,grave4  ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 ,january

 #h1 #ahhb4   ,,my ,,friends3 ,i know   
how vain it is to gild a grief with     
words1 and yet ,i wish to take from     
every grave its fear4 ,here in this     
world1 where life and death are equal   
kings1 all should be brave enough to    
meet what all the dead have met4 ,the   
future has been filled with fear1       
stained and polluted by the heartless   
past4 ,from the wondrous tree of life   
the buds and blossoms fall with ripened 
fruit1 and in the common bed of earth1  
patriarchs and babes sleep side by side4
  ,why should we fear that which will   
come to all that is8 ,we cannot tell1 we
 do not know1 which is the greater      
blessing--life or death4 ,we cannot say 
that death is not a good4 ,we do not    
know whether the grave is the end of    
this life1 or the door of another1 or   
whether the night here is not somewhere 
else a dawn4 ,neither can we tell which 
is the more fortunate--the child dying  
in its mother's arms1 before its lips   
have learned to form a word1 or he who  

journeys all the length of life's uneven
 road1 painfully taking the last slow   
steps with staff and crutch4  ,every    
cradle asks us ,whence8 and every coffin
 ,whither8 ,the poor barbarian1 weeping 
above his dead1 can answer these        
questions just as well as the robed     
priest of the most authentic creed4 ,the
 tearful ignorance of the one1 is as    
consoling as the learned and unmeaning  
words of the other4 ,no man1 standing   
where the horizon of a life has touched 
a grave1 has any right to prophesy a    
future filled with pain and tears4  ,may
 be that death gives all there is of    
worth to life4 ,if those we press and   
strain within our arms could never die1 
perhaps that love would wither from the 
earth4 ,may be this common fate treads  
from out the paths between our hearts   
the weeds of selfishness and hate4 ,and 
,i had rather live and love where death 
is king1 than have eternal life where   
love is not4 ,another life is nought1   
unless we know and love again the ones  

who love us here4  ,they who stand with 
breaking hearts around this little      
grave1 need have no fear4 ,the larger   
and the nobler faith in all that is1 and
 is to be1 tells us that death1 even at 
its worst1 is only perfect rest4 ,we    
know that through the common wants of   
life--the needs and duties of each      
hour--their grief will lessen day by    
day1 until at last this grave will be to
 them a place of rest and peace--almost 
of joy4 ,there is for them this         
consolation3 ,the dead do not suffer4   
,if they live again1 their lives will   
surely be as good as ours4 ,we have no  
fear4 ,we are all children of the same  
mother1 and the same fate awaits us all4
 ,we1 too1 have our religion1 and it is 
this3 ,help for the living--,hope for   
the dead4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,john  
,g4 ,,mills4  ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41     
,april #ae1 #ahhc4   ,,my ,,friends3    
,again we are face to face with the     
great mystery that shrouds this world4  
,we question1 but there is no reply4    

,out on the wide waste seas1 there      
drifts no spar4 ,over the desert of     
death the sphinx gazes forever1 but     
never speaks4  ,in the very ,may of life
 another heart has ceased to beat4      
,night has fallen upon noon4 ,but he    
lived1 he loved1 he was loved4 ,wife and
 children pressed their kisses on his   
lips4 ,this is enough4 ,the longest life
 contains no more4 ,this fills the vase 
of joy4  ,he who lies here1 clothed with
 the perfect peace of death1 was a kind 
and loving husband1 a good father1 a    
generous neighbor1 an honest man1--and  
these words build a monument of glory   
above the humblest grave4 ,he was always
 a child1 sincere and frank1 as full of 
hope as ,spring4 ,he divided all time   
into to-day and to-morrow4 ,to-morrow   
was without a cloud1 and of to-morrow he
 borrowed sunshine for to-day4 ,he was  
my friend4 ,he will remain so4 ,the     
living oft become estranged2 the dead   
are true4 ,he was not a ,christian4 ,in 
the ,eden of his hope there did not     

crawl and coil the serpent of eternal   
pain4 ,in many languages he sought the  
thoughts of men1 and for himself he     
solved the problems of the world4 ,he   
accepted the philosophy of ,auguste     
,comte4 ,humanity was his ,god2 the     
human race was his ,supreme ,being4 ,in 
that ,supreme ,being he put his trust4  
,he believed that we are indebted for   
what we enjoy to the labor1 the         
self-denial1 the heroism of the human   
race1 and that as we have plucked the   
fruit of what others planted1 we in     
thankfulness should plant for others yet
 to be4  ,with him immortality was the  
eternal consequences of his own acts4   
,he believed that every pure thought1   
every disinterested deed1 hastens the   
harvest of universal good4 ,this is a   
religion that enriches poverty2 that    
enables us to bear the sorrows of the   
saddest life2 that peoples even solitude
 with the happy millions yet to live1--a
 religion born not of selfishness and   
fear1 but of love1 of gratitude1 and    

hope1--a religion that digs wells to    
slake the thirst of others1 and gladly  
bears the burdens of the unborn4  ,but  
in the presence of death1 how beliefs   
and dogmas wither and decay6 ,how loving
 words and deeds burst into blossom6    
,pluck from the tree of any life these  
flowers1 and there remain but the barren
 thorns of bigotry and creed4  ,all wish
 for happiness beyond this life4 ,all   
hope to meet again the loved and lost4  
,in every heart there grows this sacred 
flower4 ,immortality is a word that     
,hope through all the ages has been     
whispering to ,love4 ,the miracle of    
thought we cannot understand4 ,the      
mystery of life and death we cannot     
comprehend4 ,this chaos called the world
 has never been explained4 ,the golden  
bridge of life from gloom emerges1 and  
on shadow rests4 ,beyond this we do not 
know4 ,fate is speechless1 destiny is   
dumb1 and the secret of the future has  
never yet been told4 ,we love2 we wait2 
we hope4 ,the more we love1 the more we 

fear4 ,upon the tenderest heart the     
deepest shadows fall4 ,all paths1       
whether filled with thorns or flowers1  
end here4 ,here success and failure are 
the same4 ,the rag of ,wretchedness and 
the purple robe of power all difference 
and distinction lose in this democracy  
of death4 ,character survives2 goodness 
lives2 love is immortal4  ,and yet to   
all a time may come when the fevered    
lips of life will long for the cool1    
delicious kiss of death--when tired of  
the dust and glare of day we all shall  
hear with joy the rustling garments of  
the night4  ,what can we say of death8  
,what can we say of the dead8 ,where    
they have gone1 reason cannot go1 and   
from thence revelation has not come4    
,but let us believe that over the cradle
 ,nature bends and smiles1 and lovingly 
above the dead in benediction holds her 
outstretched hands4     ,a ,,tribute    
,,to ,,elizur ,,wright4  ,new ,york4    
,december #ai1 #ahhe4   ,,another hero  
has fallen asleep--one who enriched the 

world with an honest life4  ,elizur     
,wright was one of the ,titans who      
attacked the monsters1 the ,gods1 of his
 time--one of the few whose confidence  
in liberty was never shaken1 and who1   
with undimmed eyes1 saw the atrocities  
and barbarisms of his day and the       
glories of the future4  ,when ,new ,york
 was degraded enough to mob ,arthur     
,tappan1 the noblest of her citizens2   
when ,boston was sufficiently infamous  
to howl and hoot at ,harriet ,martineau1
 the grandest ,englishwoman that ever   
touched our soil2 when the ,north was   
dominated by theology and trade1 by     
piety and piracy2 when we received our  
morals from merchants1 and made         
merchandise of our morals1 ,elizur      
,wright held principle above profit1 and
 preserved his manhood at the peril of  
his life4  ,when the rich1 the cultured1
 and the respectable1--when church      
members and ministers1 who had been     
called to preach the glad tidings1 and  
when statesmen like ,webster joined with

 bloodhounds1 and in the name of ,god   
hunted men and mothers1 this man rescued
 the fugitives and gave asylum to the   
oppressed4  ,during those infamous      
years--years of cruelty and national    
degradation--years of hypocrisy and     
greed and meanness beneath the reach of 
any ,english word1 ,elizur ,wright      
became acquainted with the orthodox     
church4 ,he found that a majority of    
,christians were willing to enslave men 
and women for whom they said that       
,christ had died--that they would steal 
the babe of a ,christian mother1        
although they believed that the mother  
would be their equal in heaven forever4 
,he found that those who loved their    
enemies would enslave their             
friends--that people who when smitten on
 one cheek turned the other1 were ready1
 willing and anxious to mob and murder  
those who simply said3 ,the laborer is  
worthy of his hire4  ,in those days the 
church was in favor of slavery1 not only
 of the body but of the mind4 ,according

 to the creeds1 ,god himself was an     
infinite master and all his children    
serfs4 ,he ruled with whip and chain1   
with pestilence and fire4 ,devils were  
his bloodhounds1 and hell his place of  
eternal torture4  ,elizur ,wright said  
to himself1 why should we take chains   
from bodies and enslave minds--why fight
 to free the cage and leave the bird a  
prisoner8 ,he became an enemy of        
orthodox religion--that is to say1 a    
friend of intellectual liberty4  ,he    
lived to see the destruction of         
legalized larceny2 to read the          
,proclamation of ,emancipation2 to see a
 country without a slave1 a flag without
 a stain4 ,he lived long enough to reap 
the reward for having been an honest    
man2 long enough for his disgrace to    
become a crown of glory2 long enough to 
see his views adopted and his course    
applauded by the civilized world2 long  
enough for the hated word abolitionist  
to become a title of nobility1 a        
certificate of manhood1 courage and true

 patriotism4  ,only a few years ago1 the
 heretic was regarded as an enemy of the
 human race4 ,the man who denied the    
inspiration of the ,jewish ,scriptures  
was looked upon as a moral leper1 and   
the ,atheist as the worst of criminals4 
,even in that day1 ,elizur ,wright was  
grand enough to speak his honest        
thought1 to deny the inspiration of the 
,bible2 brave enough to defy the ,god of
 the orthodox church--the ,jehovah of   
the ,old ,testament1 the ,eternal       
,jailer1 the ,everlasting ,inquisitor4  
,he contended that a good ,god would not
 have upheld slavery and polygamy2 that 
a loving ,father would not assist some  
of his children to enslave or           
exterminate their brethren2 that an     
infinite being would not be unjust1     
irritable1 jealous1 revengeful1         
ignorant1 and cruel4  ,and it was his   
great good fortune to live long enough  
to find the intellectual world on his   
side2 long enough to know that the      
greatest' naturalists1 philosophers1 and

 scientists agreed with him2 long enough
 to see certain words change places1 so 
that heretic was honorable and orthodox 
an epithet4 ,to-day1 the heretic is     
known to be a man of principle and      
courage--one blest with enough mental   
independence to tell his thought4       
,to-day1 the thoroughly orthodox means  
the thoroughly stupid4  ,only a few     
years ago it was taken for granted that 
an unbeliever could not be a moral man2 
that one who disputed the inspiration of
 the legends of ,judea could not be     
sympathetic and humane1 and could not   
really love his fellow-men4 ,had we no  
other evidence upon this subject1 the   
noble life of ,elizur ,wright would     
demonstrate the utter baselessness of   
these views4  ,his life was spent in    
doing good--in attacking the hurtful1 in
 defending what he believed to be the   
truth4 ,generous beyond his means2      
helping others to help themselves2      
always hopeful1 busy1 just1 cheerful2   
filled with the spirit of reform2 a     

model citizen--always thinking of the   
public good1 devising ways and means to 
save something for posterity1 feeling   
that what he had he held in trust2      
loving ,nature1 familiar with the poetic
 side of things1 touched to enthusiasm  
by the beautiful thought1 the brave     
word1 and the generous deed2 friendly in
 manner1 candid and kind in speech1     
modest but persistent2 enjoying leisure 
as only the industrious can2 loving and 
gentle in his family2                   
hospitable1--judging men and women      
regardless of wealth1 position or public
 clamor2 physically fearless1           
intellectually honest1 thoroughly       
informed2 unselfish1 sincere1 and       
reliable as the attraction of           
gravitation4 ,such was ,elizur          
,wright1--one of the staunchest soldiers
 that ever faced and braved for         
freedom's sake the wrath and scorn and  
lies of place and power4  ,a few days   
ago ,i met this genuine man4 ,his       
interest in all human things was just as

 deep and keen1 his hatred of           
oppression1 his love of freedom1 just as
 intense1 just as fervid1 as on the day 
,i met him first4 ,true1 his body was   
old1 but his mind was young1 and his    
heart1 like a spring in the desert1     
bubbled over as joyously as though it   
had the secret of eternal youth4 ,but it
 has ceased to beat1 and the mysterious 
veil that hangs where sight and         
blindness are the same--the veil that   
revelation has not drawn aside--that    
science cannot lift1 has fallen once    
again between the living and the dead4  
,and yet we hope and dream4 ,may be the 
longing for another life is but the     
prophecy forever warm from ,nature's    
lips1 that love1 disguised as death1    
alone fulfills4 ,we cannot tell4 ,and   
yet perhaps this ,hope is but an antic1 
following the fortunes of an uncrowned  
king1 beguiling grief with jest and     
satisfying loss with pictured gain4 ,we 
do not know4  ,but from the ,christian's
 cruel hell1 and from his heaven more   

heartless still1 the free and noble     
soul1 if forced to choose1 should       
loathing turn1 and cling with rapture to
 the thought of endless sleep4  ,but    
this we know3 good deeds are never      
childless4 ,a noble life is never lost4 
,a virtuous action does not die4 ,elizur
 ,wright scattered with generous hand   
the priceless seeds1 and we shall reap  
the golden grain4 ,his words and acts   
are ours1 and all he nobly did is living
 still4  ,farewell1 brave soul6 ,upon   
thy grave ,i lay this tribute of respect
 and love4 ,when last our hands were    
joined1 ,i said these parting words3    
,long life6 ,and ,i repeat them now4    
,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,mrs4 ,,ida ,,whiting
 ,,knowles4  ,new ,york1 ,dec1 #af1     
#ahhg4   ,,my ,,friends3 ,again we stand
 in the shadow of the great mystery--a  
shadow as deep and dark as when the     
tears of the first mother fell upon the 
pallid face of her lifeless babe--a     
mystery that has never yet been solved4 
,we have met in the presence of the     

sacred dead1 to speak a word of praise1 
of hope1 of consolation4  ,another life 
of love is now a blessed memory--a      
lingering strain of music4  ,the loving 
daughter1 the pure and consecrated wife1
 the sincere friend1 who with tender    
faithfulness discharged the duties of a 
life1 has reached her journey's end4  ,a
 braver1 a more serene1 a more chivalric
 spirit--clasping the loved and by them 
clasped--never passed from life to      
enrich the realm of death4 ,no field of 
war ever witnessed greater fortitude1   
more perfect1 smiling courage1 than this
 poor1 weak and helpless woman displayed
 upon the bed of pain and death4  ,her  
life was gentle and her death sublime4  
,she loved the good and all the good    
loved her4  ,there is this consolation3 
she can never suffer more2 never feel   
again the chill of death2 never part    
again from those she loves4 ,her heart  
can break no more4 ,she has shed her    
last tear1 and upon her stainless brow  
has been set the wondrous seal of       

everlasting peace4  ,when the ,angel of 
,death--the masked and voiceless--enters
 the door of home1 there come with her  
all the daughters of ,compassion1 and of
 these ,love and ,hope remain forever4  
,you are about to take this dear dust   
home--to the home of her girlhood1 and  
to the place that was once my home4 ,you
 will lay her with neighbors whom ,i    
have loved1 and who are now at rest4    
,you will lay her where my father       
sleeps4       ,lay her i' the earth1    
,and from her fair and unpolluted flesh 
,may violets spring4  ,i never knew1 ,i 
never met1 a braver spirit than the one 
that once inhabited this silent form of 
dreamless clay4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to   
,,henry ,,ward ,,beecher4  ,new ,york1  
,june #bf1ahhg4   ,,henry ,,ward        
,,beecher was born in a ,puritan        
penitentiary1 of which his father was   
one of the wardens--a prison with very  
narrow and closely-grated windows4      
,under its walls were the rayless1      
hopeless and measureless dungeons of the

 damned1 and on its roof fell the shadow
 of ,god's eternal frown4 ,in this      
prison the creed and catechism were     
primers for children1 and from a pure   
sense of duty their loving hearts were  
stained and scarred with the religion of
 ,john ,calvin4  ,in those days the home
 of an orthodox minister was an         
inquisition in which babes were tortured
 for the good of their souls4 ,children 
then1 as now1 rebelled against the      
infamous absurdities and cruelties of   
the creed4 ,no ,calvinist was ever able1
 unless with blows1 to answer the       
questions of his child4 ,children were  
raised in what was called the nurture   
and admonition of the ,lord--that is to 
say1 their wills were broken or subdued1
 their natures were deformed and        
dwarfed1 their desires defeated or      
destroyed1 and their development        
arrested or perverted4 ,life was robbed 
of its ,spring1 its ,summer and its     
,autumn4 ,children stepped from the     
cradle into the snow4 ,no laughter1 no  

sunshine1 no joyous1 free1 unburdened   
days4 ,god1 an infinite detective1      
watched them from above1 and ,satan1    
with malicious leer1 was waiting for    
their souls below4 ,between these       
monsters life was passed4 ,infinite     
consequences were predicated of the     
smallest action1 and a burden greater   
than a ,god could bear was placed upon  
the heart and brain of every child4 ,to 
think1 to ask questions1 to doubt1 to   
investigate1 were acts of rebellion4 ,to
 express pity for the lost1 writhing in 
the dungeons below1 was simply to give  
evidence that the enemy of souls had    
been at work within their hearts4       
,among all the religions of this        
world--from the creed of cannibals who  
devoured flesh1 to that of ,calvinists  
who polluted souls--there is none1 there
 has been none1 there will be none1 more
 utterly heartless and inhuman than was 
the orthodox ,congregationalism of ,new 
,england in the year of grace #ahac4 ,it
 despised every natural joy1 hated      

pictures1 abhorred statues as lewd and  
lustful things1 execrated music1        
regarded nature as fallen and corrupt1  
man as totally depraved and woman as    
somewhat worse4 ,the theatre was the    
vestibule of perdition1 actors the      
servants of ,satan1 and ,shakespeare a  
trifling wretch whose words were seeds  
of death4 ,and yet the virtues found a  
welcome1 cordial and sincere2 duty was  
done as understood2 obligations were    
discharged2 truth was told2 self-denial 
was practiced for the sake of others1   
and many hearts were good and true in   
spite of book and creed4  ,in this      
atmosphere of theological miasma1 in    
this hideous dream of superstition1 in  
this penitentiary1 moral and austere1   
this babe first saw the imprisoned      
gloom4 ,the natural desires ungratified1
 the laughter suppressed1 the logic     
brow-beaten by authority1 the humor     
frozen by fear--of many                 
generations--were in this child1 a child
 destined to rend and wreck the prison's

 walls4  ,through the grated windows of 
his cell1 this child1 this boy1 this    
man1 caught glimpses of the outer world1
 of fields and skies4 ,new thoughts were
 in his brain1 new hopes within his     
heart4 ,another heaven bent above his   
life4 ,there came a revelation of the   
beautiful and real4  ,theology grew mean
 and small4 ,nature wooed and won and   
saved this mighty soul4  ,her countless 
hands were sowing seeds within his      
tropic brain4 ,all sights and           
sounds--all colors1 forms and           
fragments--were stored within the       
treasury of his mind4 ,his thoughts were
 moulded by the graceful curves of      
streams1 by winding paths in woods1 the 
charm of quiet country roads1 and lanes 
grown indistinct with weeds and         
grass--by vines that cling and hide with
 leaf and flower the crumbling wall's   
decay--by cattle standing in the summer 
pools like statues of content4  ,there  
was within his words the subtle spirit  
of the season's change--of everything   

that is1 of everything that lies between
 the slumbering seeds that1 half        
awakened by the ,april rain1 have dreams
 of heaven's blue1 and feel the amorous 
kisses of the sun1 and that strange tomb
 wherein the alchemist doth give to     
death's cold dust the throb and thrill  
of life again4 ,he saw with loving eyes 
the willows of the meadow-streams grow  
red beneath the glance of ,spring--the  
grass along the marsh's edge--the stir  
of life beneath the withered leaves--the
 moss below the drip of snow--the       
flowers that give their bosoms to the   
first south wind that wooes--the sad and
 timid violets that only bear the gaze  
of love from eyes half closed--the      
ferns1 where fancy gives a thousand     
forms with but a single plan--the green 
and sunny slopes enriched with daisy's  
silver and the cowslip's gold4  ,as in  
the leafless woods some tree1 aflame    
with life1 stands like a rapt poet in   
the heedless crowd1 so stood this man   
among his fellow-men4  ,all there is of 

leaf and bud1 of flower and fruit1 of   
painted insect life1 and all the winged 
and happy children of the air that      
,summer holds beneath her dome of blue1 
were known and loved by him4 ,he loved  
the yellow ,autumn fields1 the golden   
stacks1 the happy homes of men1 the     
orchard's bending boughs1 the sumach's  
flags of flame1 the maples with         
transfigured leaves1 the tender yellow  
of the beech1 the wondrous harmonies of 
brown and gold--the vines where hang the
 clustered spheres of wit and mirth4 ,he
 loved the winter days1 the whirl and   
drift of snow--all forms of frost--the  
rage and fury of the storm1 when in the 
forest1 desolate and stripped1 the brave
 old pine towers green and grand--a     
prophecy of ,spring4 ,he heard the      
rhythmic sounds of ,nature's busy       
strife1 the hum of bees1 the songs of   
birds1 the eagle's cry1 the murmur of   
the streams1 the sighs and lamentations 
of the winds1 and all the voices of the 
sea4 ,he loved the shores1 the vales1   

the crags and cliffs1 the city's busy   
streets1 the introspective1 silent      
plain1 the solemn splendors of the      
night1 the silver sea of dawn1 and      
evening's clouds of molten gold4 ,the   
love of nature freed this loving man4   
,one by one the fetters fell2 the       
gratings disappeared1 the sunshine smote
 the roof1 and on the floors of stone1  
light streamed from open doors4 ,he     
realized the darkness and despair1 the  
cruelty and hate1 the starless blackness
 of the old1 malignant creed4 ,the      
flower of pity grew and blossomed in his
 heart4 ,the selfish consolation filled 
his eyes with tears4 ,he saw that what  
is called the ,christian's hope is1     
that1 among the countless billions      
wrecked and lost1 a meagre few perhaps  
may reach the eternal shore--a hope     
that1 like the desert rain1 gives       
neither leaf nor bud--a hope that gives 
no joy1 no peace1 to any great and      
loving soul4 ,it is the dust on which   
the serpent feeds that coils in         

heartless breasts4  ,day by day the     
wrath and vengeance faded from the      
sky--the ,jewish ,god grew vague and    
dint--the threats of torture and eternal
 pain grew vulgar and absurd1 and all   
the miracles seemed strangely out of    
place4 ,they clad the ,infinite in      
motley garb1 and gave to aureoled heads 
the cap and bells4  ,touched by the     
pathos of all human life1 knowing the   
shadows that fall on every heart--the   
thorns in every path1 the sighs1 the    
sorrows1 and the tears that lie between 
a mother's arms and death's             
embrace--this great and gifted man      
denounced1 denied1 and damned with all  
his heart the fanged and frightful dogma
 that souls were made to feed the       
eternal hunger--ravenous as famine--of a
 ,god's revenge4  ,take out this        
fearful1 fiendish1 heartless            
lie--compared with which all other lies 
are true--and the great arch of orthodox
 religion crumbling falls4  ,to the     
average man the ,christian hell and     

heaven are only words4 ,he has no scope 
of thought4 ,he lives but in a dim1     
impoverished now4 ,to him the past is   
dead--the future still unborn4 ,he      
occupies with downcast eyes that narrow 
line of barren1 shifting sand that lies 
between the flowing seas4 ,but ,genius  
knows all time4 ,for him the dead all   
live and breathe1 and act their         
countless parts again4 ,all human life  
is in his now1 and every moment feels   
the thrill of all to be4  ,no one can   
overestimate the good accomplished by   
this marvelous1 many-sided man4 ,he     
helped to slay the heart-devouring      
monster of the ,christian world4 ,he    
tried to civilize the church1 to        
humanize the creeds1 to soften pious    
breasts of stone1 to take the fear from 
mothers' hearts1 the chains of creed    
from every brain1 to put the star of    
hope in every sky and over every grave4 
,attacked on every side1 maligned by    
those who preached the law of love1 he  
wavered not1 but fought whole-hearted to

 the end4  ,obstruction is but virtue's 
foil4 ,from thwarted light leaps color's
 flame4 ,the stream impeded has a song4 
,he passed from harsh and cruel creeds  
to that serene philosophy that has no   
place for pride or hate1 that threatens 
no revenge1 that looks on sin as        
stumblings of the blind and pities those
 who fall1 knowing that in the souls of 
all there is a sacred yearning for the  
light4 ,he ceased to think of man as    
something thrust upon the world--an     
exile from some other sphere4 ,he felt  
at last that men are part of ,nature's  
self--kindred of all life--the gradual  
growth of countless years2 that all the 
sacred books were helps until outgrown1 
and all religions rough and devious     
paths that man has worn with weary feet 
in sad and painful search for truth and 
peace4 ,to him these paths were wrong1  
and yet all gave the promise of success4
 ,he knew that all the streams1 no      
matter how they wander1 turn and curve  
amid the hills or rocks1 or linger in   

the lakes and pools1 must some time     
reach the sea4 ,these views enlarged his
 soul and made him patient with the     
world1 and while the wintry snows of age
 were falling on his head1 ,spring1 with
 all her wealth of bloom1 was in his    
heart4  ,the memory of this ample man is
 now a part of ,nature's wealth4 ,he    
battled for the rights of men4 ,his     
heart was with the slave4 ,he stood     
against the selfish greed of millions   
banded to protect the pirate's trade4   
,his voice was for the right when       
freedom's friends were few4 ,he taught  
the church to think and doubt4 ,he did  
not fear to stand alone4 ,his brain took
 counsel of his heart4 ,to every foe he 
offered reconciliation's hand4 ,he loved
 this land of ours1 and added to its    
glory through the world4 ,he was the    
greatest orator that stood within the   
pulpit's narrow curve4 ,he loved the    
liberty of speech4 ,there was no trace  
of bigot in his blood4 ,he was a brave  
and generous man4  ,with reverent hands1

 ,i place this tribute on his tomb4     
,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,roscoe ,,conkling4  
,delivered before the ,new ,york ,state 
,legislature1 at ,albany1      ,n4 ,y1  
,may #i1ahhh4   ,,roscoe ,,conkling--a  
great man1 an orator1 a statesman1 a    
lawyer1 a distinguished citizen of the  
,republic1 in the zenith of his fame and
 power has reached his journey's end2   
and we are met1 here in the city of his 
birth1 to pay our tribute to his worth  
and work4 ,he earned and held a proud   
position in the public thought4 ,he     
stood for independence1 for courage1 and
 above all for absolute integrity1 and  
his name was known and honored by many  
millions of his fellow-men4  ,the       
literature of many lands is rich with   
the tributes that gratitude1 admiration 
and love have paid to the great and     
honored dead4 ,these tributes disclose  
the character of nations1 the ideals of 
the human race4 ,in them we find the    
estimates of greatness--the deeds and   
lives that challenged praise and        

thrilled the hearts of men4  ,in the    
presence of death1 the good man judges  
as he would be judged4 ,he knows that   
men are only fragments--that the        
greatest walk in shadow1 and that faults
 and failures mingle with the lives of  
all4  ,in the grave should be buried the
 prejudices and passions born of        
conflict4 ,charity should hold the      
scales in which are weighed the deeds of
 men4 ,peculiarities1 traits born of    
locality and surroundings--these are but
 the dust of the race--these are        
accidents1 drapery1 clothes1 fashions1  
that have nothing to do with the man    
except to hide his character4 ,they are 
the clouds that cling to mountains4     
,time gives us clearer vision4 ,that    
which was merely local fades away4 ,the 
words of envy are forgotten1 and all    
there is of sterling worth remains4 ,he 
who was called a partisan is a patriot4 
,the revolutionist and the outlaw are   
the founders of nations1 and he who was 
regarded as a scheming1 selfish         

politician becomes a statesman1 a       
philosopher1 whose words and deeds shed 
light4  ,fortunate is that nation great 
enough to know the great4  ,when a great
 man dies--one who has nobly fought the 
battle of a life1 who has been faithful 
to every trust1 and has uttered his     
highest1 noblest thought--one who has   
stood proudly by the right in spite of  
jeer and taunt1 neither stopped by foe  
nor swerved by friend--in honoring him1 
in speaking words of praise and love    
above his dust1 we pay a tribute to     
ourselves4  ,how poor this world would  
be without its graves1 without the      
memories of its mighty dead4 ,only the  
voiceless speak forever4  ,intelligence1
 integrity and courage are the great    
pillars that support the ,state4  ,above
 all1 the citizens of a free nation     
should honor the brave and independent  
man--the man of stainless integrity1 of 
will and intellectual force4 ,such men  
are the ,atlases on whose mighty        
shoulders rest the great fabric of the  

,republic4 ,flatterers1 cringers1       
crawlers1 time-servers are the dangerous
 citizens of a democracy4 ,they who gain
 applause and power by pandering to the 
mistakes1 the prejudices and passions of
 the multitude1 are the enemies of      
liberty4  ,when the intelligent submit  
to the clamor of the many1 anarchy      
begins and the ,republic reaches the    
edge of chaos4 ,mediocrity1 touched with
 ambition1 flatters the base and        
calumniates the great1 while the true   
patriot1 who will do neither1 is often  
sacrificed4  ,in a government of the    
people a leader should be a teacher--he 
should carry the torch of truth4  ,most 
people are the slaves of                
habit--followers of custom--believers in
 the wisdom of the past--and were it not
 for brave and splendid souls1 the dust 
of antique time would lie unswept1 and  
mountainous error be too highly heaped  
for truth to overpeer4 ,custom is a     
prison1 locked and barred by those who  
long ago were dust1 the keys of which   

are in the keeping of the dead4         
,nothing is grander than when a strong1 
intrepid man breaks chains1 levels walls
 and breasts the many-headed mob like   
some great cliff that meets and mocks   
the innumerable billows of the sea4     
,the politician hastens to agree with   
the majority--insists that their        
prejudice is patriotism1 that their     
ignorance is wisdom2--not that he loves 
them1 but because he loves himself4 ,the
 statesman1 the real reformer1 points   
out the mistakes of the multitude1      
attacks the prejudices of his           
countrymen1 laughs at their follies1    
denounces their cruelties1 enlightens   
and enlarges their minds and educates   
the conscience--not because he loves    
himself1 but because he loves and serves
 the right and wishes to make his       
country great and free4  ,with him      
defeat is but a spur to further effort4 
,he who refuses to stoop1 who cannot be 
bribed by the promise of success1 or the
 fear of failure--who walks the highway 

of the right1 and in disaster stands    
erect1 is the only victor4 ,nothing is  
more despicable than to reach fame by   
crawling1--position by cringing4  ,when 
real history shall be written by the    
truthful and the wise1 these men1 these 
kneelers at the shrines of chance and   
fraud1 these brazen idols worshiped once
 as gods1 will be the very food of      
scorn1 while those who bore the burden  
of defeat1 who earned and kept their    
self-respect1 who would not bow to man  
or men for place or power1 will wear    
upon their brows the laurel mingled with
 the oak4  ,roscoe ,conkling was a man  
of superb courage4  ,he not only acted  
without fear1 but he had that fortitude 
of soul that bears the consequences of  
the course pursued without complaint4   
,he was charged with being proud4 ,the  
charge was true--he was proud4 ,his     
knees were as inflexible as the         
unwedgeable and gnarled oak1 but he was 
not vain4 ,vanity rests on the opinion  
of others--pride1 on our own4 ,the      

source of vanity is from without--of    
pride1 from within4 ,vanity is a vane   
that turns1 a willow that bends1 with   
every breeze--pride is the oak that     
defies the storm4 ,one is cloud--the    
other rock4 ,one is weakness--the other 
strength4  ,this imperious man entered  
public life in the dawn of the          
reformation--at a time when the country 
needed men of pride1 of principle and   
courage4 ,the institution of slavery had
 poisoned all the springs of power4     
,before this crime ambition fell upon   
its knees1--politicians1 judges1        
clergymen1 and merchant-princes bowed   
low and humbly1 with their hats in their
 hands4 ,the real friend of man was     
denounced as the enemy of his           
country--the real enemy of the human    
race was called a statesman and a       
patriot4 ,slavery was the bond and      
pledge of peace1 of union1 and national 
greatness4 ,the temple of ,american     
liberty was finished--the auction-block 
was the corner-stone4  ,it is hard to   

conceive of the utter demoralization1 of
 the political blindness and immorality1
 of the patriotic dishonesty1 of the    
cruelty and degradation of a people who 
supplemented the incomparable           
,declaration of ,independence with the  
,fugitive ,slave ,law4  ,think of the   
honored statesmen of that ignoble time  
who wallowed in this mire and who1      
decorated with dripping filth1 received 
the plaudits of their fellow-men4 ,the  
noble1 the really patriotic1 were the   
victims of mobs1 and the shameless were 
clad in the robes of office4  ,but let  
us speak no word of blame--let us feel  
that each one acted according to his    
light--according to his darkness4  ,at  
last the conflict came4 ,the hosts of   
light and darkness prepared to meet upon
 the fields of war4 ,the question was   
presented3 ,shall the ,republic be slave
 or free8 ,the ,republican party had    
triumphed at the polls4 ,the greatest   
man in our history was ,president elect4
 ,the victors were appalled--they shrank

 from the great responsibility of       
success4 ,in the presence of rebellion  
they hesitated--they offered to return  
the fruits of victory4 ,hoping to avert 
war they were willing that slavery      
should become immortal4 ,an amendment to
 the ,constitution was proposed1 to the 
effect that no subsequent amendment     
should ever be made that in anyway      
should interfere with the right of man  
to steal his fellow-men4  ,this1 the    
most marvelous proposition ever         
submitted to a ,congress of civilized   
men1 received in the ,house an          
overwhelming majority1 and the necessary
 two-thirds in the ,senate4 ,the        
,republican party1 in the moment of its 
triumph1 deserted every principle for   
which it had so gallantly contended1 and
 with the trembling hands of fear laid  
its convictions on the altar of         
compromise4  ,the ,old ,guard1 numbering
 but sixty-five in the ,house1 stood as 
firm as the three hundred at            
,thermopylae4 ,thad-deus ,stevens--as   

maliciously right as any other man was  
ever wrong--refused to kneel4 ,owen     
,lovejoy1 remembering his brother's     
noble blood1 refused to surrender1 and  
on the edge of disunion1 in the shadow  
of civil war1 with the air filled with  
sounds of dreadful preparation1 while   
the ,republican party was retracing its 
steps1 ,roscoe ,conkling voted ,no4     
,this puts a wreath of glory on his     
tomb4 ,from that vote to the last moment
 of his life he was a champion of equal 
rights1 staunch and stalwart4  ,from    
that moment he stood in the front rank4 
,he never wavered and he never swerved4 
,by his devotion to principle--his      
courage1 the splendor of his            
diction1--by his varied and profound    
knowledge1 his conscientious devotion to
 the great cause1 and by his            
intellectual scope and grasp1 he won and
 held the admiration of his fellow-men4 
,disasters in the field1 reverses at the
 polls1 did not and could not shake his 
courage or his faith4 ,he knew the      

ghastly meaning of defeat4 ,he knew that
 the great ship that slavery sought to  
strand and wreck was freighted with the 
world's sublimest hope4  ,he battled for
 a nation's life--for the rights of     
slaves--the dignity of labor1 and the   
liberty of all4 ,he guarded with a      
father's care the rights of the hunted1 
the hated and despised4 ,he attacked the
 savage statutes of the reconstructed   
,states with a torrent of invective1    
scorn and execration4 ,he was not       
satisfied until the freedman was an     
,american ,citizen--clothed with every  
civil right--until the ,constitution was
 his shield--until the ballot was his   
sword4  ,and long after we are dead1 the
 colored man in this and other lands    
will speak his name in reverence and    
love4 ,others wavered1 but he stood     
firm2 some were false1 but he was       
proudly true--fearlessly faithful unto  
death4  ,he gladly1 proudly grasped the 
hands of colored men who stood with him 
as makers of our laws1 and treated them 

as equals and as friends4 ,the cry of   
social equality coined and uttered by   
the cruel and the base1 was to him the  
expression of a great and splendid      
truth4 ,he knew that no man can be the  
equal of the one he robs--that the      
intelligent and unjust are not the      
superiors of the ignorant and           
honest--and he also felt1 and proudly   
felt1 that if he were not too great to  
reach the hand of help and recognition  
to the slave1 no other ,senator could   
rightfully refuse4  ,we rise by raising 
others--and he who stoops above the     
fallen1 stands erect4  ,nothing can be  
grander than to sow the seeds of noble  
thoughts and virtuous deeds--to liberate
 the bodies and the souls of men--to    
earn the grateful homage of a race--and 
then1 in life's last shadowy hour1 to   
know that the historian of ,liberty will
 be compelled to write your name4       
,there are no words intense             
enough1--with heart enough--to express  
my admiration for the great and gallant 

souls who have in every age and every   
land upheld the right1 and who have     
lived and died for freedom's sake4  ,in 
our lives have been the grandest years  
that man has lived1 that ,time has      
measured by the flight of worlds4  ,the 
history of that great ,party that let   
the oppressed go free--that lifted our  
nation from the depths of savagery to   
freedom's cloudless heights1 and tore   
with holy hands from every law the words
 that sanctified the cruelty of man1 is 
the most glorious in the annals of our  
race4 ,never before was there such a    
moral exaltation--never a party with a  
purpose so pure and high4 ,it was the   
embodied conscience of a nation1 the    
enthusiasm of a people guided by wisdom1
 the impersonation of justice2 and the  
sublime victory achieved loaded even the
 conquered with all the rights that     
freedom can bestow4  ,roscoe ,conkling  
was an absolutely honest man4 ,honesty  
is the oak around which all other       
virtues cling4 ,without that they fall1 

and groveling die in weeds and dust4 ,he
 believed that a nation should discharge
 its obligations4 ,he knew that a       
promise could not be made often enough1 
or emphatic enough1 to take the place of
 payment4 ,he felt that the promise of  
the ,government was the promise of every
 citizen--that a national obligation was
 a personal debt1 and that no possible  
combination of words and pictures could 
take the place of coin4 ,he uttered the 
splendid truth that the higher          
obligations among men are not set down  
in writing signed and sealed1 but reside
 in honor4 ,he knew that repudiation was
 the sacrifice of honor--the death of   
the national soul4 ,he knew that without
 character1 without integrity1 there is 
no wealth1 and that below poverty1 below
 bankruptcy1 is the rayless abyss of    
repudiation4 ,he upheld the sacredness  
of contracts1 of plighted national      
faith1 and helped to save and keep the  
honor of his native land4 ,this adds    
another laurel to his brow4  ,he was the

 ideal representative1 faithful and     
incorruptible4 ,he believed that his    
constituents and his country were       
entitled to the fruit of his experience1
 to his best and highest thought4 ,no   
man ever held the standard of           
responsibility higher than he4 ,he voted
 according to his judgment1 his         
conscience4 ,he made no bargains--he    
neither bought nor sold4  ,to correct   
evils1 abolish abuses and inaugurate    
reforms1 he believed was not only the   
duty1 but the privilege1 of a           
legislator4 ,he neither sold nor        
mortgaged himself4 ,he was in ,congress 
during the years of vast expenditure1 of
 war and waste--when the credit of the  
nation was loaned to individuals--when  
claims were thick as leaves in ,june1   
when the amendment of a statute1 the    
change of a single word1 meant millions1
 and when empires were given to         
corporations4 ,he stood at the summit of
 his power--peer of the greatest--a     
leader tried and trusted4 ,he had the   

tastes of a prince1 the fortune of a    
peasant1 and yet he never swerved4 ,no  
corporation was great enough or rich    
enough to purchase him4 ,his vote could 
not be bought for all the sun sees1 or  
the close earth wombs1 or the profound  
seas hide4 ,his hand was never touched  
by any bribe1 and on his soul there     
never was a sordid stain4 ,poverty was  
his priceless crown4  ,above his        
marvelous intellectual gifts--above all 
place he ever reached1--above the ermine
 he refused1--rises his integrity like  
some great mountain peak--and there it  
stands1 firm as the earth beneath1 pure 
as the stars above4  ,he was a great    
lawyer4 ,he understood the frame-work1  
the anatomy1 the foundations of law2 was
 familiar with the great streams and    
currents and tides of authority4  ,he   
knew the history of legislation--the    
principles that have been settled upon  
the fields of war4 ,he knew the         
maxims1--those crystallizations of      
common sense1 those hand-grenades of    

argument4 ,he was not a case-lawyer--a  
decision index1 or an echo2 he was      
original1 thoughtful and profound4 ,he  
had breadth and scope1 resource1        
learning1 logic1 and above all1 a sense 
of justice4 ,he was painstaking and     
conscientious--anxious to know the      
facts--preparing for every attack1 ready
 for every defence4 ,he rested only when
 the end was reached4 ,during the       
contest1 he neither sent nor received a 
flag of truce4 ,he was true to his      
clients--making their case his4 ,feeling
 responsibility1 he listened patiently  
to details1 and to his industry there   
were only the limits of time and        
strength4 ,he was a student of the      
,constitution4 ,he knew the boundaries  
of ,state and ,federal jurisdiction1 and
 no man was more familiar with those    
great decisions that are the peaks and  
promontories1 the headlands and the     
beacons1 of the law4  ,he was an        
orator1--logical1 earnest1 intense and  
picturesque4 ,he laid the foundation    

with care1 with accuracy and skill1 and 
rose by cold gradation and well balanced
 form from the corner-stone of statement
 to the domed conclusion4 ,he filled the
 stage4 ,he satisfied the eye--the      
audience was his4 ,he had that          
indefinable thing called presence4      
,tall1 commanding1 erect--ample in      
speech1 graceful in compliment1 ,titanic
 in denunciation1 rich in illustration1 
prodigal of comparison and metaphor--and
 his sentences1 measured and rhythmical1
 fell like music on the enraptured      
throng4  ,he abhorred the ,pharisee1 and
 loathed all conscientious fraud4 ,he   
had a profound aversion for those who   
insist on putting base motives back of  
the good deeds of others4 ,he wore no   
mask4 ,he knew his friends--his enemies 
knew him4  ,he had no patience with     
pretence--with patriotic reasons for    
unmanly acts4 ,he did his work and      
bravely spoke his thought4  ,sensitive  
to the last degree1 he keenly felt the  
blows and stabs of the envious and      

obscure--of the smallest1 of the        
weakest--but the greatest could not     
drive him from conviction's field4 ,he  
would not stoop to ask or give an       
explanation4 ,he left his words and     
deeds to justify themselves4  ,he held  
in light esteem a friend who heard with 
half-believing ears the slander of a    
foe4 ,he walked a highway of his own1   
and kept the company of his             
self-respect4 ,he would not turn aside  
to avoid a foe--to greet or gain a      
friend4  ,in his nature there was no    
compromise4 ,to him there were but two  
paths--the right and wrong4 ,he was     
maligned1 misrepresented and            
misunderstood--but he would not answer4 
,he knew that character speaks louder   
far than any words4 ,he was as silent   
then as he is now--and his silence1     
better than any form of speech1 refuted 
every charge4  ,he was an               
,american--proud of his country1 that   
was and ever will be proud of him4 ,he  
did not find perfection only in other   

lands4 ,he did not grow small and       
shrunken1 withered and apologetic1 in   
the presence of those upon whom         
greatness had been thrust by chance4 ,he
 could not be overawed by dukes or      
lords1 nor flattered into               
vertebrate-less subserviency by the     
patronizing smiles of kings4 ,in the    
midst of conventionalities he had the   
feeling of suffocation4 ,he believed in 
the royalty of man1 in the sovereignty  
of the citizen1 and in the matchless    
greatness of this ,republic4  ,he was of
 the classic mould--a figure from the   
antique world4 ,he had the pose of the  
great statues--the pride and bearing of 
the intellectual ,greek1 of the         
conquering ,roman1 and he stood in the  
wide free air as though within his veins
 there flowed the blood of a hundred    
kings4  ,and as he lived he died4       
,proudly he entered the darkness--or the
 dawn--that we call death4              
,unshrinkingly he passed beyond our     
horizon1 beyond the twilight's purple   

hills1 beyond the utmost reach of human 
harm or help--to that vast realm of     
silence or of joy where the innumerable 
dwell1 and he has left with us his      
wealth of thought and deed--the memory  
of a brave1 imperious1 honest man1 who  
bowed alone to death4     ,a ,,tribute  
,,to ,,richard ,h4 ,,whiting4  ,new     
,york1 ,may #bd41 #ahhh4   ,,my         
,,friends3 ,the river of another life   
has reached the sea4  ,again we are in  
the presence of that eternal peace that 
we call death4  ,my life has been rich  
in friends1 but ,i never had a better or
 a truer one than he who lies in silence
 here4 ,he was as steadfast1 as         
faithful1 as the stars4  ,richard ,h4   
,whiting was an absolutely honest man4  
,his word was gold--his promise was     
fulfillment--and there never has been1  
there never will be1 on this poor earth1
 any thing nobler than an honest1 loving
 soul4  ,this man was as reliable as the
 attraction of gravitation--he knew no  
shadow of turning4 ,he was as generous  

as autumn1 as hospitable as summer1 and 
as tender as a perfect day in ,june4 ,he
 forgot only himself1 and asked favors  
only for others4 ,he begged for the     
opportunity to do good--to stand by a   
friend1 to support a cause1 to defend   
what he believed to be right4  ,he was a
 lover of nature--of the woods1 the     
fields and flowers4 ,he was a           
home-builder4 ,he believed in the family
 and the fireside--in the sacredness of 
the hearth4  ,he was a believer in the  
religion of deed1 and his creed was to  
do good4 ,no man has ever slept in death
 who nearer lived his creed4  ,i have   
known him for many years1 and have yet  
to hear a word spoken of him except in  
praise4  ,his life was full of honor1 of
 kindness and of helpful deeds4 ,besides
 all1 his soul was free4 ,he feared     
nothing1 except to do wrong4 ,he was a  
believer in the gospel of help and hope4
 ,he knew how much better1 how much more
 sacred1 a kind act is than any theory  
the brain has wrought4  ,the good are   

the noble4 ,his life filled the lives of
 others with sunshine4 ,he has left a   
legacy of glory to his children4 ,they  
can truthfully say that within their    
veins is right royal blood--the blood of
 an honest1 generous man1 of a steadfast
 friend1 of one who was true to the very
 gates of death4  ,if there be another  
world1 another life beyond the shore of 
this1--if the great and good who died   
upon this orb are there1--then the      
noblest and the best1 with eager hands1 
have welcomed him--the equal in honor1  
in generosity1 of any one that ever     
passed beyond the veil4  ,to me this    
world is growing poor4 ,new friends can 
never fill the places of the old4       
,farewell6 ,if this is the end1 then you
 have left to us the sacred memory of a 
noble life4 ,if this is not the end1    
there is no world in which you1 my      
friend1 will not be loved and welcomed4 
,farewell6     ,a ,,tribute ,,to        
,,courtlandt ,,palmer4  ,new ,york1     
,july #bf1 #ahhh4  ,,my ,,friends3 ,a   

thinker of pure thoughts1 a speaker of  
brave words1 a doer of generous deeds   
has reached the silent haven that all   
the dead have reached1 and where the    
voyage of every life must end2 and we1  
his friends1 who even now are hastening 
after him1 are met to do the last kind  
acts that man may do for man--to tell   
his virtues and to lay with tenderness  
and tears lay ashes in the sacred place 
of rest and peace4  ,some one has said1 
that in the open hands of death we find 
only what they gave away4  ,let us      
believe that pure thoughts1 brave words 
and generous deeds can never die4 ,let  
us believe that they bear fruit and add 
forever to the well-being of the human  
race4 ,let us believe that a noble1     
self-denying life increases the moral   
wealth of man1 and gives assurance that 
the future will be grander than the     
past4  ,in the monotony of subservience1
 in the multitude of blind followers1   
nothing is more inspiring than a free   
and independent man--one who gives and  

asks reasons2 one who demands freedom   
and gives what he demands2 one who      
refuses to be slave or master4 ,such a  
man was ,courtlandt ,palmer1 to whom we 
pay the tribute of respect and love4    
,he was an honest man--he gave the      
rights he claimed4 ,this was the        
foundation on which he built4 ,to think 
for himself--to give his thought to     
others2 this was to him not only a      
privilege1 not only a right1 but a duty4
  ,he believed in self-preservation--in 
personal independence--that is to say1  
in manhood4  ,he preserved the realm of 
mind from the invasion of brute force1  
and protected the children of the brain 
from the ,herod of authority4  ,he      
investigated for himself the questions1 
the problems and the mysteries of life4 
,majorities were nothing to him4 ,no    
error could be old enough--popular1     
plausible or profitable enough--to bribe
 his judgment or to keep his conscience 
still4  ,he knew that1 next to finding  
truth1 the greatest joy is honest       

search4  ,he was a believer in          
intellectual hospitality1 in the fair   
exchange of thought1 in good mental     
manners1 in the amenities of the soul1  
in the chivalry of discussion4  ,he     
insisted that those who speak should    
hear2 that those who question should    
answer2 that each should strive not for 
a victory over others1 but for the      
discovery of truth1 and that truth when 
found should be welcomed by every human 
soul4  ,he knew that truth has no fear  
of investigation--of being understood4  
,he knew that truth loves the day--that 
its enemies are ignorance1 prejudice1   
egotism1 bigotry1 hypocrisy1 fear and   
darkness1 and that intelligence1 candor1
 honesty1 love and light are its eternal
 friends4  ,he believed in the morality 
of the useful--that the virtues are the 
friends of man--the seeds of joy4  ,he  
knew that consequences determine the    
quality of actions1 and that whatsoever 
a man sows that shall he also reap4  ,in
 the positive philosophy of ,auguste    

,comte he found the framework of his    
creed4 ,in the conclusions of that      
great1 sublime and tender soul he found 
the rest1 the serenity and the certainty
 he sought4  ,the clouds had fallen from
 his life4 ,he saw that the old faiths  
were but phases in the growth of        
man--that out from the darkness1 up from
 the depths1 the human race through     
countless ages and in every land had    
struggled toward the ever-growing light4
  ,he felt that the living are indebted 
to the noble dead1 and that each should 
pay his debt2 that he should pay it by  
preserving to the extent of his power   
the good he has1 by destroying the      
hurtful1 by adding to the knowledge of  
the world1 by giving better than he had 
received2 and that each should be the   
bearer of a torch1 a giver of light for 
all that is1 for all to be4  ,this was  
the religion of duty perceived1 of duty 
within the reach of man1 within the     
circumference of the known--a religion  
without mystery1 with experience for the

 foundation of belief--a religion       
understood by the head and approved by  
the heart--a religion that appealed to  
reason with a definite end in view--the 
civilization and development of the     
human race by legitimate1 adequate and  
natural means--that is to say1 by       
ascertaining the conditions of progress 
and by teaching each to be noble enough 
to live for all4  ,this is the gospel of
 man2 this is the gospel of this world2 
this is the religion of humanity2 this  
is a philosophy that comtemplates not   
with scorn1 but with pity1 with         
admiration and with love all that man   
has done1 regarding1 as it does1 the    
past with all its faults and virtues1   
its sufferings1 its cruelties and       
crimes1 as the only road by which the   
perfect could be reached4  ,he denied   
the supernatural--the phantoms and the  
ghosts that fill the twilight-land of   
fear4 ,to him and for him there was but 
one religion--the religion of pure      
thoughts1 of noble words1 of            

self-denying deeds1 of honest work for  
all the world--the religion of ,help and
 ,hope4  ,facts were the foundation of  
his faith2 history was his prophet2     
reason his guide2 duty his deity2       
happiness the end2 intelligence the     
means4  ,he knew that man must be the   
providence of man4  ,he did not believe 
in ,religion and ,science1 but in the   
,religion of ,science--that is to say1  
wisdom glorified by love1 the ,savior of
 our race--the religion that conquers   
prejudice and hatred1 that drives all   
superstition from the mind1 that        
ennobles1 lengthens and enriches life1  
that drives from every home the wolves  
of want1 from every heart the fiends of 
selfishness and fear1 and from every    
brain the monsters of the night4  ,he   
lived and labored for his fellow-men4   
,he sided with the weak and poor against
 the strong and rich4 ,he welcomed      
light4 ,his face was ever toward the    
,east4  ,according to his light he      
lived4 ,the world was his country--to do

 good his religion4 ,there is no        
language to express a nobler creed than 
this2 nothing can be grander1 more      
comprehensive1 nearer perfect4 ,this was
 the creed that glorified his life and  
made his death sublime4  ,he was afraid 
to do wrong1 and for that reason was not
 afraid to die4  ,he knew that the end  
was near4 ,he knew that his work was    
done4 ,he stood within the twilight1    
within the deepening gloom1 knowing that
 for the last time the gold was fading  
from the ,west and that there could not 
fall again within his eyes the trembling
 lustre of another dawn4 ,he knew that  
night had come1 and yet his soul was    
filled with light1 for in that night the
 memory of his generous deeds shone out 
like stars4  ,what can we say8 ,what    
words can solve the mystery of life1 the
 mystery of death8 ,what words can      
justly pay a tribute to the man who     
lived to his ideal1 who spoke his honest
 thought1 and who was turned aside      
neither by envy1 nor hatred1 nor        

contumely1 nor slander1 nor scorn1 nor  
fear8  ,what words will do that life the
 justice that we know and feel8  ,a     
heart breaks1 a man dies1 a leaf falls  
in the far forest1 a babe is born1 and  
the great world sweeps on4  ,by the     
grave of man stands the angel of        
,silence4  ,no one can tell which is    
better--,life with its gleams and       
shadows1 its thrills and pangs1 its     
ecstasy and tears1 its wreaths and      
thorns1 its crowns1 its glories and     
,golgothas1 or ,death1 with its peace1  
its rest1 its cool and placid brow that 
hath within no memory or fear of grief  
or pain4  ,farewell1 dear friend4 ,the  
world is better for your life--,the     
world is braver for your death4         
,farewell6 ,we loved you living1 and we 
love you now4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to     
,,mrs4 ,,mary ,h4 ,,fiske4  ,at         
,scottish ,rite ,hall1 ,new ,york1      
,february #f1 #ahhi4   ,,my ,,friends3  
,in the presence of the two great       
mysteries1 ,life and ,death1 we are met 

to say above this still1 unconscious    
house of clay1 a few words of kindness1 
of regret1 of love1 and hope4  ,in this 
presence1 let us speak of the goodness1 
the charity1 the generosity and the     
genius of the dead4  ,only flowers      
should be laid upon the tomb4 ,in life's
 last pillow there should be no thorns4 
,mary ,fiske was like herself--she      
patterned after none4 ,she was a genius1
 and put her soul in all she did and    
wrote4 ,she cared nothing for roads1    
nothing for beaten paths1 nothing for   
the footsteps of others--she went across
 the fields and through the woods and by
 the winding streams1 and down the      
vales1 or over crags1 wherever fancy    
led4 ,she wrote lines that leaped with  
laughter and words that were wet with   
tears4 ,she gave us quaint thoughts1 and
 sayings filled with the pert and nimble
 spirit of mirth4 ,her pages were       
flecked with sunshine and shadow1 and in
 every word were the pulse and breath of
 life4  ,her heart went out to all the  

wretched in this weary world--and yet   
she seemed as joyous as though grief and
 death were nought but words4 ,she wept 
where others wept1 but in her own       
misfortunes found the food of hope4 ,she
 cared for the to-morrow of others1 but 
not for her own4 ,she lived for to-day4 
,some hearts are like a waveless pool1  
satisfied to hold the image of a        
wondrous star--but hers was full of     
motion1 life and light and storm4  ,she 
longed for freedom4 ,every limitation   
was a prison's wall4 ,rules were        
shackles1 and forms were made for serfs 
and slaves4  ,she gave her utmost       
thought4 ,she praised all generous      
deeds2 applauded the struggling and even
 those who failed4  ,she pitied the     
poor1 the forsaken1 the friendless4 ,no 
one could fall below her pity1 no one   
could wander beyond the circumference of
 her sympathy4 ,to her there were no    
outcasts--they were victims4 ,she knew  
that the inhabitants of palaces and     
penitentiaries might change places      

without adding to the injustice of the  
world4 ,she knew that circumstances and 
conditions determine character--that the
 lowest and the worst of our race were  
children once1 as pure as light1 whose  
cheeks dimpled with smiles beneath the  
heaven of a mother's eyes4 ,she thought 
of the road they had traveled1 of the   
thorns that had pierced their feet1 of  
the deserts they had crossed1 and so1   
instead of words of scorn she gave the  
eager hand of help4  ,no one appealed to
 her in vain4 ,she listened to the story
 of the poor1 and all she had she gave4 
,a god could do no more4  ,the destitute
 and suffering turned naturally to her4 
,the maimed and hurt sought for her open
 door1 and the helpless put their hands 
in hers4  ,she shielded the weak--she   
attacked the strong4  ,her heart was    
open as the gates of day4 ,she shed     
kindness as the sun sheds light4 ,if all
 her deeds were flowers1 the air would  
be faint with perfume4 ,if all her      
charities could change to melodies1 a   

symphony would fill the sky4  ,mary     
,fiske had within her brain the divine  
fire called genius1 and in her heart the
 touch of nature that makes the whole   
world kin4  ,she wrote as a stream runs1
 that winds and babbles through the     
shadowy fields1 that falls in foam of   
flight and haste and laughing joins the 
sea4  ,a little while ago a babe was    
found--one that had been abandoned by   
its mother--left as a legacy to chance  
or fate4 ,the warm heart of ,mary       
,fiske1 now cold in death1 was touched4 
,she took the waif and held it lovingly 
to her breast and made the child her    
own4  ,we pray thee1 ,mother ,nature1   
that thou wilt take this woman and hold 
her as tenderly in thy arms1 as she held
 and pressed against her generous1      
throbbing heart1 the abandoned babe4    
,we ask no more4  ,in this presence1 let
 us remember our faults1 our frailties1 
and the generous1 helpful1 self-denying1
 loving deeds of ,mary ,fiske4     ,a   
,,tribute ,,to ,,horace ,,seaver4  ,at  

,paine ,hall1 ,boston1 ,august #be1     
#ahhi4       99 ,the eulogy pronounced  
at the funeral of ,horace ,shaver ,in   
,paine ,hall last ,sunday was the       
tribute of one great man to             
another4 ,to have ,robert ,g4 ,ingersoll
 speak words of praise      above the   
silent form is fame2 to deserve these   
words is      immortality4--,the ,boston
 ,investigator1 ,august #bh1 #ahhi4     
,,horace ,,seaver was a pioneer1 a      
torch-bearer1 a toiler in that great    
field we call the world--a worker for   
his fellow-men4 ,at the end of his task 
he has fallen asleep1 and we are met to 
tell the story of his long and useful   
life--to pay our tribute to his work and
 worth4  ,he was one who saw the dawn   
while others lived in night4 ,he kept   
his face toward the purpling east and   
watched the coming of the blessed day4  
,he always sought for light4 ,his object
 was to know--to find a reason for his  
faith--a fact on which to build4  ,in   
superstition's sands he sought the gems 

of truth2 in superstition's night he    
looked for stars4  ,born in ,new        
,england--reared amidst the cruel       
superstitions of his age and time1 he   
had the manhood and the courage to      
investigate1 and he had the goodness and
 the courage to tell his honest         
thoughts4  ,he was always kind1 and     
sought to win the confidence of men by  
sympathy and love4 ,there was no taint  
or touch of malice in his blood4 ,to him
 his fellows did not seem depraved--they
 were not wholly bad--there was within  
the heart of each the seeds of good4 ,he
 knew that back of every thought and act
 were forces uncontrolled4 ,he wisely   
said3 ,circumstances furnish the seeds  
of good and evil1 and man is but the    
soil in which they grow4 ,horace ,seaver
 was crowned with the wreath of his own 
deeds1 woven by the generous hand of a  
noble friend4 ,he fought the creed1 and 
loved the man4 ,he pitied those who     
feared and shuddered at the thought of  
death--who dwelt in darkness and in     

dread4  ,the religion of his day filled 
his heart with horror4  ,he was kind1   
compassionate1 and tender1 and could not
 fall upon his knees before a cruel and 
revengeful ,god--he could not bow to one
 who slew with famine1 sword and        
fire--to one pitiless as pestilence1    
relentless as the lightning stroke4     
,jehovah had no attribute that he could 
love4  ,he attacked the creed of ,new   
,england--a creed that had within it the
 ferocity of ,knox1 the malice of       
,calvin1 the cruelty of ,jonathan       
,edwards--a religion that had a monster 
for a ,god--a religion whose dogmas     
would have shocked cannibals feasting   
upon babes4  ,horace ,seaver followed   
the light of his brain--the impulse of  
his heart4 ,he was attacked1 but he     
answered the insulter with a smile2 and 
even he who coined malignant lies was   
treated as a friend misled4 ,he did not 
ask ,god to forgive his enemies--he     
forgave them himself4 ,he was sincere4  
,sincerity is the true and perfect      

mirror of the mind4 ,it reflects the    
honest thought4 ,it is the foundation of
 character1 and without it there is no  
moral grandeur4  ,sacred are the lips   
from which has issued only truth4 ,over 
all wealth1 above all station1 above the
 noble1 the robed and crowned1 rises the
 sincere man4 ,happy is the man who     
neither paints nor patches1 veils nor   
veneers4 ,blessed is he who wears no    
mask4  ,the man who lies before us      
wrapped in perfect peace1 practiced no  
art to hide or half conceal his thought4
 ,he did not write or speak the double  
words that might be useful in retreat4  
,he gave a truthful transcript of his   
mind1 and sought to make his meaning    
clear as light4  ,to use his own words1 
he had the courage which impels a man to
 do his duty1 to hold fast his          
integrity1 to maintain a conscience void
 of offence1 at every hazard and at     
every sacrifice1 in defiance of the     
world4  ,he lived to his ideal4 ,he     
sought the approbation of himself4 ,he  

did not build his character upon the    
opinions of others1 and it was out of   
the very depths of his nature that he   
asked this profound question3  ,what is 
there in other men that makes us desire 
their approbation1 and fear their       
censure more than our own8  ,horace     
,seaver was a good and loyal citizen of 
the mental republic--a believer in1     
intellectual hospitality1 one who knew  
that bigotry is born of ignorance and   
fear--the provincialisms of the brain4  
,he did not belong to the tribe1 or to  
the nation1 but to the human race4 ,his 
sympathy was wide as want1 and1 like the
 sky1 bent above the suffering world4   
,this man had that superb thing called  
moral courage--courage in its highest   
form4 ,he knew that his thoughts were   
not the thoughts of others--that he was 
with the few1 and that where one would  
take his side1 thousands would be his   
eager foes4 ,he knew that wealth would  
scorn and cultured ignorance deride1 and
 that believers in the creeds1          

buttressed by law and custom1 would hurl
 the missiles of revenge and hate4 ,he  
knew that lies1 like snakes1 would fill 
the pathway of his life--and yet he told
 his honest thought--told it without    
hatred and without contempt--told it as 
it really was4 ,and so1 through all his 
days1 his heart was sound and stainless 
to the core4  ,when he enlisted in the  
army whose banner is light1 the honest  
investigator was looked upon as lost and
 cursed1 and even ,christian criminals  
held him in contempt4 ,the believing    
embezzler1 the orthodox wife-beater1    
even the murderer1 lifted his bloody    
hands and thanked ,god that on his soul 
there was no stain of unbelief4  ,in    
nearly every ,state of our ,republic1   
the man who denied the absurdities and  
impossibilities lying at the foundation 
of what is called orthodox religion1 was
 denied his civil rights4 ,he was not   
canopied by the aegis of the law4 ,he   
stood beyond the reach of sympathy4 ,he 
was not allowed to testify against the  

invader of his home1 the seeker for his 
life--his lips were closed4 ,he was     
declared dishonorable1 because he was   
honest4 ,his unbelief made him a social 
leper1 a pariah1 an outcast4 ,he was the
 victim of religious hate and scorn4    
,arrayed against him were all the       
prejudices and all the forces and       
hypocrisies of society4 ,all mistakes   
and lies were his enemies4 ,even the    
,theist was denounced as a disturber of 
the peace1 although he told his thoughts
 in kind and candid words4 ,he was      
called a blasphemer1 because he sought  
to rescue the reputation of his ,god    
from the slanders of orthodox priests4  
,such was the bigotry of the time1 that 
natural love was lost4 ,the unbelieving 
son was hated by his pious sire1 and    
even the mother's heart was by her creed
 turned into stone4  ,horace ,seaver    
pursued his way4 ,he worked and wrought 
as best he could1 in solitude and want4 
,he knew the day would come4 ,he lived  
to be rewarded for his toil--to see most

 of the laws repealed that had made     
outcasts of the noblest1 the wisest1 and
 the best4 ,he lived to see the foremost
 preachers of the world attack the      
sacred creeds4 ,he lived to see the     
sciences released from superstition's   
clutch4 ,he lived to see the orthodox   
theologian take his place with the      
professor of the black art1 the         
fortune-teller1 and the astrologer4 ,he 
lived to see the greatest of the world  
accept his thought--to see the          
theologian displaced by the true priests
 of ,nature--by ,humboldt and ,darwin1  
by ,huxley and ,haeckel4  ,within the   
narrow compass of his life the world was
 changed4 ,the railway1 the steamship1  
and the telegraph made all nations      
neighbors4 ,countless inventions have   
made the luxuries of the past the       
necessities of to-day4 ,life has been   
enriched1 and man ennobled4 ,the        
geologist has read the records of frost 
and flame1 of wind and wave--the        
astronomer has told the story of the    

stars--the biologist has sought the germ
 of life1 and in every department of    
knowledge the torch of science sheds its
 sacred light4  ,the ancient creeds have
 grown absurd4 ,the miracles are small  
and mean4 ,the inspired book is filled  
with fables told to please a childish   
world1 and the dogma of eternal pain now
 shocks the heart and brain4  ,he lived 
to see a monument unveiled to ,bruno in 
the city of ,rome--to ,giordano         
,bruno--that great man who two hundred  
and eighty-nine years ago suffered death
 for having proclaimed the truths that  
since have filled the world with joy4   
,he lived to see the victim of the      
church a victor--lived to see his memory
 honored by a nation freed from papal   
chains4  ,he worked knowing what the end
 must be--expecting little while he     
lived--but knowing that every fact in   
the wide universe was on his side4 ,he  
knew that truth can wait1 and so he     
worked patient as eternity4  ,he had the
 brain of a philosopher and the heart of

 a child4  ,horace ,seaver was a man of 
common sense4  ,by that ,i mean1 one who
 knows the law of average4 ,he denied   
the ,bible1 not on account of what has  
been discovered in astronomy1 or the    
length of time it took to form the delta
 of the ,nile--but he compared the      
things he found with what he knew4  ,he 
knew that antiquity added nothing to    
probability--that lapse of time can     
never take the place of cause1 and that 
the dust can never gather thick enough  
upon mistakes to make them equal with   
the truth4  ,he knew that the old1 by no
 possibility1 could have been more      
wonderful than the new1 and that the    
present is a perpetual torch by which we
 know the past4  ,to him all miracles   
were mistakes1 whose parents were       
cunning and credulity4 ,he knew that    
miracles were not1 because they are not4
  ,he believed in the sublime1 unbroken1
 and eternal march of causes and        
effects--denying the chaos of chance1   
and the caprice of power4  ,he tested   

the past by the now1 and judged of all  
the men and races of the world by those 
he knew4  ,he believed in the religion  
of free thought and good deed--of       
character1 of sincerity1 of honest      
endeavor1 of cheerful help--and above   
all1 in the religion of love and        
liberty--in a religion for every        
day--for the world in which we live--for
 the present--the religion of roof and  
raiment1 of food1 of intelligence1 of   
intellectual hospitality--the religion  
that gives health and happiness1 freedom
 and content--in the religion of work1  
and in the ceremonies of honest labor4  
,he lived for this world2 if there be   
another1 he will live for that4  ,he did
 what he could for the destruction of   
fear--the destruction of the imaginary  
monster who rewards the few in          
heaven--the monster who tortures the    
many in perdition4  ,he was a friend of 
all the world1 and sought to civilize   
the human race4  ,for more than fifty   
years he labored to free the bodies and 

the souls of men--and many thousands    
have read his words with joy4 ,he sought
 the suffering and oppressed4 ,he sat by
 those in pain--and his helping hand was
 laid in pity on the brow of death4  ,he
 asked only to be treated as he treated 
others4 ,he asked for only what he      
earned1 and had the manhood cheerfully  
to accept the consequences of his       
actions4 ,he expected no reward for the 
goodness of another4  ,but he has lived 
his life4 ,we should shed no tears      
except the tears of gratitude4 ,we      
should rejoice that he lived so long4   
,in ,nature's course1 his time had come4
 ,the four seasons were complete in him4
 ,the ,spring could never come again4   
,the measure of his years was full4     
,when the day is done--when the work of 
a life is finished--when the gold of    
evening meets the dusk of night1 beneath
 the silent stars the tired laborer     
should fall asleep4 ,to outlive         
usefulness is a double death4 ,let me   
not live after my flame lacks oil1 to be

 the snuff of younger spirits4  ,when   
the old oak is visited in vain by       
,spring--when light and rain no longer  
thrill--it is not well to stand         
leafless1 desolate1 and alone4 ,it is   
better far to fall where ,nature softly 
covers all with woven moss and creeping 
vine4  ,how little1 after all1 we know  
of what is ill or well6 ,how little of  
this wondrous stream of cataracts and   
pools--this stream of life1 that rises  
in a world unknown1 and flows to that   
mysterious sea whose shore the foot of  
one who comes has never pressed6 ,how   
little of this life we know--this       
struggling ray of light 'twixt gloom and
 gloom--this strip of land by verdure   
clad1 between the unknown wastes--this  
throbbing moment filled with love and   
pain--this dream that lies between the  
shadowy shores of sleep and death6  ,we 
stand upon this verge of crumbling time4
 ,we love1 we hope1 we disappear4 ,again
 we mingle with the dust1 and the knot  
intrinsicate forever falls apart4  ,but 

this we know3 ,a noble life enriches all
 the world4  ,horace ,seaver lived for  
others4 ,he accepted toil and hope      
deferred4 ,poverty was his portion4     
,like ,socrates1 he did not seek to     
adorn his body1 but rather his soul with
 the jewels of charity1 modesty1        
courage1 and above all1 with a love of  
liberty4  ,farewell1 ,o brave and modest
 man6  ,your lips1 between which truths 
burst into blossom1 are forever closed4 
,your loving heart has ceased to beat4  
,your busy brain is still1 and from your
 hand has dropped the sacred torch4     
,your noble1 self-denying life has      
honored us1 and we will honor you4  ,you
 were my friend1 and ,i was yours4      
,above your silent clay ,i pay this     
tribute to your worth4  ,farewell6      
,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,lawrence ,,barrett4 
,at the ,broadway ,theatre1 ,new ,york1 
,march #bb1 #ahia4   ,,my heart tells me
 that on the threshold of my address it 
will be appropriate for me to say a few 
words about the great actor who has just

 fallen into that sleep that we call    
death4 ,lawrence ,barrett was my friend1
 and ,i was his4 ,he was an interpreter 
of ,shakespeare1 to whose creations he  
gave flesh and blood4 ,he began at the  
foundation of his profession1 and rose  
until he stood next to his friend--next 
to one who is regarded as the greatest  
tragedian of our time--next to ,edwin   
,booth4  ,the life of ,lawrence ,barrett
 was a success1 because he honored      
himself and added glory to the stage4   
,he did not seek for gain by pandering  
to the thoughtless1 ignorant or base4   
,he gave the drama in its highest and   
most serious form4 ,he shunned the      
questionable1 the vulgar and impure1 and
 gave the intellectual1 the pathetic1   
the manly and the tragic4 ,he did not   
stoop to conquer--he soared4 ,he was    
fitted for the stage4 ,he had a         
thoughtful face1 a vibrant voice and the
 pose of chivalry1 and besides he had   
patience1 industry1 courage and the     
genius of success4  ,he was a graceful  

and striking ,bassanio1 a thoughtful    
,hamlet1 an intense ,othello1 a         
marvelous ,harebell1 and the best       
,cassius of his century4  ,in the drama 
of human life1 all are actors1 and no   
one knows his part4 ,in this great play 
the scenes are shifted by unknown       
forces1 and the commencement1 plot and  
end are still unknown--are still        
unguessed4 ,one by one the players leave
 the stage1 and others take their       
places4 ,there is no pause--the play    
goes on4 ,no prompter's voice is heard1 
and no one has the slightest clue to    
what the next scene is to be4  ,will    
this great drama have an end8 ,will the 
curtain fall at last8 ,will it rise     
again upon some other stage8 ,reason    
says perhaps1 and ,hope still whispers  
yes4 ,sadly ,i bid my friend farewell1  
,i admired the actor1 and ,i loved the  
man4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,walt       
,,whitman4  ,camden1 ,n4 ,j41 ,march    
#cj1 #ahib4  ,,my ,,friends3 ,again we1 
in the mystery of ,life1 are brought    

face to face with the mystery of ,death4
 ,a great man1 a great ,american1 the   
most eminent citizen of this ,republic1 
lies dead before us1 and we have met to 
pay a tribute to his greatness and his  
worth4  ,i know he needs no words of    
mine4 ,his fame is secure4 ,he laid the 
foundations of it deep in the human     
heart and brain4 ,he was1 above all ,i  
have known1 the poet of humanity1 of    
sympathy4 ,he was so great that he rose 
above the greatest that he met without  
arrogance1 and so great that he stooped 
to the lowest without conscious         
condescension4 ,he never claimed to be  
lower or greater than any of the sous of
 men4  ,he came into our generation a   
free1 untrammeled spirit1 with sympathy 
for all4 ,his arm was beneath the form  
of the sick4 ,he sympathized with the   
imprisoned and despised1 and even on the
 brow of crime he was great enough to   
place the kiss of human sympathy4  ,one 
of the greatest lines in our literature 
is his1 and the line is great enough to 

do honor to the greatest genius that has
 ever lived4 ,he said1 speaking of an   
outcast3 ,not till the sun excludes you 
do ,i exclude you4  ,his charity was as 
wide as the sky1 and wherever there was 
human suffering1 human misfortune1 the  
sympathy of ,whitman bent above it as   
the firmament bends above the earth4    
,he was built on a broad and splendid   
plan--ample1 without appearing to have  
limitations--passing easily for a       
brother of mountains and seas and       
constellations2 caring nothing for the  
little maps and charts with which timid 
pilots hug the shore1 but giving himself
 freely with recklessness of genius to  
winds and waves and tides2 caring for   
nothing as long as the stars were above 
him4 ,he walked among men1 among        
writers1 among verbal varnishers and    
veneerers1 among literary milliners and 
tailors1 with the unconscious majesty of
 an antique god4  ,he was the poet of   
that divine democracy which gives equal 
rights to all the sons and daughters of 

men4 ,he uttered the great ,american    
voice2 uttered a song worthy of the     
great ,republic4 ,no man ever said more 
for the rights of humanity1 more in     
favor of real democracy1 of real        
justice4 ,he neither scorned nor        
cringed1 was neither tyrant nor slave4  
,he asked only to stand the equal of his
 fellows beneath the great flag of      
nature1 the blue and stars4  ,he was the
 poet of ,life4 ,it was a joy simply to 
breathe4 ,he loved the clouds2 he       
enjoyed the breath of morning1 the      
twilight1 the wind1 the winding streams4
 ,he loved to look at the sea when the  
waves burst into the whitecaps of joy4  
,he loved the fields1 the hills2 he was 
acquainted with the trees1 with birds1  
with all the beautiful objects of the   
earth4 ,he not only saw these objects1  
but understood their meaning1 and he    
used them that he might exhibit his     
heart to his fellow-men4  ,he was the   
poet of ,love4 ,he was not ashamed of   
that divine passion that has built every

 home in the world2 that divine passion 
that has painted every picture and given
 us every real work of art2 that divine 
passion that has made the world worth   
living in and has given some value to   
human life4  ,he was the poet of the    
natural1 and taught men not to be       
ashamed of that which is natural4 ,he   
was not only the poet of democracy1 not 
only the poet of the great ,republic1   
but he was the poet of the human race4  
,he was not confined to the limits of   
this country1 but his sympathy went out 
over the seas to all the nations of the 
earth4  ,he stretched out his hand and  
felt himself the equal of all kings and 
of all princes1 and the brother of all  
men1 no matter how high1 no matter how  
low4  ,he has uttered more supreme words
 than any writer of our century1        
possibly of almost any other4 ,he was1  
above all things1 a man1 and above      
genius1 above all the snow-capped peaks 
of intelligence1 above all art1 rises   
the true man4 ,greater than all is the  

true man1 and he walked among his       
fellow-men as such4  ,he was the poet of
 ,death4 ,he accepted all life and all  
death1 and he justified all4 ,he had the
 courage to meet all1 and was great     
enough and splendid enough to harmonize 
all and to accept all there is of life  
as a divine melody4  ,you know better   
than ,i what his life has been1 but let 
me say one thing4 ,knowing1 as he did1  
what others can know and what they      
cannot1 he accepted and absorbed all    
theories1 all creeds1 all religions1 and
 believed in none4 ,his philosophy was a
 sky that embraced all clouds and       
accounted for all clouds4 ,he had a     
philosophy and a religion of his own1   
broader1 as he believed--and as ,i      
believe--than others4 ,he accepted all1 
he understood all1 and he was above all4
  ,he was absolutely true to himself4   
,he had frankness and courage1 and he   
was as candid as light4 ,he was willing 
that all the sons of men should be      
absolutely acquainted with his heart and

 brain4 ,he had nothing to conceal4     
,frank1 candid1 pure1 serene1 noble1 and
 yet for years he was maligned and      
slandered1 simply because he had the    
candor of nature4 ,he will be understood
 yet1 and that for which he was         
condemned--his frankness1 his           
candor--will add to the glory and       
greatness of his fame4  ,he wrote a     
liturgy for mankind2 he wrote a great   
and splendid psalm of life1 and he gave 
to us the gospel of humanity--the       
greatest gospel that can be preached4   
,he was not afraid to live1 not afraid  
to die4 ,for many years he and death    
were near neighbors4 ,he was always     
willing and ready to meet and greet this
 king called death1 and for many months 
he sat in the deepening twilight waiting
 for the night1 waiting for the light4  
,he never lost his hope4 ,when the mists
 filled the valleys1 he looked upon the 
mountain tops1 and when the mountains in
 darkness disappeared1 he fixed his gaze
 upon the stars4  ,in his brain were the

 blessed memories of the day1 and in his
 heart were mingled the dawn and dusk of
 life4  ,he was not afraid2 he was      
cheerful every moment4 ,the laughing    
nymphs of day did not desert him4 ,they 
remained that they might clasp the hands
 and greet with smiles the veiled and   
silent sisters of the night4 ,and when  
they did come1 ,walt ,whitman stretched 
his hand to them4 ,on one side were the 
nymphs of the day1 and on the other the 
silent sisters of the night1 and so1    
hand in hand1 between smiles and tears1 
he reached his journey's end4  ,from the
 frontier of life1 from the western     
wave-kissed shore1 he sent us messages  
of content and hope1 and these messages 
seem now like strains of music blown by 
the ,mystic ,trumpeter from ,death's    
pale realm4  ,to-day we give back to    
,mother ,nature1 to her clasp and kiss1 
one of the bravest1 sweetest souls that 
ever lived in human clay4  ,charitable  
as the air and generous as ,nature1 he  
was negligent of all except to do and   

say what he believed he should do and   
should say4  ,and ,i to-day thank him1  
not only for you but for myself1 for all
 the brave words he has uttered4 ,i     
thank him for all the great and splendid
 words lie has said in favor of liberty1
 in favor of man and woman1 in favor of 
motherhood1 in favor of fathers1 in     
favor of children1 and ,i thank him for 
the brave words that he has said of     
death4  ,he has lived1 he has died1 and 
death is less terrible than it was      
before4 ,thousands and millions will    
walk down into the dark valley of the   
shadow holding ,walt ,whitman by the    
hand4 ,long after we are dead the brave 
words he has spoken will sound like     
trumpets to the dying4  ,and so ,i lay  
this little wreath upon this great mans 
tomb4 ,i loved him living1 and ,i love  
him still4     ,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,philo
 ,d4 ,,beckwith4  ,dowagiac1 ,mich41    
,january #be1 #ahic4   ,,ladies and     
,gentlemen3 ,nothing is nobler than to  
plant the flower of gratitude on the    

grave of a generous man--of one who     
labored for the good of all--whose hands
 were open and whose heart was full4    
,praise for the noble dead is an        
inspiration for the noble living4       
,loving words sow seeds of love in every
 gentle heart4 ,appreciation is the soil
 and climate of good and generous deeds4
  ,we are met to-night not to pay1 but  
to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to   
one who lived and labored here--who was 
the friend of all and who for many years
 was the providence of the poor4 ,to one
 who left to those who knew him best1   
the memory of countless loving          
deeds--the richest legacy that man can  
leave to man4  ,we are here to dedicate 
this monument to the stainless memory of
 ,philo ,d4 ,beckwith--one of the kings 
of men4  ,this monument--this perfect   
theatre--this beautiful house of        
cheerfulness and joy--this home and     
child of all the arts--this temple where
 the architect1 the sculptor and painter
 united to build and decorate a stage   

whereon the drama with a thousand       
tongues will tell the frailties and the 
virtues of the human race1 and music    
with her thrilling voice will touch the 
source of happy tears4  ,this is a      
fitting monument to the man whose memory
 we honor--to one1 who broadening with  
the years1 outgrew the cruel creeds1 the
 heartless dogmas of his time--to one   
who passed from superstition to         
science--from religion to reason--from  
theology to humanity--from slavery to   
freedom--from the shadow of fear to the 
blessed light of love and courage4 ,to  
one who believed in intellectual        
hospitality--in the perfect freedom of  
the soul1 and hated tyranny1 in every   
form1 with all his heart4  ,to one whose
 head and hands were in partnership     
constituting the firm of ,intelligence  
and ,industry1 and whose heart divided  
the profits with his fellow-men4 ,to one
 who fought the battle of life alone1   
without the aid of place or wealth1 and 
yet grew nobler and gentler with        

success4  ,to one who tried to make a   
heaven here and who believed in the     
blessed gospel of cheerfulness and      
love--of happiness and hope4  ,and it is
 fitting1 too1 that this monument should
 be adorned with the sublime faces1     
wrought in stone1 of the immortal       
dead--of those who battled for the      
rights of man--who broke the fetters of 
the slave--of those who filled the minds
 of men with poetry1 art1 and light--of 
,voltaire1 who abolished torture in     
,france and who did more for liberty    
than any other of the sons of men--of   
,thomas ,paine1 whose pen did as much as
 any sword to make the ,new ,world      
free--of ,victor ,hugo1 who wept for    
those who weep--of ,emerson1 a worshiper
 of the ,ideal1 who filled the mind with
 suggestions of the perfect--of ,goethe1
 the poet-philosopher--of ,whitman1 the 
ample1 wide as the sky--author of the   
tenderest1 the most pathetic1 the       
sublimest poem that this continent has  
produced--of ,shakespeare1 the ,king of 

all--of ,beethoven1 the divine1--of     
,chopin and ,verdi and of ,wagner1      
grandest of them all1 whose music       
satisfies the heart and brain and fills 
imagination's sky--of ,george ,eliot1   
who wove within her brain the purple    
robe her genius wears--of ,george ,sand1
 subtle and sincere1 passionate and     
free--and with these--faces of those    
who1 on the stage1 have made the mimic  
world as real as life and death4        
,beneath the loftiest monuments may be  
found ambition's worthless dust1 while  
those who lived the loftiest lives are  
sleeping now in unknown graves4  ,it may
 be that the bravest of the brave who   
ever fell upon the field of ruthless    
war1 was left without a grave to mingle 
slowly with the land he saved4  ,but    
here and now the ,man and ,monument     
agree1 and blend like sounds that meet  
and melt in melody--a monument for the  
dead--a blessing for the living--a      
memory of tears--a prophecy of joy4     
,fortunate the people where this good   

man lived1 for they are all his         
heirs--and fortunate for me that ,i have
 had the privilege of laying this little
 laurel leaf upon his unstained brow4   
,and now1 speaking for those he         
loved--for those who represent the      
honored dead--,i dedicate this home of  
mirth and song--of poetry and art--to   
the memory of ,philo ,d4 ,beckwith--a   
true philosopher--a real philanthropist4
     ,a ,,tribute ,,to ,,anton ,,seidl4 
,a telegram read at the funeral services
 in the ,metropolitan      ,opera       
,house1 ,new ,york ,city1 ,march #ca1   
#ahih4  ,,in the noon and zenith of his 
career1 in the flush and glory of       
success1 ,anton ,seidl1 the greatest    
orchestral leader of all time1 the      
perfect interpreter of ,wagner1 of all  
his subtlety and sympathy1 his heroism  
and grandeur1 his intensity and         
limitless passion1 his wondrous         
harmonies that tell of all there is in  
life1 and touch the longings and the    
hopes of every heart1 has passed from   

the shores of sound to the realm of     
silence1 borne by the mysterious and    
resistless tide that ever ebbs but never
 flows4  ,all moods were his4 ,delicate 
as the perfume of the first violet1 wild
 as the storm1 he knew the music of all 
sounds1 from the rustle of leaves1 the  
whisper of hidden springs1 to the voices
 of the sea4  ,he was the master of     
music1 from the rhythmical strains of   
irresponsible joy to the sob of the     
funeral march4  ,he stood like a king   
with his sceptre in his hand1 and we    
knew that every tone and harmony were in
 his brain1 every passion in his breast1
 and yet his sculptured face was as     
calm1 as serene as perfect art4 ,he     
mingled his soul with the music and gave
 his heart to the enchanted air4  ,he   
appeared to have no limitations1 no     
walls1 no chains4 ,he seemed to follow  
the pathway of desire1 and the marvelous
 melodies1 the sublime harmonies1 were  
as free as eagles above the clouds with 
outstretched wings4  ,he educated1      

refined1 and gave unspeakable joy to    
many thousands of his fellow-men4 ,he   
added to the grace and glory of life4   
,he spoke a language deeper1 more poetic
 than words--the language of the        
perfect1 the language of love and death4
  ,but he is voiceless now2 a fountain  
of harmony has ceased4 ,its inspired    
strains have died away in night1 and all
 its murmuring melodies are strangely   
still4  ,we will mourn for him1 we will 
honor him1 not in words1 but in the     
language that he used4  ,anton ,seidl is
 dead4 ,play the great funeral march4   
,envelop him in music4 ,let its wailing 
waves cover him4 ,let its wild and      
mournful winds sigh and moan above him4 
,give his face to its kisses and its    
tears4  ,play the great funeral march1  
music as profound as death4 ,that will  
express our sorrow--that will voice our 
love1 our hope1 and that will tell of   
the life1 the triumph1 the genius1 the  
death of ,anton ,seidl4     ,a ,,tribute
 ,,to ,,dr4 ,,thomas ,,seton            

,,robertson4  ,new ,york ,september #h1 
#ahih4   ,,in the pulseless hush of     
death1 silence seems more expressive1   
more appropriate--than speech4 ,in the  
presence of the ,great ,mystery1 the    
great mystery that waits to enshroud us 
all1 we feel the uselessness of words4  
,but where a fellow-mortal has reached  
his journey's end--where the darkness   
from which he emerged has received him  
again1 it is but natural for his friends
 to mingle with their grief1 expressions
 of their love and loss4  ,he who lies  
before us in the sleep of death was     
generous to his fellow-men4 ,his hands  
were always stretched to help1 to save4 
,he pitied the friendless1 the          
unfortunate1 the hopeless--proud of his 
skill--of his success4 ,he was quick to 
decide--to act--prompt1 tireless1       
forgetful of self4 ,he lengthened life  
and conquered pain--hundreds are well   
and happy now because he lived4 ,this is
 enough4 ,this puts a star above the    
gloom of death4  ,he was sensitive to   

the last degree--quick to feel a        
slight--to resent a wrong--but in the   
warmth of kindness the thorn of hatred  
blossomed4 ,he was not quite fashioned  
for this world4 ,the flints and thorns  
on life's highway bruised and pierced   
his flesh1 and for his wounds he did not
 have the blessed balm of patience4 ,he 
felt the manacles1 the limitations--the 
imprisonments of life and so within the 
walls and bars he wore his very soul    
away4 ,he could not bear the storms4    
,the tides1 the winds1 the waves1 in the
 morning of his life1 dashed his frail  
bark against the rocks4  ,he fought as  
best he could1 and that he failed was   
not his fault4  ,he was honest1 generous
 and courageous4 ,these three great     
virtues were his4 ,he was a true and    
steadfast friend1 seeing only the       
goodness of the ones he loved4 ,only a  
great and noble heart is capable of     
this4  ,but he has passed beyond the    
reach of praise or blame--passed to the 
realm of rest--to the waveless calm of  

perfect peace4  ,the storm is spent--the
 winds are hushed--the waves have died  
along the shore--the tides are          
still--the aching heart has ceased to   
beat1 and within the brain all thoughts1
 all hopes and fears--ambitions1        
memories1 rejoicings and regrets--all   
images and pictures of the world1 of    
life1 are now as though they had not    
been4 ,and yet ,hope1 the child of      
,love--the deathless1 beyond the        
darkness sees the dawn4 ,and we who knew
 and loved him1 we1 who now perform the 
last sad rites--the last that friendship
 can suggest--will keep his memory      
green4  ,dear ,friend1 farewell6 ,if we 
do meet again we shall smile indeed--if 
not1 this parting is well made4         
,farewell6     ,a ,,tribute ,,to        
,,thomas ,,corwin4  ,lebanon1 ,ohio1    
,march #e1 #ahii4       99 ,an          
,impromptu preface to ,colonel          
,ingersoll's lecture at      ,lebanon1  
,ohio4   ,,ladies and ,gentlemen3 ,being
 for the first time where ,thomas       

,corwin lived and where his ashes rest1 
,i cannot refrain from saying something 
of what ,i feel4 ,thomas ,corwin was a  
natural orator--armed with the sword of 
attack and the shield of defence4       
,nature filled his quiver with perfect  
arrows4 ,he was the lord of logic and   
laughter4 ,he had the presence1 the     
pose1 the voice1 the face that mirrored 
thoughts1 the unconscious gesture of the
 orator4 ,he had intelligence--a wide   
horizon--logic as unerring as           
mathematics--humor as rich as autumn    
when the boughs and vines bend with the 
weight of ripened fruit1 while the      
forests flame with scarlet1 brown and   
gold4 ,he had wit as quick and sharp as 
lightning1 and like the lightning it    
filled the heavens with sudden light4   
,in his laughter there was logic1 in his
 wit wisdom1 and in his humor philosophy
 and philanthropy4 ,he was a supreme    
artist4 ,he painted pictures with words4
 ,he knew the strength1 the velocity of 
verbs1 the color1 the light and shade of

 adjectives4  ,he was a sculptor in     
speech--changing stones to statues4 ,he 
had in his heart the sacred something   
that we call sympathy4 ,he pitied the   
unfortunate1 the oppressed and the      
outcast ,his words were often wet with  
tears--tears that in a moment after were
 glorified by the light of smiles4 ,all 
moods were his4 ,he knew the heart1 its 
tides and currents1 its calms and       
storms1 and like a skillful pilot he    
sailed emotion's troubled sea4 ,he was  
neither solemn nor dignified1 because he
 was neither stupid nor egotistic4 ,he  
was natural1 and had the spontaneity of 
winds and waves4 ,he was the greatest   
orator of his time1 the grandest that   
ever stood beneath our flag4 ,reverently
 ,i lay this leaf upon his grave4     ,a
 ,,tribute ,,to ,,isaac ,h4 ,,bailey4   
,new ,york1 ,march #bg1 #ahii4   ,,my   
,,friends3 ,when one whom we hold dear  
has reached the end of life and laid his
 burden down1 it is but natural for us1 
his friends1 to pay the tribute of      

respect and love2 to tell his virtues1  
to express our sense of loss and speak  
above the sculptured clay some word of  
hope4  ,our friend1 about whose bier we 
stand1 was in the highest1 noblest sense
 a man4 ,he was not born to wealth--he  
was his own providence1 his own teacher4
 ,with him work was worship and labor   
was his only prayer4 ,he depended on    
himself1 and was as independent as it is
 possible for man to be4 ,he hated debt1
 and obligation was a chain that scarred
 his flesh4 ,he lived a long and useful 
life4 ,in age he reaped with joy what he
 had cown in youth4 ,he did not linger  
until his flame lacked oil1 but with his
 senses keen1 his mind undimmed1 and    
with his arms filled with gathered      
sheaves1 in an instant1 painlessly1     
unconsciously1 he passed from happiness 
and health to the realm of perfect      
peace4 ,we need not mourn for him1 but  
for ourselves1 for those he loved4  ,he 
was an absolutely honest man--a man who 
kept his word1 who fulfilled his        

contracts1 gave heaped and rounded      
measure and discharged all obligations  
with the fabled chivalry of ancient     
knights4 ,he was absolutely honest1 not 
only with others but with himself4 ,to  
his last moment his soul was stainless4 
,he was true to his ideal--true to his  
thought1 and what his brain conceived   
his lips expressed4 ,he refused to      
pretend4 ,he knew that to believe       
without evidence was impossible to the  
sound and sane1 and that to say you     
believed when you did not1 was possible 
only to the hypocrite or coward4 ,he did
 not believe in the supernatural4 ,he   
was a natural man and lived a natural   
life4 ,he had no fear of fiends4 ,he    
cared nothing for the guesses of        
inspired savages2 nothing for the       
threats or promises of the sainted and  
insane4  ,he enjoyed this life--the good
 things of this world--the clasp and    
smile of friendship1 the exchange of    
generous deeds1 the reasonable          
gratification of the senses--of the     

wants of the body and mind4 ,he was     
neither an insane ascetic nor a fool of 
pleasure1 but walked the golden path    
along the strip of verdure that lies    
between the deserts of extremes4  ,with 
him to do right was not simply a duty1  
it was a pleasure4 ,he had philosophy   
enough to know that the quality of      
actions depends upon their consequences1
 and that these consequences are the    
rewards and punishments that no ,god can
 give1 inflict1 withhold or pardon4  ,he
 loved his country1 he was proud of the 
heroic past1 dissatisfied with the      
present1 and confident of the future4   
,he stood on the rock of principle4     
,with him the wisest policy was to do   
right4 ,he would not compromise with    
wrong4 ,he had no respect for political 
failures who became reformers and       
decorated fraud with the pretence of    
philanthropy1 or sought to gain some    
private end in the name of public good4 
,he despised time-servers1 trimmers1    
fawners and all sorts and kinds of      

pretenders4  ,he believed in national   
honesty2 in the preservation of public  
faith4 ,he believed that the ,government
 should discharge every obligation--the 
implied as faithfully as the expressed4 
,and ,i would be unjust to his memory if
 ,i did not say that he believed in     
honest money1 in the best money in the  
world1 in pure gold1 and that he        
despised with all his heart financial   
frauds1 and regarded fifty cents that   
pretended to be a dollar1 as he would a 
thief in the uniform of a policeman1 or 
a criminal in the robe of a judge4  ,he 
believed in liberty1 and liberty for    
all4 ,he pitied the slave and hated the 
master2 that is to say1 he was an honest
 man4 ,in the dark days of the          
,rebellion he stood for the right4 ,he  
loved ,lincoln with all his heart--loved
 him for his genius1 his courage and his
 goodness4 ,he loved ,conkling--loved   
him for his independence1 his manhood1  
for his unwavering courage1 and because 
he would not bow or bend--loved him     

because he accepted defeat with the     
pride of a victor4 ,he loved ,grant1 and
 in the temple of his heart1 over the   
altar1 in the highest niche1 stood the  
great soldier4  ,nature was kind to our 
friend4 ,she gave him the blessed gift  
of humor4 ,this filled his days with the
 climate of ,autumn1 so that to him even
 disaster had its sunny side4 ,on       
account of his humor he appreciated and 
enjoyed the great literature of the     
world4 ,he loved ,shakespeare1 his      
clowns and heroes4 ,he appreciated and  
enjoyed ,dickens4 ,the characters of    
this great novelist were his            
acquaintances4 ,he knew them all2 some  
were his friends and some he dearly     
loved4 ,he had wit of the keenest and   
quickest4 ,the instant the steel of his 
logic smote the flint of absurdity the  
spark glittered4 ,and yet1 his wit was  
always kind4 ,the flower went with the  
thorn4 ,the targets of his wit were not 
made enemies1 but admirers4  ,he was    
social1 and after the feast of serious  

conversation he loved the wine of       
wit--the dessert of a good story that   
blossomed into mirth4 ,he enjoyed       
games--was delighted by the relations of
 chance--the curious combinations of    
accident4 ,he had the genius of         
friendship4 ,in his nature there was no 
suspicion4 ,he could not be poisoned    
against a friend4 ,the arrows of slander
 never pierced the shield of his        
confidence4 ,he demanded demonstration4 
,he defended a friend as he defended    
himself4 ,against all comers he stood   
firm1 and he never deserted the field   
until the friend had fled4 ,i have known
 many1 many friends--have clasped the   
hands of many that ,i loved1 but in the 
journey of my life ,i have never grasped
 the hand of a better1 truer1 more      
unselfish friend than he who lies before
 us clothed in the perfect peace of     
death4 ,he loved me living and ,i love  
him now4  ,in youth we front the sun2 we
 live in light without a fear1 without a
 thought of dusk or night4 ,we glory in 

excess4 ,there is no dread of loss when 
all is growth and gain4 ,with reckless  
hands we spend and waste and chide the  
flying hours for loitering by the way4  
,the future holds the fruit of joy2 the 
present keeps us from the feast1 and so1
 with hurrying feet we climb the heights
 and upward look with eager eyes4 ,but  
when the sun begins to sink and shadows 
fall in front1 and lengthen on the path1
 then falls upon the heart a sense of   
loss1 and then we hoard the shreds and  
crumbs and vainly long for what was cast
 away4 ,and then with miser care we save
 and spread thin hands before           
,december's half-fed flickering flames1 
while through the glass of time we      
moaning watch the few remaining grains  
of sand that hasten to their end4 ,in   
the gathering gloom the fires slowly    
die1 while memory dreams of youth1 and  
hope sometimes mistakes the glow of     
ashes for the coming of another morn4   
,but our friend was an exception4 ,he   
lived in the present2 he enjoyed the    

sunshine of to-day4 ,although his feet  
had touched the limit of four-score1 he 
had not reached the time to stop1 to    
turn and think3 about the traveled road4
 ,he was still full of life and hope1   
and had the interest of youth in all the
 affairs of men4  ,he had no fear of the
 future--no dread4 ,he was ready for the
 end4 ,i have often heard him repeat the
 words of ,epicurus3 ,why should ,i fear
 death8 ,if ,i am1 death is not4 ,if    
death is1 ,i am not4 ,why should ,i fear
 that which cannot exist when ,i do8    
,if there is1 beyond the veil1 beyond   
the night called death1 another world to
 which men carry all the failures and   
the triumphs of this life2 if above and 
over all there be a ,god who loves the  
right1 an honest man has naught to fear4
 ,if there be another world in which    
sincerity is a virtue1 in which fidelity
 is loved and courage honored1 then all 
is well with the dear friend whom we    
have lost4  ,but if the grave ends all2 
if all that was our friend is dead1 the 

world is better for the life he lived4  
,beyond the tomb we cannot see4 ,we     
listen1 but from the lips of mystery    
there comes no word4 ,darkness and      
silence brooding over all4 ,and yet1    
because we love we hope4 ,farewell6 ,and
 yet again1 ,farewell6  ,and will there1
 sometime1 be another world8 ,we have   
our dream4 ,the idea of immortality1    
that like a sea has ebbed and flowed in 
the human heart1 beating with its       
countless waves against the sands and   
rocks of time and fate1 was not born of 
any book or of any creed4 ,it was born  
of affection4 ,and it will continue to  
ebb and flow beneath the mists and      
clouds of doubt and darkness1 as long as
 love kisses the lips of death4 ,we have
 our dream6     ,,jesus ,,christ4       
99 ,an unfinished lecture which ,colonel
 ,ingersoll commenced a      few days   
before his death4   ,,for many centuries
 and by many millions of people1 ,christ
 has been worshiped as ,god4 ,millions  
and millions of eulogies on his         

character have been pronounced by priest
 and layman1 in all of which his praises
 were measured only by the limitations  
of language--words were regarded as     
insufficient to paint his perfections4  
,in his praise it was impossible to be  
extravagant4 ,sculptor1 poet and painter
 exhausted their genius in the portrayal
 of the peasant1 who was in fact the    
creator of all worlds4  ,his wisdom     
excited the wonder1 his sufferings the  
pity and his resurrection and ascension 
the astonishment of the world4  ,he was 
regarded as perfect man and infinite    
,god4 ,it was believed that in the      
gospels was found the perfect history of
 his life1 his words and works1 his     
death1 his triumph over the grave and   
his return to heaven4 ,for many         
centuries his perfection1 his           
divinity--have been defended by sword   
and fire4  ,by the altar was the        
scaffold--in the cathedral1 the         
dungeon--the chamber of torture4  ,the  
story of ,christ was told by mothers to 

their babes4 ,for the most part his     
story was the beginning and end of      
education4 ,it was wicked to            
doubt--infamous to deny4  ,heaven was   
the reward for belief and hell the      
destination of the denier4  ,all the    
forces of what we call society1 were    
directed against investigation4 ,every  
avenue to the mind was closed4 ,on all  
the highways of thought1 ,christians    
placed posts and boards1 and on the     
boards were the words ,no ,thoroughfare1
 ,no ,crossing4 ,the windows of the soul
 were darkened--the doors were barred4  
,light was regarded as the enemy of     
mankind4  ,during these ,christian years
 faith was rewarded with position1      
wealth and power4 ,faith was the path to
 fame and honor4 ,the man who           
investigated was the enemy1 the assassin
 of souls4 ,the creed was barricaded on 
every side1 above it were the glories of
 heaven--below were the agonies of hell4
 ,the soldiers of the cross were        
strangers to pity4 ,only traitors to    

,god were shocked by the murder of an   
unbeliever4 ,the true ,christian was a  
savage4 ,his virtues were ferocious1 and
 compared with his vices were           
beneficent4 ,the drunkard was a better  
citizen than the saint4 ,the libertine  
and prostitute were far nearer human1   
nearer moral1 than those who pleased    
,god by persecuting their fellows4  ,the
 man who thought1 and expressed his     
thoughts1 died in a dungeon--on the     
scaffold or in flames4  ,the sincere    
,christian was insane4 ,his one object  
was to save his soul4 ,he despised all  
the pleasures of sense4 ,he believed    
that his nature was depraved and that   
his desires were wicked4  ,he fasted and
 prayed--deserted his wife and          
children--inflicted tortures on himself 
and sought by pain endured to gain the  
crown4 99 99 99     ,,life4       99    
,written for ,mr4 ,harrison ,grey       
,fiske1 editor of ,the ,new      ,york  
,dramatic ,mirror1 ,december #ah1ahhf4  
,,born of love and hope1 of ecstasy and 

pain1 of agony and fear1 of tears and   
joy--dowered with the wealth of two     
united hearts--held in happy arms1 with 
lips upon life's drifted font1          
blue-veined and fair1 where perfect     
peace finds perfect form--rocked by     
willing feet and wooed to shadowy shores
 of sleep by siren mother singing soft  
and low--looking with wonder's wide and 
startled eyes at common things of life  
and day--taught by want and wish and    
contact with the things that touch the  
dimpled flesh of babes--lured by light  
and flame1 and charmed by color's       
wondrous robes--learning the use of     
hands and feet1 and by the love of      
mimicry beguiled to utter               
speech--releasing prisoned thoughts from
 crabbed and curious marks on soiled and
 tattered leaves--puzzling the brain    
with crooked numbers and their changing1
 tangled worth--and so through years of 
alternating day and night1 until the    
captive grows familiar with the chains  
and walls and limitations of a life4    

,and time runs on in sun and shade1     
until the one of all the world is wooed 
and won1 and all the lore of love is    
taught and learned again4 ,again a home 
is built with the fair chamber wherein  
faint dreams1 like cool and shadowy     
vales1 divide the billowed hours of     
love4 ,again the miracle of a birth--the
 pain and joy1 the kiss of welcome and  
the cradle-song drowning the drowsy     
prattle of a babe4  ,and then the sense 
of obligation and of wrong--pity for    
those who toil and weep--tears for the  
imprisoned and despised--love for the   
generous dead1 and in the heart the     
rapture of a high resolve4  ,and then   
ambition1 with its lust of pelf and     
place and power1 longing to put upon its
 breast distinction's worthless badge4  
,then keener thoughts of men1 and eyes  
that see behind the smiling mask of     
craft--flattered no more by the         
obsequious cringe of gain and           
greed--knowing the uselessness of       
hoarded gold--of honor bought from those

 who charge the usury of                
self-respect--of power that only bends a
 coward's knees and forces from the lips
 of fear the lies of praise4 ,knowing at
 last the unstudied gesture of esteem1  
the reverent eyes made rich with honest 
thought1 and holding high above all     
other things--high as hope's great      
throbbing star above the darkness of the
 dead--the love of wife and child and   
friend4  ,then locks of gray1 and       
growing love of other days and          
half-remembered things--then holding    
withered hands of those who first held  
his1 while over dim and loving eyes     
death softly presses down the lids of   
rest4  ,and so1 locking in marriage vows
 his children's hands and crossing      
others on the breasts of peace1 with    
daughters' babes upon his knees1 the    
white hair mingling with the gold1 he   
journeys on from day to day to that     
horizon where the dusk is waiting for   
the night4--,at last1 sitting by the    
holy hearth of home as evening's embers 

change from red to gray1 he falls asleep
 within the arms of her he worshiped and
 adored1 feeling upon his pallid lips   
love's last and holiest kiss4           
9999999999  ,fac-simile of the ,last    
,letter written by ,ingersoll   ,urn    
,containing the ,ashes of ,ingersoll