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THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS
K AT L’HP AT, UARC1I J. IDT.
A SOUTHERN COMMISSION
HWWWIMHMOMWMMIMWiMMi
- proponed «" ••cur* In the
, ,i,„rn *utn>. th* constitution of
SS5SMSI of *bl. and repreeen-
.'..Vitlsena for the purpoM of crjrn
pronouncing, «ftor a thor
“K'mraatlSallon of fh« fhct». thoM
'SS.'.wS with re#«rd to our
2Td»rn situation, nnd the re-
*■1 of the two racea In th« Houtli.
rrpronont th* cotuclenoe and at
*,^.,oio P iTine the resolute civilization
•f.^uthJm whit, people. It *.e«-
"it this conunUelon •hall eon-
C Of men of th* htifhut public cbar-
*?.r a'ltoae preset** on «ueh a com-
“irio« win command the general con-
Smo" Of their reapectlre state«,_and
o.tTiopeal t" •■»• re«pect and patriot-
Lm of me whole Soulh.
*Thil propoaltlon haa aecured the ap-
JSJ of* large number of tbougbt-
fV ’ . influential men to whom It fau
SiXbmmed and In whoea hand* It
Kn formulated. It la believed It
“T, Tnnman.l the favorable Judgment
.’i hr patriotic sympathy of all who
Jtvr tt careful and thoughtful coruld-
’’tvrthemiore. the matter ba* gone far
™ become a practical poaal-
of the reaaon* which urge the
Joe ami Importance of thla movement
“rte pweent unaettled nnd unaatia-
J,on- .iato of afTatra In the Southern
Site,’with regard to the relation of
ISTare. l« not a permanent condition,
IS in the judgment of careful obeerv-
“ muet result In an Improved eltua-
T' nr In one Indescribably worse. Ae
nitiere are now, the progreaa of the
Snnthtrn states along several lines Is
hindered he the unreal over thla ques-
and If an predicted, the contusion
nd dlaonlcr I* precipitated Into eome-
thlnr ttorec. every Interest of the peo-
of the South l» Jeopardised. >
The Southern white people owe It to
themselves and to their common Inter-
I,, go* together In the thlnge upon
,hi(li we me agreed, and aa the domi
nant and responsible people, should not
f* * r mf . undemtood program.
In 1M,, during the months Intervening
between the emancipation of the
I 1 •*TV.’ , * n< * thalr anfranchlaement.
the legislature of Georgia confronted
tha fact of 400,000 people In the
aisle who were freedmen and not vot
er*. and. tlierafora, without a status.
That legislature devoted Itself to the
preparation of a. code of lawn defining
tbb atatua of |h* freedmen and the re.
latjqn of the white race toward them
That wae a wise etateemanahlp. For
ty year, later we confront a situation
almost Identical, au far aa the negro
population la concerned, with that
which existed In 1147. Th* negro
le not a voter, but la a citizen. It
should suggaat Itself at once that It
would be wlae statesmanship If’the
Southern states shall eeek to come Inlo
agreement In regard to the relatione
between the racee. and to lay down a
policy about the matters upon which
general agreement le poetlble.
The white people of the South owe
It to the negroee to give them an un
derstanding of the conditions under
which they are assured protection,
progress and peace. At the preeent
time the negroee are In confusion about
what the Southern white people really
require at their hands. Thla greatly
affects the ability of their leader, to
obtain co-operation among themselves
In directing theljr race. There Is a debt
which the atrong owe the weak. It will
be In part paid when the strong Anglo-
Saxon of the South gels his own
thought clear about the relations which
should exist between the white people
and the negro people, of a common soil,
and whose welfare In the laat analysis
Is a common Interest.
The Southern white people are un
der obligation to the rest of the world
to face thla race situation with courage
and with confidence ln x our ability to
control It and resolve It Into an orderly
and determined policy for both racee.
The supreme obligation now resting
1 upon the while men of the South Is to
prove that there la statesmanship
among ua sufficient to secure a work
ing agreement that we are able to deal
with our problem In accordance with
the principles of Christian civilization,
and that a program for such a dealing
ran be originated among ua. shaped (n
our handz, and faithfully Incorporated
Into our public sentiment.’
The necessity for prompt attention to
these metiers on the part of the whole
Boutli Is pressed upon ua by peril of
sudden outbreak and violence at the
colnta where there Is meet mlsunder
standing and distrust between the
races. It must be clear to a thought
ful man that outbreaks like the At
lanta and .Mississippi riots have a
tendency 10 destroy our own confidence
In our ability to control our Situation,
and also the confidence of other eec-
tlone of the country. Moreover, if
•uch outbreaks should continue, a pro
test would noon be heard front Chris
tian communities In other ports of the
world, an In the case of the Russian
massacres and Congo atrocities, di
rected to the United States aa a nation,
and holding the whole country reepon;
slhle for the Inhumanities. The Inevl-
table result of that will be that the
Southern race situation will become a
matter of congressional action and a
matter affecting the national honor.
When this occurs the South will at'
once be plunged Into n period of reac
tion nnd resentment on one side and
" onsclentloue support , of order and
national authority on the other, creat
ing u hot line of division throughout
the whole Southern society, the effect
of which upon all the Interests of*the
Southern people will be unspeakably
deplorable.
Whereas, If, as this commission pro
poses, ths South demonstrates Its re
sourcefulness and promptness In put
ting Into pronouncement principles
tending to ameliorate conditions, and
tending to cteale u better opportunity
for the difficult task of working out
REV. JOHN E. WHITE.
our'problem, we will very effectively
put nn end to ell agitation over the
possibility of congressional Interfer
ence. The existence anil the deliver
ance 4>f such A commission will give
reassurance to the negro leaders and
promote the direction of their energies
In a wise leadership of their race; It
would laeue a restraint upon tbe law-
nesanesa of Irrraponsibla whites nnd
tend to gather them Into the orderly
ranks of good cltlaenahlp; It would ere.
ate an era of current. Instead of the
’present era of eddies, a period of con
struction In the plucs of confusion, and
’we would commend ourselves to the
kegard, the confidence anti the patience
4t the rest of the country end tbe
'world.
1 To the question, "What would such
a commission give Its attsntlon to. and
. along what lints would It conduct It*
.wor?’’ It Is suggested as follows:
I The matter of the separation of the
races, socially, to place this matter
upon Its moral basis aa a condition
dully resolved upon and to which tha
oo-operation of the negro leaders
should be formally Invited.
. The matter of race Integrity, the sub-'
mission of the fixed and Anal conclu
sion vital lo all parlies for the peace
|. end progress of both races, end so
S renounced Ms to be beyond any possl-'
le misunderstanding. At the aame lime
giving attention to the while man's
share In the common curee of mis
cegenation looking toward the aeyereat
possible dealings with ths white man's
crime for fornication and adulter)'
with a wr.il.er race.
Tne mallet ur the MUfftsge. 'I'iie
clear enunciation or Ihe morally de
fensive grounds upon which Ihe policy
of our suffrage amendments nnd Ihe
gonsequent elimination or the Ignorant
negro vole, would have great value to
tbe South. Also a clear-cut recogni
tion of this as a wlae provision of gov
ernment to be ultimately applied to tbe
unprepared of both racea would be Juit
and al the same time stimulative to
education and thrifty cltlaenahlp on
the part af the white people.
The matter of negro labor. Encour
agement to the negro to stay close by
the soli on the ground uf Increasing
agricultural opportunity In the South,
nnd nn the around of a natural race
evolution, encouragement of the negro
alia to thrift and Industry; therefore,
the repeal of all legislation discourag
ing lo Ihe freedom of labor; also en
couragement of the natural diffusion of
labor aa tha variations of opportunity
may naturally permit, tin the further
grounds that at many points In the
South there Is an over congestion of
negro population. The qtPMtlon of Im
migration would claim great attention.
The matter of education. The .loittli.
ern people deserve thut Ihe fact* with
regard lo the development of our pub
lic school system, th) wreck cut of
vrtCh It emerged, the poverty thrn end
•till generally prevalent.poverty of the
|>«ople, the difficulties attending taia-
lion, and the deplorable Illiteracy or the
maaaes of the white children should
have an accredited atalrmenl and pro
nunciation.
Alan tha naceaalty for local taxation
to supplamenl the met grr leglslntlve
provision should be encouraged. With
regard lo tha nagro schools, assurance
of no drslre to deprive them af their
•hare In Ihe public school funds and
the promotion of movements to Im
prove Ihe equality of the negru’s'edu-
cation, and of attention lo lls adapta
tion lo-what la peculiar In hla rltuu
lion.
Thr mailer of Justice and law ailmln-
Islrmtnn The umendnienl sod reform
of our criminal practice before llo
courts, so that the publle and Justice
may be better protected against tdiHt'p
practice, without regard to public
safely, which haa tended to bring law
and the admlnfstration uf Justice Inlo
contempt.
This would also bring In the con
sideration of 4 rural police, and also
the ro-operall»n of the negroes In th-
detection of criminals, and we should
pronouncedly give a pledge of trial In
jury and of protection agalnet all Itw-
leanness to all rltlsena.
For such a commleselnn to pronounco
upon theae and other mettera abou
which at the present time there pi
much feeling and no crystallisation of
thought, would lay down a line by
which the press, the pulpit, the schools
and Ihe people could begin to hew, and
by which also tha negroes would mskn
a batter assured progress than thsy urn
at present making toward the adjust
ment of their race to Ita environment
It would discourage I ha morbid spirit
of discussion among our people end
greatly promote attention to the health-
producing and manhood-making con
cerns of life.
The religious movements by denomi
nation and by civic leagues would be
greatly acceterated by tbe creation of
a saner and leas dleturbad slate of
mind In ihe South, and especially the
very existence of a commission, would
Inspire confidence In the ability of tha
Southern while people to ba master
ful In the face of great difficulties.
The essential feature of thla whole
proposition Is that 11 will b. Southern
in origin, Southern In organisation
Southern In. all the provletone for Its
existence, and. therefore, on appeal iw
the patriotism of ihe Southern people,
lls keynote would be the firmness and
yet Ihe sympathy of the South with re
gard ta our qwn and the negro's wel
fare. Iis prlnclplo Is confldence In the
Mouth's ability lo realize a fommon In
terest and responsibility, conOdence In
our eaparlty to agree sufficiently
uinnng ourasivea tu pniiimle that com,
mon interest end to discharge with a
more united front that common respon
sibility.
Its expectation Is that such • com
mission would be the beginning of an
organized public sentiment In the South
protective of our Anglo-Saxon leader
ship, pronioilre of Christian clvlllza- •
lion and reassuring to the development
and progress of the Southern states
and people. It Is not an effort to solve
the race problem, but a movement to
create better conditions In which the
slow moving forces of solution may
better do their work.
(In the next paper objections to thla
proposition will be met.)
BRUNSWICK* AND ITS .ISLES ENCHANTED
By REV. JAMES W. LEE,
PASTOR TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH
A T THE breaking out of the war
between the states LeBarron
Drury move* to Brunswick from
Quebec. !!i« family at the time con
futed of his wife and daughter and
hi« eldest ion, named Jamee Drury. Hla
hon. Charles Carter Drury, born
t Rotlienay. New Brunswick. Canada.
Aufuat 27. 1146. after hla education
at the collegiate School. Fredericton.
St* Brunswick, entered the royal navy
1859. •
U Barron Drury married the daugh-
f Lieutenant Colonel James
Poyntz. who commanded the Thirtieth
rqcitnent In the British army. Charles
Carter Drury married the eldest
oiughter of Robert Whitehead, of
Bucket, Rerks and Flume, Austria. En
uring the royal navy in 1859 he was
*ib-J1eutrnant, 1865; lieutenant, 1868;
•■"nimand»T. 1878; captain* 1885; rear
adrr.ini. 1*9$, aide de camp to the
queen, 1897-99; naval adviser to in
spector general of fortifications. 1886-
# :»M: flag captain North America and
# We«t Indies hie majesty's ship. Bells-
rophnn, 1SS9-92; member ordnance
committee. 1893-94; flag captain, "Roy
al Sovereign,” 1894-95; senior officer,
Gibraltar, im-99: rommander-ln-chlef
Ks*t Indies. 1902-03; vice president
•rdnam e committee, 1900; he wae cre-
•ued knight commander of the bath.
IK- and treated night commander of
etar ..f India In 1903. He In fel-
f the Royal Geographical Bocle-
■y a «d I- now the second naval lord
ih- admiralty of Great Britain. Hie
hrv. wife died In 1900, and It 1* now
announced that he la soon to marry
»ne eeron.i tlrqe. a daughter of one of
' * tpoet prominent peer*. It le said
• vime ,,f the older generation In
Krunnvb!; that he spent a winter there
"itii his f.Hhfr during the latter's life-
Le ItMiTon Drury died In Bruns-
* 1, k in H8I. and his son. James Dru-
r >. dn-.i there In 1891. They are both
rotted there.
N'ath.ini. I Greene, the greatest gen-
i.ii ,r u„. Revolutionary war, next
kL. Vr•ngton, had an estate on Cum-
i*rUrH Inland, near Brunswick, and
«ttr hi* retirement from the army
m-ned ther.. and lived until his death
n Vi «. 11 * r * v * Is at Dungeness.
,he b, -uitlful grounds now owned
by Mrs. Carnegie. It was while living
In the home of General Nathaniel
Greene's widow thnt Ell Whitney In
vent'd the cotton gin. Having grad
uated from Yale College In 1792. he
came to Georgia to teach school. Ob
serving with what difficulty the ne
groes picked, the lint from the cotton
seed, he set about devising a method to
do the work by machinery. Ills
workwhop was broken into nnd his
machine stolen before he could get a
patent on It. After that he went back
to New England, where Jie made a for
tune on firearms at whltneyvllle, near
New Haven, Conn.
Light Horse Haro* Lee. General Rob
ert K. Lee's father, died at the home
of his old commander. General Greene,
and Is burled In the same grounds with
him. on Cumberlapd Island. Mr. Al
fred C. Newell some year ago collected
many Interesting fact* concerning the
life %nd last days of Light Horse Harry
I*ee. and 1 take the liberty of giving
them here. General Lee was burle 1
here In 1818. He had been to the West
Indfm In search of health, and after
remaining there five years without Im
proving. he bad started home to Vir
ginia. hoping to reach his native state
before he died. But growing rapid*v
worse on the voyage, he requested thnt
he be put off gt Cumberland Island.
There he was received with the great
est kindness by Mr*. James 8haw. the
daughter of his old companion In arm*.
General Greene.
Mr. Newell found In an old copy of
The Savannah Republican an account
of his funeral, which Is perhaps the
only contemporary description of It In
existence.
The account 1* from an eye witness
and Is as follows:
”1 yesterday witnessed the Interment
of another of those patriarchs that our
country. In congress assembled, so fre
quently speak of and so little assist. I
have seen the body of General Lee re
ceive all the honors that could be given
by feeling hearts from those who will
be forgotten by their country when no
longer serviceable, when It Ig too late to
benefit them either by pecuniary re
ward or a just acknowledgment of their
merits. He was burled from the Dun-
geness house, the property of one of
our Revolutionary heroes, General
Greene. Whether to meet In fancy his
old comrade In arma or to call back
scenes of better times, led him there I
did not Inquire, but heard he came an
Invalid; that Mr. Shaw and the family
strove all In their power to keep the
flame burning, and although the oil waa
lacking, they atlll drew* the gentlo
breath of affection. Commodore Henly
superintended the la«t sad duties. Cap
tains Elton. Finch. Madison. Lieuten
ants ’Fltxhugh and Rtchte, of the navy,
were the pallbearer*.
"As the procession moved and the
swords of the first two crossed the old
man's breast, they were In their scab
bards. for his heart beat no more. I
thought they said 'Rest In peace.' The
other officers of the navy and Captain
Payne followed. The marlnea of the
United States ship, John Adams, and
the brig Saranac, formed the guard,
and a band from our army assisted. Me.
Taylor performed the last ceremonial
duties. The sight nfva long train of
soldiers, neatly dressed, Interested me.
1 was absorbed in contemplation. 1
pointed out the procession. It was
mm I ng over a field, where once a fine
orange grove stood. An Invader of our
country hss destroyed It. Admiral
Cockburn bad been there, the last of
hla name, and a greater scourge to
mankind than the locusts of Afrlci.
Involuntarily. I turned to embrace the
sturdy monarch that supported me. for
It seemed to promise that such things
-should never happen again., A volley,
of musketry over the grave of General
Lee aroused me. and with folded arms
1 retraced my steps, while the howilng
of the mfnufe gun from the John
Adams echoed through the woods.”
General Robert K l*ee. with his
daughter. Agnes, visited his father's
grave In the spring of 1870. ihe clos
ing year of his life, and upon the oc
casion wrote home to Ills wife:
"We visited Cumberland Island, and
Agnes decorated my father's grave with
beautiful and fresh flower*. I presume
It Is the last time I shall be able to pay
It my tribute of respect. The ceme
tery Is unharmed and the graves uro
In K'mmI order, though the house at
Dungcne** has l>«cn burned nnd the
Island devastated.''
Mr. Newell nls«» glvss Ihe following
interesting facts concerning General
Henry Lee's bravery, he culled from
teenrds of his life:
'On the 19th of July. 1779, nt the head
of 300 men. Lee surprised um! captured
Patilus Hook. N. J., securing some 16o
prisoners, and retreated with the loss of
only two killed and three wounded.
For 'his prudence, address and bravery'
REV. JAMES W. LEE.
j ■
on this and other occasions, congress
voted the following resolutions: By the
act of 7tli of April, 1778. it was 'Re
solved. w in rcai* Captain Henry Lee. of
(lit Light Dragoons, by the whole tenor
Ills conduct during the Inst cam
paign. has proved Idtmoif a brave and
prudent officer, rendered essential serv-
to his country, and Acquired to
himself and the corps lie commanded
distinguished honor, nni It being th'*
letennination of congress to ,-ewnnl
neilt. Resolved, That Captain Henry
I,ee be promoted to the rank of major
commandant; thnt he !>• empowered to
augment Ids present corps by enlist
ment of two corps of horse to act as a
separate corps.'
"By the net of 24th September. 1779.
It was 'Resolved, Tlint the thanks of
congress be given to Major Lse for ths
remarkable prudence, address and bra*
very displayed In thr attack on the en
emy's fort and works at Paulus Hook,
und that they upprove the humanity
shown In circumstances prompting to
severity, ss honorable to the arms of
tlio United Rtates and correspondent to
the noble principles on which they were
assumed, and mat a gold medal, em
blematic of this ufTalr, be struck under
the direction of the Itoard of treasury*
and presented to Major I^ee.'
"After serving for three years In ths
campaigns of the Northern artny, l*ee
was ordered south to join General
Greene, with whom lie served until his
final retirement from the army after
the surrender of CoinwaJUs at York-
town. Greene commended him by de
claring that 'no man In the progress
of the campaign, hsd equal merit.'
"When it Is remembered that Lee
served there with such soldier* as Mor
gan. Marlon. Pickens, Sumter and oth
er gallant officers, the full extent of
this praise will tie appreciated.
".Mr. O. \V. Parke Custis. in his
'Recollections of Washington/ has writ
ten:
*Wlth the advantages of a classical
education, General l*ee possessed taste
and distinguished powers of eloquence:
and was selected, on the demise of
Washington, to deliver the oration In
the funeral solemnities decreed by con
gress In honor of the Pater Patriae.
The orutinn having been but Imper
fectly committed to memory, from the
very short time in which It was com
posed. somewhat Impaired Its effect
upon the auditory; but ms a composi
tion It has only to be read to be ad
mired. for the purity and elegance of
Its language and the powerful ifppeal
It mukes to the hearts of Its readers,
and we will venture to affirm that It
will rank among the most celebrated
performances of those highly distin
guished men who mounted thn rostrum
on that Imposing occasion of national
mourning'
"Mr. t’ustls adds: in one pn.lhula-
Lec may be said to Imve excellrd 111*
Illustrious contemiHirarles Marsha'I.
Madison. Hamilton. Gouvemeur .Morris
and Ames. It was In a surprising
quickness of talent, a genius sudden,
dazzling and always at co;mnund. with
»n eloquence which seemed to flow un
bidden. Heated lit a convivial botrd
w hen the death of Patrick Henry v as
announced. Lee called for a scrap of pa
per. a fid In a few moments produc'd a
striking and beautiful sulJgium up >n
the Demosthenes of modern liberty.
"'Lee's powers of conversation were
also fascinating In the extreme, pos
sessing those rare and Rdmrl.Pde qual
ities which seise and hold captive Ids
hearers, delighting while they Instrjci.
That late was a man of letters. *t scnol-
ar who liad ripened under a truly clas
sical sun, we have only to tur.i to his
work on the Southern war. where he
was. Indeed, the magna para furl of ull
which he relates—a work which well
deserves to be ranked with the com
mentaries of the famed master of the
Roman world, who, like our Lee. was
equally renowned with the pen as th.*
sword. But there la a line, a single
line. In the works of Lee which would,
hand hint over to Immortality, though
he had never written another. "First
In war, first In peace, and first In the
beerts of his countrymen” will la*t
while language lasts.*"
The following Iftjer from Light
Horse Harry Lee to hla favorite son*
Tarter !*ee. Was written from Nassau.
As we retd It the conviction Is forced
upon us that It Is not surprising that
such a man should have had such a
son as General Robert E Lee. This
la the letter:
"Having this moment an opportunity
to send to New York. I use it to repeat
my love and prayers for your health
and advancement In the acquisition of
knowledge from Its foundation, not on
the surface. This laat turns man Into |
a puppy, and the first flta him for the '
highest utility and most lusting pleas
ure. I requested you to write monthly
to me. giving me with . dearness and
brevity m nurrutive of your studio,
recreations anil your relish for the oc
cupations gvhlch employ you In and out
of college. Never nilml your style, but
write your first impressions quickly;
clearly and honestly. Style will conic
In due time, as will maturity of Judg
ment. Above all things earthly, even
love to the best of mothers and your
ever-devoted father, 1 entreat you to
cherish •truth and abhor deception.
Dwell on the virtues and Imitate as
far as lies in your power the great and
good men whom history presents to our
view.
'"Minerva! Let such examples teach
thee to beware.
Agqlnat great God thou utter aught
profane;
And If. perchance. In riches or In powsr
Thou shlnest superior, be nol Insolent;
For know u day sufficeth to exalt
Or to depress the state of mortal man.
The wise nnd good are by our God be*
loved.
Rut those who practice evil lie abhors.*
"You have my favorite pracapt In-
istllled from your Infancy by my llpa
morning, noon and night. In my fa
miliar talks with you. hare presented
to your mind In the purity and elegance
of the Grecian tragedian (Sophocles).
You never. 1 trust, will forget to make
it the cardinal rule of you life. It will,
at least, arrest any tendency to Imitate
the low. degrading usage too common
of hwearing In conversation, especially
with your Inferiors. My miserable state
of health improves by occasional voy
aging In thla fine climate, with the sage
guidance of a superior physician to
whom I am now icturnlng. The cli
mate of Cambridge Is much colder than
that of your native country. How <y*M .
It agree with you? Pray guard agalnat
cold; It Is the stepping stone to other
diseases. I repeat my entreaty to sate
yourself from Ita Injuries, and I pray
you also to cherish your licaRh by te*rt-
Iterance and exercise, it Is hard to ray
whether too much eating or too much
drinking undermines the emudtutioii.
You are addicted to ucLbc.* and will, f
am sure, tube care- to grow up free
from both, (iegnllness of poraon It
not only comely to all beholder*, hut le
Indtsfiensablc to sanctity of nrriy.
Trained by your best of mot hem to,
value It. you will never lose mgli* of It/
To be plain and neat In dress conforms
to good sense and I* emblematic of a
right mind. Many lads who avoid the
pructlcen mentioned fall In: > another
hublt which hurts only themee.ves and
which certainly stupefies the senses
-Immoderate sleeping. You know how
I love my children and how dear .4tnltii
I* to me. Give me a true description
of his person, mind, temper and habits.
Tell me of Anne; has she grown tall? ;
And how Is my last In looks and under- '
standing? Robert w*as always good and
will be confirmed In hla nappy turn of :
mind by his over-watchful nnd offer- {
donate mother? Does he strengths*
his native tendency?"
There la not In Georgia soil more
consecrated than that on v'uinlierlan.l
Island, transfigured and Illuminated by
the dust of the body of Light Horse
Harry Lee. '
iHHIHMHNmHtHHIHMIHIHIHIHIIHHMHHMNHIHIimiHIHNI
FAITH OR CREDULITY?
By REV. EVERETT DEAN ELLENWOOD,
PASTOR UNIVERSAL1ST CHURCH
IMMIHHIHMHMHHHII
Tl.,
nx. in
hlch we live I* fre-
iwntly it.si.ntted ss nn Me of *ross
_ t»fl.- , : | -i:i True nplrltunllty In nsltl
>r.„" '."" 'I'l'cnrln* from the he-rtn of
"ry many quarters the Idea
' at religious faith haa auf-
Fnw,
■•(III IIM "***-
,I ; M hue. In many a house of
h ader of accustomed de-
T l ,r »y» with unction unto hie
" return of thn good old faith
•th, ,, ier * for u genuine revival of
religion," and deplores
tit. If.! '" 1 ' 11 hitter moan of anguish
fcl defection of Ihe unfelth-
I'etitt . " ”" y hulpltn may be heard re-
'tvtiti. . '' 'h® descriptions of ex-
w ," it res which are to come to
"Hen. hecaune of unbelief.
**i,i< ’ "’' eth not nhall be damned"
»M, r ~ ' " 11 mo,t delectable morsel
as their own the creeds of their In-1 of a simple act of faith, on the other
there, there In In this no occasion ml hand It cnulrt only be acrompllnhed for
justify the pessimistic declaration that hla equally honeet brother by making
the fundamental* of faith are rapidly auch a tremendous demand upon hi*
disappearing. Reverence must not pro- credulity aa to render him skeptical
lilblt progress, nnd proaresa frequently concerning hla own Intellectual Inleg
demands Hint the sacred objects of one ! rlty
most delectab
™n> nu ecclesiastical tongue.
An Age of Unbelief!
o>ti , " ni1 " —If sifted before we eh—II
U M , hal charge le well found-
tisb.ii., . "nitty an age of religious
... 1 ‘rmin It le that this Is an
hsine..*^Writuai and Intellectual reat-
'*» n • i ,n1 * n »«• In which thought
M.,. ,"f hnow stagnation. II la an
In, t. .■*"»»" and Insistent queatlon-
’ j, i , n “«* °f universal explora-
«b i,‘ ;, "'estlgatlon. And It la also
bin. ,'! ' "treme Individualism.’ But
totlnJ , unmistakable conditions
t..... iV" ''relating that It la also n t
la, . * ’ f"r Inferior Quality and fall.
IfVr'o* "f genuine religious faith.
»ii, ‘ '■iiough that ihe aarred ves-
■tun i, "" n,| led with greater Impunity
"ge of which we have
Jntin. , . record, but are we not
4m\ . 'he belief that this famlll-
’• t... "'spied by an earnest desire
worth and utility, rather
'• .„ . ’"* v •—«rk of reverence? Al-
4»n ,. “'"'ng numbers of thinking
"■tussive* unable lo accept
generation shall be sacred to tb« mind
end conception of the succeeding gen
erat ton only because of memory nnd
association. The itreatrst danger th.il
can fare clvlllxed man I* that the
growth of the soul, the constant devel-
lopment of the ndnd, should know pause
| The only supreme calamity to reach the
'race could be the utter cessation of
the unceasing hunger of the ntlnd to
know the truth, for the soul'* expe-
' rlence nnd Its aspirations declare that
along t>ila pathway alone shall freedom
be dually attained.
What is Faith?
Doubtless very much of the gloomy
foreboding end dlsmel prophesies of
those who so continually .prate of the
decadence of religious faith In the
hearts of men I* «lu<? t» an erroneous
conception of the nntura end the func
tion of faith. Unfortunately, w ith very
man)' men and women, faith and cred
ulity seem to be but synonymous defi
nition* for an Identical condition or
state of the human soul. And because
of this npparent Inability •'> properly
classify psychology, we often And otlt-
erwlae eminently rational men de
nouncing In unmeasured terms their
loved and respected brethren, merely
because of on Intellectual Inability to
All of the foregoing la merely In en
able me in suy that we are nol to
conclude that nur brother does not be-
IIs.vs> In Uod and In the abeolute su
premacy of righteousness In a normal
universe, merely bemuse we discover
that hla conception of dud and of Hla
method of government do not fully co
Inclde w ith our own.
Whenever It I* possible to discover
any genuine evidences uf decline of
religious faith In any man's heart, thrii
upon careful Investigation we may gen.
erally discover auch decline to have
resulted from a misguided attempt
upon the part of some religious fanatic
to check the isa’lng progress of that
man's thought. With seine men and
women It Is perilous indeed to attempt,
by threet of ecclesiastical disfavor or
divine displeasure,' to dethrone reaaon
w hlch is only another name for gen
uine faith. In older -that credulity may
reign In the guise of what a preceding
age ha* called faith
With many leaders of religious
thought-it-haa been a favorite pastime
foe many years to flay the noted
thinker and lecturer, Robert Imre molt,
for III* so-called attkekn upon nllglon
nnd lellgtnus faith, and to him la often
charged the' Infidelity and consequent
eternal damnation of large number.
the ’’faith of Ihe fathers
The greatest makers of Infldellt.' and
atheism are those who evade or win,
refuse to attempt to answer lo the In.
liable and Innumerable question*
instantly unfolding minds. If theie
a—ree upon what the one nitty Tiaid "T'k .w ho have been led out and away fron
be an absolute essential of faith, but' •>— "r-uh ..f the »• n.ee. "
which may la* to hla brother but a
gross and revolting superstition Vety
much of the world's unhappiness ba*
been due to the fact that man seem*
cent a'nce 'o f* The " ut h°of a *crrt a I tl the- jare any real atheist* Today. I»y far th*j
oryor a certain theological pioposlil.n I greater majority of them have town
be for him but tbe natural result for them the seed* of InSdelliy In th*
REV. E. D. ELLENWOOD.
Intimacy of the cloaa room In the over,
axe Hunday achnoln of our churthea.
You have not anaweml the perfectly
legitimate queatlon of a bright, In /eR-
tlgatlve boy In your Huniay acnool
when you have told him that he muat
believe thin or that or thn other Im-
poaalble proportion, atmply on the
baala of bln faith In God. And, by
your failure, you naturally fotve him
to find hie own wnnwer. and thr m-
awer. <ouid you know n would doubt-
leaa often cau^e you great ururaMm nn
Here in a atory with nmh a nolemn
banla of truth aa to Justify 111 r*i*U-
A certain Sunday school cla»a of
perfectly normal boys was presided
over by u very sincere and devout, und
♦lino very ntrnple-minded nnd unen
lightened young woman. Hhe had been
a willing and unquestioning pupil In
the old reboot of orthodox faith nnd
hud been taught to coniddrr an aban-
lutelv literal and Infallible the nacr'U
p«K»*n of her text hook. For hei, the
all sufficient answer to every quentlon
which might urine on account of the
frequent conflict between tbe rtnrleH
and ntatenietitn of tbe text book end
the unmistakable revelation* of n< lence
and experience, had been her fHllh In
God uml In the Infallibility of tbe book.
Hut with the l»o>n It wan very differ
cut. Faith If it in- genuine end not a
free admixture of credulity la very
largely e matter of experience, while
credulity I* almost entirely a matter
of peralatent practice. The boys’ ex
petlence in life had been too limited
to give them anv well defined faith In
G<mI. The> were at that age which
question*, arena anil *cniMnl*»*« They
were eager *for investigation und de
manded t«> know th© "why" and the
"how” 6f everything. Already In their
work In Mchool they were delving into
the mysteries of earth end ulr, and
learning the law* which bring the
blunh of rlintne to the guilty • beak
and hold whirling worlda In their ap
point rd place*. And a* a fundaments!
principle of natural law they had been
told that any law which might be sue-
ceaafully abrogated, even for tbe frac
tional part of a second, betaine upon
that Instant n worthless thing In the
illvlne economy of the universe. They
were learning their first and moat val
uable lexson concerning the attributes
of God; numely, the abnoluie Immu
tability of III* laws. Very naturally,
therefore, the attempts which their
Hunday school teacher made to an
swer their i>erplexlng questions were
fat ft oin rails factory. They wanted to
know how ft was possible for the Iron
ax head to float upon, the surface of
the water. Imw Joahua wo* able to
make the sun to halt In Id* course at
uilil-day. how the Israelites walked
dry shod through the waters which Im
mediately destroyed their enemle*. how
the beast of Balaam held Intelligent
converse with Its master, how the three
Hebrew children walked In comfort
through the nery furnace. They wanted
a rational explanation of all of the
louniles* mysteries In that splendid
collection of myths and fables, and tra
dition*. and folk-lore, which they found
mixed up with history and with fact
all through the tfkt book they were at
tempting to study. And the young
lady conscientiously tried to do her
duty. Hhe did her very best to explain
these things to the satisfaction of her
Inquisitors, and to explain them from
the standpoint of the verbal Inspira
tion and the absojute Infallibility of
the book. Ami -•whenever she was
pushed to the limit of her Inventive
ingenuity, she always sought the refuge
practiced and taught bv her loved and
honored latltor. Hhe told the boys that
they must believe these things, and
sometime, when they were older, they
would then be able to underetand them.
Hhe forgot that they were trying their
very best to understand them In order
that they might believe them. Hhe
told them they must have faith, and
then they would have no trouble In be
lieving everything Ip the text book. Just
as they found It. And the result? One
day the minister was calling In the
home of ode of theae boys, and because
the boy didn't happen to see him In
time, ht cornered him In the room, and
In order that the boy might learn tu
love him. began to catechise him. He
asked him many questions to test his
knowledge of the Hcrtptures. uuj then
bagan to question him concerning re
ligious duty and practice, anally retail
ing the question. **\Vhat Is faith?"I
guhkiy unit ths bo>'s answer, "To ah evidence of faith.
Imve faith Is to be able to belteva
something that you know Isn’t to."
And who shall say that tha seeds of
skepticism /were not already spring
ing toward maturity In the mind of
that eager young bah*?
Faith and Reason.
No proiM>Mltlon la true, be It theo
logical or scientific, merely because It
inay be found In the text book. Any
attempt, therefore, to found and to
I maintain a system of religion upon the
basis of an infallible book will In tha
very nature of the case degenerate Into
a frantic attempt to proaerve a deca- !
dent theology beyond tha time limit eet
for it by the Immutable law of human i
progress. A thing Is not trua for you
unless it haa the full approval and as-
nent of your private Intellectual con
science. no matter how many times you
may declare your faith In the proposi
tion In your habitual mechanical repe
tition of the creed which you were
taught as a hoy.
But because a man has discovered'
and Is big enough and biava enough tu
admit ami dec)#?* tbe abMbftta-RmtHy-. -
of many of ths theorise which he was
formerly disposed to hold as essential
to salvatlor, we do him grave Injustice
to declare that ha has. therefore* pegged
to believe In God. It may be rather
that since he has surrendered his alle
giance to the fetich he hoe Juat begun
to believe In God.
Mud out how he treats his feltow-
tnsn and then you may form n more
correct estimate concerning his faith In
God. There axe men and women who
never heard or our Bible, who ngvtr
heard the namea of any of our great
leaders of religion, to whom the name
of Jeaus of Kaoareth would convey wo
meaning whatever, yet whose practico
of their faith In God and In His uni
versal fatherhood would pot to a home
the practical damonstratloug of.mao/
lof our brethren w*bo continue p» insist
upon the observance of a atsted form ng