EDITOR'S TABLE.

success.

THE AMERICAN EVANGELISTS. clearly, believes them intensely, states them WHEN Moody and Sankey returned from over without a faltering tone: if his vision were a little the water and announced their intention of taking wider some of his statements would be less posiup their evangelistic labors in their own country, tive and his preaching would have less power we all said that they would make a mistake if over the great majority of his hearers. To be a they attempted it. For their great success in the great reformer, whether in politics or in religion, United Kingdom we thought we could see rea- a man must not know too many things. Mr. sons. They were a novelty and a surprise to the Moody has the limitations as well as the resources staid British Christians, and the curiosity that of a great reformer. It is easy to quarrel with waits on sensations had been their great ally, these limitations, but it is much wiser to disrealbeit they had done honest work. But at home gard them and rejoice in the splendid energy they would be nothing out of the common, and with which this man does the work that is given no such remarkable success could be expected.

him to do. That was the way we reasoned beforehand. What has been so often said is no doubt true, But a good many of us are finding out that a that the results achieved in connection with the priori reasoning does not always conduct to sound labors of Moody in any community could be conclusions. This is the third winter that Moody secured if the Christians of that community would and Saukey have been working in their own

unite under some

keader of their own choosing, country; and it must now be allowed that they and would put forth the same effort that they do have given the force of that old proverb a hard put forth under the direction of Moody. But he strain. The honor that they had abroad was no has the power of getting Christians to unite and wbit greater than that with which they have been to go to work; and this is the chief element of his received by their own countrymen. In the tour power. If the dirt and the water and the sunshine of New England which they are now making the and the air wald only unite and go to work they evangelists are meeting with very remarkable might get yras good strawberries as those which

grow in your garden; but they do not commonly The singing of Mr. Sankey continues, of course, unite and go to work till the strawberry plant to be a feature of the meetings, though it is not comes and organizes them. The Christians of so distinct a feature in this country as it was in any community might, if they really believed in England. Not only is the kind of music familiar the omnipresence of the Holy Ghost, put themto all of us, but the very songs that he sings-or selves under His leadership and go forth to victomost of them-are sung in our Sunday Schools ries far more illustrious than those which they and our prayer-meetings. Nevertheless Mr. gain under the leadership of Moody; but the diffSankey does deliver the gospel message some- ficults with them is that their faith in this truth times with great power in these simple songs. is very weak; and many of them only work when When he is not too weary his voice has a fine they are rallied and inspirited by some human resonant timbre, and it conveys the deep religious leader whose convictions are intense, and who is feeling of an earnest and honest man to the able to impart to them something of his own conhearts of his hearers. In the prayer-meeting and fidence and enthusiasm. This is the work that in the inquiry meetings he is also a willing and Mr. Moody does for the Christians that he calls welcome helper, often showing great tact and around him, and the fact that he does it is a marit gentle wisdom in his dealings with individuals.

velous fact.

rathe, a ian But, after all, so far as the human side of this Mr. Moody is not only the or shall makers, work is concerned, Mr. Moody is the man that commander-in-chief. He is asms of lwhich does it. His organizing power, his magnificent ity,--but not under huma’referred.; as sucgeneralship, his homely sense, his unfaltering ministers he says “Go,” ideally sethe temcourage, his ready wit and his direct and pun- laymen be says “Comehat laws Cimportant gent utterance are the chief human forces that does not take counsel ecure the puł the Divine Power is using in the accomplishment great extent; he simple prohibitio of this work. Shall we add that his success is done, and it is genere. It is not f due in part also to a somewhat narrow apprehen- tioning. In the allons an evil. pass sion of religious truth ? He sees a few things detail. If the uskall who en

men.

he pres them; if the temperature of the room living; these are the points that he steadily emneeds daging he orders it; if there is one vacant phasizes. Mr. Moody is not enough of a dogseat in thall while any are standing, he sees that matist to hurt him much, and he is as far as posthe seat ialled. In the inquiry room he meets sible from being either a ritualist or a sentimenevery core and with a singular promptness and talist; the religion that he preaches has its root accuracy judgment puts him in the hands of in the love of God and its fruit in the lives of the counsel best calculated to deal with him.

When the Sanhedrim saw the man that Although sese grand powers of organization had been healed at the Beautiful Gate of the temand leaders are, to human vision, the chief ple standing by the side of Peter and John, “they sources of his cess, yet his power as a preacher could say nothing against it." Good men who is of no comma order. Of course, his pronun- carefully study Mr. Moody's work will be likely ciation is somenes dubious and his grammar as to be of the mind of the Sanhedrim.. irregular as his gurchmanship; but in spite of these defects he Leters his audience. He makes men listen, and kk, and believe and choose.

MAUCH CHUNK AND MARPINGEN. There is no appearece of art in the structure of MIRACLES do not seem to thrive on American his sermons, yet there wonderfully adapted to soil. If we were to be blessed with them, the vilthe purpose for with they are spoken. His lage of Mauch Chunk, in Penpsylvania, would thought marches torrd the point that he is seem to be a likely enough place for them to ap making; of the art of ytting things he is a mas- pear; for it is a dark and weird neighborhood, ter. There is much of recdote-far more of that and there must be a good many people living than of imaginative illusation. The "Nature" thereabouts who would be inclined to believe in of the physicist does ne figure largely in Mr. them. When, therefore, a hysterical woman was Moody's sermons, but tbx are full of life. A raised from the dead in that town the other day, touching little story told ) homely words stirs the Roman Catholic parish priest made haste to the human sympathy, and into the soil thus proclaim the marvel, and it looked as though the broken and watered with tea, the seed of divine wonders of Lourdes and La Salette were to be truth is deftly dropped. Thipower of drawing repeated in Pennsylvania. But the newspapers men "by the cords of a man"-of linking the speedily turned the light upon the transaction; Vivine love to the human, is one of the secrets of the character and antecedents of the woman cured Mr. Moody's power as an oratot. And who shall were sharply canvassed, and the consequence was cavil at this? Is not all love of the essence? Is

a prompt repudiation of the miracle by the Archthere any unselfishness that is nt in its nature bishop of the province, who forced the priest of divine ?

the village to read a letter to his congregation That awful solemnity which one reigned su- pronouncing it “ a delusion and a pious fraud," preme in the revival-room does not oppress Mr. and visiting upon the actors in it his “distinct Moody's meetings. Often, indeed, the truth is and unqualified disapprobation and condemnasent home with a directness and an intensity tion.” Here endeth the miracle of Mauch Chunk. that bring a sober look to every face, but often, In Marpingen, a small town in Rhenish Prussia, too, a happy hit or a home thrust sends a ripple they manage things better. Three small girls of of laughter over the audience. The meetings are Marpingen saw the Virgin and her infant Son

never suffered to drop into the morbid mood. sitting on the ground in a wood. The result of a They are full of a breezy and wholesome life, and several interviews of these girls with the Virgin hai

results that are reached in them are thus was the healing of an invalid who touched her

more likely to be permanent than if they foot, the impartation of miraculous power to the but th xined by casting over the spirits of men waters of a neighboring spring, and the injunc

of somber dread whose shadow never question. Wl on land or sea.

tion that a chapel be built on the spot by public

subscription. The place was soon thronged with false standika theology of Mr. Moody, that we are pilgrims, there were several miraculous cures, value in alihan discussing. Fault can be found and a brisk trade in bottled supernaturalism at may well seen Wiss. The old school people will once sprung up. The Government has been try

If, instead of uous statements of human abil- ing to show that the miracle is a fraud, but this rency, we take the people will object to some of persecution only strengthens the faith of the

oo material and mechanical; faithful. The story of the miracle at Marpingen ble to great fluctuato

of his preaching no good has only just begun to be told. all still the same. Peak off your sins by

Now it is evident to all who read the narratives but not in kind. The the Lord and do good, that the proof of the miracle at Marpingen is then become the seat of 1. The need and the even slenderer than that of the miracle at Mauch nious and prosperous industhrough faith in a

Chunk. Such a story as that of the three little industrial

will still besalvation amounts girls would never be told in an American village, each other in their efforts ars fruit in better and such pilgrimages as those to Lourdes and

conct

men.

Marpingen are not likely to be undertaken in often more desire to uphold dogmas than to save this country. It may be that the faithful of our land are as credulous as they are in Europe, but The prohibitionist objects to license because it the environment does not favor the miraculous. puts the endorsement of the State upon an evil When such things are noised abroad, the omni- practice. The government, he says, has no right present reporter is on hand at once with his pen- to license men to do wrong. cil and his little note-book, and the cry of per- The advocates of license object to prohibition secution, which avails so much when raised because it interferes with personal liberty. To against the Government, does not disturb him in forbid the selling of liquor is to forbid the drinkthe least. He goes right on with his investiga- ing of liquor, they say; and you have no right tions; and the burden of proof which he throws to prescribe what men shall eat or drink. Beupon the projectors of the miracle is too heavy sides it cannot be a crime to sell liquor, unless it for them to bear. The Independent tells this is a crime to drink liquor, and Christ came eating story:

bread and drinking wine. Was He a criminal ? “A train conveying a number of pilgrims to

Against the principle of local option both proMarpingen stopped at the station of Trier a few hibitionists and advocates of license laws bear witminutes for refreshments. Among those who got out was a man with a pair of new crutches, who

ness. We have no right, they say, to make that an was apparently a cripple. He hobbled slowly offense in one town which is not an offense in across the platform, but overstaid his time in the another. We must have one rule of law for the saloon. When he came out the train had just whole State. begun to move. He hurried his halting pace as much as he could consistently with his crippled

All these objections are theoretical and abstract, condition; but finding he was about to be left, he and it is often quite impossible to make our legisgathered his crutches under his arm, and spring- lation conform to abstract principles of morality. ing briskly across the platform, landed on the The legislator is bound to consider not only what moving train with the bound of a gymnast, and went on to Marpingen to be · miraculously is ideally the best rule of law, but also what is cured.'"

practicable; what, under the circumstances, is the Of course it is easy to hire “cripples" of this best thing that can be done. sort to visit the shrine and leave their crutches

God's laws are of this practical character. as trophies; and in a country where the newspa- Study the Mosaic legislation and you will find pers have little circulation and less enterprise that it is based on this principle. The conditio such things can readily be done; but they will of the people is always considered, and while the not be undertaken where the American reporter rule of conduct laid down for them at any given walks abroad.

time is the best rule they are capable of obeying, It must be owned that this gentleman is some

it is often an imperfect rule. The laws of divorce, times a nuisance. He invades sanctities and he

as Christ expressly says, were given to the people hawks noisome scandals; he prints many words because of the hardness of their hearts; and the that hurt and do not heal, and he spreads rumors

laws of blood vengeance expressly authorized that ought by all means to be covered; but when

acts for which in these days men would be hung. we are inclined to be angry with him for these But these laws, imperfect as they were, allowing, offenses, let us temper our denunciations with

as they did some flagrant immoralities, were our acknowledgment of the good that he is doing adapted to the condition of the Israelites. Ng in detecting imposture and in preventing frauds, better laws could then have been comprehended both pious and impious. If the story of Mauch by them or enforced upon them. The fact that Chunk has a different ending from the story of Moses did not in his legislation prescribe the Marpingen it is all because of the newspaper re

absolute right, but led up to by gradual and porter.

sure approaches, is a proof of his inspiration.

All wise reform goes at this gait. You cannot TEMPERANCE LEGISLATION.

turn a Hottentot into a Harvard professor in a The temperance reformer ought to rely mainly day or a week. It may take generations to do it upon moral rather than legal methods. But laws If we admit this principle that in legislation regulating or forbidding the sale of strong drink are to secure the best attainable rather than are in force everywhere; and some legislation of best conceivable results, we shall makers, this sort is undoubtedly necessary.

with the theoretical criticisms of levhich What this legislation shall be is a question upon methods to which we have referred., as sucwhich there is wide difference of opinion. Many tion is not what laws are ideally sethe temlegal remedies for the cure of intemperance have and philosophical, but what laws Cámportant been proposed, and the partisans of one nostrum force; what laws will secure the puł generally have nothing but abuse for the parti- The objection of the prohibitio sans of every other. There is as much sectarian- laws is thus put aside. It is not f ism among professors of temperance as among

a license law sanctions an evil. pass a more professors of religion. In both causes there is tax imposed upon all who enter uj

New York

enness.

traffic. No other kind of traffic is required to pay each community most govern itself, and if the such a taz. The State considers it against public people of each neighborhood are made to study policy to require a grocer or a bookseller to take out this question for themselves, and to meet with a license at a heavy expense, but it considers it their own wisdom and courage the mischiefs of good public policy to require this of the liquor intemperance, instead of passing the whole quesseller. The traffic is thus placed, to a certain tion over to the wise men of the Legislature and degree, under the ban of the law. A man is not relying upon the operation of such laws as may imprisoned for following it but he is fined heavily. be passed at the capital, the result may someAnd the provisions of the law restricting the sale times be good. If experience proves that such to certain hour and forbidding the sale to cer- laws do restrain drunkenness more effectually tain classes of persons are intended to limit the than other laws, the theoretical objections against sale of liquor and to lessen the amount of drunk- them are worthy of no consideration.

Good men who advocate license laws It is, therefore, a very serious practical quesbelieve that they do more effectually restrain this tion which of these legal contrivances does proevil than other forus of legislation. If they do duce the best results. That is the question to they are the best kind of temperance laws, and which our legislators are bound to address themthe theoretical objections must stand aside. We selves. The people who evolve laws from their want the law that does the business by whatever own consciousness are not all infallible, and the name it is called. Do the license laws restrain inductive method needs to be faithfully used in intemperance ? That is the question.

determining the principles of temperance legislaThe theoretical objection to prohibitory laws is tion. equally inadmissible. The personal liberty of the citizen is valuable, of course; but it must

CHARITABLE CANT. often be restricted for the public good. And if “You preach your sermons, and you sing your by a prohibitory law the State can put an end to songs and you talk your pious talk in the prayerdrunkenness its right to do so can hardly be meetings, but the poor all around you are hungry questioned, even though it may in the process and cold. Give us a little less theoretical and considerably abridge personal liberty. The evils emotional religion and a little more of the practiresulting from the use of intoxicating liquors so cal variety." We hear a good deal of this kind vertop and outweigh the good that may result of talk and a large share of it is simple cant. from their use, that the State would be perfectly There is a bumanitarian cant that is just as justified in preventing their sale if it could do meaningless and as nauseating as the cant of the so. Looking at the disease, the pauperism, and prayer-meetings. the crime which are the sure and inseparable re- Of course the duty of caring for the poor is one sults of the use of intoxicating drink, a wise of the first of Christian duties. When you find a legislator would quickly say: “This crime and starving family you must feed them first and misery are so terrible that they justify the most preach to them afterwards. Of course the reheroic treatment. Intoxicating liquors may do ligion that is merely theological or sentimental is some good but they surely do a thousand-fold the worst sort of a sham. more harm than good. By preventing their sale But, in the first place, the work of visiting the and their use, I may interfere with the enjoy- sick and feeding the hungry is mostly done by ment, and even injure the health of a few, but the people who preach and sing in the churches the discomfort thus caused would be as nothing and who talk in the prayer-meetings. If the compared with the mischief that would thus be folks who stand outside and snarl at them did as cured."

much for the poor as they do they would find If, then, prohibition does the business; if it much less time for snarling.

stops the sale of strong drink, and puts an end In the second place nine-tenths of these poor need fa. to the evils growing out of it, the theoretical moral help more than they need material help. valuobjections drawn from the maxims about per. While they are in their present condition of mind

mal liberty ought not to have a feather's weight. alms are more likely to be a curse than a bless

the question is, Does prohibition prohibit? ing to them. They are poor and degraded only If, ins.ctically, there is just as much intemper- because their inner life was first impoverished ; rency, we ver a prohibitory law as under a license if they could be taught self-denial and self-respect ble to great : prohibitory law is no better than a and the value of character they would speedily all still the "By their fruits ye shall know find a way out of their pauperism. Inspire them but not in ki only test of laws or of men.

with a higher motive, teach them to postpone hing may be said of the local option present gratification for future good, lift up bethen become thjection that they make different fore them a hope of better life, and the great nic Zprosprent neighborhoods amounts to but majority of them would soon be above the need indus.

the people of different neighbor- of charity. In other words, the ideas and seneach othe. fferent codes. To a large extent timents which it is the business of the churches to

may

uquor

1

propagate are what they are starving for. Those and Smith over on the other side of the table is
of them that come into the churches, not after the really affecting.
loaves and fishes, but after the Bread of Life, do

WHATEVER may be said about the merits or not remain in penury and dependence very long.

defects of the picture the scenes at its presentaTo talk of the spiritual work of the churches as

tion were sufficiently dramatic. The speech of being secondary to their eleemosynary work is to

Mr. Garfield who represented Mrs. Thompson in exhibit entire ignorance of the real condition of delivering the painting was, of course, elaborate the helpless classes. It is true that these poor and sympathetic, but the choice of Alexander H. people do not need a technical or a sentimental Stephens as the spokesman of Congress in receivreligion, but they do need something that shall ing the picture was a notable choice, and the lift up their thought and inspire them with a bet- speech made by him was a memorable speech. ter hope. Power to overcome the present craving, whether it be for whisky or for ribbons; knew and loved in Congress, were full of generous

His personal references to Mr. Lincoln, whom he power to look beyond the present hour; power to choose the higher instead of the lower good,- the President as the "climax of our trouble and

appreciation, and he spoke of the assassination of this is what they lack, and this is what our

the spring of unnumbered woes.” But the signifchurches, if they are doing their proper work, icant portion of his speech was that in which he are helping men to gain. The worst neglect of the claimed for the whites of the South a share in the churches is not the neglect to bestow alms upon work of emancipation, asserting that the Souththe poor ; probably the most of them have done

ern States had voluntarily sanctioned the thirall they ought to do of that ; it is the neglect to

teenth amendment, and that “this sanction was convey moral stimulus and nourishment to these given by the original constituency of those States, degraded people. That can be done only by put- the former governing white race; and without ting ourselves into friendly relations with them; that sanction could never have been incorporated by associating with them as Christ did with the

in the fundamental law.” And then he said: poor whom He befriended. Something in the

“There is not one within the circle of my way of material aid may well be mixed with the

acquaintance or in the whole Southern country sympathy and moral impulse that we give them; who would wish to see the old relation of master but the latter after all is the main thing. The and slave) restored. If there is one in all the poor, as well as the rich, need something that South who would desire such a change back, I money cannot buy, and while they lack this they

am not aware of it. Well, then,

this changed always will be poor.

status creates new duties. The wardship has
changed hands. Men of the North and of th

South, of the East and of the West-I care not
MR. F. B. CARPENTER's painting of the what party,I would to-day, on this commemora
Emancipation Proclamation " has become so

tive occasion, urge upon every one within the familiar to the public by the engraving which has sphere of duty and humanity, whether in public been widely distributed that it will seem quite

or private life, to see to it that there be no violalike home to see it hanging in the capitol at

tion of the divine trust." Such an utterance as Washington. It was really a very benevolent act

this, from the Vice-President of the Confederacy, -to Mr. Carpenter–for Mrs. Elizabeth Thomp ought to make it plain that the war is over and son to purchase this painting and present it to the

the negro free. Mr. Stphens uses strong lannation. And it is not too high praise to say that

guage—too strong perkaps; but the fact that he the nation owns several worse pictures than this.

can use such language on such an occasion withIndeed, this is not a bad picture, in any sense of

out contradiction, shows that “the former things the word. The event which it rather stiftly im- have passed away and that all things have bemortalizes was the greatest event of our genera

come new." tion, and some sort of memorial of it ought to be placed in the national capitol. There is nothing in a fair way to be tested in London by a “Tem

The value of alcoholic liquors as medicines is, dramatic about the composition of the picture, as indeed there could not well be. Cabinet meet- perance Hospital,” in which alcohol is not given ings at Washington are not apt to be exciting in any formn. All kinds of diseases are treated, occasions; and these particular cabinet officers and the result of four or five years practice seems were men who would lend themselves but awk- to be encouraging. If, after a long term of years, wardly to the purposes of scenic art. The only the statistics shall show that the treatment which thing Mr. Carpenter could do was to make a

dispenses with alcohol is, on the whole, as sucgroup of portraits, and this he bas done with cessful as that which makes use of it, the temvery creditable success. Beyond this there is perance people will have gained an important something quite striking in the way Mr. Seward's