Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh EditionRobertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Religion
Charles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume 2 (of 2): With an Account of his Parliamentary Struggle, Politics and Teachings. Seventh Edition
Robertson, J. M. (John Mackinnon)
Bradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891
"DEAR SIR,--In reply to your note of October 1st would say: I
heard Mr Bradlaugh the first time he spoke in Boston. What Mr Sumner,
who sat near me, said of that lecture, will deservedly have more
influence and weight than any opinion of mine. While Bradlaugh was
speaking, Sumner looked to me and said, 'This is very fine.' At the
close of the lecture he remarked, 'This is, I think, the most eloquent
speech I have heard for some years.'
WENDELL PHILLIPS."
"BOSTON, _October 2, 1874_."
At Dartmouth Mr Bradlaugh lectured to the students in their church, and
the Rev. Dr Smith, President of the College, presided at his lecture.
Two days later he was speaking at Cambridge, having this time a fine
audience of over a thousand persons, including most of the Cambridge
professors and a strong force from Harvard College. At Philadelphia
on the 25th he won the sympathies of a crowded meeting, although here
he had been publicly preached against, and people had been warned not
to go to his lecture. At Charlestown (Mass.) he spoke in the Trinity
Methodist Episcopal Church, with the pastor, the Rev. Mark Trafton, as
president. In Boston he spoke in the Rev. James Freeman Clarke's Church
of Disciples, and at Winchester in the Unitarian Church--"and yet," he
said, "miracles are not believed in!" On the journey from Bangor to
Dexter my father, at the invitation of the engine-driver, rode part
way on the engine, and he relates how he found himself "perched on a
nice soft seat in a corner, with my toes near enough to the furnace to
make me forget that a sharp frosty wind was whistling; engine-driver
Chase turned out to be quite a philosopher, and I had a pleasant time."
Presently they had to slacken speed; "there are cattle on the track,
three oxen and three full-grown calves. They run on in front, sometimes
crossing the line; we ring the bell, whistle furiously, and puff-puff
vociferously, till at last engine-driver Chase gets angry and says, 'It
is no use, those cattle are as stupid as your House of Lords.' 'Yes,' I
answered, 'and will get run down like the Lords, if they do not get off
the track.'"
Senor Castelar stated after Mr Bradlaugh's death that he was shunned
by the ladies; but Senor Castelar's English was a little at fault.
When my father was at Delaware he was taken by the students to the
Female College, "where," he said, "the president introduced me to the
senior ladies' class, who sang to me the American national hymn. I was
asked to make them a speech, and am afraid I made myself supremely
ridiculous. It is no joke to be suddenly called on to say something to
twoscore of extremely good-looking young ladies.... They all looked
happy, and gave me a very pleasant greeting, one which made me think of
my own girls at home." The girls on their side were evidently equally
pleased with their visitor, for just before my father commenced his
lecture that evening he received the following note:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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