Other Articles Clipping from Indianapolis Monroes Iron Clad Age, Sat, Sep 15, 1883.
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DEATH OF KERSEY GRAVES.It is with a heavy heart that we record here the death of Kersey Graves. He was one of the. few wholly unselfish men that have engaged in the work of freeing the world from the fthralldom of priestcraft. Kersey Graves lived a busy life. He was a hkrd patient worker. He has stamped his individuality upon the world. His works will live after him. To shed light and to undeceive mankind were the grand objects of his life work. Kersey Graves was a sincere man. He tried to be right. He sought for the truth. His habits were simple; his wants few: his life blameless. As he had lived so he diedwith child-like trust in the potencies of nature. The approach of death didn’t shake his serenity. A dispatch from Richmond to the Journal of this city, dated Sept. 6th, says:, j,“Kersey Graves, one of the leading in-fidel writers of the United States, and author of “Sixteen Crucified Saviors,” “The Bible of Bibles” and “The History of the Devil,” died at his home north of this city, last evening, clinging to the belief he advocated.”IUpon this the Journal, which, by the way, is narrow and a slave to church bigotry and intolerance, comments as follows:“Mr. Graves was a descendant of the noble family of Stuarts, of England, and was born in Brownsville, Pa., November 21, 1815. At an early age be manifested a love for history and scientific studies. When he was nineteen years of age he began teaching school in Richmond and followed that occupation for twenty years. He spent a number of years in traveling, and was an active worker in language reform; he also lectured on phrenology and kindred things. He had a repugnance to polities, and would seldom allow his name to be used in that connection. He was an early and earnest advocate of the abolition of slavery, and frequently encountered the arguments advanced by the opposition, eggs, atones and brickbats. In early life be was much interested in religion, and his friendB hoped he would enter the ministry; but his researches in oriental religious history convinced him that his ►opular theology embraced some errors, some errors is putting it mild!—Ironclad,) and he began using his pen for the puspose of convincing the public of the correctness of his theory. His first book was “The Biography of Satan,” which was followed by “The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors.” These works were successful both in America and Europe. His third book was “The Bible of Bibles,” written in various ages and countries. Mr. Graves’s private life was an exceptional purity, and the verdict of those who knew him best is that he was a good and pure man.”From the Sun which is printed in Richmond though hailing from this city, we take the following:“Kersey Graves departed this life on Tuesday, the 4th instant, at 1 o’clock p. m., at his home three miles northeast of Richmond. His wife and two daughters were with him during his sickness and at the time of his death. His death came unexpectedly to his wife and daughters; for, although his health had not been as good as usual for the last five or six weeks, yet it was not marked with any serious symptoms of decline until within a few hours of his death. Under the circumstances it was not deemed necessary for his two sons to come home, as his condition gave promises of two or three years more of life, and thus they were not with him in his dying hours. Yet they have the consolation of knowing that all was done for him that tender hands could do, and that the few hours preceding his death were hours of profound peace and comfort. The tokens of a calm, abiding faith in the philosophythat had sustained him for manj longyears were singularly strong and convincing, From his wife we have his dying words, “A wave of comfort passes over me,” he said, a few hours before his death; and an hour or two before the end, he said: “It is Tight.”“There is singular impressiveness in the spectacle of a man upon the verge of ripe age looking backward, it his dving moments, upon the past, and looking forward into the future, and gaying: “It is right.” Faults our friend had (and who of us have not?), and many strong, noble virtues he had, too. He counted sacrifices, for what he believed, of small moment. He had the courage of his opinions upon all questions. Not the courage of a man whose opinions were buttressed by the pure crystal of logic. He felt his way, step by step, by the lamp of reason alone. His faculty of intuition was small as compared with the faculty of causality. Such a man never ^ises to the height of enthusiasm; such a man’s steps never lead along the border land of fanaticism. He wants a reason for everything, and such reason is far removed from fanaticism.Kersey Graves was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, in the year 1813, in the orthodox quaker church, so to speak. His father went with the hicksites in theBpiit that tore the quaker church in two, but his mother remained with the orthodox branch. With this branch Kersey Graves continued until “disowned” by his church for making his abolition statements public. His church approved of abolitionism, but its approval did not go to the extent of making it public by any of its members. * * * *Kersey Graves’ life-work was for the improvement of the race. As teacher, as author, as speaker, as farmer, he strove to improve nimBelf and to improve others. And he always felt that there was some way or other for the accomplishment of this end. As teacher he would hold for the highest culture; as author he essayed to found his belief upon the solid, indubitable facts of history and of nature. Upon this basic principle he wrought nis work entitled, “Bible of Bibles,” “Sixteen Crucified Saviors,” and “Sixteen Saviors or None/' the last of which waa written in reply to Mr. Perry's“Sixteen Saviors or One.” As a collector of facts, and as a deductor of reasons therefrom, Kersey Graves has won distinction. But as a generalizer he has not *on so high distinction. His works show the possession of the historical faculty ini • a i t a ..t.a high degree. Singularly enough, asnistudy of the science of phrenology shook his faith in the doctrines of the orthodox church. What a profound study of this science might have done in that direction can only be a matter of mere conjecture.He married Lydia Michener, a firstcousin to Edward M. Stanton, secretaryof war under Abraham Lincoln, whostl survives him. He was married in the Smyrna meeting house, in Wayne, county, Indiana. It was this church that disowned him for his public avowal of anti-slavery sentiments. He lived for about twenty years in Harvey sburg, Ohio, a noted stronghold of abolitionism. Here he wrote his “Biography of Satan,” the copyright of which he sold to hie publisher. He is the author of five works, some of which have sold largely. Of his larger works about twenty thousandcopies have been sold. Besides, he conibtributed to a number of newspapers. He served as associate editor on the Indianapolis Sun, and also on the Globe. He has published his views as to financial and other questions in a pamphlet entitled “Robbery by Law, and he has left unfinished a work he was getting ready for the press on the tariff question.The family consists of four children, two sons and two daughters. The older son, Benjamin, was graduated at Cornell university, and is engaged in business in New York. The younger son, Alonzo, is a telegraph operator at Ridgeville, Ind. He is a man of culture, and has, we believe, given two or three years to teaching. Elizabeth, the older daughter, is at home. She attended college, and afterwards engaged in teaching, as did also Elma, who has been teaching for the last two or three years. She will teach at Sevastopol, Wayne county, Indiana, the coming school term.Kersey Graves was buried at Old Goshen cemetery near Middleboro,Wayne county, Indiana, at 2 o’clock p.i (lam., on Thursday the 6th instant. Peace be to his ashes.To tbe Liberals of the 'United StateslandCanada.Roxuuby,Mass., Sept. 7, *1883.In these days of religious revivals, when freethought is so persistently being misrepresented in the various pulpits, it has been deemed necessary to inaugurate a counteracting propagandism.With this view, George Chainey of Boston, Mass., and Charles Watts of London, England, have undertaken to make an extended tour throughout the UnitedStates and Canada for the purpose of giving a correct exposition of freethought principles and their real objects. Bythese means the public will be put in possession of the correct nature of our views, and the clergy will at the same time be given an opportunity of sub-substantiating their erroneous chargesagainst the teaching of liberalism, as Mr. \VtWatts is prepared to meet any representative clergyman in public discussion upon the relative value of the two systems.To help us in this desirable and all-important work, we invite the liberals in their respective towns and cities to cooperate with us in the following manner: First. Send us word what halls can be secured with open dates, and terms on the basis of a percentage of receipts.Second. State the most favorable time for your locality.Third. Give us names and addresses of all known liberals in your town or city.Whenever we find a disposition to aid in this enterprise, we shall make the visit at our own risk. -In this endeavor to extend a true knowledge of liberalism, Messrs. Chainey and Watts wish it distinctly understood that their object is not to represent any one particular section of the great free-thought party, their sole aim being to exposeciples only upon which the entire Doaypound those broad fundamental grinof liberals are in union.All communications to be addressed:Messrs. Watts Chainey,41 Fort Avenue, Roxbury, Boston, Muss.A Campaign Document.W - ~ -Every liberal nnil every Christian that we can possibly persuade to do so should read Mr. Wnke-man's reply to the Rev. Thomas Mitchell. The whole argument of thelntter was for the dogma of creation upon which tho Christian religion is ultimately founded. Mr. Waketuttu’s reply is a magni-llcent prolt;ontation of the doctrine 01 evolution and the multitude of facts that support it. There ishardly « scholar in the world so thoroughly equipped for this task as Mr. Wakeman. All that sciencetms accomplished seems to be at his tongue’s end.He 1ms mastered not tho generalities only but theult;details of this,most wonderful triumph of human thought. The material uuiverso, the organic life upon this globe, the history of man through iho immense sweep of ages, his social groupings and advancements to higher forms of intelligence and f.ow-er, with tho brilliant promise of the future, these aspeels of the scientific outlook are depicted with noble eloquence and learning. The great principles of our movement are declared with admirable precision and comprehensiveness. Here, therefore is a campaign document which should find n million readers inside and outside the ranks of liberalism. It is a tremendous cannonade that we should keep going right against the errors of the past.Arrangements aro made for the immediate publication ot this address. Subscriptions are solicited for the purpose. Every liberal who has a dollar to spare Is asked to send it at once to the Committed of Publication. In return for Ida dollar ho will receive live copies of this address packed full of the the latest argumet.ts and demonstrations of science. Let there Ih im inatnut reply to this appeal. At least one hundred one dollar subscriptions are needed for this enterprise. No one can fail to see the good that can thus be accomplished h r tho dissemination of the truth ao necessity to human progress.Address, SAMUEL V. PUTNAM,Chairman Com. on Publication. Caro of Truth Seeker, New York City.Nothin? El bo Lawful.Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 3,108.Dr. Monroe: The Alabama State Gazette says that Trinity Station, in Morgan county, on the Memphis and Charleston railroads, a place with 176 inhabitants in 1881 had then fourteen ministersin its precinct. There were from 500 to 1000 in the presinct. They had twochurches. You might enclose Huntsville with a fence on Sunday and you would have a grave yard. There Is nothing that is not unlawful on Sunday but go* ing to church. Looking out for the welfare of the minister! and gping to meetry of the peo-Ing form the chief industry pk- _Henri Pahnu.»r. 3 CretheandO Mand dii humbl thee to all livi: Ahni meats unjust which he bad and cn if thelt; goods, i Bpirit; hands, hiscret are stri his del just an O Miwith th watera the firsklugdo bers of And,that hi banal? Icrnal f hied hlt; there i strowu remem and th; bacco-c has uia tive puing?stricts and to meiu Ik clioosit Don’t I the ras ceived avcngi!O Mlt;penitei a side t years aideutoo aichi hi re (Riser vyou rult;them, ( to tbei: them k py. If make t good, child.teach i Don't 1 it. Do tell its if toldThechtill, by to lie iiOM;and tut hard ci er tiie : toil at lt;life, an O M;safe toaway ! poor si; ply tin as thou And bless thy slu with si gout It* robbed quireu: M*eeh tthe engthey biWill |K.’Ithey ai stored right O Mi us. Diprint c and slu that w deuce tOMt some h in see it to mak doth p;OMi that tl and fee And thy sirDon’t 1ptorc tl socket 1 And, thy tie Stales 1lllO Rtlmake t And tax the and sai () mostedifices the mo twior wiO Mugood el life nf t dry. ( fault oi hast leilure ofPICrick ii and Mu or ache ens untl blnud vi linlmon 11.00. Uinta astows, colpt o Hmhr priotonI ITTLiver ISEN waCM—UCRheumatism can be cured. Bee adv. on 5th page.PaLet t print*per»,owherewl.U u
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