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Show A SERIO-COMIC FEUD THE NEXT NEW STATE. (KDI-DOIiL COKBrarOJI)E.cr.) Chicago, April 7, 1S7-1. Nature made Florence McCarthy a comedian; ci renin stances robed him in ministerial habilimcntd and gave the prefix "Kov." to hia name. As a Baptist preacher he enjoyed but little notoriety in this "Garden City," until he unluckily permitted come of tho natural comedy in him to escape. Whether he pulled faces "mugging" would be professional or simply indulged in witticisms, or gave rem to his humor after tho style of Mark Twain or the late Artemus, I am not prepared to say; but he did make people laugh. That is, ho made the trLOers with soul-destroying levity laugh, while the more puritanically-pious puritanically-pious were horrified that a m-i-n-i-u-t-e-r should so defile the sanctuary and perform the service of Beelzebub as to make liis congregation forget tho awful horrors of a fiery hereafter and be mirthful like unto the ungodly at a theatre; yea, turning the inner temple into a thing of mirth and light heartcdncss, where nothing bul should be semi, where an atmosphere should ever bo inhaled chill as an Arctic breath, and where the devout should count life sweetened by anything any-thing as palatable as citric acid. But Florence did not thus consider it; and eo ho set established usage, whieh may be called the chief canon of the churvli, at defiance, and talked and laughed and made other people- laugh, just as if it were right to enjoy the tucshinc and light and mirthful music so bounteously bounte-ously scattered around us by a beneficent benefi-cent Creator. Then there was a Giuncil held; more decisive in its action than that other Council which a few days ago was ventilating the afiairs of Bcccher's Plymouth church, this one deposed the Kev, Florence from his ministerial labors, assuring the pious and irreligious worlds that the gentleman gentle-man was a ChriatLm, but not a good minister! There is a distinction without with-out much of a difference that will puzzle scriptural casuUU to satisfactorily satisfac-torily illuminate. And now comes the lamcutaUe p-Tt of the a flair. Florence refuses lo st-ty deposed. Like Bunquo's ghost lie will appear e'en at the festive board. lie says the Council had no power to depose him, and he proposes to establish a church of his own. A majority of the ladies of his late flock cling to him, and will endeavor to turn an honest penny in his behalf by serving of half dollar lunches at a popular stand, the profits to go towards establishing a church in which people may be able to laugh without snuffing brimstone with every extra inhalation. Florence is delivering a comic lecture to-night, preached on Sunday last, and will preach again next Sunday; and hia new church will continue the topic for about r week, when it will give-way give-way to the next sensation! But this is not all. There- is war between members of the Council which deposed him. Rev. Mr. Gordon, of the Western Aveniift Uan- tist Church, was censured by some of his congregation for his sharo in the proceedings of the Council, he being a McCarthy man. Whereupon Mr. Gordon published a' protest, and resigned re-signed hi3 pastoral charge. At that his congregation r03e up in arms, tears flowing like those of Niobo, and would not hear of hia resignation; uttered a unanimous call for him to remain; and even offered to raise his salary! Whereupon again, he withdrew with-drew that resignation, like a sensible man, and to-night ia enjoying a "sociable" gotten up by his flock to mark the return of amity among them. But Professor Mitchell, another of the Council, isn't entirely satisfied with Gordon's protest, and in a public meeting last night politely intimated that Mr. Gordon was an economizer of the truth! And, tho end of the tribulation is not yet! I see by the dispatches that tho House Comrniltco on Territories, of Congress, has agreed lo report a bill for tho admission of Xcw Mexico as a Stale What grounds the sponsor of tho McKeo bill the chairman of that Committee other than the stale and worn-out falsehoods about Utah, can adduce why New Mexico should be admitted and Utah nut, it 13 difficult to conceive A fair man, an honest, . man, one who was not seeking to make a little political capital out of abuse of nnd attempted tyranny over the freo people- of tho moat populous and wealthiest of tho AVcstern Territories Terri-tories would report a bill for tho admission of Utah at the sarno time. J It has more population to-day than New Mexico; it in bettor capable of full self-government; and it has made more progress in five years than New Mexico has done in ten. Their soil became United States' property at 1 the same- time and by tho same treaty; tiny received Territorial government,, together, and they should bo admitted togothor, and both should bo admitted at onco. But Mr. McKoo, in endeavoring endeav-oring to buy political notoriety as 1 "atrikor" for tho "ring," will inter-poso inter-poso tho weight of hisprcscnt position 1 against it. Well, let him do j-.o; he 1 will find eventually that he never,! mado a pooror investment in his life. ! K. L. S. 1 |
