



Produced by David Widger






THE WORKS OF ROBERT G. INGERSOLL

By Robert G. Ingersoll

"TO PLOW IS TO PRAY; TO PLANT IS TO PROPHESY, AND THE HARVEST ANSWERS
AND FULFILLS."

IN TWELVE VOLUMES, VOLUME XI.

MISCELLANY

1900

DRESDEN EDITION




CONTENTS OF VOLUME XI.


ADDRESS ON THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.

Introduction by Frederick Douglass("Abou Ben Adhem")--Decision of
the United States Supreme Court pronouncing the Civil Rights Act
Unconstitutional--Limitations of Judges--Illusion Destroyed by the
Decision in the Dred Scott Case--Mistake of Our Fathers in adopting
the Common Law of England--The 13th Amendment to the Constitution
Quoted--The Clause of the Constitution upholding Slavery--Effect of
this Clause--Definitions of a State by Justice Wilson and Chief Justice
Chase--Effect of the Thirteenth Amendment--Justice Field on Involuntary
Servitude--Civil Rights Act Quoted--Definition of the Word Servitude by
the Supreme Court--Obvious Purpose of the Amendment--Justice Miller
on the 14th Amendment--Citizens Created by this Amendment--Opinion
of Justice Field--Rights and Immunities guaranteed by the
Constitution--Opinion delivered by Chief-Justice Waite--Further Opinions
of Courts on the question of Citizenship--Effect of the 13th, 14th and
15th Amendments--"Corrective" Legislation by Congress--Denial of equal
"Social" Privileges--Is a State responsible for the Action of its Agent
when acting contrary to Law?--The Word "State" must include the People
of the State as well as the Officers of the State--The Louisiana Civil
Rights Law, and a Case tried under it--Uniformity of Duties essential to
the Carrier--Congress left Powerless to protect Rights conferred by the
Constitution--Definition of "Appropriate Legislation"--Propositions laid
down regarding the Sovereignty of the State, the powers of the General
Government, etc.--A Tribute to Justice Harlan--A Denial that Property
exists by Virtue of Law--Civil Rights not a Question of Social
Equality--Considerations upon which Social Equality depends--Liberty not
a Question of Social Equality--The Superior Man--Inconsistencies of the
Past--No Reason why we should Hate the <DW52> People--The Issues that
are upon Us.

TRIAL OF C. B. REYNOLDS FOR BLASPHEMY.

ADDRESS TO THE JURY.

Report of the Case from the New York Times (note)--The Right to express
Opinions--Attempts to Rule the Minds of Men by Force--Liberty the
Greatest Good--Intellectual Hospitality Defined--When the Catholic
Church had Power--Advent of the Protestants--The Puritans, Quakers.
Unitarians, Universalists--What is Blasphemy?--Why this Trial should not
have Taken Place--Argument cannot be put in Jail--The Constitution of
New Jersey--A higher Law than Men can Make--The Blasphemy Statute
Quoted and Discussed--Is the Statute Constitutional?--The Harm done
by Blasphemy Laws--The Meaning of this Persecution--Religions are
Ephemeral--Let us judge each other by our Actions--Men who have braved
Public Opinion should be Honored--The Blasphemy Law if enforced would
rob the World of the Results of Scientific Research--It declares the
Great Men of to-day to be Criminals--The Indictment Read and Commented
upon--Laws that go to Sleep--Obsolete Dogmas the Denial of which was
once punished by Death--Blasphemy Characterized--On the Argument
that Blasphemy Endangers the Public Peace--A Definition of real
Blasphemy--Trials for Blasphemy in England--The case of Abner
Kneeland--True Worship, Prayer, and Religion--What is Holy and
Sacred--What is Claimed in this Case--For the Honor of the State--The
word Liberty--Result of the Trial (note).

GOD IN THE CONSTITUTION.

The Feudal System--Office and Purpose of our Constitution--Which God
shall we Select?--The Existence of any God a Matter of Opinion--What is
entailed by a Recognition of a God in the Constitution--Can the Infinite
be Flattered with a Constitutional Amendment?--This government is
Secular--The Government of God a Failure--The Difference between the
Theological and the Secular Spirit--A Nation neither Christian nor
Infidel--The Priest no longer a Necessity--Progress of Science and the
Development of the Mind.

A REPLY TO BISHOP SPALDING.

On God in the Constitution--Why the Constitutional Convention ignored
the Question of Religion--The Fathers Misrepresented--Reasons why the
Attributes of God should not form an Organic Part of the Law of the
Land--The Effect of a Clause Recognizing God.

CRIMES AGAINST CRIMINALS.

The Three Pests of a Community--I. Forms of Punishment and Torture--More
Crimes Committed than Prevented by Governments--II. Are not Vices
transmitted by Nature?--111. Is it Possible for all People to be
Honest?--Children of Vice as the natural Product of Society--Statistics:
the Relation between Insanity, Pauperism, and Crime--IV. The Martyrs of
Vice--Franklin's Interest in the Treatment of Prisoners--V. Kindness
as a Remedy--Condition of the Discharged Prisoner--VI. Compensation
for Convicts--VII. Professional Criminals--Shall the Nation take
Life?--Influence of Public Executions on the Spectators--Lynchers
for the Most Part Criminals at Heart--VIII. The Poverty of the Many a
perpetual Menace--Limitations of Land-holding.--IX. Defective Education
by our Schools--Hands should be educated as well as Head--Conduct
improved by a clearer Perception of Consequences--X. The Discipline of
the average Prison Hardening and Degrading--While Society cringes before
Great Thieves there will be Little Ones to fill the Jails--XI. Our
Ignorance Should make us Hesitate.

A WOODEN GOD.

On Christian and Chinese worship--Report of the Select Committee
on Chinese Immigration--The only true God as contrasted with
Joss--Sacrifices to the "Living God"--Messrs. Wright, Dickey, O'Connor
and Murch on the "Religious System" of the American Union--How to prove
that Christians are better than Heathens--Injustice in the Name of
God--An honest Merchant the best Missionary--A Few Extracts from
Confucius--The Report proves that the Wise Men of China who predicted
that Christians could not be Trusted were not only Philosophers but
Prophets.

SOME INTERROGATION POINT