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I .#. .


THE INFIDEL ANNIvERsARY.-The Infdel
g Society for the promotion of mental free
dom" held Its first anniversary on Sunday eve
ming, at the Coliseum, in Broadway. Mr.. Sam
uel A. Barrett, Of Ulster County, and Mr..
Benjamin Often, were the principal speakers.
The first speaker, (Mr. B, says the Tribune,
began by saying tina the object that had brought
together SO many people from. various quar-
ters of the land was to promote truth, proclaim
the universal equality of mankind, and give
free utterance to free thought. He acknow-
lodged no principle in hImcan affairs, no light
above reason. He alluded to Jesus Christ, and
although denying his Divine nature, gave an
unqualified approval of his life, character and
code Of morals, CHASING him as only inferior
to God himself. We can only reason from
what we know We exist by natural laws /;
we are not the authors of our own lives, nor
have we any control over our own destiny
we are the creatures OF circumstances, though
he did not believe in fatalism-the Sabbath is
human instruction, made by man for man
we are material and rational beings, but there
is no evidence of our spiritual existence
prayer is folly and superstituton--such
are some (and iair sample Of the rest)
of the opinions put forth by the speaker
His mind seemed wandering-his language
was disjointed and liteless-his delivery pain
full cold and hesitating.


Mr.. Benjaman Often followed MIR. Barrett
He is very aged, infirm man, evidently tot
terring along the last stage of his journey lc
the grave. His very aspect is gloomy and dis
couraging He stated that he had been an
Infidel for over forty years-that he was oppo-
sed to everything that bore the name of Re-
vealed ReJigion--that in this cause he had
sacrificed everything in the world, even TO his
heath-that he was probably addressing them
for the las, tme--that he was under sentence
of DEATH and his words should be regarded
as the admoitions of dying man. He closed
by congratulatng his audience OF the formia-
bic position the ln6dels had assumed by their
union in this Society, and said that the word
Infidel would soon be as honorable as it is in
famous. For is own part, he had said twenty
years ago, :" If you mean TO disgrace me, call
m a Christian! J"