USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. II > Part 32
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As finally settled, the World's Congress work was divided into twenty departments and 224 general divi- sions, in which congresses were held. These, in their numerical order, were as follows :
I, Woman's Progress, 25 divisions; II, Public Press, 6 divisions; III, Medicine and Surgery, 6; IV, Temperance, 12; V, Moral and Social Reform, 15; VI, Commerce and Finance, 10; VII, Music, 9; VIII, Litera- ture, 9; IX, Education, First Series, 17, Second Series, 16; X, Engineering, 9; XI, Art, 5; XII, Government, 7; XIII, General Department, 1, besides 4 held out of their regular order and here transferred to their proper places; XIV, Science and Philosophy, 13; XV, Social and Economic Science, 4; XVI, Labor, 1; XVII, Re- ligion, 46 (of which the marvelous Parliament of Re- ligions was the chief); XVIII, Sunday Rest, 1; XIX, Public Health, 1; XX, Agriculture, 11.
The programmes also show 125 sections, of which 29 were of the nature of the general divisions.
These congresses held 1,283 sessions, aggregating 753 days. The printed programmes show 5, 978 addresses delivered or papers read, including 5,454 formal con- tributions, 131 addresses of welcome, 176 addresses of response, and 217 agricultural reports. But these are much less than the actual number, for many papers and addresses were admitted after the programmes were printed, and were inserted in the corrected pro- grammes used by the presiding officers.
A carefully prepared alphabetical index shows 5,822 speakers and writers whose names appear on the
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printed programmes, including 368 cases in which the name of the paper to be read, or subject discussed, is not given. These participants in the congresses rep- resented all the continents of the world, and ninety- seven nations, states, provinces, territories and colo- nies, besides each of the states and territories of the American Union, making a total of 147 actually represented.
In the cases of 2,005 of the 5,822 names given in the printed programmes, the residence of the contributor is not given, but the tables compiled show the differ- ent occasions on which the 3,817 speakers and writers whose places of residence appear, took part in the congress proceedings. This extremely interesting exhibit is as follows:
Europe 803, Asia 104, Africa 41, North America 2,770, South America 48, Australasia 39, Pacific Islands 12. The places represented and the number of entries are: Algeria 5, Angola 1, Arabia 1, Argentine 7, Ar- menia 1, Asia Minor 1, Australia 8, Austria 35, Bavaria 5, Belgium 19, Bohemia 7, Brazil, 6, British Guiana 4, Bulgaria 5, Burmah 1, Canada 39, Cape Colony 3, Cey- lon 6, Chile 1, China 14, Colombia 3, Congo 3, Corea 1, Costa Rica 4, Cuba 3, Curacoa 2, Denmark 17, Ecuador 3, Egypt 15, England 200, Finland 7, France 99, French Congo 1, Germany 112, Great Britain 113, Greece 11, Guatemala 1, Hanover 1, Hayti 3, Holland 16, Hon- duras 1, Hungary 2, Iceland 5, India 31, Ireland 10, Italy 52, Jamaica 2, Japan 28, Johore 3, Liberia 4, Mad- agascar 1, Manitoba 3, Mexico 23, Monaco 1, New Brunswick 2, New Hebrides 2, New South Wales 19, New Zealand 1, Nicaragua 2, Northwest Territories (Canada) 1, Norway 9, Nova Scotia 1, Ontario 30, Orange Free State 3, Paraguay 4, Persia 3, Peru 3, Poland 3, Portugal 7, Quebec 15, Roumania 3, Russia 39, Sandwich Islands 7, Saxony 1, Scotland 41, Siam 4, Siberia 1, South Africa 3, South Australia 3, Spain 13, Straits Settlements 2, Sweden 33, Switzerland 20, Syria 7, Transylvania 1,
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Trinidad 2, Tunis 1, Turkey 11, United States of Amer- ica 2,641, Uruguay 3, Venezuela 9, Victoria 6, Wales 4, Wurtemberg 1. The representation of the United States was as follows: Alabama 20, Alaska 2, Arizona 7, Arkansas 19, California 113, Colorado. 34, Connect- icut 50, Delaware 3, District of Columbia 127, Florida 11, Georgia 35, Idaho 7, Illinois 350, Indiana 85, Indian Territory 1, Iowa 59, Kansas 39, Kentucky 26, Louis- iana 24, Maine 31, Maryland 55, Massachusetts 236, Michigan 125, Minnesota 78, Mississippi 11, Missouri 97, Montana 8, Nebraska 28, Nevada 2, New Hamp- shire 16, New Jersey 48, New Mexico 4, New York 307, North Carolina 19, North Dakota 5, Ohio 140, Oregon 11, Pennsylvania 156, Rhode Island 21, South Carolina 19, South Dakota 14, Tennessee 49, Texas 29, Utah 5, Vermont 6, Virginia 21, Washington 14, West Virginia 6, Wisconsin 66, Wyoming 2.
This list embraces, in round numbers, only about two-thirds of the papers and addresses. It should, therefore, be borne in mind that the actual representa- tion of the several countries was really much larger than here appears.
The persons who made addresses to these various congresses, or sent papers to them to be read, repre- sented in the fullest measure the intellectual forces of their various countries, as to their progress in art, science, jurisprudence, morality, philosophy and relig- ion. These addresses and papers read were untram- meled by advocacy of any special form of government or religion. Their incentive was to build up, not to tear down; to harmonize the noblest efforts of emi- nent men, to promote the general good of all mankind. The rules of the congresses forbade special pleading, approval or censure; but, if they had not, most, if not all, of these persons were possessed of qualifications sufficiently refined to make this rule unnecessary. This immense congress could not have been governed by ordinary parliamentary rules, because it was not'
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held as a debating society, to be governed by rules of order. No one had the right to speak, of his own volition in the congress in which he appeared. Only persons whose names were announced on the programme had the right to be heard.
This parliament was an honor to Chicago. It was a proof that tolerance and freedom of thought are in its air. Some clergymen in America made an unavail- ing protest against it, but this protest was only a ripple on the great ocean, that is now surging and rolling with waves of liberal thought throughout the world.
Volumes would be required to give all the impor- tant truths brought to light by these congresses; but the synopsis of the teachings of the Parliament of Religions, which appeared as an editorial in the Chi- cago Tribune during its closing week, is so comprehen- sive that it will, in part, supply a voluminous report of it.
Says the Tribune: "There have assembled in this parliament the representatives of all the prominent religious sects of the world. Christians-Protestant, Catholic and Greek ; Hindoos, Buddhists, Brahmin sects, Jainists, Shintoists, Tendaists, Shingenists, Con- fucianists, Mohammedans, Hebrews, Parsees, Ger- man Idealists, Swedenborgians, Quakers, Theosophists, Christian Scientists, the Salvation Army, members of various societies of psychical research and others, rep- resenting offshoots of different faiths, have met in har- mony and submitted statements of their beliefs. The importance of this parliament consists, first, in the fact that a clear statement of belief has been made by those who are authorized to do so, and, second, in the fact that those whom we have been accustomed to call heathens are not so much heathens as we imagined. Under some of the religions lies the clear idea of divin- ity. Under all lies the clear idea of morality. In a general way it has been made apparent that Buddhism, Mohammedanism and Christianity are the three univer-
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sal ethical religions, starting from basic principles and representing not the sentiments of this or that nation, but the aspirations of the heart of humanity. Islam- ism, the offshoot of Judaism and Christianity, acknowl- edges the absolute sovereignty of one supreme God, to whom man owes obedience. It has its angels, its judg- ment day, its resurrection, its rewards and punish- ments. Buddhism works out the problem of final sal- vation from the miseries of existence through the agency of self-renunciation and successive reincarna- tions. At the head of Christianity stands the God who must be worshiped in spirit and in truth.
"But these three ethical forms of religion are not all which have sprung from the banks of the Nile and the Euphrates. The proceedings of the parliament have shed a clear light upon them and numerous others, and have furnished volumes of information which may be summarized briefly. Buddhism has been specially for- tunate in its expositors. Its fundamental teaching is universal sympathy with all mankind and animal kind, oneness of life, usefulness of life, humanity and wis- dom in perfection, reincarnation, the enjoying or suf- fering in this life of what has been done in past lives, and by gradual development the ultimate absorption in Nirvana, 'In the sense of a Supreme God,' said one of the speakers-
"' Buddha says that there is no such being; accept- ing the doctrine of evolution as the only true one, with the corollary, the law of cause and effect, he condemns the idea of a creator. But the Supreme God of the Brahmins and the minor gods are accepted. But they are subject to the law of cause and effect.'
"China comes to the parliament representing three great forms of religion, Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. The first two are very similar. Taoism is the original Chinese religion in its latest develop- ments, while Confucianism claims to be a restoration of the old faith in pure forms. The latter is the most
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interesting of the three. It recognizes no Supreme God. All gods are supreme, each in his own domain, and their name is legion, for the spirits of the deceased are all worshiped. Confucianism is based not upon divinity, but upon humanity, man being considered the product of heaven and earth. By following the will of the former, man will become perfect, and it is the perfect man that is the dream of Confucius. But of a supreme being, of a heaven, of a future life there is little trace in this religion, which literally swarms with spirits.
" Hindooism has many gods, but there is one su- preme 'God above all gods, that One alone who has upheld the spheres,' as the Veda puts it. Hindooism was well defined by one of its representatives:
" 'The Vedas teach that the soul is divine, only held under bondage of matter, and perfection will be reached when the bond will burst, and the word they use is therefore mutki-freedom from death and mis- ery. This bondage can only fall off through the mercy of God, and this mercy comes on the pure. So purity is the condition of His mercy.'
" In a word, the whole struggle of their system is to become perfect and divine, to reach God and to see God. 'This reaching God, seeing God, becoming per- fect, even as the Father in Heaven is perfect,' consti- tutes the religion of the Hindoos. When the body dies the Hindoo believes he still will go on living, for the human soul is eternal, perfect and infinite, and ' death means only a change of center from one body to another.' Reincarnation, salvation by action and the unity of the all are fundamental principles in the Hin- doo's creed.
" The Parsee is a monotheist. He has but one God, described by Zoroaster as 'true, lucid, shining, all-perfect, all-powerful and all-wise,' ruler of both the material and immaterial. He believes in the immortal- ity of the soul. He has his heaven (vashishta-ahu), his hell (achishta-ahu) and a bridge between heaven
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and this world (chinvat), where a man's soul has to pre- sent a collective account of the actions done in the past life. He worships fire, but not as a god. In the eyes of the Parsee fire is the most perfect symbol of the deity, 'on account of its purity, brightness, activity, subtlety and incorruptibility.' Shintoism, one of the old faiths of Japan, proclaims that all animals and men are born of one heavenly deity, each with its own mis- sion, hence love to all is a binding feature of its creed. The Brahmo-Somaj is an offshoot from Hindooism. It has given up the Hindoo scriptures as the infallible law, and finds the truth in all scriptures. It has ap- proximated closely to the Christian belief, and its God is the God of the Bible. It aims at perfection even by rigid asceticism and sacrifice. Perhaps the most clearly agnostic creed presented in the parliament was that of the German idealists, who aim at reaching per- fection in this life, because there is no certainty of any other or of any God.
"This is but a necessarily hasty sketch of some of the Oriential religions. It is needless to character- ize Protestantism or Judaism in any of their forms, still less to particularize the Chirstian science, theo- sophical or psychical dogmas which are not part of established religions. What will the outcome be ? First, the adherents of all religions will understand each other better, and will recognize that morality underlies every faith, and that all are searching for the truth, though in different ways. Second, while no de- nomination will yield its distinctive tenets, yet all the denominations, meeting together for the first time, may have found sufficient in common to engender a broad and generous toleration, and forever suppress the antagonisms and persecutions of fanaticism. Third, the parliament of religions may and should bring these followers of various creeds so near each other that Christians shall recognize there are no longer pagans and heathens, at least among the Orien-
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tal religionists, but that they are all standing upon the same plane of morality and humanity, and that if the fatherhood of God not yet has been clearly recognized by all as the Christian recognizes it, the Christian at least has something to learn from the Parsee, the Buddhist, the Brahman and the Confucian, of the brotherhood of man."
The first congress was opened May 15, 1893, and the last session of the series was held October 28, 1893. The newspapers and magazines of the United States and Europe, which best represented the intelligence and liberal spirit of the age, teemed with eulogium of the auxiliary congresses, and the manner in which they had been conducted.
Professor F. Max Muller, in the Arena, pronounces it as one of the most memorable events in the history of the world.
Emilio Castelar, in the Independent, writes: "From the beginning of the world, until to-day, history has never recorded an event so momentous as the union under one roof and one leadership and for one purpose, of the clergy of the world, representing its chief religions."
Archbishop Ireland, said:
"Patiently, energetically, zealously, for three years President Bonney has talked and acted for these congresses. I have seen him at all times the master of the situation, and while bringing these congresses through such a wonderful success, he has always had the tact to please every one. No individual American or foreigner crossed the threshold of this palace with- out going away satisfied that American courtesy is not inferior to that of the highest civilized nation in the world."
Dr. Boardman, of Philadelphia, said "that these congresses were the crown of the Exposition, and that the Parliament of Religions was the diamond in that crown."
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"In the World's Fair work," said the Chicago Herald, "there is one man-Charles Carroll Bonney - whose conduct has been a combination of sweetness and light. That he has so borne himself as to win the regard of every one is the highest tribute that can be paid him. He is to-day looked upon as a per- sonal friend by men of nearly every land beneath the sun."
"At the closing session of the Parliament of Religions," says the Inter-Ocean, "Dr. Barrows pre- sented President Bonney as the one to whom its marvel- ous success was chiefly due. It was a great moment, the culmination of a great achievement, and when Mr. Bonney came forward the vast audience stood up, waved their hats and handkerchiefs, and poured upon him a flood of gratitude."
Mr. Bonney then addressed the audience as fol- lows:
" Worshipers of God and Lovers of Man: The clos- ing words of this great event must now be spoken. With inexpressible joy and gratitude I give them utterance. The wonderful success of this first actual congress of the religions of the world is the realiza- tion of a conviction which has held my heart for many years. I became acquainted with the great religious systems of the world in my youth, and have enjoyed an intimate association with leaders of many churches during my maturer years. I was thus led to believe that, if the great religious faiths could be brought into relations of friendly intercourse, many points of sympathy and union would be found, and the coming unity of mankind in the love of God and the service of man be greatly facilitated and advanced. Hence when the occasion arose it was gladly wel- comed, and the effort more than willingly made.
"What men deemed impossible, God has finally wrought. The religions of the world have actually met in a great and imposing assembly; they have con-
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ferred together on the vital questions of life and immortality in a frank and friendly spirit, and now they part in peace with many warm expressions of mutual affection and respect.
"The laws of the congress forbidding controversy or attack, have, on the whole, been wonderfully ob- served. The exceptions are so few that they may well be expunged from the record and from the memory. They even served the useful purpose of timely warn- ings against the tendency to indulge in intellectual conflict. If an unkind hand threw a firebrand into the assembly, let us be thankful that a kinder hand plunged it in the waters of forgiveness and quenched its flame.
HINDOO RETORT COURTEOUS.
"If some western warrior, forgetting for the mo- ment that this was a friendly conference and not a battlefield, uttered his war cry, let us rejoice, that our Orient friends, with a kinder spirit answered: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they say.
"No system of faith or worship has been compro- mised by this friendly conference; no apostle of any religion has been placed in a false position by any act of this congress. The knowledge here acquired will be carried by those who have gained it as a precious treasure to their respective countries, and will there, in freedom and according to reason, be considered, judged and applied as they shall deem right.
"The influence which this congress of the re- ligions of the world will exert on the peace and the prosperity of the world is beyond the power of human language to describe. For this influence, borne by those who have attended the sessions of the parlia- ment of religions to all parts of the world, will affect in some important degree all races of men, all forms of religion, and even all governments and social in- stitutions.
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"And now farewell. A thousand congratulations and thanks for the co-operation and aid of all who have contributed to the glorious results which we celebrate this night. Henceforth the religions of the world will make war, not on each other, but on the giant evils that afflict mankind. Henceforth let all throughout the world who worship God and love their fellow-men, join in the anthem of the angels:
Glory to God in the highest!
Peace on earth, good will among men! "
CATHOLIC BISHOP'S PRAYER.
At the close of President Bonney's speech, Rabbi Hirsch led the great audience in the universal prayer. Bishop Keane then said a prayer of benediction.
The audience, led by the chorus, sang "America." In the meantime the foreign delegates, led by Dr. Barrows, passed into the Hall of Washington, where the closing solemnities of prayer and benediction were repeated. Thus came to an end the first great parlia- ment of the religions of the world.
YOUNG MEN'S ASSOCIATION.
In the history of all large cities physical conditions are the first things to be recorded, for these are the superstructure of the whole. In no disrespectful sense, they are the mud-sills of the edifice.
"The foot ordained the dust to tread."
These physical conditions are as necessary to the fulfillment of the ultimate aim of human amenities as the trunk of a tree is to the production of fruit on its branches. Science, literature and art are brought into being, and human affections sharpened into activity by the first means used, whereby mankind may live, and grow, and multiply.
That Chicago was a genial atmosphere for all this, and that her canal and the ambition of her early citizens, who had more to hope for than to lose, were an assur- ance of their fulfillment, has since been demonstrated by the growth of the higher branches of industry begun here, such as books, periodicals, schools and universi- ties, constituting the fruit that grows on such trunks, as railroad and warehouse interests, banking and trading interests, and stock, bond and money interests. These latter are the servants of the mind, subject to the whim- sical dictation of passion; the magnanimity of man's noblest nature or the self-sacrificing policy of the miser.
The first population of Chicago was composed largely of young men, who, thanks to their inheritance, felt the need of something above the grade of corner lots, and to this end, as well as through a laudable
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ambition to do something for posterity, they took early measures to secure the means of intellectual improve- ment to themselves and others by establishing read- ing rooms. As early as 1838 the Hon. Mark Skinner, Judge Hugh T. Dickey and others were instrumental in starting a reading room; but from the small number of subscribers obtained it was found that the yearly ex- pense to each member was $10. This could not be, and was not long sustained, but abandoned for want of funds. In 1840 two other young men, Major Seth T. Otis and Dr. Sidney Sawyer, both from the city of Albany, in the state of New York, were foremost in advocating and discussing with the citizens a plan for a reading room and lectures at a trifling expense to each member, by bringing into such an association all the mechanics in the city, as well as merchants and their clerks, and all professional men. These young gentlemen had be- longed to such an association in Albany, and believed the thing could be done in Chicago on a smaller scale. Judges Dickey and Skinner and William B. Ogden and others gave it their approval, and, January, 1841, Walter L. Newberry, Mark Skinner, Hugh T. Dickey, Peter Page, Walter S. Gurnee, Dr. Sidney Sawyer, Will- iam L. Church and others met at the common council rooms of Chicago to establish a reading room and or- ganize a young men's association. It was decided that an effort in this direction should be made, and if 100 subscribers were obtained at a tax of $2 annually to each, the Association should be started upon that basis. Judge Skinner drew up the subscription paper, and each person present signed it, and it was left with Major Otis to see how many subscribers he and other volun- teers could obtain.
Then commenced the canvass through the mud and slush of early Chicago. Notice was given through the papers that the subscribers were to have a meeting. It took place on February 6 in a building on Clark street, near where the Sherman house now stands. Nearly
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every subscriber was present; much satisfaction was expressed, and cheers were raised when Mr. Otis hung across the chairman's desk the long subscription paper of 200 names, and put a package of $400 cash into his hands as the result of the canvass. This was double the requirement, and all were jubilant, and, when the chairman asked, "What is your pleasure, gentlemen?" a member moved that the $400 cash on hand should be considered as initiation fees, etc., used in fitting up a room for the use of the Association. It was carried unanimously, and a tax of $2 per annum was voted to sustain the Association, which was very properly called "The Young Men's Association." A constitution was adopted, in which the objects of the Association were declared to be to establish and maintain a reading room and library; to procure literary and scientific lecturers, and to promote the intellectual improvement of its members. The first election, says Mr. Page, was a novelty, and made from policy an object of much interest and amusement to the citizens. There were five tickets in the field-the Regular, the Opposition, the Lawyers', the Respectable and the Whole Hog ticket -which last was headed by a full picture of this animal. The regular ticket prevailed, and Walter Newberry was chosen president; Mark Skinner, vice-president; Hugh T. Dickey, corresponding secretary; Leroy M. Boyce, recording secretary, and Walter Vail, treasurer. The managers were: Charles R. Starkweather, Peter Page, Walter S. Gurnee, Francis S. Howe, Norman B. Judd and Charles Sturtevant. A reading room was fitted up in the second story of Scammon's building, southeast cor- ner of Clark and Lake streets, under the supervision of Peter Page, and was supplied with the principal news- papers and periodicals of the time, and the Association was pronounced a success.
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