FEINBERG/WHITMAN  LITERARY FILE Prose "Personalism" (undated).  A.MS draft.
Box 36 Folder 46554
Personalism: prose. A.MS. (5p. 20 x 16 cm.)
Written in ink, with some corrections and the final three pages
in pencil, on five sheets of paper, now well stained, 144, 93,
123, 202, 149 (total 711) words:
in final resume
for an American Personalism no mean, fossil, second=hand, or
atheistic religion will do. --As for me I dare not say--indeed can-
not say--what will do.--This much however [I-do-say], to me is plain
[--that] notwithstanding these [e] rich and stately architectures ris-
ing in every direction around me, --[and] notwithstanding all the en-
dowments of the colleges and priests, with the whole formidable
array of influence, interference, and tendency of the prevalent
churches and ministers, and of [the] what passes as the authority of
the Bible, and [the] for Christianity, --all these things, [must] and
all that they   ?   , --surely, surely must go. --It may be sooner,
or it may be later, but go they must--for the soul of modern [times]
had past on and left them [far] far far behind.--To a developed per-
son they stand for little of nothing.--  /
[over]555
in resume
That all the [paraphernalia] of modern worship, sects, churchers,
creeds, pews, sermons, oberservances, Sundays, &c,, have nothing
to do with real religion, which [is] escapes [entirely] independent
of them, and [often] now turning, looks upon the ?with derision
as upon things ? strange and foreign to itself, and [often] perhaps
mocking [to] itself.--
That the modern interpretation [of Christ's---] fabric of
Christianity, with all its structure of forms, [f] salaries,
professions, luxuries, [and]
That the future religion of America must arise, outstripping
all others, fit for live men, recognizing the great ide /
I include all other American robust classes, too-country
life, sea=life  [I-say-that-is-the-only-is] I demand of all religion
that it [adjust-itself-to-these-men-and-women--that-it}
quit [that -t] all those its snivelling prayers and all that ridiculous
[do] terror at evil and evil=doers, [which] and adjust itself
to [these] that ranges of real life and all [these] men and women
That would be a religion of some account.--I should send it down
to the army [?] to live in the flights [?} among the men. I would 
[more]556
Personalistm: 2
have something that is not afraid of existing things.  That
would be indeed a religion which met the work to be done, and
did not daintily avoid it or helplessly stand afar off and
scream, [at-it,--]  /
[When-I-beheld-the how] Come, the main [thing] test [is the] is
how a thing conforms to the earth, the divine common soil [enmass,
--This-is  What-America-means relies-on,-the-people justify
it}.-- What reference has it to this divine aggregate, the people?
--[the] The People! none excluded--not the ignorant, not roughs, or
laboring persons--even [the]prostitutes [the] and the [prisoners]
habitues of the bar=rooms and the bad houses not excluded.  This
is what America is for--to justify [it] this is what she means--
If not she means nothing--and is only among [a] second of third
class nations, and no more for the people than they are.-- I [have]
said myself, I will not be fooled with the facade of the few--I
[will] must pursue this people into its haunts--the great million,
the city, where it lives.--I have gone thither; [and] I have carefully
viewed them.--I have not pierced those places with the eyes
[over]557
of the intellect merely--far more[has] have I pierced [through] them,
and through all their rude and [ea] rand / envelopements with the
sense of sympathy and love. -- [These -vaset-ranges-of-life-in the
great-cities-are-mine--and] I think that the persons, the persons
thereof are mind, that I alone understand them and love them--
I say that [to] a religion those vast ranges of life in the great
cities, [&-the] a new religion must confront and penetrate, [m] --
must [enter with the and] seize with resistless power, engrossing
them with
I say that a religion which [does-not-and] from those vast ranges
of life in the great cities, [builds] raises its house aloof, an
exile--which [never] to them, enters, [t] and they enter not into
it--nor [understand] comprehends them nor they it--to which they
brothers and sisters of almost the same parentage are more foreign
than the savages of Polynesian seas--is no religion for Those athletic
and living States. / [*insert in final resume*]
For [an] America Personalism no mean, fossil,
second=hand, or atheistic religion
will do.- As for me I dare not
say - indeed cannot say - what will do -
This much however [I do say, that] to me is plain -
notwithstanding these [c] rich and 
stately architectures rising in every 
direction around me, [and] - notwithstanding all the 
endowments of the colleges and priests,
with the whole formidable array 
of influence, interference, and tendency
of the prevalent churches and ministers, - and 
of [the] what passes as the authority 
of the Bible, and [the] for Christianity, 
- all these things, [must] and all that they ? ,- surely go. -
It may be sooner, or it may be
later, but go they must - for the 
soul of modern [times] has past
on and left them [for] far behind. - To a 
developed person they stand for little or 
nothing. - 

( in Resume
That all the [paraphernalia] of 
modern worship, sects, churches,
creeds, pews, sermons, observances, 
Sundays, &c., have nothing to do
with real religion, which escapes [is
entirely] independent of them, and 
[often] now turning, looks upon them with derision
as upon things ? strange and foreign 
to itself, and [often] perhaps mocking [to]
itself. -
[That the modern [interpretation 
of Christ's is] fabric of Christianity,
with all its structure of forms,
[&] salaries, professions, luxuries,
[and] 
That the future religion
of America must arise, outstripping
all others, fit for li[f]ve men, recognizing 
the great ode]I include all the American robust classes?too
country life, sea life.
I [say that is the only is]
I demand propose of religion that
it [adjust itself to these men
 and women that it] quit [that I] all those its snivelly prayers 
and all that ridiculous [ja?] 
terror at evil and evil = doers, 
[while?] and adjust itself to 
[these] the ranges of real life and 
all [these] men and women 
That would be a religion of 
some account--
that would be indeed a religion which met the work to be done and did not daintly avoid it or helplessly stand afar off and scream.3The People ?  work excluded -- not The ignorant not 
roughs or laboring, persons -- even prostitutes 
[the] and [the p???]  habitues of the 
bar=rooms and the bad houses 
[When I behold the]
[how]
test is {how a thing conforms to the [the] 
Come, the main test in 
earth, the divine common soil, 
the test of the, Kosmos.-- 
[en-masse] [This is] [What]
What reference has it to this divine aggregate, the people? --
[America means the people]
This is what America is for--to justify this is 
[and well I know the people] 
what she means -- If not, she means nothing and 
is only [a] among second or third class nations and
no more for the people than they are.--
[justify it] I [have] must pursue this
people into its haunts -- the 
great million, the city, where it
lives. -- I have gone thither, [and] I have
carefully viewed them. -- I have not
pierced those places with the eyes of
the intellect merely -- far more [ha]
have I pierced [through] them, and
through all their rude and [c] ranks4[*I think that the persons
sympathy
envelopements with the sense of 
[Those vast [rough?] of life in the great cities are mine - and] the persons
thereof are mine 
and love - that I alone understand them and
love them - I say that as religion [to] those vast
ranges of life in the great cities [the]
a new religion must confront and
penetrate [m] - must [enter with]
[the and] seize with resistless
power, engrossing them with

I say that a religion which
[does not and] from those vast ranges
of life in the great cities. [build] ranges
its house aloof an exile --
which, [never] to them, enters not, [I] and they enter not into it --
nor [understand] comprehends them nor they
it -- to which they brothers and sisters of almost the same parentage are more foreign than
the savages of the Polynesian seas -- 
is no religion for these athletic
and living States5