New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-28
THANKSGIVING SERMON.
Plymouth Church, Brooklyn.

Rev. III. w. BEECHER delivered highly
n,essive Discourse before his Congregation, at the
aboye Church, Yesterday morning, on the Rlghls
and Duties of Free Citizens, and the influences,
both direct and collateral, which tend to advance
N.pon,s nrosperltv II was listened TO with na;h
attention and at times, when the eloquent gentle
man warmed with his subject, and as II lmoued Win
the spirit Of prophecy, spoke of the coming llhes'
when Liberty would struggle with Tyranny ioi the
mastership and hurl the racks and CHAINS ana ouh-
geons which the principal supports oil Despo'isn'
to the ill-omened place whence they sprung,
vivid sensation felt by every one present. winch
only the place they were in preyente1 rom oeihg
responded TO with outward manifestations U aP'
paiise. The Hungarian exiles and several OF their
friends were present, and PARTICIPATED IN the re-
ligous exercises Of the occasion; Anohs .le
HYMNS sung was the following Anthem, the music
of which was composed by J. Zundel
We dow the fertile meadows and the farrowed land
PM vel the waving harvest depends Gods own hand
Iris his mercy gives US the sunshine and the ram
That paints the verdant beauty the mountain ana he
ChorSs|Eyey blessing we enjoy comes to Us ON God
Then praise his name, for He Is ever good
r. him were all things fashioned around US and aar
He made the earth and ocean and every SHINING star
He made the pleasant Sprrg-time the summer prgn' anu
The golden days Of Autumn the Winter and the storm
Chorus-Every blessing, &c
He makes the glorious sunset the moon to sal on high
He bids the breezes fan us LAUNDERING clouds to fly
Ho Sves n, eyery blessing to HIM our lives owe
He His sonto save us, from SIN ana DEAN anu "oe
Chorus-EveTy blessing, &c.
The Rev gentleman took for his text the first
twelve verses OF the sixth chapter IN Deuteronomy,
commencing with, Now these are the command,
mepts and statutes, and judgments which the LORD
your God commanded you to tie Zach, that ye may do
them in the land whittier we go to possess it. And
concluding with, Then beware lest thou forget the
Lord which brought thee ont OF the land OF Egypt,
from the house of bondage
The Rev. gentlemen commenced with review OIL
the character of Moses, as lsw.giver whose pre-
cepts have been the basis OF all Tree governments,
and which were carried to this land by the Pilgrim
fathers-the Yankee Hebrews of modern times, and
where the seed from the granaries Of Jehovah were
planted which brought forth such good fruits Moses
before the close of h.s iuuStrous LIE, gahered the
Israelites together and recapitulated to them the
duties they were to perform. They were never 10
forget them, but were commanded to regard 4:
as a duty of patriotism TO teach them 10 tnelr
children, whether they were In the house or walk
ing by the highways, when they lay down u
rest, and when they rose from sleep. This wise
regulation lie ordained IN the Desert OF Arabia to the
three millions of slaves who had just escaped from
slavery The sands of the desert their grovesof
AcadeInus Moses their teacher, and there sprung
ard there never has been people who successfully
governed themselves, who did not employ the pre-
cepts and institutions OF that great Hebre" COUNSEL
or We should know our blessings ana the sources
from whence they sprung, and inquire into the ele-
ments Of our own posteTlty. Thaa"hich We call s)ci-
ETY. profound abyss in which are to be found cor
gress are beyond the reach OF human view. Few
there are who know how to regulate that society.
When the tree is diseased, the husSandman does N,
look 10 the top, place bandage round the oirA,
and though he may be unacquanted with the pT.n-
ciples that cause It's growth or Neutrality-suspicious.
the sap circulated Throughout every limo, AMI Leaf
and fiber, he yet knows thatltS source of vitality lies
the root and there he applies the necessary means
of cure.
A nations wealth is no. to be reckoned by the
amount Of silver gold possesses, noroy the NJ a.
ole thn
tude of cities the grandeur OF its puOlc eda
ces, whose dones reach ~ 10 the skies. Inc heath
and power of an army Is not 20 be found IN MS aItl-
leTy, and long array OF provision wagons and warltke
instruments but ii is in men, brave mel, VINO wat
no walls TO protect them, that the power lies, and
the same Is true of nations. They should see, tnen
that they be not Ceteriorated. Commerce, agrc1l-
ture and the arts OF refinement, which bring ncass
and give rise 10 public splendOr, nothing, II the
citizens are eneTyated ana demo7lllZei. That which
gives the State men, lis pros DeTty and III IL which
takes from State its men, is us adversely. Before,
then, We inquire further into the nauOnal We IN,
we must inquire what IS Manhood. Man .snOt merely
a receptace-he IS n creature compounded OF May
elements creature OF intelligence CONSCIOUSNESS,
religion and self control. To Dc a free cirizen re-
quireS a great deal. Any can be a citizen, who
merely ooeys the laws of the country IN wcn he re-
SIDES. \ may 90 out into the woods ard lOp the
limbs of tree and fashion them into slaves, 50 that
when they tied up II will prove good tub or re-
cepac,e. In cities not free the people are oaly the
slaves which are kept together but ires ctizenis
one who knows how 10 govern himself. Fne qualities
which give 10 citizen the capacity fOi Setg0Fcrn-
ment are worth pondeTing on, and should form the
subject Of this days mental exercise. The hrst IS In
telhgence. There Is 10 sell government without
intelligence. To read and write does not make a
man scholar but What IS meant by intelligenceis
the capacity OF forming arigat judgment, Mere dfoles
ere governed, but not by elfgoveInnent. 4 man
must be. not like the prisoner, who DO nothing
without the permission OF his Jalor lie must rather
De IN intelligence what the cear-se eng eagle IS in
the sky below the sun whittier It darts down with
the rapidly OF d ihuIierboit, or a meteor, h)a.s
majestcally or the bosom Of a summer clOlI-ll-
Ways free and independent Ignorance Is the death
Of Liberty, and no people can achieve independence
without intelligence. \ nation mus have a master.
free Ration must be us own master. PrometheuS
bound tothe rock, with the vultlre gnawing at MS
vals IS nj representative OF ignorance ana tyran-
ny. Take away The tyrant vltuTe, and Prom .fheus
stlil remains bound 10 the rock.
loa cannot bring freedom 10 people fron With
out I. mus, spring up from within them A souni
man can walk without crutches. but take the away
irom cripple and he falls 20 the ground. 50 IL Il
with nations. II a people have intelligence, they
are strong ard VIII have sclt-goyerameni if not
they must have master.
The second indispens able qualic atom for a self
governing community Is religion. The fear OF God
Is tie beginning OF WIS ton,' saith the Scriptures
and al experience proves its truth The learned
prea her here dwell largely on the powerful infr-
ence OF Tins qualification, ami said vefacy IS anOlh-
eI moral element necessary for self-governneDt.
Without confidence people can neye perform their
duty TO each other. peTdiOus nation carry within
themselves moral poison, which viii eventually
SSSiOl tlt- ~ people ever AceS tAeII cries ~
acting conscleniiously, but many get their dea.n o.
commercial gIeediness, or by covetous desire -
miawfully extend their possessions II evervthreai
De rotten, million OF the joined together never
can be strong
The third essentia, element for .s,f-so7srnmea.i
the cultivation OF soci2 virtue. 4 people mus, be-
come accustomed 10 take care Of Its oNn domestic
anairs Obedience TO the laN IS the next ele nsn,
what are the causes IN the United States yh,h haze
SeFeicped the characters Of those great men who
nave nandsd GO an 70 US our institutions andnoole ex
ample The lessons they were laugh, IN CHILDHOOD.
~ u " IN i@,nly circle and the school where Is
brought up and trained the mind OF the future
eitis man mere are our citizens graiuatei aftas
chlid WHO IS not ooed.en: then viii IT become an
ooeuIehs citizen hereafter The reverend gentleman
again referred 70 the benefits
and elaSsec ne family, the church and The shool as
the places here the child rendered IA FIR en-
zenshq. while schoolmas.ers were the l-hoennons