Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1855-02-09
eloquent SSartss.
CONFLICT OF NORTHERN AND
SOUTHERN THEORIES OF
MAN AND SOCIETY
DY HENRY WARD pEEcnER.

The Eighth Lecture Of the Course
before the Anti-Slavery Society was
delivered on Tuesday evening, at the
Tabernacle, by Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher. The subject, at the present
time, is one Of peculiar interest, as
touching the questions Of Slavery and
Know-Nothingism, aud. together with
the popularity of the lecturer, drew
together house-full Of auditors.
There were number of gentlemen
of distinction occupying seats on the
rostrum-among whom were the Hon.
Joshua Il. Giddings, James Mott. OF
Philadelphia, and Mr.. Dudley Of Buff
alo.
MIR. Beecher was introduced TO the
audience by Mr.. Oliver Johnson, who
said:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: The speak.
er who occupied this platform on Tues
day evening last, in the course of his
remarks upon the wide degeneracy of
the American clergy on the Slavery
question, refunded us that there was
Brooklyn pulpit. A MAN. We tho't
you would be glad to see and hear
such rara apis, and therefore have
besought him to come hither tonight
to instruct us by his wisdom and move
us by his eloquence. ] trust that,
whatever you may think of some 9th
or parts of the lecture Of Wendell
Phillips, you will. when this evening s
performance is over, be ready at least
to confess that in what he said Of the
Brooklyn preacher he was not more
eulogistic than truthful.
Mr.. Beecher, on presenting himself,
was received with loud and hearty ap-
plause. He spoke us follows:
The questions which have provoked
discussion among us for fifty years
past have not been questions of fund
amental principles, but Of the applica.
ton Of principles already ascertained.
Our debates have been between one
way Of doing a thing and another way
Of doing it-between living well and
living better; and so through, it has
been question between good and bet.
ter. We have discussed Politics, not
Principles. In Europe, on, the other
hand, li(e-questions have agitated men,
The questions Of human rights, of the
nature and true foundation Of Gov.
emmcnt, are to-day, in Europe. where
they were with our fathers in the year
1880.
In this respect, there is a moral DIG.
nifty, and even grandeur, in the strug
giles secretly or openly going on in It.
ally, Austria, Germany and France,
which never can belong 10 the mere
questions Of mode and manner which
occupy US - boundary questions
banks, tariffs. internal improvements
currency; all very necessary but sec
ondary topics. They touch nothing
deeper than the pocket. In this res
pect, there would be "a marked ccntras
between the subjects which occupy us
and the grander life-themes that dig
nifty European thought, were it not fol
one subject-Slavery. That is the on
ly question, in our day and in ou
community, full OF vital struggles
turning upon fundamental principles
If Slavery were plantation-ques
tion, concerning only the master ant
the slave, disconnected from us, ant
isolated-ihen, though we should re
gret it, and apply moral forces for il
ultimate remedy, yet, it would be, Ca
are questions of the same kind in In
dia or South America, remote, con
stituting single element in that glob'
Of darkness Of which this world is tn
core, and which Christianity is yet {,
shine through and change to light
But it is not a plantation-question /
is national question. The dispute
implied by the violent relations be
tween the owner and the chattel ma,
only morally touch us. But the dis
putes between the masters and th,
Government, and between the Govern
ment, impregnated with Slavery, ant
the Northern citizen, these touch u
sharply, and If not wisely met, vii
yet scourge us with thorns! Indeed,
cannot say that / believe that New