Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-13

instruments of moral power, would have shot
the fellow dead. 1 would have made the light
of salvation shine thro' him on the spot but.
as it was, 1 illustrated as well as could the
beautiful simplicity and. high toned principle
of this doctrine of true religion, can eve for
an eye and tooth for tooth" And now,
brethren, go forth, and let your motto be
"rifes forever" Amen.
Such preaching as this is the simple logical
sequence of the sentiments uttered by Beecher,
and now vindicated by him in a species of So
phistry worthy of Mephistophiles himself
Ii 1t seem bold and revolving to every right
feeling of the christians mind, it is only be-
cause of the inherent odiousnoss of such senti-
ments. Coming under the circumstances they
did, from pretended minister of the gospel,
no language is too strong in denunciation of
such clerical instruction.
l. It was needless. Who wanted to hear
Beecher praise the efficacy of Sharp's rifles in
the city of Brooklyn in cool blood and in quiz
etude? What object was there in passing a
eulogy on guns and physical violence, when
everybody knows what they are and what they
will do; and that if ever christian has felt
compelled to use them, OF has used them at
any time or under any circumstances, it has
always been grief and pain to him all his life
He never has thought until now of making the
moral efficacy Of rifles the leading Fundamental
article Of his religious creed. But Beecher
has set the thing down point-blank. Wehope,
seeing he has begun to write his articles of
faith, he will continue now and let us have
them; for it was always doubtful what he does
believe. He says that Calvinists are frst-rate
men for cutting heads off. Wonder ifhe would
add that they love rifles and believe in their
moral efficacy? Not long since he quoted
ever SO many psalms from his hymn-bo to
prove that in singing he is hyper-C alvanist-
believes in all the jagged points-and now
he's added new one, more important than
all-rles. Yes, to birthstone he Joins salt
peter. Saltpeter RiAeman Beecher, What
ever necessity thee was in the worlds find
ing out what Beecher's opinions are of the
comparative merits of guns and Bibles as
fundamental article of his moral code, is GER
tainly credited to him in this profound dis
covery. Bnt, otherwise, the world could have
got along with its affairs somehow, even if the
Reverend rifeman had never been known
in it.
z. again 1t was vulgar, exceeding vulgar.
under the circumstances. Had he expressed
his regret for any and all occasions of the use
OF rifles, and only admitted it as a deplorable
exigency, he would have come nearer to the
religion of the New Testament. But here he
parades the notion of guns and implements of
death as on the whole a most superlative and
splendid improvement upon all other agencies
In the department Of morals. We wonder
where he studied metaphysics, or whether his
peculiar notions were scratched into him by his
father, or whether when a child he was ever
switched at all, or ever improved upon the
suggestion of " the switch over the door" of
which he speaks? If the present fruit is the
result of that kind Of moral training, we
should judge it not very commendable or
promising to the rising generation. Sure it is
that a certain sort of theological yuIgarity
seems easily and naturally to slip out of him,
as in this instance.
3. Again: as in the circumstances, the speech
was cowardly. The Reverend rifleman cloak
ed and defended under the sanctity of his
clerical profession away in the City of Brook
Ign, safe from all the booga- boos of real fight,
could very easily stand up and talk about the
moral efficacy of death-dealing instruments
and tell his hearers to invest their money in
them. 1t was all very witty and very grand
no doubt, and the speaker knew that he was
all safe. He had no idea Of smelling gunpow-
der himself, but when he uttered those in
famatory words, he did not know but some
poor misguided wretch, taking them as from
a clergyman, and trusting them as vital
part of Christianity, might plunge himself
and multitudes beside presumptuousy into
civil war, and set on foot general confagrs-
tion. No, this he did not know. But the
public may be satisfied that when that time
comes our brave gentleman will most likely
not be there. Such men are not usually cour-
ageous in a real pinch. There are criteria of
human nature quite unmistakeable, and this
brave fellow who refers to the New England
fathers and the Pequods, who quotes Crom-
we'll and Robert Hall, will be the last man to
shoulder that transcendantly moral rife of his
and march out to Kansas. He may rub the
dogs ears and set them on, but when it comes
to the biting, he will take good care to be
where they wont find him.
We have expressed our mind plainly and
bluntly, because the man whose course we
criticise, seems incapable of approaching any
thing more refined or courteous. We have
written not as we prefer, but as we thought is
needed; in style suited to his mental calibre.
And We say that his advantages and educa-
ton, his family and ministerial associations,
his responsibility to the public, and his cleri.
cal position, if they do not prevent him from
sinking down to the level of the lowest prize.
fighters, and proving by his declarations that
there is some s;rew in his head-gear loose in
deed, so neither shall IL nrevent N 10 from, obor