The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-08-28

Mr.. Beecher was at Fishkil Landing,
on the Hudson river, when the news OF
the arrival of the Niagara at Newfound-
land was received, and with other distin-
guished strangers who chanced to be there,
was called upon by large meeting of the
citizens for speech. He spoke in bis
customary forcible and original manner.
as follows
"Fellow-citizens, mark the advantages
which are to be derived from the connec-
ton of the two continents by this wire.
To me the eminent advantage seems
to be this-it is bringing nations nearer
together. We auger the best results from
this. Itis the separation of nations, as OF
individuals, that works mischief. Inc
silent man is usually man full of preju-
dices-full of misconceptions bringing
men together, we not only rub down the
rough corners, but we also take down the
wrong impressions. Men that were sup
posed to wear satanic garments and cloyen
hoofs are, after all, found to be very little
different from other people. Bringing
people together is the way to dispense
worlds of unkind feeling. The more In
tercourse nations have with each other, the
greater is the tendency to stir the world
into habits of good will. Bringing the
nations of the earth, thus as they are,
together, will contribute to hasten the day
of universal brotherhood.
But mark one thing; while this wlre
will in the first instance work towards
monopoly, in the second and main IN
stance it will work towards diffusion and
the common veal; for though merchants
and politicians will, in the tirst instance
be the users, yet in the main the people
will be the ones that will reap the bene-
fits. IF it were possible for knowledge to
be confined to a few-if it were possible
for monopolists to lock up the ends OF TINS
wire. it might be disastrous to the people
and to governments; but now 1t has
tendency to make knowledge co-extenslve
with the globe, for what is known IN Lon
don in the morning will be known mere
before the morning. What Is spoken az
10 in London will be known to US at b
according to on. time, and the enterprise
of all the commercial centers and political
CAPITALS of the world will be known to US
in less than an hours time, and when rev.
CLINTON shall move the old Kingdoms,
when these throes begin to be felt, IN one
hour we shall feel the same apprehensions
and torments. 1t is no longer IN Its own
bosom that France can keep her secrets:
1t is no longer in the old British Isles tnst
their knowledge can be confned-it Is
flashed over the world. The globe VIII
have but one ear, and that ear VIII Do
everywhere.
Now. this instantaneousness OF knowl-
edge. this diffusion of knowledge, so that
ali men are brought together-this is ior
the benefit of the common people, TINS is
what gives them power to enlarge the
minds that God gave them, and by wnicn
they will be greater than ever dynasaes
will be. l dare scarcely any longer think
of what shall be. remember the derl-
sion with which Whitney's plan OF rail-
road to the Mississippi was hailed. l
remember when it was disputed whether
a steamer could cross the ocean or not.
All these marvels when they inst were
uroposed. to us seemed incredible, but one
by one they have been executed, and now
| am prepared to believe almost any
thing-if a man proposed to conmuni-
cate with the moon, should no longer
think he was moonstruck; all l ask Is that
the story shall be big enough. Laugh
ter and applause (Hsre some boys be-
gan to initiate the growing of a cock, when
Mr.. Beecher facetiously said,) am moi
quite prepared for that, for ! did not know
that it was SO lear morning. lufea'
laughter.
Fellow.citizens, before I give way to
those whom you most desire to hear
| your own townsmen and friends-let me
saw one other thing; I do not say it be.
cause of my profession, but because
/ think it. The facilities of our intercourse
are not to be over-estimated, but we mus
not underestimate the power OF our ma
ton. You may put cable in every sea-
port, you may build your warehouses
where they stand five stories or hfteen
and YOU may Fill them with the costiiies
merchandise; you may increase your sci
ence and skill to any extent, yet you ars
not more powerful, for power is not m tn
material textures, but power remains II
the man, in the individual, the family. th'
village, the state, the nation; these ere tn
reservoirs of power, and while we are en-
larging the sphere of action, let us se'
that at home we spread our common
schools. multiply our newspapers, max
books more plenty than the leaves, so tha
} each man will be an actor. and when al
men over the globe are actors, when from
the rising of the sun TO the going dowi
of the same, there is no barrier 70 iree In
tercourse Of thought, and there Is also on
current of heart, love. virtue, rengon
then the earth will have blessed an'
, consummated its history. lTremendou
cheeriDg.]
Water Imprisoned az ths crsaden:
| m -