The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-05-26


in regard to the wars of the last ten years,
that they showed an indisposition on the
part of civilized nations any lenger to fight
at home. England and France went to
India, to China, or to the Crimea; the
United States did their fighting in Mexi-
co ard at Greytown. War was now trans
ported from our own doors, though wars
had not yet ceased.
| The endless weapons Of war ever in
creasing, the ports, Cherbourg, Ports
mouth, &c, all show the love of war
alas a pastime of which nations and kings
are fond In man destructiveness is TOO
often wanton. In the lower animals they
destroyed life because they were hungry.
To-day YOU are fly; but caught in web
you are snapped up and become a spider
then bird finds you and you find your
self nightingale, until caught by hawk
you change again-and thus you pass
through a metamorphoss. But man en-
Joys cruelty as fun, as in fishing, after
angling for long time, you hook him,
and cry, " have him-l have him, and
the wekin rings with cheers from those
who behold your skill as a sportsman, and
as the poor fish wrigges and bounds in
agony, you excIaim-" What capital sport
that fish gives me ~ We blame animals
of prey for their cruelty, which in them
! IS but naturc-and then we sit down aud
enjoy our roasted chickens, which were
killed for our delcctation and not to ap-
pease our hunger Mr. Beecher's closing
apoStrophe and scathing censure of war,
was very effective and powerful. Alas
the sea was never so burthcned with fleets
as to-day-and armies were never more
mighty or numerous. All kings love it
still, aud people love it stili--the former
make war for oppression at one end, and
Democrats for revolution or slavery at the
other.
The next burden he mentioned was
that of old and waste institutions, which,
he said, were like the bark of trees, in
that when the bark had nouriShed the
trunk, and done its appointed duty, it
ought to crack and fail off, and let new
bark and the tree grow. Old institutions
were like bark, not alone in that, but be
cause they were full Of dphides and in
sects and vermin, who were so satisfied
with their own quarters that if the Qucs-
ton as to the removal of the bark were
concerned, they would oppose it unani-
mously. Sickness was another burden
which was a very grievOus one, though
very little considered in political economy
/ He did not mean bed sickness, but the
/ sickness that shortened Il mans breath,
/ that made man less than strong, less
than tough: that made a man work half
u day when he should work twelve hours
day or fourteen Society, like a great
/ factory running on short time, was de-
priyed of fifth Of its power because sick
ness invaded it; and this, in an economi-
cal point of view, was tremendous bur
den and evil.
/ Intempcrance was ably dcnounced-and
Mr.. b. favored Asylums for the Inebriatc
/ In New York there had been 2900 appli-
cations for admission-400 from women
The lecturer then alluded briefly to the
/ burGcns of dishonesty and falsehood as
they affect society, by increasing mems
cares and out-lays 10 provide against being
robbed or cheated Truth and integrity
were justly lauded In conclusion, he
said that though he pointed out evils that
needed attack and resistance, it was not
as one who did not believe that the time
and the nations had God behind them,
and that the world was yet to be higher
and better than it had ever been But
as 1t was the vlrtuouS man who bore the
burdens aud paid the expenses of society,
and rot the rough who inflicted them, it
was the right Of the v.rtuous man to ex-
ert all his influence in making society
better. While, he said, you have an in
terest in it, and while you have a right
by the very law Of scif-preservatIon to take
part in all public measures for the cleans
ing Of society, municipal and national, |
say-more than that-you are bound to
do it. 1t is your sacred duty to see that
the community in which you live is kept
clear from vice, frcm crime, from the bur
dens that weigh so heavily on it, and that
are such mischief to you and to yours.
Nor do | think that any man is virtu-
Gus man who, when he has said, 'Our
Father in Heaven" and has blessed the
children in the household, has not looked
with equal fervor outside of the sanctuary
and of the family, into the community
where he dweIls, and has not sworn that
he shall spare No labor as a citizen to
cleanse the people from evil. and build it
up in virtue. And bye and bye, when
men shall have learned this and the ages
shall have ripened this, we shall begin to
see emerging the fair proportions of that
glorious nation "hich the poets have
dreamed of, which has dawned family
through the prophecies of DID, which has