Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1859-11-18
Henry Ward Beeclcr.
On Ae Huper's Ferry Tragedy

Mr.. Bcecher delivered discourse ON
this subject at Plymouth Church. in Brook
yn, on Sunday evening, Oct. go, 1859.
His text was Jer. VI; l2, 10. We give
it entire below:
This is terrible message. 1t was Coda
word of old by The mouth of his prophet
Jeremiah. The occasion of it was sud-
den eruption upon Judah of victorious enc
mics. God sent the prophet TO reveal the
cause of this disaster. The prophet de-
clared that God was Furnishing them be-
cause they were selfish and unjust and COW
etous, and because the whole church was
whelmed with its ministry, in the same
sins. These mischiefs had been glazed
over, and excused, and palated, and hid
den, and not healed. There had been a
spirit that demanded union and quiet, rath-
ep than purity and safety. God therefore
threatens further affections, because of the
hardness of their hearts; and then--for
such always is the Divine lenity-as il
were, giving them another opportunity and
alternative, he commands them to seek af-
ter God to look for BETTE WAY: TO
stand and search for the old way, the right
way, and to walk in it.
l need not stop 10 point out the remark
able pertinence which these things have,
in many respects, TO our nation In the past,
and TO our times in the present. ] avail
myself this evening, after long silence
upon this subject, in your midst, of the
state of the public mind, TO utter some
words of instruction on the present state of
our land.
The surprise of the whole nation, at a
recent event, is itself the best evidence of
the isolation Of that event. A burning
fragment struck the earth pear Harper's
Ferry. If the fragment of an exploding
aepoiie had fallen down out of the air,
while the meteor swept on, Il would not
have been more sudden, or less apparently
connected either with cause or an effect
Seventeen men, white men, without a
military base, without supplies, without ar
tillery, without organization more than a
squad of militia, attacked State, and un-
dertook to release and lead away an en-
slayed race They do not appear to have
been called 10y the sufferers, nor to have
been welcomed by them. They volunteer
ed a grace, and sought TO enforce its ac-
ceptance. Seventeen white men surround
ed two thousand. and held them in duress.
They barricaded themselves, and waited
until the troops of two States, the employ
ees of great railway, and portion of the
forces of the Federal Government could
travelling briskly night and day, reach them
Then, at one dash, they were snuffed out
/ do not wonder that ViTginians feel q
. n1xy1a
sympathetically ashamed for them 1t Is
quite natural that every effort should be
made to enlarge the proportions OF this es-
capade, that they may hide their weakness
and incompetency behind smartiy up
blewn horror No one doubts the bravery
of Virginians. 1t needs no praising Bu
even brave men have panies. Courage ]:
sometimes caught at unawares. Certainly
5 il strikes us, at distance, as, remarkau
filing. that prisoners three to one more thar
their captors, and two thousand citizen
should have remained days and nights un
der the fear and control of seventeen white
men, Northern courage has been al dis
count in the South hitherto. 1t ough
hereafter to rise in yalue-at least IN Nlr
ginia.
The diligence which is now shown, oI
! the part of many public presses, to infiam'
n the public mind and infect it with fear, !
,. ouite foolish. The inncculation wifi no
take. The North may not be courageous
boz Il eertasly is not silly. There is al
element of the iudicrous in this TRANSACTION
which / think will effectually stop all pane
Seventeen men terrified two thoussn
: brave yirn;n;ans Into two days submissio
that cannot be got over! The commo
sense of common people cannot tail TO Sc
through all attempts 10 hide natural sham
by a bungling make-believe that tn
3 danger was really greater than 1t was
Y, The danger was nothing, and the fear yer
Great and courage none at all. And notf
inc can now change the facts All tn
N newspapers on earth will not make IN
case appear any better. Do what go
nlease muster crowd of supposed COZ
federates. call the roll of conspirators an
include the robest men of these State
. and exhibit this imaginary army before IN
people, and in the end 1t VIII appe'
on that seventeen white men overa"ea
IRE town of two thousand brave Virgln'an
= and held them cap,ives until the sun ma
zone. laughing, twice around the gioot
And the attempt to hide the fear OF fne'
surrounded men by awaking larger Tea
VIII never do. 1t is too literal a fnlhllmen
). not exactly of prophesy but OF fao!e-n
of {saiah but 1fsop.
A fox having been caught IN trap,
caped with the loss of his tail lie INN
diateiy went TO bis brother foxes TO pc
suade them that they would all look be'i'
if thew too, would cut off their caudai a
's' pendages. They declined. And our tV
tbousaad friends. who lost their courage
the presence Of seventeen men, are no
making an appeal TO This nation to lose
courage, too, that the eowardice Of the fe
,aav be indies in the eowardice OF q
whole community Ii is impossible. "
choose 20 wear oar cosrage for soRe TN
longer. =,
II As I shall not recur TO this epic IN VI
ginia history again tonight, ] must say
O. word in respect to The head and heart OF
Foe it all stood in the courage OF one ma
An old man, kind at heart, industrlo'
.ns .,s peacefui. wen. forth, with large Family
ma children, &c seek new hone in kans'
.os That infant C. lony held thousands OF sol