The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-11-16
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Henry Ward Beecher's Sermon.
/ -lfg iIalrs 81 SUGGESTED BY gtal zgupi,7s Il.
THE OLD BROWN BUSINESS.

| The reports of the sermon of the Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher, in bis Church Sunday
evening, which we're contained in the New
York papers, give very inadequate idea of
Mr.. Beecher's position. The New York Snn
published full report Of the sermon as revis /
! ed by Mr.. Beecher himself and we shall quote
largely from it, believing it TO contain many
of the most sensible things yet said regarding
the, subject of which it treats. The N. Y.
Sun says of it .fof % --'5y o '77 -
We present it to our readers as by far the
clearest and ablest exposition of the views, yet
made public, of Mr.. Beecber. as well as Of
thousands of the more enlightened of the
:. free soil people of the North, on the sub
ject of slavery, and we bespeak for it an at
tentiye perusal. It contains ideas not less
startling than novel to very many of our read
ers, and ideas, too, which will generally be,
accepted as no less true than, novel and start.
ling oi 7sgo E5Eorf nsaJ esn 5=.sos#7q sdT
The sermon is characterized by the strong
common sense and fervid eloquence Of Mr..
Beecher, and appeals more to the reason and
less to the affections than he is in lhe liabito of
doing In5its calm, rational tone aud practie
ability of suggestion, it contrasts happily with
the harangues of Wendell Phillips, made from
the same platform couple of days la,er.g7y
Mr. Beecher commenced by reading Jer. xi.
IL 10, wherein God, through the prophet Jer
emiah, told the Jews why they we're overcome
by ther enemies, Mr.. Beecber says: .gs aoil
0sThe prophet declared that God was pun
ishing them because they were selfish, and un-
inst, and coyetous and because the whole
Church was whelmed with its ministry, in the
same sins. These mischiefs had been glazed
over, and excused and palliated, and hidden,
and not healed, There had been q spirit that
demanded union and quiet. rather ahan purity
and safety God. therefore, threatens further
affections because of the hardness of their
hearts; and them for such always is the Di-
vine lenity-as it were, giving them another
Opportunity and alternative, he commands
them to seek after God; to look after A BET
TER WAY; to stand and search for the old way.
the right way, and to walk in it T. elsaH no.
Mr.. Beeeher said he would not stop to poin,
out the remarkable pertinence which these
things bad in many respects to our nation IN
the past and in our times at the present. Al
to the Harpers Ferry affair." he said 1870 ,'''
. The surprise of the whole nation, at q re-
cent event, is itself the best evidence of the
isolation of that event. A burning fragmen,
struck the earth near Harper's Ferry. If the
fragment of an exploding aerolite had faller
down out of the air, while the meteor swept
on, it would not have been more sudden, OF
less apparently connected either with cause
or an effectP III, ~. .,.-.,,S@s... ~ Z.
Mr.. Beecher proceeded to sketch the facii
in the case, and to dwell upon the amazing
alarm exhibited in Virginiu. He said
-, THE FUN OF THE THING. sdi -a
The diligence which is now shown on th.
part Of many public presses, to infame thu
public mind, and infect it with fear is quite
foolish. The incubation will not take Th.
Norlhfmay not be courageous, but it certainly
is not eilly., There is an element of the ludi
Icrousness in this transaction which think vii
|efectually stop all panic. a..q bls ail9o.
Seventeen men terrified two thousand brav
Vrginians into two days submission - tha
cannot be got over The common sense
lcommon people will not fail to see through al
attempts TO hide natural shame by bung
ling make believe that the danger was reall
greater than IL was The danger was i,othin
d land the fear very great, and courage non
Q at all. And nothing can now change th
'facts! AL the newspapers on earth will Do