New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-27
sLAvERy IN PLYMOUTH CHURcH.


flock on the Slavery question II seems they
have been in the habit of taking up COL
lection in the Plymouth Church every year.
10 aid missionary efforts in all parts Of the
globe. Formerly the money thus collected used to
90 wholly to the General National Missionary So
ciety, known By those cabastic initials, the A. b.
CT. NJ; otherwise as the American Board Of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Another So
ciety of similar aims, but more especially under
Anti-slavery aurpices, sprung up in due time. This
association, under the title of the American Mis-
siopary Society, in which Mr.. Lewis Tappan, a
prominent lay member of Mr.. Beechers church, Ii
leader asked for division of the annual contri-
button referred TO- The church voted last year that
the division should be made but without consulting
the PASTOR This year the American Society asked
for the whole contribution, the ground that the
A.B.C.F H. was not sufficiently Anti Slavery. Mr..
Beecher opposed the demand, and defended the lat
ter Association from the charge here alleged. This
is the groundwork of the discussion which has been
going on among the brethren of the church. This dis
cussion has uncoveredt the whole AntSlavery placer
in body and it has been workedwith vigor,
both among dust and nuggets. Wegave an abstractof
Mr.. Beecher's speech on the subject on Wednesday.
Yesterday we gave synopsis ofAir. Tlltons on the
opposite side Apropos of the discussion, but with
out minplipg in the specific question it involves we
desire TO offer few brothery observations on the
general subject.
Let us clear the way by drawing at the outset
broad line of distinction, not often enough drawn or
reco snized, right through the whole mass of men in
the NORTH who are to-day opposing Slavery and its
agpressions There are two distinct classes of these
men. The one is great body, the other is small
one. Sometimes they act together, and sometimes
not. The vote of the Republican parry includes the
larger class wholly, and generally considerable
portion of the other and smaller class. The larger
class view the Slavery question from a national
tand-pont and act only In reference to It's potcai
bearings They consider that they have important
duties to discharge toward it, and they have estab-
lished the Republican party as the means and
agency BY which TO discharge them. The other and
smaller body view Slavery in its moral aspects only,
or mainly, and aim to shape their action 80 as to
bring about an extirpation Of the evil everywhere,
az well as to arrest its spread. In word, one di-
viiion treats Slavery political question: and the
other as moral question. To say that the line OF
distinction between these two classes is sharply de
fined, in all individual instances, is of course not
true. and not what we design to say. 1t is neces-
sariy otherwise But nevertheless the distinction
exists broad and palpable. The fact that the eI-
isence of this line is not always clearly seen, Is sell
dom brought out into bold relief, and often Is not
recognized at ALL forever tends to confuse and rem
der void our political discussions Not only do
partisan politicians on the Democratic side persist
in calling the Republican party an Abolition party,
but The error is often ignoranty committed by other
writers, and especially by those on the opposite side
of the water and by none more strkngy than by the
writers for The London Times. But the distinction
is essential to q right understanding of the matter
The Rev Mr.. Beecher is q member and teacher
in both these classes. He is at once political and
moral instructor He is skillful on the stump; he is
s.iful in the pulpit. The circumstance of his
double function is confusing circumstance. On
the stump he shows US how we should act to pre-
vent spread of Slavery; in the pulpit IT is office,
or he assumes it to be- to show us how we should
treat Slavery where it is, and how we should regard
it in tie ABSTRACT. He makes it his duty to be pre-
else and specific in his instructions in relation
thereto, and consistent in all his acts with himself,
and with his views of all human and all divine law.
1t is perplexing task. That he should, in endeav-
orng TO discharge all the functions herein indicated
in his capacity of pulpit teacher, sometimes cross
bis own track, is no wonder II has happened be-
fore to keener logcians than Mr.. Beecher. To com.
plain Of this and to expose some of these wan
derings, would be comparatively easy task. But
such Efforts are mainly unfruitful. The wild deer of
the forest has his cheats" and none but hounds mo-
lest him in them. There is great soundness in q
leading doctrine Of Mr.. Beecher. Pascal enun-
ciated it before him when be said, "There is logic
of tie heart which is above the logic Of the intel
elect" Mr.. Beecher, when he finds himself occa-
sionally in q logical maze, is very apt to dash
through the obstructions on steed Of far more &C.
centric PAGES than the regular roadster on which he
approached them. In word, he often trusts to his
feelings and his imagination to picture truth that
it would be difficult or impossible to enuncate in
logical form. He acts on the maxim of Pascal, and
considers the heart very great force in perceiviDg
and establishing truth, point which, whether true
or otherwise, we shall not here contest We merely
desire to give Mr.. Beecher the advantage of his own
explanation, applicable alike to his statements of
belief, of doctrine, Of reprOOf Of advice Of counsel
and direction, which he at various times and sea.
sons has put forth. We do it to shield him as far
possible from any imputations of short-coming, or
of inconsistency If he does not seem at times, as
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