New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-04-11
MIR. BEEcHER ON MORAL COURAGE.
Mr.. Beecber, speaking In his sermon On Sunday
night Of moral courage among business nan, ssid


Mr.. Beecber, speaking In his sermon On Sunday
night of moral courage among business nsn, said:
have been silent spectator-I think have said
little about tof the desperate effort which has lately
been made 70 get up another merchant fever. How
many have been ashamed 10 honestly admit themselves
70 be- Anti: Slagery men, Abolitionists !. How many
that drank In the drop Of Liberty with their mothers
milk, have, from ignominous fear been attempting
70 curry favor with the South Theee men are
ut only 70 be cast out, and 10 be trodden under
foot They are salt without SAVIOR. They have
lost function, IN losing manhood. DO yca suppose
there could be pinned up ia bell more exquisite roll
Of Internal honor than that exhibited BY those msnI
think there were twelve hundred of them-who signed
petition asking the Legislature TO permit Southern
Shareholders 10 bring their slaves into this Ssate for
fear they should not be thought 70 be sound In favor Of
SIavery-for fear they should lose custom and reputa
ton / do not know but what they viii save their
reputation, but as 10 saving their souls, Am
afraid there ia not much 10 save in that direc-
ton If there is then there il doctrine of mini
tessimas that BEYOND sDy eo%p , .p;una
wearing the form Of men, must they be, who, ontvie
inc Judas make haste TO cell their principles and their
Master, without the pretense Of any other tempta-
ton than that Of saving little pef-and that TOO,
is comforting TO think that there is in The
worst of things When things have become corrupted,
they are at any rate good for manure and s Us hope
that out of this reeking filth more laxufanf harvest
I know these men. / have read their names. /
have treasured them up. have no feeling Of revenge
toward them. But there may come time ~nen
sha have something 10 say about them, and 10 them.
shall never forget that when do speak under such
circumstances every word is TO be red-hot cannon
bail will have nothing 70 do with them Ny soul,
go not into their council They are not merely cow
some of them are apostates They were educa:ed TO
better things and have gone back TO apostaey, under
the paltriness and bribery of interest
There is one thing. that men ought 70 understand,
and that is not only that integrity safe in business,
but that it is the only safety In business. man that
is infected in other respects beside his honesty may
not be safe merely because he Is honest; bat where
man has industry, and s1gacity and experience, he
has, added to there moral principle, it will not only
not stand in the way Of but il will immeasuraby in
crease both bis safety and bis profits And the man
who, from cowardce throws away moral principle. Is
DOT only villain, but fool He cheats himself, as
Judas DID who betrayed Christ for silver, and got
halter.
Under the same head, Mr.. Beecher made the follow
ing rmsrks in reference to the recent refusal by the
Trustees of Plymouth Church to oRn the church build
ing to Wendell Phillips:
When l was away from home, recently, turned
ruby red with shame 10 find In a newspaper what
supposed was an ignominious SANDER, but which
proved to be an ignominous trutb-namely that this
church had been refused 10 Wendell Phillips, for
the delivery of bis address on "Ths Dissolution
of the Union" IL the church had not been accus-
the like, pending the construction of church the
case would have been different and 1t might have
been prudent not 10 let the occasion in questions
but when ia the market TO let 70 eli respectable
causes and persons for 500 nigh-whish is the fee
to DENY il TO him becaute he advocating an un-
popular doctrine and because it was feared that his
uaing it would have an injurious effect on the raising
of money for the new church, was shameful IN the
extreme. When / read it. oolored till felt my
bushes in my boots was ashamed through and
through / sad to myself: Thirteen years OF min
istrafon among people, resulting, In the thirteenth
year only in q cowardice that makes them afraid 70
q let man stand in my place and speak what they do
" not believe what they fear viii have an unfayoraoe
effect OF the church, what will have an nnfavof-
Z" able effect on mep r.-g
There ia not a more moral and upright man, or a
more perfect gentleman and scholar, in the Union!
Though do accept bis philosophy, nor the sppli-
cation of it, am proud TO own that Wendell talnps
is my persona friend. have the greatest admiration
for the man. He has that which is brighter than any
gem ever worn in kingly crown, namely: moral
courage to proclaim, and perseverance to advosate,
what he thinks to be true mstter what Opposition he
may encounter.
And will tell you one thing: Ifyou expsct by any
such prudent course as that to get money to build
church, do not want it, do not want church that's
built at the price of making men hold their tongues
zee il is reported that Of late have been growing
moderate but the old feeling lie in me yet am As
warmly in favor Of free speech ever was. will
have 1t MYSELF will contend for IL for others and
will rebuke that cowardce which afraid to Let
spe six freely. Msnhness requires that You should al
low open speech. If you want to meet it, meet 1t by
codDter speech.
Now, you know very well, that while speak with
great severity and emphasis, i do not speak with
hatred OF anger, but because abhof co wardice-and
most in those that love. did not suppose had
brought up a church congregation TO sin IN that
way.
One thing am perfectly settled about, and that is
this Imysef shall be free, aud every one who has
ANYTHING TO do with me shall be free also If can help
him to be so. And il, in the augmentation OF oar
Church. you mean that there shall be crccmscrphon OF
the liberty of speech, you will not have my cooperation
in the putting up of single brick.
You may say that this will stand in the way OF build
ing Then let It do not care for building that goes
up on that foundation II would be like an old temple
Of Esypt-ereat and grand in outward form, but fau
OF dead dust inside No; nothing is Of any worth that
does not carry with the vitality Of the liberty Of the
cons of God in the expression Of honest convictions
SO much for that