Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-08-07
Yours,
LETTER TO REy. HENRY WARD BEEcHER,
As originally published in hs-"S. Louis Daily Morning.
Herald" Of December ID, 1854.
81 hVu's' ho'' g 1919
tn Tho Per Hsuru Uard BserheT.

Herald" Of December ID, lsj9.
ST. LOUIS, Dec 3, 1859
To the Rsr. Henry Ward Bsseher:
SIR,-Ths is the morning Of the anniversary OF the
'crossing of the Delaware" by George Washington,
and the battle of Trenton. The Governor Of Missouri
has appointed to-day day of thanksgiving in memory
of the achievements of the Father of his Country"
And keep il with two-lOd feeling oil hial duty, Tor
George Washington and my own father, who was with
him on that dreadful night and the two succeeding days
DO most heartily thank God, my Father in Heaven,
for their deyerance in that most perilous adventure
thank Him that lie parted the Ice as lie did the Red
Sea- to safely land that stormy night that small but
heroic band 10 battle with the enemies oil lhhy and
made them successful against tive times their number
thank Him for the freedom and prosperity OF our
common country, both North and South; and thank
Him for the preservation Oi our Liberties beneath The
hollow of His hand But above all things have thanked
Him that He has not made me such man as Henry
Ward Beecher, with heart full of such black ngratI-
de for the achievement of human liberty by that he
roc band. ] thank Him there still lives the same love
of liberty in my humble bosom that impelled them to
battle and the Delaware, and would impe me
10 the Mississippi 10 battle with the Ices oil The
South. Sir, let reason with YOU aud care
fully read what write you, that you may i" see
Yourself As others see YOU You profess 10 be Chris
tan. Yet in no wise DO you follow ~ the Ootstep, oil
your Master aqtuated lay TIM spirit of HIS rell-
gi0n His was of peace, yours OF the sword. HIS
was forbearance yours assault, unto death, upon
your friends and your country. lie purchased no wea-
pom even To be turned upon His enemies; while yours
is the religion of the bowie knife and the rifle. HIS
mercy, yours is murder You would turn the bru-
ta negro upon the unsuspectng white man and the de-
fenceless white woman, and see him gloat on murder
aud rapne. Tie would gather little children 10 his bo
som, while you would consisn innocent white girls of
your own race TO the brutal embrace OF the African.
l. therefore, cannot address you a minister Oi the
Christian religion, a follower of Jesus; but as
heartless, unieelng, Incorporating knaye too wise
act without deadly purpose too little religion TO
be bIgot a fanatic, but possessing The power 10
make fools aud fanatics OF others. In your Church
but recently you have raised money to excite nsur-
rection in nv native country" and when the damnng
deed done, say with hypocrtical can't 81 did not
do it, that force should be used except moral sna-
SION You send men to apply the torch 10 your neigh
bors dwellings and excite black men to murder white
men, then say you only wish TO liberate the SLAVE.
Such conduct no can justify no honest Christian
Elm approve. Jesus Christ lived IN province OF the
Roman Empire and excited feelings Of anger in
nan against his fellowman, and never plotted treason
against the under which he lived, but said
4" render unto Caesar what Is Caesars, servants be
obedent unto your masters, and that too when there
were sixty millions of white slaves IN the EMPIRE
IT, sir your for such conduct is, that you wish
to confer boon upon the human race, why prefer the
black aud inferior TO the white why spare the
one and butcher the oheri Why in blood instead Of
peace and mercy Or if your philanthropy must DO
exercised, why not begin with your moral suason,
YOUR bowie knives, your Sharpes rifles and bloOdshed
IN Africa the parent country, where the field IS wider
and the harvest ripe; But sir, turn in at home and
look upon yourself-ceanse first the lazar-house OF
your great eastern cities before you begin the work oil
reform in Kentucky and Virginia. and when your work
is finished at home, if not partial to color, we would
invite your phanthropc efforts to Asia, where there
are four hundred millions more degraded than the Afr
can of your oYAcountry. Why excite men TO ianatl-
cal deeds which must destroy both their country and
themselves
The South can and will make alliance with either
England or France, commercial or political, offensive
and defensive and in either it will be utter ruin
10 New England and the manufacturing States IL
with England your tariff system (Which has ever been
oppressive TO the South will be broken like rope Of
sand and scattered to the Winds and you come at once
in collision with your ancient competitor without pro-
lection, and your manufactures must be destroyed.
And far worse would il be for you, for US, and the
whole civilized world, il that alliance should be made
with France; for then the cotton the sugar, and all
the products of the Southern States would be landed
at Hayre and purchased at much higher rate, and
Old England and New England would see the hand
writing the wall.
Think YOU that most sagacious and willy monarch Of
the French would not the way open to crush the
commerce and manufactures of England, and make
her feel that she is dependent upon her ancient
possibly feel the tread Of the iron heel OF war lhls
opportunity offered 10 Louis Napoleon, and we should
see three hundred thousand Frenchmsn quartered at