Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-27
THE CITY.

LsoTURE OF HEERY WARD BEEoHRR.-
The Melodeon was densely crowded last eve
ming to hear the Lecture of Rev. Henry Ward
Beeeher. His subjsct was ''The Results of
the Past, and our Policy for the Future, "
which we need not say..whs the text Ofa most
logical and thoughtful discourse. He com
menced with the proposition that man diff
fered from all other animals in the fact that
these hsd bat one want that they them
selves had to supply, that Of food, while
man in addition to feeding himself, had to
provide for himself clothing. On this sim
pie fact rested this war and rebellion, for
man is clothed more in cotton than wOolsn,
cotton involves slavery, and slavery in
wolves this war. Had the nations Of the
earth been clothed mostly in fax, or silk,
or woolen, the cotton question and the ne
gro question would not be agitating the
country as they are now doing. he then
passed TO the question Of the day and the
lessons that he would derive from it,
Without attempting to follow his argument
in detail, which we have not time TO do to.
night, il may suffice to say that he traced in
. most lucid manner the antagonism that
had always existed between liberty and des-
potism, and thereYolutions and changes that
thisantsgonism had wrought, and pointed to
the French Revolution as the most impress
siVe exhibition ever presented 10 the world
Of the dangers Of Withholding liberty from
the people. In contra sting the people of
the two sections Of this country, he said the
people Of the North represented the Ger
manic races, in which there had always ex-
isted love of popular rights while the
people of the South represented the Romanie
races, in which there was always an under
tone Of favor to royalty. He traced the ef-
fscts Of Slavery upon the Government
for the last fifty years, during all
Of which time it had either been
controlled by or in the interest
of slavery. and particularly its influence
upon the Supreme Court. He compared the
two sections of the country in point of
wealth. population, intelligence, &C., and
BY cogent reasoning showed why the North
Is 50 much in the advance. With regard to
cur future policy, he said he did not wish to
deprive the South Of any of her COnstltu-
tional rights-let her vote, let her have her
local laws, her Representatives and Senators
in Congress but the loins of no Southern
man must press the Presidential chair for
the next fifty years. England he charged
with being the supporter and in
stieatOr Of the rebellion. If England.
at the outset, in reply TO the ap-
psals Of the South, had said, ave sbhOr
slavery, and viii have no part with IT," We
should not have had this rebellion, but the
South expected the aid of England, and was
encouraged. He did not think We Of the
North are prepared for emancipation. BE
had no doubt we hated slavery but we also
hated the negro. Wsstill closed our church
es, our schools, our mechanical, industrial
and professional pursuits 10 him. We were
not yet prepared TO snter into Fellowship
with him, without which emancipation
would only work him an injury.
The lecture WsS listened 70 with great at
tention throughout, and beside the very ex-
cellent thoughts It contained, sbOunded in
much good humOr.
Mr.. Beechsr left for New York last eve
Aing, being called Immediately homo by the
news Of the death of brothers child.