The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-02-28
ThuriOw Weed and Henry Ward
Beecher.

tanned long article on " Thurlow Weed" )"
written in Mr. Beecher's best style, in which
the moral and political character OF the
great statesman of the Republican party
is somewhat severely handled with refer
ence to tho great question Of TIE day. TO
this Mr.. Weed takes exceptions, in card
published In an evening paper. In justice
to both parties, We give extracts defining
the position Of each, leaving our readers
to form their own conclusions a. to whether
the statesman or divine is the safer politi-
! cal leader. Dir. Beecher states:
Mr. Weed belongs to a school OF politi.
| clans unfortunately known in every coun-
try and aSe-who erect politics into de
partment outside of Christian ethics or
religious principles. Mr.. Weed may, from
the happy accident of a better moral en-
! dowment than his companions, have es-
| capped many of the errors OF his class
| But the school to which he belongs is a
school OF politicians, and not of statesmen.
1t never graduates statesmen. 1t always
sends out politicians.
A statesman must be a man of compre-
! henslve principles. A politician has I'M
limited faith IN mere paaHaycmeak 4
statesman perceives those great under
causes which in the end control human
volitions and shape mems policies. A
politician resort. rather to eXpedients and
arrangements, and in the end is apt 10
lose faith in anything but the devices of
! party and the hackneyed motives by which
bad men are controlled, and good men
| tempted through their weakness.
A Statesman never loses sight Of great
moral principles, and q politician seldom
| gets sight OF them.
| We are sorry to say that New York and
! Peunsy lvan!a have bred, for the last fifty
years, l. generation OF most astute polIti-
clans, Of the most unscrupulous and dan
gerous kind. They have been men with
out moral convictions. They have lost
| faith III human integrity. They believe
! that every man has his price. Such men
| must at length reckon cease TO reckon
| upon moral conviction as Of validity or
practical force IN the conduct OF State and
National politics. This training not only
ruins lis disciples, but corrupts the public
mind, waakens the Government, and lays
! the community open to the dangers which
arise from the passions OF uuprincipied
men, when thwarted in their schemes
| There can be neither mora! principle nor
even patriotism in men who nave learned
{
the party even by employing the worst
motives Ter the accomplishment Of the
most selfish ends.
! Mr Weed would adjourn the conflict
and patch up a settlement We would
! light the matter home and end il now. Ii
| has got to be ended, first or last by the
d.stict conflict Of Liberty and Slavery.
lhe two are not gong to live together.
The attempt TO compress theIa into one
government Is an attempt to divide the
country. We are for the Union. We
! shall fight for only one national govern
ment over the original territory OF the
! United States. For that sake, perish
| everything that Liuders.
The North was never better prepared 10
go through with the work. National Re
demp;lon is her work. 1t il near ct hand.
| There are but two methods; one by the
| arnputation OF the Southern States, leavin :
| the North free and the other, by putin Z
the sword 10 the core of the c.rbuncle
| slavery. We gravely fear that M-. Weed
secretly coatetnp.ates the first; that he
hopes for a reconstruction and that he
would postpone the anguish OF present
conflict with q vague hope that III the
great future there Will be infinite oppor-
! tuuity for cunning managers TO shuttle the
States and make new deal, and begin
the game of national lie again.
Mr. Weed rejoiued as follows:
| Some three or four years ago / found
myself seated III Hudson river railroad
car 10y the side Of an intelligent stranger,
with whom an agreeable conversation en-
sued. At Poughkeepsie, ! learned tha.
this gentleman was the Rev. Henry Ward
| Beecher. The conversation, when resum
ed, related TO the Maine Law, th.n
pending in our Legisture. Mr. Becchel
advocating and opposing it. He urged
it with zeal and fervor, as question ..
right and duty. l opposed it as an mex
pedent. He insisted that expediency had
nothing 10 do with questions of right and
conscience. His standpoint was moral
conviction"-mine common sense He
demanded total prohibition denied
the possibility OF SO restraing q o human
appetite, and appealed TO his common
sense in favor of regulating and reformin 9
an inevitable evil. He replied eloquently
with arguments which need not repeat.
| rejoined, insisting that the ultra tenn
perance views of Messrs Greeley. Deleyan
Gerritt Smith, &c, had already greatly
damaged the benefcent temperance re.
formation inaugurated some years pre-
viously, by wiser, if not better phiianthro
pists He answered that the difference
between US was, in effect, that as 4 Chris
tan, it was his duty to eXterminate al
evil which /, as a politician, hoped tc
modify by temporiZlng; that pItch, Il
touched defled; and that halfway RENE
dies were worse than the disease. ! closec
the controversy by remarking that result
would test the soundness or fallacy OF on
respective views, asking him to remembe
that, in my opinion, the passage of tht
Maine law" would place dead statute IL
our archieves, and that intemperance
overriding it, would run riot through til,
State
The Maine Law" passed, aud may b
found in our statute books. The Rev. DR.
Beecher will, perhaps, when his leisure
serves, inform his congregation, or tn,
readers of the Independent, whether hi
moral convictions" demonstrate the su
perlority upon a legislative question, o
the Divine over the Politician.
The existing rebellion places the Rev
; Henry Ward Beecher and myself in tn
same position of antagonsm. We dife
about the mode Of prosecuting the war a
radically as we differed about temperance
have stated in a series of articles com
mencing in December, 1860, nv detesta
|, tons OF slavery, as the cause Of mons
trous and unnatural rebellion. No man
zeal, in favor OF vigorous prosecution o
, the war, cXceeas my own; nor has soiici-
tuda for the welfare Of my country occa
stoned in others more anxious days o.
more slsepless nights; nor, under menta
pressure. have more hairs turned gray
upon any other mans head.
D This solicituate is now intensified by th'
: attitude, arrogance and insolence of Abo
: ltion Journals, representatives and lectur
y ers Ia assuming to discover, in the Pre-
sident's proclamation, a new policy" ant
; one which converts and perverts the wa
: waged in defence of the Government an,
Union, into q crusade against slavery,
see sure and swift destruction. In Wen
81 LII ph;llina' oyawal that tho Ahol,t;o