The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-06-05
LECTURE BY THE REV. HENRY
WARD BEECHER.
/" what Shalt he Done with New
England -

The lecture OF Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
under the auspices of the Mercantile Library
Association, which had been twice deferred
was delivered in Boston. Mass. on the eve.
ming OF Feb. 8, in the Music Hall. Every
part of the building was filed with an inte-
rested and apprecia'ive audience. Mr.. b
on being introduced. was received with ap-
plause. He spoke substantially as fellows :
"a There lies, between the s.. Lawrcnce and
the Atlantic Ocean, sittis gore Of land, a
few hundred miles wide and long, that
seems 70 have been made up OF the frag-
mssss and lcavings. after the rest Of the
Deoueinent was made. Its ribs stick cut be-
yond all covering it has sand enough to
scour all creation; (laughte) there are
no large rivers. but there are many nimble
little ones. that seem to have been busy
since tie food, in taking exercise over ri'ts
and rocks. Its indigenous productions were
ice, Indians and trees. It's wild fruits are
whortleberries and chestnuts. About tue
lime that this part OF the continent was first
Explored. A-great plague had swept oil
large portion Of it's lndisus. Trading and
commercial adventurcrs hal endeivorei to
effect n settlement in vain. the rla e
seemed too hard for Indians aud rovin,
traders. This tongue of lsni was set apart
amp .rently, for q wilderness, aud II bal pc
cuiiar aptitudcs for keeping men ava from
IT, It's summers were short, lis waters
long it's rocks innumerable. its soil thin -
Bounded 10 tho north by hyperborean cold.
TO the east by endless forests. 10 the south
by the ocean only tn the west was there
an opening through which tie people could
make their way out, should there ever be a
population. TO settle this cold. sterile and
sombre corner OF creation, race OF men
was raised up called the Purtans. Natu
rslists tell us that every plant has Its insect.
and every animal its parasite {; so there
must be some sort Of animal adapted TO live
on these shores and that animal was the
Puritsn. The Puritan was not described
by Caviev. or by any naturalist. None of
the modern photographers have given at
tention to this class of beings. They have
been described in popular literature and in
newspapers; and Il we may not believe
them what shall we believe? (Laughter.)
Taking our idea from political speeches and
newspapers, the Puritan was hard, tough.
gaunt creature. utterly devoid of taste and
Of the finer affections, but excessively en-
dowcd with holy combativeness. lie was
always to be seen with his Eyes earth bound.
and sanctimonious face; whenever they
were lifted it was to find fault. or wrong,
the case might be. He is supposed to re-
gard all men wrong but himself his
vocation is to put all things right. There.
fore he is the moral tinker OF the universe,
and is for mending rips in morals, and put
ting patches upon conduct generally. max
ing up the deficiencies he detects in Provi
dence aud creation. Like the scabird he is
ever on the wing. and never better pleased
than in a storm. This character iLtests the
whole Western continent, and causes more
disputes, controversies and exctements than
all the rest OF the population put together.
No other character could have lived IN New
England, and nothing else could live there
il he did. He was tou her than the stoHe
drier than the sand, more obstinate than the
seasons and. indeed, some naiuralis,s tell
MS tha at since the Puritaus settled in New
Eogland. its climate has grown much mild.
er evcn New England winters could not
withstand the eternal faul,-i iding If the
Puritans. (Laughter.) As long as this
controversy between nature and the Puritan
was confined to New Eayl,ni. men We're
patient. But within a hundred years we
have seen great mischieis introduced upon
Tue rest OF the continent. There is tie
Hessian fly. tha, has robbed millions on
millions OF dollars from the wheat crop
there are wecsils. and bligh,s, and the eur
Gallo on trees and then we have the Can
ala thistle. the very Yankee of Botany :
sharp, hungry and prolific with a mil u
OF see Is. and every seed sure to sprous
growing ten times as fs,t whea yen cut il
up by the roots as when you Les y alone. =
Among all these. none have been SO much
depl1yei as the spread of the Iaakee. He
where engages in every thing Us away
and every where the same disputing. med
dGag. reforming character he was ia Es'
gland. and is in New England. and seem.
likely to he until the end OF tn world -
Agi,a;or in politics, disputant in theology
fault finding in morals. prying up peaceful
T. rya&