The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-12-21
Monday Morning. December 81, 1868.
Henry Ward Beecher in Philadelphia.

Henry Ward Beecher i'm Philadelphia.
A public reception was grven Henry Ward
Beecher, at the Academy Of Music, in Phila-
delphia, on Tuesday evening last. The In
quirer, from which we copy, says, the attend
ance wasunusually large, and the entire build
ing was closely filled, the people occupying
even the fourth tier. The stage was hung
with the American colors, and siken bands of
red and white, surmounted by blue field filled
with stars, eneirclcd the entire front of the
first Balcony. Stale and National standards
were placed around the proscenium boxes,
and the speaker stood covered and surrounded
with the colors of the Union. Accompanied
by divines and prominent citizens he appeared
upon the stage about eight O'clock Gov. Cur
tin introduced him in few eloquent remarks.
He pathetically alluded to the sufierings the
war had produced; the widowhood and or
phanage which are everywhere presented. He
urged the audience to take systematic action
torelieve the necessities OF the soldiers'widows
and children, who have been lefi destitute by
the war, and thsn introduced Mr.. Beecher,
who spoke as follows
Nothing is wiser in our late history than the
separation of our country from the political
ENHANCEMENT OF Europe. 1t enables us TO de-
eide the destines of our land and TO realize the
the privileges of our institutions without let
or hindrance. The proclamation goes from
this continent to the shores OF Europe, YOU
need not meddle in the solution of our question
and we shall not NEEDLE in yours. You shall
have Europe to yourselves, but we will have
the whole of America. This influence extends
only to politics. Morally il is different We
l,ctI inf1f no
pie feel the influence of natural greatness and
prosperity. In Europe the common people,
ignorant of education and of letters, can up-
derstand the meaning of eighty or one hundred
years of uninterrupted prosperity and the dec
laration Of American advancement that, sound
less on the sea, thunders on the land, reaching
the hearts OF the poorest classes in Europe.
The power of the United States is felt and
realized abroad The power to settle foreign
wars and home wars, 10 make treaties, and,
under the wise administration of democratic
rule, to regulate the laws of the country for
the good of the people, and the influence thus
created Is Irresistible abroad. This moral In
fuence which cannot be helped, should not be
helped If it could be. Nations are all more or
less dependent upon nations, and although We
can reach our national prosperity alope, vet il
is wise and impolitic not TO say TO Europe,
I'VE do not care for your opinions" The
time for such feeling has gone by. Ii be-
longs to barbaric ages, and the present is
time when nations, as individuals, are gov
erned by influence.
This knowledge of national glory should be
diffused. If nation can give its subjects
peace aud contentment and prosperity the
nations OF the earth should know il. In Eng
land fnli opportunity exists for the spread of
the knowledge of the condition of America
The recital should be made, although it sub
jeets the narrator TO the charge OF vanity, for
indeed, the simplest thing about America can
not be told abroad without seeming vain. To
speak in distant lands of the number of miles
OF railroad, of the intelligence of the masses
of the diffusion Of knowledge, Of the amount
OF taxes in our own land, will inevitably be
matter enough for the charge of unusual
vanity.
The growth of the country Of Washington
was too gigantic for the comfort of the ma
tions of the Old World. Yet the offense lies
not in the prosperous growth Of the free and
happy North. Ii filiibusterng had been per-
mitted and the national authority protected
the grasping by avaricious hands OF adjacent
countries might well alarm the civilized world
and give truth to the charge that the growth
OF the new republic was too rapid for the
peace of society. II is not the conservatism
of the North-it is the despotism and tyranny
engendefed In the slave fields which are so
Objectionable in Europe.
One question propounded abroad Is, sCan a
people be governed who hold the governing
power in their own hands % The English
say not; that such q people become lawIess;
but it is not so. No people are SO conserya-
tive as the Americans; no people are so reyo-
lutionary as the Europeans. Here, Judges are
made aud unmade. Here, laws are framed
and executfd by the people; and nothing will
make man so conservative as to make him
feel the duties of an American citizen.
Another statement was that patriotism can
not exist saTe under king. Let the grand
uprising OF the people after Sumter was fred
on give the answer TO any such lie as this
The proof of the sincerity of the American
people in this work is evinced by volunteering.
We have armed and equipped million OF
men. And, up TO two months ago, there was
not man in that million that was not there
OF his free will, while in the Southern armies.
one year and half ago, there was not a man
who was a volunteer. II was not known In
their armies.
The quality OF our men as soldiers, North
and South, their quicknoss to learn, their pa
tience, their suffering, their endurance their
natchless valor, their heroic daring, their no.
bic deaths, all form another lesson 10 Europe.
IL teaches her what free institutions can pro-
duce, 1he common people teach Europe
Ihey have supported tue Government. They
have carried the Government as the ocean
wave carries the ship-of war. When laws
were " oe ehacteu, Nheh exigencie5 were TO
be met, when faction iurrowed and mined IN
our midst, the people were intelligent enough
for the work. With million of soldiers In
the field they, with firm hand, caught thc
serpent aud seotched and killed it. And more
They said to foreign governments -"Yon
shall not interfere in our war. We are able
to, and We intend TO settle it ourselyesn And
foreign nations heard and obeyed.
Europe said, Republicwill do in time of
peace, but Monarchy is necessary when
emergencies are to be met The present war
has demonstrated that Republican govern
ment is fitted for time of war as well as peace.
The art Of organizing and carrying on the
forces necessary TO prosecute the war has been
done in such way as to elicit the adnlira-
tion. OF the whole world. Monarehies ara
weak at al times; whereas If Republics are