Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-03
URBANA, March "a, 1862
Mr.. Weeds Reply to Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher.

DOGInCIs
To the Editor of the New York Commercial Ad.
u1tiser:
The Tribune of this morning copies an ar.
ticle from the Independent, 10 which that jour.
nal discovers "a striking likeness" to myself-
The gist, or argument, Of the article is EN-.
braced in the following extract
owe are sorry to say that New York and
Pennsylvania have bred for the last fifty years
generation Of most sstute politicians Of the
most unscrupulous and dangerous kind. They
have been men without moral covictions. They
have lost faith in human integrity. They be-
lieve that every man has his price Such men
must at length cease to reckon upon moral con-
viotions as of validity or practical force in the
conduct of State and national politics There
Ism in men who have learned to put party
above country, and to serve the party even by
employing the worst motives for the accomplish.
ment Of the most selfish ends"
Some three or four years ago found myself
seated In a Hudson River railroad car by the
side of an intelligent stranger, with whom an
agreeable conversation enaued At Pough-
keepsio Learned that the gentleman was Rev.
Henry Ward Bsecher. The conversation, when
resumed, related to the "Maine Law" then
pending in our Legislature, Mr.. Beecher adyo-
eating aud opposing it. He urgedit With zeal
aud iervor, as question Of right and duty.
opposed it as inexpedicnt. He insisted that ex.
pediency had nothing to do with questions OF
conscience His stand point was "mcral con
Vlction''-mipe common sense. He demanded
"totsl prohibition" 1 denied the possibility
of so restraining a human appetite, and appeal.
ed to HE common sense in favor of regulating
and reforming an inevitable evil He replied
eloquently with arguments which | need not
repeat.
reoined, insisting that the ultra temperance
views of Messrs Greeley, Delavan. Gerrii
Smith, ETC., had already greatly damaged the
benofcent temperance reformation inHugurated
some years previously, by wiser If not better
philauthropists. He answered, that the differ
ence between us was in effect, that, as Chris
tian, it was his duty to exterminate an evil
which /, as Q politician, hoped to modify by
temporizing; that pitch, il touched, defiled
end that hallway remedies we're worse than the
disease. closed the controversy by remark
ing that results would test the soundness or
fallacy of our respective views. asking him to
remember that, in my opinion, the passage OF
the "Maine Law" would place dead statute
in our archives, and that intemperance, over.
riding it, would run riot through the State.
The "Maine Law" passed, and may be found
10 our statute books. Rev. De. Beecher, will
perhapa, when his leisure serves, inform either
his congregation, or the readers of the Inde.
pendent, whether his "moTal convictions" dem.
onstrase the superiority upon Legislative
question, of the Divine over the Politician2
The existing rebellion places Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher and myself in the same position
of antagonism. We differ about the mode OF
prosecuting the war as radically as we differ
about temperance, have stated, in eerleE
Of articles commencing in December, 1860, my
detestation OF slavery, es the cause of "mon
strous aud unnatural" rebellion. No mans
zeal, in favor OF q vigorous prosecution of the
war, exceeds my own; nor has solioitude for
the welfare OF my country occssoned In others
more anxious days or more eleepless nights
nor, under mental pressure, have more hairs
turned gray upon any other name head.
This solicltude is now intensified by the
attitude, arrogance and insolence of Abolition
journals, representatives and lecturers. In ss.
cunning to discover, in the Presidents Proca
nation, "new policy" and one which converts
and perverts the war waged In defense of the
Government and Union, into crusade against
SLAYER, see sure and swift destruction. liz
Wendell Philips's avowal that the Abolition
motto is " Death to Slavery or the Union, " in
dorsed by the Tribune and Independent, | see
unless the reasonable sentiment be rebuked, q
divided North, with two-thirde of our people
against this fanaticism.
| While there 10 much inviting reply in the
Rev. Mr.. Beecher's article, | will not waste
time or paper in noticing what Ia merely per.
eonal. But desire TO make this record: If il
comes 10 be uaderstood that the oieiOs and poiica
Of Messrs. Sumner, Greeley, Wendell Phillips
Ward BeeeheT, etc., ETC., obtain, in the conduct o
the toaT, ii tOiH result in the destruction Of oul
Gournmsnt and Union, and a triumph Of rebel
hon and slsueyg.
THURLoW WEED.