The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-12-05
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher in New
York.

Mr.. Beecher addressed the citizens Of
New York at the Academy of Music on
Tuesday evening of last week. AS in
Brooklyn, few days before, an admission
fee was exacted, and produced for the Sam
itary Commission, the modest sum OF about
four thousand dollars. We print that por-
ton of his address which has the merit of
greater novelty in matter and mode OF
treatment:
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN IDEAS OF GOV
ERNMENT.
As American ideas are to act an impor-
tant part in the future, we may do well 10
consider what they are, AS distinguished
from European ideas. We are not, then,
to look for them in any material prosperi-
ty OF this great people. Our climate, our
soil. our mines, our rivers, our harbors, ,are
our happy accidents. We had nothing to
do in making them, but only in iEheritins
their blessings. Our industry and our
wealth are more related to US. But they
do not distinguish us, for other nations are
industrious. and other people are wealth.
making: and we are not to look to our
material prosperity for American ideas,
since we divide these things with all ma
tons of the civilized world. Our mechan-
ic arts, our discoveries our ingenuities and
hand -skills, do not, either, characterize us.
We must look for American ideas as dis
tinsuished from continental European ideas
nearer to the experiences of our national
life than any external and material pros
perity They are the radical ideas held by
and Incorporated into society ana INTO civil
Goyernments-radical ideas Of the nature
of man, of the nature Of his rights, and OF
the nature of the society which he forms.
We hold. then. first to the liberty, civil and
personal, of the individual man, not as
something for which he may be prepared !;
liberty is not an attainment, not as re-
ward of conduct not as an honor confer
red hy society, not as prerogative given
by Government; but we hold to the right
Of liberty in individual as something lnhe-
rent in it, not a right but a necessity. With
less than liberty he is less than man, and
is man as God thought Of him when He
meant to create him only when he has been
thoroughly developed and rounded out in
all his attributes in the atmosphere Of lib
erty. ICheers.l It is that without which
nature cannot evolve systematically and
perfectly; it is the medium Of human ex-
tstence. The human soul was made 10 be
healthy and harmless, powerful and bene.
ticent in all his powers only where 1t is de.
veloped in foil regulated liberty; but lib
erty is required for 1t, just as light is fol
the eye-structure, just as sound is for the
ear, just as founts for the tongue, just as
air is to the lungs; and although these or
rans NAV all of them exist without theil
anpropriate element or medium, they exist
imperfectly; and so, although man may
exfst without liberty, he is but fragmenta
ry man, whereas the perfect and ideal mar
CANNOT exist without these. Liberty, then
10 the normal condition OF every faculty
and the whole soul of man. 1t belongs K
ali who have a moral nature; to withhold
~ 10 In defraud man Of his nature. 1t il
part Of him.
This is the seminal point OF American in
s,itntions, Below this there is nothing
This is fundamental; and, from this avowe
nr;ncinie much argued and much contro
1ar.ad and from this avowed principle
S,nTa,nental to the nature Of man, fron
this snrang the first governments; TO
american Governments are the first whlc
we're deduced logically from foregoin
principle. Other Governments were eXpe
dients and experiments, one aoueu 70 an
other as men went along. 1t was 1or ou
ancestors to strike out for tne0ry OF nu
man nature and human rights. Ihey cam
across the sea to encase that tne0ry III sot
ernment, and they did, and tnat IS th
American Government. lAppiause.I An
it is the only one, l think, IN the history
mankind. Springing from the ldea OF nu
man right, belonging to the lndiyidual q
part OF his creative nature, Is tne erea
American doctrine that civil society mus
be organized so as to secure ana 10 delen
the rights and the attributes OF its lndlVid
uRl citizens; that State is strong III Ia
degree in which its private citizens ar
strong, and that State - weak IN proper
ton as its integral members are deprive
0fUberty. The European doctrine, III IN