The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-03-04
WHOLE NO. 333.
Thurlow Wee d,A Reply to Rev. Henry
Ward Beecucr.

rhurlow We q. Reply to Rev. Henr
Ward BeecHer.
To tho Editors OF the N. Y. Commercial Advertise,
The Tribune Of this morning corcs al
article from the Independent, in which tina
journal discovers "a striking likeness t
myself The gist, or argument, Of the ar
t'cle IS embraced in the following extract
we are sorry to say that New Yo,l
and Pennsylvania have bred for the las
i'ty years a generation Of the mos
astutc politicians Of the most unscr,,
pulous and dangerous kind. They hav,
been men without moral convictions. The,
have lost faith in human integrity. The,
believe that every man has his price. Sucf
men must at length cease to reckon upor
moral convictions, as of validity or practica
force in the conduct Of State and nationa
| politics. There can be neither moral prin
cipie nor even patriotism in men who have
learned to put party above country, and
to serve the party, even by employing the
worst motives for the accomplishment OF
the most selfish cncs.''
Some three or four years ago found
myself seated in Hudson river railroad
car by the side Of an intelligent stranger,
with whom an agreeable conversation en-.
sued. At Poushkecpse learned that the
gentleman was Rev. Henry Ward Beccher.
The conversation, when resumed, relate d
to the "Maine Law" then pending in our
Legislature Mr.. Beecher advocating and /
opposing it. lie urged it with zeal and
iervor, as question Of right and duty. |
opposed it as ineXpcdient. He insisted
that inexpediency had nothing to do with
questions Of conscience. His stand point
was moral conviction'--mine common
sense. He demanded "total prohibition. {"
| denied the possibility of so restraining a
human appetite, and appealed to his com
mon sense in favor of regulating and re
forming an inevitable evil. lie replied elo
quently with arguments which need not
repeat.
| r'joined, insisting that the ultra tenn.
perance views Of Messrs. Greeley, Delevan
Gerritt Smith. nc, had already damaged
the beneticent temperance reformation in
augurated some years previously, by wiser,
if not better philanthropists. He answer.
cd, that the difference between us was, in
effect, as Christian, it was his duty to
cxtermlnate an evil which ], as politician,
hoped to modf7 by tcmporizins; that
pitch, if touched, defiled; and that half
way remedies were worse than the disease.
| closed tie controversy by remarknc that
results would test the sOundncss or fallacy
OF our respective views, asking him to re-
memoer that, IN my opinion, the passage
OF the Maine law" would place dead
statute in our archives, and that intcmper
ance. overriding it, would run riot through
the State.
The Maine Law" passed and may be
found in our statute books Rev. DIR. Beech
er, will, perhaps, when his leisure serves,
ihl"rm either his congregation, or the read
ers Of the Independent, whether hi, "moral
CONVICTIONS demonstrate the super ority
upon Legislative question Of the divine
over the politician
The existing rebellion places Rev. Henry
Ward Beccher and myself on the same 20.
sition of antagonism. We differ about the
mode OF prosecuting the war as radically as
we differed about temperance | have stat
Ell, in series Of articles commencing in
December, 1853, my ce,estation of slavery,
as the cause of "monstrous and unnatu.
raj rebellion" No mans zeal, in favor Of
vigorous prosecution Of the war, exceeds
my own nor has solctudc for the welfare
Of my country occasioncd in others more
anxious days or more sleepIess nights; nor.
under mental pressure, have more hairs
turned gray upon any other mans head.
This solicltude is now intensified by the
attitude, arrogance and insolence Of Abol:-
ton Journals representatives and lecturers.
In assuming to discover, in the Presidents
Proclamation, new policy and ore which
converts and pervevts the war waged in de.
fence Of the Government and Union ir to
crusade against slavery, see sure and swift
destruction. In Wendell Phillips avowal
that the Abolition motto is Death to slav.
cry or the Union" indorsed by the Tribune
and lndcpendc"t, see, unless the trea-
Snnable sentiment be rcLuked, divided
North, with two thirds of our people
against this fanaticism.
While there's much inviting reply in the
Rev. Mr.. Beccher's articles, will not waste
time or paper in noticing what is merely
personal. But desire to make this re-
cord: If it comes to be understood that the
uletes and policyof -Kessrs. Sumner, Greeley,
lpendeN Phillips, Ward Beecher, &c., &c.,
obtain, IN the conduct Of the acar, 1t uW re-
suit N the destruction Of our Gortrnment
and C"ion, anda triumph Of rebellion and
SItre'y. TuURLow WE'D.