The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-11-12
Henry Ward Beecher's Speech
al Exeter Hail, IsOmdOM,
OM Asmeri can Affairs.

which your Chairman has so generously
bestowed on me, but am not bold enough
to have been pioneer. When think of
such men as Weld, Stuart, Gerrit Smith,
Joshua Levitt, WIN. Lloyd Garrison [cheersl.
and that most admirable speaker of the
world, Wendell Phillips-when think of
that peculiar class of Christians called
Frends-when remember the number OF
men obscure, without name or fame, who
labored in the earliest days at the founda-
ton of this great reform--when remem.
Der that came in afterward rather to build
OH their foundations, I cannot permit in
this far country the honor to be put on me,
and wrested from those who deserveit more.
All that can say is that when began my
public life fen ipto the ranks under my
proper captains, and fought as well as I
knew how, whetf er as captain or in the
Ianks As this is my last public speech on
the American question in England, I may
he per nittcd to glance at my previous his
tory here. At Manchester attempted to
give a history Of the external political move
ments for so years past, so far as was ne.
cessary to illustrate the conflict which has
broken out in America. At Glasgow un-
dertpok to show the condition of labor ne.
cessitated by the improbable system of
slayerg. to show that it brings labor to con-
tempt and fixes on it the badge of degrade
ton; that the struggle across the American
Continent interests every free working man
in the world, for sincerely believe that
the Sa1therp cause Is the natural enemy of
free labor and the laborer all the world ovsr.
[chccrs In Elinbur,h I endeavored to
sketch how out Of separate colonies and
States there gacw up an established nation,
and how in that nation Of the United States
two distinct s stems of development were
fdmtncl, AMI strove far tn. p sses sioa ofthe
Government and the control of the national
policy. anl how. when the North gained
control, the South abandoned the Union
simply and only be;suss the Government
was henceforth to be administered by men
who wGud conduct it for nhe interest OF
freedom. Loudi cheers In Liverpool 7
laberei Ia laughl to show that Slavery in
the long run was hostile to Commerce and
manufactures all the world over, and to ev-
cry other interest in human secietv that
slave nation must be poor customer,
buying the fewrst and the cheapest goods
at tho least profit that the interest of eve
ry manufacturing natiorr>is to promote free
dom and intelligence AMI wealth among all
nations that tins ATTEMPT to cover the fair.
est portion of the earth with slave p,pnla-
ton that bnys nothing, and dcgrad ID
white 'pulation that buys next to nothing,
is contrary to all political econ,mv, and
must brcsd vital ~aft Of com perce, not
want of cation. but want Of customers
lchecrs have eaiavorel to enlist against
this fagitious wicke,lness the Judgment, the
conscience, and the interests of the British
people. I am aware that popular addresses
before excited auliences more or less excl
TED by party spirit are not ltle most fayora.
bic for doing justice to this great question !;
and there are some other circumstances
which make it more difficult to present an
accurate and balanced statement but
will do my best, so that there may be no
vestige of doubt left that Slavery is the
whole and sole cause Of this gigantic and
cruel war. [checrs. have tried to show
that sympathy for the South, however GOV.
cred up by excuses and softcned by sophis-
ry, is sympathy for the most atrocious at
tempt ever made to build up slave empire,
and that in tins conflict the North are con.
tending for the preservation of their Gov.
eminent, Of their own territory, and Of those
popular institutions on which the life of a
nation depends.
Now ask you tonight to look at this
struggle from an American point of view in
its moral aspects. l shall ask you to take
our stand point for little while and to look
at our actions sad our motives, not from
what onr enemy says, but what we say.
Hear, hear.l When two men disagree, it
is quite in vain to make peace between them
by attempting to prove that either of them
is all right or all wrong. There has been
some disagreement Of feeling between Amer.
lea and Great Britain. I am going to argue
the question to-night which is right and
which is wong but if some kind neighbor
will persuade these two men to consider
each others position and circumstances.
though it may not lead to one adopting the
ethers opinion, 1t may lead one to say,
Well, he's honest, ever if he is mistaken !"
You may not get settlement of the diff.
Guilty, but you viii get settlement of the
quarrel. ] am not going, tonight, TO ask
you to vote bones and flesh without any
discrinination-I merely ask you to put
yourselves in our tracks. and look at the
facts as we look at them. and then form
your own Judgment. The earliest form in
which the conflict between the North aud
the South begaa was purely moral--it was
conflict simply of opinion and truth. By
argument and by appealing to their moral
sense il was sought to persuade the slave
holders to acopt some kind Of plan of eman-
cipation. When this seemed to Southern
sensitiyeness unjust and insulting, it led
many in the North 10 silence. especially as
the South then apologized for Slavery rather
than defended it. In the early part it was