New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-11-03
NIB. BEECHgR on FHR AMERICAN QUESTION


On Tuesday, Oct. ~, the eminent puipit ana
platform orator. Mr.. HENRY WARD BEEcHER made biz
first appearance before London audience at Exeter
Hail. under the Joint auspices Of the Emancipation So
cety and the London Corresponding Society on Amer
can affairs The admission was free, with the e1cep-
ton of certain number Of reserved seats at the 'front.'
purchaseable at II each. Comparatively few took adj
vantage Of this privilege, but very soon after o'clock
the body Of the hall and the galleries were filed to their
utmost capacity and outside in the Strand and Bur
leigh street crowd sufficient to have filed the hall over
and over again knocked vanly at the doors. 50 thick
was the press here that the hero Of the evening only Cd
tanned an entrance by mounting on the shoulders OF
strong posse Of policemen who carried him through In
safety.
Some active Southern sympabizers In the course OF
day had posted pacards about the neghborhood Of
the Strand. containing extracts from Mr.. Beechers
speeches very complimentary to this country and It
was expected that the proceedings would not pass OF
with complete harmony; but though the audience was
not entirely unanimous the Northerners were in such
an overwhelming majority to make any atsemps Of
organized opposition If it had been projected vt
terry hopeless The dissentien few and. though
every man was Stentor and Kissed and groaned for
hundred, they were thoroughly shouted down By The
enthusiasm of Mr.. Becchers admirers 1t was an
nounced that the meeting would at O'Clock,
but il was ten minutes past before Mr. b. Scott the City
Chamberlain, who was supported the platform BY
numerous gathering Of the members Of the two societies.
WAS elected TO the chair and he was In the middle Of
apoogzing for the unpunctusy Of the lecturer owing
TO the crowd outside when Mr. Beecher made his ap-
pearancc and made his way to the seat OF honor amid
the most enthusiastic applause When silence had
| been restored
| Tie CHAIRMAN proceeded to enumerate few Of tho
ressors why the audience should give fair hearing to
Mr. Beecher speaking cf him particularly the great
pioneer Of Enancp patton. but cut short by the i'm
patience Of the audience, and concluded by abruptly
Introducing to them the gentleman whom alone they had
cone to hear; and,
Mr. BrEcnYR who was again loudly cheered. stood
forward and said: n'
LADIES AND GENTLEMgN-I should be glad
Indeed II could take all the credit which your Chair.
nan has 80 generously bestowed on me. but am not
bold enough 70 have been pioneer: When think a
such men Weld Stuart, Gerrit smith Joshua Levitt,
William Lloyd Garrison (cheersl and that most admi
think II that peculiar class Of Christians called Frsnds
when remember tie number Of men obscure. without
name or fame. who labored in the earliest days
remember that in afterward rather to build on
their foundations l cannot permit in this far coun-
Hose who deserved il more An that can say Is that
when began my public life fell into the ranks under
my proper captains and fought as well as knew how
i whether captain In the ranks. As this IL my LAST
i public speech ON che American question In England.
may be permitted to glance at previous history here
AZ Manchester attempted 70 give history o. me ea
to illustrate the conflict which has broken
oct In America. At Glasgow undertook to show tho
condition Of labor necessated by the Improbable sys
tenn OF slavery to show that 1t brings labor contempt
and fixes the badge Of degradation; that the strug
the American Continent interests every nee
working man in the world. for sincerely believe that
the Southern Is the natural enemy Of free labor
and the laborer all the world over. lCheers. In
Edinburgh endeavored 10 sketch how out Of separate
colonies and States there grew up an estab-
lished nation, and how in that nation OF United
two distinct systems Of dey eopncnt were formed
and srove for the possession OF the Government and the
control Of the national policy and how when the North
gained control the South abandonedthe Union simply and
only because the Government was henceiorh 10 be adj
minstcrcd by who would conduct for the interests
Of freedom. Loud cheers. In Liverpool abored is
laugh Ia show thai Slavery in the long hostile
Ia commerce and manufactures all the world ind
"a every other interest in human society; that slave
nation be poor customer, buying the fewest and
the cheapest goods at the least profit That the inter-
OF every manufacturing nation is 10 promote free
dom ard intelligence and wealth among ali naons that
tbs attempt to the .iiest portion OK the earth
with slave population that buys nothing and de-
graded white population that buys next To nothing 10
contrary TO all political economy and must breed ayitu
want Of commerce not ofcotton, but want ofcustof
ers. Cheers. have endca,or to enlist aganstthi la.
gtous ckeness the Judgment the conscience ana the
Interests u the British people am aware that popular
add esscs before excited audiences more less
cited by party spirit not the most favorable for do
ing Justice TO this great question; ard there
other circumstances which make IL H.ole difficult to
present accurate and balanced statement; but will
do my BEST that there may be no vestge oi doubt
LEFT that Slavery Is the whole and sole cause OF this 81
gantc and cruel war. fCbeeIs.l have tried 10 show
that sympathy for the South. how covered up by
excuses aud sottened Ivy sopbistry Is sympathy for tho
most atrocous attempt made 10 build up slave
empire and that in this conflict the North contend
ing for the OF their Government OF taeir
own territory. and Of those popusS institutions on
night to look at this struggle IRON an American point OF
view In its moral aspects. shall ask you to take our
'S Vile and , 10 i HSs Sn SG, .: %ns
but what We say. Hear. hear When two
men disagree 1t is quite in vain 10 make peace
between them BY se%p'g TO yo prove hsre s hss
been some disagreement OF feeling between America
and Great Britain am going to argue the question
tonight which is right and which is wrong, D II some
kind neighbor will persuade these two men 70 consider
each others position and may not
lead to adopting the others opinion 1t may lead
ono to say "We, he's honest, even u he Is mistaken
You NAV not get settlement ofthe difficulty, but will
get settlement OF the quarrel am not going tonight
to AJAX you to vote bones and flesh without any dscrni.
nstiou- merely ask you put yourselves In ourtracks
aud look at the facts look at them and then form
your own Judgment. The earliest form In which tho
conflict between the North and the South began was
purely moralit was conflict simply Of opinion and
truth By argument and by appealing to their moral
sense sought to persuade the slavcholders 70
adopt some Kind Of plan Of emancipation. When this
led many In the North to silence, especially a tho
South then apologizea for Slavery rather than
defended it. In the early part it was said. Tho
evil is on us, we can't help ourselves-we arc
sorry for il; IL is misfortune rather than fault,
and it will do good for the North meddc with it."
Many men were led away by that fallacy. but never
gave In to itmyself The next stage OF the conflict
purely political The South attempted to extend their
slave system into tho Tertores-io prevent tho Free
States from covering tho Continent, by bringing in
Slave State for every Free State that entered the Union
II was also designed by the South to employ the nu
ence Of the Government to form Slave State policy
under Government They meant IN All all the ofnces