Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-07-02
The Unclean Spirit.

The Unclean Spirit.
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher delivered lec-
ture in Brooklin, N. Y. in May last, upon
the miracle of our Savior. in healing man
with unclean spirits, and sending them into
herd Of swine. We make the following ex.
tracts from his application of the subject to
the condition of the country which cannot
fail to interest our readers:
An eminent illustration of this whole nara
tive exists in the dealings of God with this peo-
pie. The whole nation has been in the condi.
tion of that poor, miserable wretch. It has
been possessed not by devil, but by legion
OF them. We have had a whole legion of
devils in this nation. And they have led US
through pretty nearly the same awful career
that he was led through. Ever since slavery
has infested this people, sat upon its brain,
domineered over its heart, and held control of
its government, the nation has been wander.
ing night and day, cutting itself, rending it's
clothes, and breaking all the restraints
and chains of decency. and propriety, and
right, and justice; and the whole community
have suffered. But it has pleased God in his
providence to pass by this way; and he has
rebuked the unclean spirit, and commanded
it to come out of us; and it has obeyed; and
slavery, if it is not dead, at least has come out
from this Government, and has come out of
this people; and i: is evidently gone into the
two thousand swine that yet remain between
Our lines and the Gulf; and from appearances
they seem likely to run violently down asteep
place into the sea, and to be drowned
Can there be a more sublime spectacle than
a nation that is being disenthralled from this
demon Of slavery? Can you imagine any
thing more noble to one that is penetrated
with the truth of the Gospel, than the specta-
Gle of four millions of men cropping their way
towards to rising light Of liberty? Sons men
look upon these Africans only as compared
with US, and say that they arc an inferior race;
that they are beneath US; and that it would
never be possible to bring them to industry,
and culture, and selfcare. I do not care
whether they can be made equal to us or not.
1t is of little consequence whether man is of
higher or of lower c'ass A man is not to
be Judged by his position in socisty. Tho
question is simply this: Is he a rational being?
Is he q free agentl Is he accountable? Is
he immoral? Has he the ordinary
motives Of thrift Is he tending towards
a home of immortality in the world to comet
That is the question: not whether he is infe-
rior to US or not; but whether he has before
him a sublime destiny, which entities him to
the same consideration which is due to any
other of Gods creatures. 1t does not hurt
YOU if another man knows more than you do,
or is superior to you in other respects. There
are many men who are richer than am, and
will be until the screws go into my coffin; bat
= Al II
men who are my superiors in intelligence and
administrative force and skill; but am con-
tent. I know my rank ana position, and do
rot feel that am hurt because it is lower
than the rank and position Of some others.
And if these Africans are at the bottom of So
ciety, and If they are to abide there by reason
of their inferiority. yet, since they are chill
dren of God, they are entitled to the rights Of
manhood; and that what belongs to man, BY,
reason Of his divine sonship. shall be accorded
to them is all we ask. But this they hsvs
been denied. They have been denied tho
right of manhood; and that, not in the snesrs
ing inGdelity Of individual, but by the for.
NAL enactments oflaw itself. By the statutes
of the slave States they are denied the very
name of men; and by the construction of the
conrts Of the slave States they are denied the
attributes of manhood, and are declared to be,
to all intents and purposes, cattle. Is it not
sight that should inspire every heart with
10y and gladness, to see four million men fnd-
ing their way towards manhood? And when
we, filled with gratitude, are rejoicing to behold
the realization of tho promises of tho Gospel,
and to SEE the untriended African redeemed
and brought out into the light Of liberty. what
must be that mans interior condition who sits
by carping. and ridiculing. and saying, You
have got niger on the brain )" or - You arc
carried away with this everlasting negropho.
lism"i Let them who can see nothing but the
loss O: swine in the restoration Of man, ridi-
cule me when rejoice at the wonderful deal.
ings of God with his people. which are scarce.
" less miracle than that which occurred in
the healing of this man.
But there is another side Of the spectacle.
too. As they heard Of the d.alings Of Christ
with this man besought him to depart out Of
their land. on account Of the swine, SO we
have large number Of conservative" pr.
sons among rs. who, in looking upon the con.
dition Of this nation, have great fear on &C.
count Of the various destruction that takes
place for the salvation of the country. In the
first place. they are exceedingly troubled In
regard to the- destruction Of the Constitution.
To be sure, four million men have r~surrec.
tion four million men are touched with The
light Of the rising glory Of liberty but that
is nothing. 1t is the breaking Of the Consti.
tuition that they think Of An owl site IL Q
tree to ere an eagle hatch iis egg, and BY and
bv, when the she'll 10 cracked to let the young
eagle out. the owl boots: "Spoiling. spo;l;.s.
srorIlxo the SHELF" What 10 the shell to
the eagle inside Of it and what is the Consti.
tuition but the shell of the spirit Of liberty :
I, was ordained for liberty; and when it 10