Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-10-17

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AOAeEMNAOms
Nov, We are to maintain the spirit ofChrist
while we are enforcing the claims Of the Cos
pei, We are to be gentle, iofgiving, long-aut-
feringi we are not with sVeeping denuncie-
tons or Judgments indscriminatey to
condemn men. Men may differ from as, aud
yet be honest aud thereiors we are TO treat
their opinions with federation. When men are
sanguine and candid, and when they throw
their whole soul into n cause, they not unire-
quently feel that nobody can hold pfeCs dq-
tereHf from theirs ercept perrerseiy and they
are inclined 10 condemn man that is not on
their side This is n direct opposition TO
that spirit which Christ inculcated, both by
example and precept Freedom of opinion
should be granted 10 eveTy one, will moi
denounoe a man because he does not agree
with me in all things. | will oppose his ideas,
il they seem 10 me erroneous, with argument
hut will treat him kindly and with gentle
ness at the same time remembering that the
truth is to be defended boldly and uucompro.
misingly. YoH cannot fght man into your
pieios; but you may persuade him into them
You cannot denounce man from his wrong
position; but you may convince him that it is
wrong, and so lead him out Of il. Love is an
essential quality in Christ's soldiers. man
cannot fight well under the Gospel banner
unless he has that element in him. No man
can know how TO strike fatal blows that cut
to the heart Il he does not feel that his antag-
onist is a brother, If you love a man, you
can fight him with q chance OF conquering
him; and then tho victory will be to the hoo
or and glory Of God Henry Ward BeecheT
in last loeeks Independent
The eccentric genius who performs weekly
upon rostrum, ina building miscalled a
church, in Brooklyn, N. Y. talks about every
thing, and aometimes utters, as much by &C
cident as design, some sound words. Those
quoted above are unexceptionabe, and if our
ministers generally, had acted upon the prn-
ciple they enunciate, we would have had no
dissolution of the Union, no war between the
North and Sonth, and no threatened civil
strife here in our own midst
Beecher was an abolitonist when abolition
ism was unpopular, and be knows how it feels
to be prosecuted for opinions sake, and he is
therefore-or pas when hO delivered the
stump speech in Plymouth church, from which
we quote---in favor of "free speech"
Some of his sentences are quite coppery.-
A sentiment like this, for instance: "You
cannot fghta man into your views; but you
may persuade him into them" would likely
have cost democrat his liberty if uttered
three years ago.
Very few men are capable of comprehend
ing and adopting, with heartiness and SINGER
ity, the idea of absolute freedom in matters of
opinion Men have much to say about lib
erty when their own limbs are shackled, but as
soon as they are free, they don't hesitate 70
shackle their neighbors. Aboltionists had
much to say about Free Speech" when alb
olitionism was under law, and very little to
say about it now that they are the persecu-
tors
The Journal usually gives its readers some.
thing from tho "IndepsndenF every Monday
morning, bnt never anything like this The
Pharisees Of Dayton resolved long since in
solemn convention assembled to discourage
by all legal and social Influences the opposi-
tiou to the government" and it would not do
to tell copperheads that they have right to
their opinions, and that IL is wrong to stigma.
tie citizen as disoyal because he differs
with others as to what constitutes patriot
ism.
To shrewd observers our social fabric seems
to be upon the eve Of dissolution. We are now
almost in a state of anarchy, and it is owing
more to the Unborn disposition OF Americans
to live peaceaby with their neighbors as long
teey can, than to any efficient restraints of law,
that we have not had re.enacted here, the
scenes of horror Of the French Revolution 70
is in the power of men of the Republican
party to soften the animosites which have
made men ready to apply the torch and shed
each others blood aud to avert civil war from
the North. twill require of them only the
assertion of two principles, which no honest
man can object to, First that Opinions are
to pass, toll free. Second, that there be fair
and free expression OF them at the ballot.box
next November