Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-04-29

suSerinrs for the 1eop'e since evember, 1860 His
horizon had been black with -'Drms by day and by
night he has trod the way of nger and OF darkness
on his shoulders rested GO eminent dearer 70 MN
than his own life. At its in egity millions CT men
were striking at home, and upon this government iol-
epn eyes lowered. II ood on lone Island IN the sea-
full of storms and every tide d wave seemed eager
TO devour it, Upon thousands OF heart' great soT'
rows and anxeties have rested but not on one Gu Il
OF in such q measure as up n that simple uuIl
full, noble SOUL faithful Id sainted Lincoln
Never rising to the enthusiasm # more mpat ent ma
lures in hours of hope and sinking vi h mercu'
rial natures in hours of defeat la such delths OF depOh
dency he held on with unnovabe patience 81
fidelity, putting caution against hope that ii might
not be pr mature aud hope az INST caution thai IL
might not yield to dread and r. He wrestled cease
l,ssly through four black ana dreadful pureato lal
wears wherein God cleansing the sin OF his people
a. BY fire. Az last the watcher brhed the gray dawn
for the country; he mountains began TO give their
forms forth from ont of darkne-- and the East
rushing towards US with arms ,E OF JOY for all our
sorrows. hen it was for him 20 ae glad exceedingly
that had s5nowed uumeasurabll Peace could bring
no heart such joy such rest sur1 honor, trust ana
gratitude. lie but Looked upon il Moses looked upon
the promised land and then the wal OF the nation pro-
claimed that lie ad gone from among US. Not thine
the sorrow but ours, sainted soul Thou has. indeed
enteeed the promised Test while We yet are o1 the
march. To remains the rocking Il the deep and the
storm upon the land Days OF duty dnights OF wath-
ing but thou art shered high above all darkness far
beyond all sorrow and weAriness. oh weary heart
joice exceedingly, thou that hast enough sufertd.-
Thou hast behe!d Him VIII, nvisby, hath led thee in
around thee are the royal men that have obled
human life in every age, and the coronet Of glory on
thy brow diadem OF oy is upon thee orevermore.-
Over all this land all the little cloud of that
now fro thy infinite horizon moves back as a speck,
thou art lifted up high the s.ar is above the cloud.
In the goody company OF Mount Zion thou shalt find
that rest that thou hast sorrowing sought and thy
name an everlasting name in Heaven, shall flourish in
fragrance and beauty long the sun shall last upon
the earth and hearts remain to revere truth, fidelity
and goodness. Mr. Beecher then went on TO speak of
tbs JOYOUS elin gs OF the people just previous to the
tragedy al Washington and contrasted 1t with the over
whelmin grief into which the nation was suddenly
plunged Every household in the land seemed If ITS
first born were gone Business, pleasure, and even
rice stood still. Rear TO his NINE monuments found
charitable institutions and write his name above them
but no monument viii ever equal the UNIVERSAL spOnta
neous and sublime sorrow that in moment swept down
lines and parties covered up animosites, and in one
hour brought people into unity OF grief and fellowship
OF anguish For the present he could not command his
feelings 70 delineate The martyr Presidents character
but would do so future occasion. The first point he
made that the nation should not mourn that his de-
rGIluTe was so sudden fill the imagination at the
method Of his departure. He ie by the bullet like tie
soldier in battle, and yet there was not drummer boy
or private for VIII the great heart OF Lincoln would
not have bled 2dy. The blow was but the eXprG rel
lion In eli edating this point Mr. Beecher spoke in the
most denunciatoty terms Of slavery which was two
edged sword cutting both ways destroying manhood in
the oppressed and nsdiously destroying manhood in
the pIress,r Slavery began in wsnton destruction
of all human right in the desecratiOn OF all the sane
titles OF home, and the universal enemy of man
nd and il could only be maintained at the sacrifice OF
every moral feeling in its abetters and uphoders The
prob EN- solved that slavery wasted its victim, de-
stroyed public morality and the men living under its
influence were rotten and could not be trusted. Nor
can you find timber said be, grown in this accuTsed soil
of perditon that is fit to build the ship of State or
Law foundations for households. The patriotism that
grows up under this blight when put to proof is selfish
and bru al and he that leans on it shall be erced.
The honor that grows up in the midst Of slavery is not
honor but bastard quality that usuIps the place of
its betters only to disg the name Of honor and
long the is conscience or reason Christianity will
be byword and kissing The whole moIal nature
OF man reared TO familiarity and connivance with
slavery was death smitten. The needless rebellion the
reachery Of its leade to oaths and solemn trusts.
their violation OF the commonest principles of
fidelity, sitting in councils only to be betrayed
and destroyed and the unparalleled cruelty to
prisoners without proyocatiOn and utterly without eX
showed that slavery was deadly poison. There
were single exceptions 10 this remark; but they
who did not believe in the 'institu ion" Slavery
was barbary, and that nation tlet cherished it wss
barbarous IL fit that its expiring blow should be
such TO take away from the last fobeaance the
last ity and fire the soul with invncbe determination
that IN, bre dina ou Of such mschiefs and monsters
shall be utterly and forever destroyed We needed not
that he ould put paper that he belle ed in slavery
who wit treason, with murder and with cruelty infer
nal hoversd around that majestic man to destroy life.
H himself but the long sting with which slavery
struck at liberty and he carried the 20 son that belonged
20 slavery And rs long this nation lasts wi never
be forgotten that have had martyred President
never never. While time lasts, while Heaven lasts
while hell reekH and rrOans VIII it be forg 'ten that
slavery by its minions 81, him, and. in ayint him,
made manifest its whoe nature and tendenc. thirdly
The blow aimed az the life of the government and
Of lie nstoB. ncoln was slain, but Amenc was
meant In treating this point Mr. Beecher stated that
in a council held in the city Of Charleston, prece-
ding the attack on Fort Sumter, the Federal commits
sioner who appointed 10 90 TO Washington ad an
interview with Governor Pickens, who opened TO him
all the scents of the Southern council and said
that the South mad never been wronged and
they knew it, that they had never been oppresse
by the government for they had the country
yet it necessary for outhern statesmen TO make
the people be We so. Gov. Pickens declared that the
trial policies they could not live together Fourth
Iy-Ihe blow had signally failed. The cause ia not
stricken; it is strengthened. This nation s Dissolved
pyramid in Egypt. These people are neither wasted
nor dauned disordered Men hate slavery and love
liberty it'll stronger hate and love to-day than ever be-
fore The government is not weakened !: 10 strength