The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-12-13
sEEcurR AND rHAnKsslvrnG.

sis Of the proceedings and sermons in the
various churches of New York and Brooklyn
upon Thursday. The most space il given to
the sermon Of HENRY WARD BEsCHER, whose
church seems to have been the only one that
had crowded audience, despite the inclem,
ent weather. We make some extracts from
the sermon. Mr.. Beecher commenced by
saying; r8 tmsErY
7 When after the driving storm the eun re-
turns, not only does it pour its own streams
of golden light over all the drenched and
wind wrecked land, but it sets up banner of
victory in the very elements themselves for
piercing the raIn-drops as 80 many prieons
the sun compels them to throw wide over the
flying cloud the radiant bow, thus hoistiug the
colors of victory upon the rear Of the retreat
ing foe. What deluge is like war whose rain
drops are of bloodf What war is like civil
war? What civil war for magnitude and
fierceness was ever like ours? And who ever
had the right, if not we, to search the clouds,
now that war has passed, for God S token and
promise of future peacey
After further Introductory remarks, he
turned to review of the great themes that
give assurance that after the cloud of war has
passed, God has spanned the national firma-
ment with the bow of promise of enduring
peace. First, he noticed as theme for
thanksgiving, simply, the close of the war.
Its ending was sudden and phenomenal as its
beginning. 1t opened with sweep of fire,
whirled with a rush ike autumnal bellowings
on the prairies. Its close is as rapid as when
the streams pour down from the lurid skies,
and in one rush quench every spark Of smoul
dering FIRE. 1t is peace complete and en-
tire. No fiery edge of war remains. No
guerrillas nor confederated marsuders. Thus
prophets of evil had been at fault.
He deemed the success Of the war more re-
markable than its beginning, or close, or mag
nitude As nation we had been successful
in every war we had undertaken. In the
colonial struggle with the French, with the
Indians, in 10 in 1872, with Mexico, We had
been SO. Completely victorious had we been
in the late struggle. For a nations life we
went to war, and life we bring back in all it's
strength. Orpheon is tabled 10 have gone
down to the regions of Hades in search of his
spouse. and with his Tyre to have soothe ed its
monsters and won her back 10 life. We had
no magic lyre, but earned through the fiery
breath of purgatorial suferings to redeem and
bring back our lost happiness.
Further. said Mr.. BEECnEa. and we follow
the Tribune report for the remainder):
We have a cause of thank sgivug for he fruits
Of The war inst ended Not only has this nation
gained the specific ends for which it uaged
the war. the external things but other and
not less important things have been ripened
. in the iurid Summer Of this conflict. Most
eminent and in every respect most rernarka-
BILE is the production Of a National Con sttu-
ton. 1t is one of the maryels of history that
in an age fervid with the spirit Of liberty such
men rs our fathers should frame constitution
for the express purpose ofgiving equal fights
and civil liberty, and then have deliberately
inelosed within it an element Of slAvery, the
grossest, the worst that ever afflicted the
world 1t WAS as though one should build
fortress and then give the enemy the KEY.
History repeats, in respect to our Corstitu
ton the words of the Apostle: AT the com
mencement it vas ordained to live: ] find to
be in it DEATH and there did not secm to be
the remotest probability that any change could
be made By Constitutional provisions. Up
/ to very late day the power of evil was in
creasing; nor did conceal from myself how
nearly We came to gulf, the depths of which
no line of past experience Is long enough to
measure.
/ remember our escape, in the beginning of
the war, Us more marvellous thousand times
than our escape al the end of it. W hen |
consider the political combinations, the tfeach
cry. the fruitessness of nearly every ONE. the
influence ofthe South upon pliant md moneys
loving North: when think that a onion had
almost been formed Matchmaking Slavery,
putting away forever the day of universal
emancipation when | recollect our escape
from all this. confess myself to be impressed
with God immediate. interpostion in saving
us from so great peril. can scarcely yet
see how we did escape. 1t was not mans
hand certainly. The great moral tone of the
Northern States, the unexpected patriotism
of the country, the wonderful result gathered
from divided parties to which at length the
North came to sacrifice everything on earth
rather than let the country be lost, NO ,man
could have foreseen. As a Consequence of
the mighty upheaval, selhshness and supersti
ton gave place, and men began to feel the
force Of justice and proclaimed liberty TO four
million of slaves. But as if moved by d.
vine impulse to clear their skirts of this sin,
they set to work to alter the Constitution
itself and forever inferpose barrier against
it. The road to amend our Constitution is
hard and circntous. So difficult is it that
experts have hitherto held that it was scarcely
possible thing to amend the Constitution
thaa there coald be no such = balance, no such
condition of peace and uninterrupted harmo.
ny as before. Yet and still State after State
is ratifying the Amendment, until it is not a
matter Of doubt, but q positive certainty The
work is done. IApplause. The organic
law Of America is henceforth and fafever
Liberty. [Applause. Slavery hereafter is
treason to the Constitution. Applause. \
Rejoice ye who have borne upon your heads
the suspicion Of treason for long fidelity to
liberty; We that watched and wept, and re-
|joice We noble men that went up before the
struggle issued in victory, for now At last the
ckldren.e OF The Pilgrims and the sons OF sires'
o.. liberty have been able to see the day when
Liberty IS Law and when Slavery is Treason.
4 [1mmease apphnse.] -.
There Is now in oar Constitution m element
% hou3oGsneity which xAa never in il beford.
Belo, The adicsf pfiAciples that were in
yotve4 81 the indpstsies of the North and
South wsse diss1esfioelly opposite. All the
manners, customs were so repugnant to each,
other that = was we'll nigh impossible te lave
formed raj nnion.s Marbles in . tumbler
are not united, and States that are merely
neee eacA Oeles, are not united. States that
have from the great national center a hearts
a. - a