Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-12-14

LOCAL AFFAIRS,



occupied. The seats on the floor had been re- |
served for members Of Congress and their fsmi.
lies BY seven o'clock every seat was allied and |
every Inch Of standing room occupied. Many |
were compelled to 90 away, not being able to |
gain admission. Among those on the noor were |
Secretaries welles and Harlan, Postmaster Cen |
Wilson, Dooiittie, Howe, aud Lane Of Indiana,
Representatives Bingham, Conkling, Patterson,
stevens, General o. o. Howard, and many others. |
At twenty Ave minutes before s o'clock Chief
Justice Chase, Rev. Henry Ward Beecher and |
Rev DR.. Garrett, Of the Fifteenth Street Colored
Presbyterian Church, entered the Hall. Upon
the appearance Of the Chief Justice and Mr.. |
Beecher, the greatest applause was given but
when DR. Garrett, who was little behind those
gentlemen, entered some persons scattered
through the audience, and have not yet been
cured of the notions which they gathered while
they were taught that the bsrbarism Of slavery
was the highest form Of Christian culture, were
observed TO litter aud mutter at the appearance
Of a black man on the platform. Chief Justice
Chase having introduced DR.. Garnett, and he
having commenced aferyent and eloquent prayer,
all their sneers ceased, and quiet reigned Many
did not know DR.. Garrett, but before his prayer
was ended they we'll knew that he was an edu-
Gated and talented minister.
Chief Justice Chase called the meeting to or.
der, and introduced the Rev. DR.. Garnet, who
made fervent prayer.
while the Rev. Dr. Garnet was Offering prayer
person dressed In lady's clothes, who was
Standing near the centre Of the floor, called out
to him excitedly TO shut his mouth She
also exclaimed II was n shame Tor n blhck man 10
speak before an audience Of white people! The
poor thing then turned and walked distractedly
to one Of the lobby rooms and disappeared. In
a few minutes after she reappeared at another
door, and stood there a while overmastered by
her terrible emotions, but she finally withdrew
unobserved. This wrotehed female seemed to be
in the last stages Of niger on the brain. ~
After the prayer Mr. Jacob X. Shipherd, Seore-
tary Of the Commission, read the report Of the
work accomplished by the Commission, Its OBJ
jects, &c.
Chief Justice Chase then addressed the audi
II is not necessary for ma to add anything to
the report Just read. 1t explains fully the object
Of this meeting. | am glad to see the meeting
composed so largely Of members Of both Houses
OF Congress, and so large a number Of the most
enlishtened citizens OF the country In this hall
tonight. The proclamation OF our maItTred
President, the acts Of the two last Congresses,
and the precedent OF God guiding the terrible
evils Of war have raised a vast part Of the Amer
lean people from slavery to citizenship. No sub
Ject Of the present moment 80 engages the atten-
tion Of the American people as the duty Of Con
gress, the duty Of the Administration, the duty
OF the whole voting population Of the country, to
this class OF our citizens. need not say here
what my opinions are they have been too often
expressed but / am glad that i is my privilege
tonight to introduce to this audience, to plead in
behalf Of this great cause, one Of America truest
aud most eloquent sons, who, In our own coun.
try, has done much to promote every interest Of
humanity, and who, In foreign lands, was the
truest Of the true to the American flag and the
American cause.
You will allow me, my countrymen and coun-
trywomen, without further preface, to Introduce
the Rev Henry Ward Beecher.
Mr.. Beecher was received with the greatest APP
plauss. He said two great periods Of American
history have TRANSFERRED, and we now stand on
the Threshold Of the third and the character Of
the third period will depend much upon what
precedent we follow. The hrst period closed In
the formation OF this Union, and the second Pc
Rod, beginning soon after the adoption Of our
= Constitution, embraces q history Of the birth Of
Ideas and institutions radically antagonistio to
our own--foreign TO them, although involved In
TO the human body. The conflict Of these great
elements, and the victory at last Of American in
stitutions and American principles over their in
testine foes, complete the second period. The
formed this period, and said II he should char.
acteriza the period from the Reformation until
the settlement Of New England, he would call
1t the period Of faith In man. There has always
been faith in classes Of men, but not In mankind
Strong men have always been thought much Of
wise men, kings, princes, poets and scholars. &C.
muses., artists, and rich men, expert men, In
short, particular men but mankind has had Ia
take Its chances as best It could. For common
people there has always been some small pity
and great deal Of contempt. The great mas,
OF the common people have been treated, since
the world began, for the most part absolutely al
though they were mere animals. The difference
between the human race and animals Is the DIFF
ference In their elasticity. You can pull out I
man, but you cannot pull out a monkey
(LAughter.l
Take the lowest in rank in society, educate him
and you begin to feel that you are drawing upor
a thread which has no end Human beings car
be Embellishments cannot be. Kings though
Of the common people as farmers thought OF dirt
good enough to raise crop with; The speaker
then referred to the manner In which the sehol
ars, the rich aud the refined, treated the common
people, and said the priest and the ecclesiasti,
alone believed in man; bot they have believed
that man was COED for little else than to be saved
hereafter. Laughter and applause,
man not educated was q man below and NJ
animal on top, but when educated the man WA
The Jews believed that God was the father OF al
mankind in Judea, daughter and we have go
so far as to believe that God Is the father Of thu
Anglo-Saxon race. The speaker believed tina
that when God looked forth upon what men hat
formed, he did not look at the creation, but a
the mind which created 1t.
Our fathers derived their power from the PEG
pie. They trusted the people, and that led u
universal education; and he who receives
wholesome New England education and canno
the North for the last one hundred or two hun
dred years is educated. These views OF tn
doctrine Of men gave our original Institutions
democratic impetus that never can be eradieated
do not know what other term to use, but
never use the word democratic without
twinge Of conscience. Applause II was
good word till II was smitten with leprosy
tLsughter.l 1t will be good word again whe
Il gets we'll 1t will get well, because, aceordin
to the Mosaic medicinal system, It must come GU
from the people and stand alone [applausel unit
II gets well.
He knew that some men thought It was sgita
tion North and South that had created all tn
trouble to our country-that these great events Q
the time sprung from the agitation OF few OK
tremists; and they believed that II a few. me-
were shorter by 4 heads length the eonntr,
would be better of. You might as well have
conference among men how to take the stone
from the ocean by yelling up few springs in tn
AlloRhAuiOb, a to stop the tidA of agitation
In the loyal North nothing was 80 noble. T
the North freedom was given; yet It abounde
In granite and sand, sterile soil, snow -cappe
hills, and frozen rivers; while to the South wa
given a land Astounding in all that the heart O
man could desire. The people Of the North wer
accused OF being close In their dealings; but
the people Of the South had coined money out o
granite and sand, they too would probably b.
equally close. II the people Of the North ha,
had men to work for them and stole their wages
they would probably not be liable to the i'm
parchment. The Black knight Of Slavery an,
the White knight Of Liberty were placed to
gether in tho lists, and did battle to test tn
strength Of the systems, and the Black Kaigh
was ground to powder. They OF the Soutl
yielded, not because they were tired, but be
cause they were exhausted and we have nov
come down to the third period, and its oharRcte
must be determined by the precedent we folio
whether ny the principles Of our fathers, or b,
those bastard, interloping, false, and damnabl
principles OF the second period,
The South 10 In ruins. The North Is ike q tire
OF life, standing by the river OF waters OF life
whose leaves are for the healing OF the States
[ApplAuse.l
- Il.--N l-I-