The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-11-02
Beecher On Presiden, johnson.

One of the most remarkable CONVEX
sions of the day is that OF HENRY WARD
BEECBER To see BEEcHER who has Tor
thirty wears been preaching hatred OF
the southern people and the extermina-
ton of all who differed from him In po-
litical sentiment nov alvOcating charity
and love and, in effect, recanting his
past heresies, reminds us of the days of
miracles If he and others of his class
had preached ten years ago as he now
does, probably the late war would never
have occurred and tile thousands who
are filling namelsss graves upon the bat
tie fields in the South would to-day be
happy in the society of their loved ones
at home. No national debt would grind
the faces of the poor and paralyze the
efforts of those who are toiling for
competence Brotherly love and social
friendship would reign in every commu-
nifty instead of the distrust aud dScord
now everywhere plainly apparent.
BEECHER's conversion comes late, but
lit is never too late to do good" Doubt
less his political opinions have under
gone no alteration, but he has begun to
see that there is better agent for the
promo ton of national unity and pros
perity than the ''Sharp's rifles" that he
sent to Kansas 1t will be happy day
for our country when all of the political
preachers who, like BEECHER, have been
stirring up strife. melting to revenge,
applying vile and odious epithets to
those who thought for themselves wheth-
er i'll the South or the North, will like
BEECHER. preach Christian liberation
and virtue, Anger begets anger and
railing is generally answered by railing
1t is time that our legislatures would
recognize this principle in human nature
and, having witnessed it's effects i'll the
past, avoid them in the future,
The following is an extract from re-
cent speech delivered by BEECHER in
his church in Brooklyn.
In the third place we come
to the civil state OF the negroes. If vot-
ing could replenish their rights and re-
store them; if going before the people
and Ggitating the chOIe community of the
North could directly settle that question,
none would be more forward than | am
to do it But there are only two parties
that can do this work at present-he
States in achich these people lire; or, Second
ly, President johnson, ut Washington
4 am not sure aCkeHer President johnson can
do it; but | am perfectly certain that if
he has that power and regards iC as an
emergency, he may deem it wise to use
it, fit is within his reach am certain
that the way to incline him to that prac-
tice is not for Northern Christians to JyOu-
beat him; 10 preach against him, nOrfspeak
against him, nor IN any 1ray to stand aloof
from him. Ii he is brought TO see that he
has that power, then it is to be done by
moderation of wisdom, by considera-
lions of sympathy. You are to stand up
by him if you are to have any sway over
him. 1t seems to me the last state of fol-
ly to suppose that we can persuade An
drew johnson to take our view of the
exercise of his power by bOmbdrding him
and by brOlubedting him; still less can a
course Of reckless and caypiay remarks IN
cline the legislatures Of Southern States 10
grant TO this population round about the aH
exercise Of their cjril rights. 1t is very easy
for MS to forget how hard it is to reroIl-
hOHise mans prjndices and change his opin-
IONS.
Is there any such thing as wisdom
in the administration of human nature
Do you suppose that you can roll this
question over and over, as an avalanche
down the side of hilll-what if the re-
suit be to bury it in the snow beneath
with an eternal burial? There never
was time when more kindness and gen-
tleness were needed; and vet this is StiC-
Datized by radical men here as apostacv.
and playing into the hands of the South!
L hold that this is to be done by means
of President johnson or through South
ern legislatures. Our duty is the incul-
cation of Christian virtues aud a Chris
tian feeling towards our brethren. who,
in the midst of profound suffering, of
which we know nothing, stripped and
bankrupt in property, with their laws
paralyzed, with their State governments
altered and with their national spirit
humbled, are called upon to roll back
the turbulent tide of all their unjust
feelings and prejudices, and that, too.
by men they have hated
And first and second and
third l would say to this Christian as
sembly, remember him with Your pray
ers; remember him i'll your sympathies-
While you have no responsibility it is
easy for you to oriticise; but if you stood
between fifteen states on the one side
and fifteen on the other; if you were bur
dened by all the questions which arose
if You stood iu his place, YOU would find
that you could not act as easily as YOU
now advise him to act.
When men once begin To faa,
that you do love them, they will let Won
say almost anything in the world; and
that which we need now in the North,
that which we have needed in large
measure in times past, is the spirit, the
Christian spirit of pity, love and mercy
for those who have been in the wrong
but who have been more terribly pun