The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-04-29

trasted It with the overwhelminggrief into
which the nation was 20 suddenly plunged.
Every household in the land seemed 40 If
its 6fst born were gone. Business, pleas
ure, and even avarice stood still. Rear to
his name monuments, found charitable In
stitutions, and write his name above them,
but no monument will ever equal the uni
vers9a spontaneous and sublime SORROW
that in moment swept down lines and
parties, covered up animositaes, and In 9
moment brought people into unity ofgrtef
and fellowship of anguish. For the pres.
emit he could not command his feelings to,
delineate the martyr Presidents characters
The first point he made was that the ma
ton qhould not mourn that his departure
was 90 sudden, nor fiji the imagination ut
the method of his departure. He fell by
the bullet like the soldier in battle, and yet
there was not drummer boy or private
for whom the great heart Of Lincoln would
not have bled.
Secondly, the blow was but the expiring
of rebellion. In calculating this point, Mr..
Beecher spoke in the most denunciatOry
terms Of slavery, which was two-edged
sword, cutting both ways, destroying man.
hood in the oppressed and insiduously de-
stroying manhood in the oppressor. Slav-
cry began in q wantOn destruction of hui
man rights, in the Dissertation of all the
enemy of mankind, and 1t could only be
maintained at the sacrifice of every moral
feeling in itsAbe:tors aud upholders. The
problem was solved that slavery wasted its
victims, destroyed putlicmoraIity, and the
men living under its iufiueuce we're rotten
and could not be trusted. Nor can you
find timber, said he. grown in this accursed
SOL of perditioH that is fst to build the snip
OF State or lay foundations for households.
The patriotism, that grows up under this
blight. when put to proof, is selfish and
brutal, and he th1t leans on it shall he
pierced. The honor that grows up in the
midst ofslavery is not honor, but u bastard
quality that usurps the place of its betters
only to disgrace the name OF honor, and as
long as there is conscience or reason chris
tiauity will be by.word and q Kissing
The whole moral nature Of man reared to
familiarity and cOnnivance with slavery
was death smitten. The needless rebellion
the treachery Of its leaders u oaths and
solemn trusts, their violation of the com.
monest principles Of Gdeaity, sitting in
councils only to BE- BETRAYED aud destroyed
without provocation and utterly without
excuse. showed that slavery was deadly
poison. There were single exceptions to
this remark; but they were men who did
not believe in the ''institution." Slavery
was barbarity, and that nation that cher
l600O IL W0S O0IU0IOuSe ~ WdS w tuuS AtS
expiring blow should be such asto take
away from men the last f0rbearance, the
last pity, and fire the soal with invincible
determination that the breeding ground of
such mischiets and monsters shall be ut
terly and forever destroDed. We needed
not that he should put on paper that he be-
lieved in slavery who, with treason, with
around that msjestic man to destroy life.
He was himself but the long sting with
which slavery struck at liberty, and he car
ried the poison that belonged TO slavery.
And as long a. this nation lasts it will new.
er be forgotten that We have had ono mar
tyred President-neves, never While
time lasts, while heaven Lasts, while he'll
reeks and groane, viii it be forgotten that
slavery, by its 'minions, slow hun, and in
Staying him made manifest ias whole ma
turs and tendency. 7e
Thirdly-The blow was aimed ct the
life of the government and Of tue nation
Lincoln was slain, hut America was meant.
In treating this point Mr.. Beecher stated
that in council held ID the city of Charles
ton preceding the attack on Fort Sumter
the federal commissions who WAS ap.
pointed to 70 to Washington bad an inter-
view with Governor Pickens, who opened
tO him all tho secrets Of the Southern
council, and said that the South had never
been wfonged, and they knew it they had
never been oppressed BY the government,
for they had governed the country; yet Il
make the people believeso. Gov. Pickens
declared that TWO sections were % antag-
enistic in idsas and industrial policies that
they could not live togethof.f H.
Fourthly-The blow had st8nally failed.
The cause 10 not stricken {; il Il etrongthoA.
ed. This nation il dissolved; but in tsAss
only. It stands moro solid to-day than any
t.
neither wasted, nor daunted, nor disorder
ed. Men hate elavery and love linerty
With stronger hate and love to-day than
ever before. The government 10 not weak.
ened; il 10 strongt hsnsd. How naturally
and easily wero The ranks closed and IN
other stepped forward In an hour to take
his snantle. And avOW my belief shat he
Of liberty-eroo to the whole trust that u
yeposed in him, vigilant for the constitu-
ton, careful Of the laws aud wise for liber-
", in TINT he himsel! for bis life long hys
known what II u to suffer from the citing
ofslavery, and cries .'liberty" through the
bitter experience of his own life. TAD.
plausa) WAers could the head of tho gov.
down By the hand 81 an assassin and tie
nation not be disturbed But after unpar-
alleled drains upon tho resources Of this
country since tia war commenced. and
then tho striking down Of the head the
government, the heart Of tho people was
such that the public funds never faltered,
but stood a. tho granite ribs IL our noun
tains. Republican institutions had been
INDICATED o. never before, and God said
by this providence to ali the nations ofthe
earth, republican liberty, based upon true
christia nifty, 10 ~ firm as the foundations
of the globe.
Fifthly-He who now sleeps hae by tbs
event been clothed with new influence
Osad, he speaks 70 men who new willingly
hear what before they refused to listen TO.
Now his simple and iweighty words win be
gathered like those Of Washington, and
your children and children's children shall
% taught to ponder the simplicity and
deep wisdom Of the utterances which, in I
time of party heat, passed as idle words--l
The patriotism Of men vii, receive new
impulse, and men, for his sake, will love
the whole country which he loved 90 we'll |
swear you On the altar of his memory 70 I
% nese faithful 70 TIA. county for which