Smyrna times., 1866-02-14
Henry Ward B.eeher on . Recop,,rre,lon. y

Henry Ward Bsecher on "Reconslruc,iOn.n N
The Boston Post contains q sketch Of lee
ture delivered in that city on Tuesday evening
| by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, on re.
construction, from which We quote as follows
There is no principle of American liberty
which will cohere with the doctrine that suf-
| frage is political right. If it be said that
this principle would give the right of suffrage
to women, he woxld give it to her as well as
man. Every consideration of policy and good
sense point to the giving of this right, for
woman Is as good as q man, and a man and his
wife are great deal better than each other
| Yet he would not insist on the extension of suf-
| trage as a condition Of reconstruction. If he
had been President he would have done so last
| spring; but matters had gone 50 far since that
II was unwise to press this requirement now
| That which We SOW in May we do not SOW in
! August 10 60 back on the steps that have
| already been taken and demand new guaran-
tees Of the South would be the most ungracious
thing that we could be called upon to do Mr.
Beecher then stated what in his opinion, We
might and might not expect the South to do.
| We could not expect that men who had to sub
NIT to an OverpOwePing military force should
rejoice in their downfall, and spring up to kiss
the men that have whipped them. The men
| OF the South were as sincere when they went
into the war as those OF the North, and now
| that they are conquered, We could not ask them
to be joyful or jubilant We must not expect
that men who had rcliuquished slavery upon
compulsiOn would engage with alacrity in the
work of emancipation. If this result had been
the consequence Of a long discussion, and they
had voted emancipation, We might have reason
tor the course Of remark that is INDUCED in
not otherwise We must not expect that men
educated under institutions totally the reverse
OF ours will let them go in day and seek new
ones from their cOnquerOrS. He was not sur
prised to read that Yankees are not popular ut
the South, and that @hen the army goes some
OF the Yankees must go with it, Being de-
teated, they are not disposed to accept super
huOus and intrusive advice from those who
have defeated them We must not expect
that men who have regarded negroes as inie-
rlOr beings all their lives shall receive compla-
Gently the doctrine Of equality and citizenship
in its relations to the black man. Sometimes
1t would be well for US to remember the homes
we live in. He did not believe there were
dozen places in Brooklyn where colored man
could obtain work, unless all the white men
should leave. We, who still indulge In this
prejudice, should not blame the people of the
South who do not believe that society can be
reOrganized with the negro as an equal. Nor
should We expect that they would know how
even when they try to treat the negro fairly,
| AOI IneS nave Deeu DIOuRuL up ~ treat MN Us
beast We may set up schools and churches
in the South in such way as to be antagoniStic
to Southern schools and Southern churches -
One kindly disposed white man in the South
is worth twenty in Massachusetts,. There may
be such precipitate zeal Of philanthropy for
them as will defeat its own work. Legislation
will not alleviate prejudice. 1t won change
unklnd feelings into kind ones. The South
must recover by labor, and it is only new indus
} Ark hat -, h. ot- - &.,1
ing this out. Her success depends upon cot
ton cotton cannot be had without black labor,
and black labor cannot be had unless negroes
are kindly treated. So self-interest will soon
teach them the light way out Of the difficulty.
, The blacks should become landhOlders as fast
as possible. The glory Of the North is its di
| verHlfed and minute industry. lie would not
object to making property preliminary quail
! fcarion for suffrage, as an induCement to indus
, try and thrift.
) MIR. Beecher closed his lecture with an elo-
. quent appeal for justice and love, as the only
sure basis Of reconstruction, and advocated q
= spirit of magnanmity. He protested against
Vindictive punishment against JEFF Davis, as In
: expedient and uncalled for The era of des-
truction had passed, and that of restoration had
come This new position Of affairs required ,
change of tactics His remarks on this point
4 made profound impression.
:
A NoN-coMMITTAL CAPTAIN Captain Ward
! was an eccentric of the first water, and one OF
his peculiarities was that he never gave the de-
: sired answer 10 a direct question. An amusing
G instance of his evaEive habit is related. One
, morning, four of his friends, who were aware
IS of this trait in his character observed the Cap
II tain going to market, and, after some banter
c ing, entered into bet to the practlcabily of
), learning from him the price he paid for his
I purchase. They accordingly settled the pre-
= liminaries, and, stationing themselves at differ
= ent points along E street. which he must
II pass on his way home, awaited his coming. -
v Very soon the bluff old gentleman made his
appearance, with a bunch OF pigeons in his
hand AS he approached, the first queStioner
R accosted him with
s. Good morning, Captain what did you give
n for pigeons, this morning."
G Money! said the captain, bluntly, as he
/ moved up the street.
9 The second gentlemsn, little farther on,
: addressed him and asked
j. How go pigeons this morning, Captain"
! They dom 90 at ALL carry emF was
the equally unsatisfactory reply.
: Shortly after he met the third, who passed
/ the time of day. and inquired-
How much are pigeons dozen, Captain
r Didn't get a d0Sen-Omty bought half a
i dozen p said the old gentleman, grufiy, still
: plOdding on his way.
: Finally, the fourth and last of the conspira-
+ tors cottened TO the wary old salt, by observing,
!; in the blandest Of tones,
!, "a fine lot Of pigeons you have there, Cap.
j. tain what did you get them tor2''
= . To edtF was the pertinent and emphatic
s. rejoiner, and the Captain reached home with
Z out further molestation
: II the pigeons did not take wing, the joke
). did, and has been handed down by tradition to
: the present day.
n TAKING THE CENSUS. --Marshdl-What is
!" your husbands name2 :,
l. Wonlan--Don you know JoeP | thought
= everybody knew Joe; -he'is lazy 'oafer' that
4 is what he is