The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-06
The Conservative Letter of Henry
Ward BeeCher.


Ward Beecher.
Until his reply to the Executive Commit
tee Of the National Convention of Soldiers
and Sailors, to be held in Cleveland, request
ing him to act as Chaplain to that Convention,
few, or no Southern papers would have been
found indorsing the conservatism of HENRY
WARD BEEcHER. His recent letter. however,
justiies the opinion expressed by Generals
HALPINE, SLooUN, and GRANGER, that he
fa7ors prompt reconstruction of the Union
under the Constitution, as the best means of
regaining the national tranquility which the
country so much needs, and readjusting the
rights of all sections, under the new order
of things, on a basis of law, order, christian
brotherhood, and justice. The refusal of such
prominent Republicans, the weight of whose
influence is widespread throughout the North,
to cooperate with Radicalism, will tend pow
erfully to endamage the disorganizing de-
signs of the Destructives, who, no doubt, feel
keenly the loss of such influential allies
This sensitiveness, indeed, has already been
developed, and found expression in the most
prominent and decidedly ultra organ of the
destructives, which says, that 'the Rev
HENRY WARD BEEcHER has written letter
approving of the Cleveland Convention,
auhich skosos that the soar has taught him
nothing, while he has forgotten his own teach
ings"
We have seen that the recent tour Of the
President through the Northern States, on
his way to Chicago, in which he has given
utterance to the conservative views held by
the powerful party of which he is the head
centre, has revealed to the people the nhe
rent power of the great party which has been
formed to act against the Radicals, and raj
lied toits support eminent Republicans, whom
the Radicals can hardly afford to spare, but
upon whose influence and support they have
been calculating Among these is HENRY
WARD BEEcHER, who will WELD a powerful
influence in carrying with him large por
ton of substantial men, whose opinions and
views upon political subjects, have, for the
most part, been framed in accordance with
the model he has heretofore presented for
their adoption, How much we may have been
opposed hitherto to the general sentiments in
relation to the interests and rights Of the
South, which, from time to time have been
uttered from the source to which we are re-
ferring, the views to which he has recently
given expression in relation to the present
political status of the country, are entitled to
the respect which soundness, justice, and a re-
gard for the rights of others alwayscommand
His opinions are decidedly 10 favor of the
policy Of the President, and as Numerically
opposed to the designs of the RADICAL party,
which he exposes as dsorganizmg, and
thoroughly adverse to tho theory upon which
our Government is based He tells Radical.
ism plainly, that it is dangerous TO have
great community outside of the great body
polite, and that had the loyal Senators and
Representatives of Tennessee and other States
been admitted, the public mind of the South
would have been far more healthy-l,sing
this latter term in the sense understood by
the Radicals-and that every month of delay
complicates the case
He states, what is, perhaps, within the ex-
perience of a very large portion of the South
ern people, that such exclusion from repre-
sentation, unsettled as they were before, tends
to increase the natural irritation which they
were e1periencing-th it rendered the army
indispensable to local government, which, in
ftao1 5oJ fboti
cessary calling on the Central Government at
Washington to interfere in difficulties, which
was sometimes done inaptly and with great
injustice He reminds them that the General
Government is adapted wisely to its own pro-
per functions-that it is utterly devoid Of
those habits, and unequpped with the instru-
ments which fit centralized Government to
exercise authority in remote States over local
affairs; that every attempt to perform such
duties has resulted in mistakes which have
excited the nation-and that the Federal
Government is unfit to exercise minor police
and local Government, and will inevitably
blunder when it attempts it, To keep half
score of States under Federal authority, but
without national ties and responsibilities; to
oblige the central authority to govern halfthe
territory of the Union by Federal civil officers
and by the army, is a policy not only uncon-
genial to our ideas and principles, but pre-
eminently dangerous to the spirit of cur Gov
egnment-it prepares our Government to be
despotic, and familiarizea the pe3ple with a
stretch of authority which can never be other
than dangerous to liberty. So argues the
letter All that is reprobated is what is
sought to be established by tie Radicals, who.