Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-01-27

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Henry Ward Beeeher on Reconstruction.
The Boston Post contains sketch Of a lee
ture delivered in that city on Tuesday evening,
by Henry Ward Beecher, on reconstruction, "
from which We quote as follows
s'There is no principle Of American liberty
which will cohere with the doctrine that sui.
frage is political right. fit be said that this
principle would give the right of suffrage to
women, he would give it to her as we'll as man.
Every consideration Of policy aud good sense
points to the giving Of this right, for woman
is as good as a man, and a man and his wife
are a great deal better than each other. Yet
be would not insist on the extension OF suffrage
as condition Ct reconstruction 1t he had
been President he would have done 50 last
spring but matters had gone so tar since that
it was unwise to press this requirement now.
That which we SOW in May We do not SOW IN
August TO go back on the steps that have
already been taken and demand new guarantees
thing that we could be called upon to do. Mr..
Beecber then stated what, in his opinion, we
might and might not expect the South TO Go.
We could not expect that men who had to sub
NIT to an overpowering 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 tie war as those OF the North, and, now
that they are conquered, we could not ask
them to be Joyful or jubiIant We must not
expect that men who had relinquished slavery
upon cornpulsion would engage with aacrly In
the work of emancipation If this result had
been the consequence OF long discussion, and
they had voted emancipation, we might have
reason for the course Of remark that Is lndulg-
ed in: not otherwise We must not expect
that men educated under institutions totally
the reverse Of ours will let them go IL y day,
and seek new ones from their conquerors
He was not surprised to read that 1ankces
are not popular at the South, and that when
the army goes some u he Yankees must 60
with it. Being defeated, they are not disposed
to accent suDerhuous and intrusive advice from
those who have defeated them We must not
expect that men who have regarded negroes
a. inferior beings all their lives, shall receive
comrlacen1ly the docrine OF equality and
citizenship in it's relations to the black man.
Sometimes it would be well for Us to remember
the homes we live IT, lie did not believe there
were q dozen places in Brooklyn where color
ed man could obtain work. unless all the white
men shfm|d leave. We, who still indulgein this
nreindice, should not blame the people OF the
South who do not believe that society can be
reoreanized with the negro as an equal. Nor
shon]d we expect that they would know how,
even when thew try to treat the negro fairly, tor
thev have been taught to treat him as a beast.
mot so. We may set up schools and churcnes
in the South in such way as 70 De antagoh1S'lc
to Southern schools and Southern cnurcnes'
One kindly disposed white man IN the the oouth
is worth twenty in Massachusetts., Inere may
be such preciptate zeal OF philanthropy Eor
them as we'll as defeat its own work. hes'Sia-
ton will not alleviate pre]un'ce' L. Won on
change unkind feelings INTO E'od ONES: iue
new industry that will bring her back. She IS
fast fnd;ng this out Her success depends
mon cotton: cotton cannot be dad without
HACK labor, and black LABOR cannot ee nao nac
unless NEGROES are kindly treated. 90 sell
;nterpst viii soon teach hem the right way out
of tha d;f;culty. The blacks should become
lanahoj}ers as fast as possible. lhc glory, OF
tho North Is IFS dive, sided and minute indus
trv He wonld not object to making property
a preliminary qualification for suffrage as an
indncement TO industry and thrift
M 3eecher closed his lecture with an elo-
ouent anoea} for Justice and love, as the only
sure iasis Of reconstruction, and advocated a
spirit Of magaanlm:ty. lie protested agalhsU
vindctive punishment against hI. A'as - ), a.
;nex nad;ent and uncalled for. The era OF oe-
struction had passed, and that of Ees.oIa'lon
had come. This new position OF affairs re re-
quired change Of ftac1lcs. H1sren',rkS !, On WIS
poipt made a profound impression. "
The small pox is said to be spreading among n
the negroes in the interior Of Louisiana From