The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-12
Rev Henry Ward Beecher on the 'SLate
Movement and Reconstruction.

On Sunday morning Reverend Henry Ward
Beecher, as is his custom in times OF excitement
and difficulty, applied the Christianity in which
he believes to the two great popular questions
OF the day. From very much shorter report
than we had right to expect from so enterpris-
ing journal as the Brooktyn Eagle, we learn
that upon the text Overcome evil with good,"
he uniolded and made apparent the great
underlying truth OF the Divine fat:-"Ven-
eeance is mine; will repay, saith the Lord.n
In the application of the conclusions reached
nom the text, Mr.. Beecher came, to wards the
close of his discourse, to the duties oil commu-
mites and nations to ach other.
And here he held that the rule was tue same,
and ior the same reasons, as in individual cases.
This he illustrated by an allusiOn 10 the present
tloubles Oh the border. ~ hear men say, Aha
it's their turn now. Let us be quiet, and allow
toe Fenians to return to them some of their st.
AlbaDs Courteses. I'D Just Ike to see a town
or two burned, a bank or go robbed, lust to let
them know how GOOD it is. Well, now, this rs
al wrong. ] will not deny that my natura
man was deicately and quietly tlckled at first
by q mischievous sense OF poetic Justice, but it
was onlytor moment. True, the Canadians
lld act most unfairly and the mother country
most wickedly, towards us in our dire distress;
but If we take ike opportunities to show the
same spirit, in what is republicanism greater or
better Than despotism? l want to heap Goals OF
fire on their heads by showing the grand specta-
Gle OF Christian nation actuaied by Christian
principles. If England is involved in war l
don't want to see a single ship 60 out of our
ports 10 destroy her commerce, and over the
Canadian border do not want a single cottage
harmed / want them 10 find their evil over
come by good. The way to live in peace IS to
be better than your enemy-in his opinion, not
yours"
After enlarging somewhat on this point Mr..
Beecher paused, and, looking around with
humorous glance, continued:-"I don't know
whether I'd better make any further application
| of this principle or not. have not been very
| popular with my people during the past year.
| / have failed to carry them altogether with me
| on some public questions-and ] am sorry tor
| them But yet must say that cannot escape
| the direct bearing of this Gospel law / am as
strong as ever in the conviction that the
| tue result OF the war must be recognized.
| Whatever went into the Constitution on account
| of slavery must come out; and what was kept
| out on account OF slavery must be put into our
1 organic law; and l have believed and labored
| for this as strongly and longer than many OF
you. But have felt that it should be done In
the spirit OF love, not of hatred. l consider the
doctrines brought forward IN the House OF Repre-
scntauves by Mr.. Steyens-thoueh followed in
their entirety thank God by very few-I tlink
| them TO be the doctrines of Belal leading them
| to destruction. Ne North had chance to
| show grace, and Me, and magnan unity, How
/ long eed-to see itt Both Congress and the Presl-
| dent should have been pressed to Union. had
| hoped to see the North showing her superiority
| in Christian nObleLess and generous forgiveness
| But have been disappointed. IL has not Deen
| done. You can no more change Rebels 10 loyal
| men by casting them out ana turning Ihem
away, than you can conyeIt a, tne WICK, wlkeq ny
| and the good-sbutting them out from the very
| inAuent es that should be brought to bear upon
| them. Ifi thine enemy hunger, feed him; # he
thirst, give him drink; for IN so doing thou
shalt heap coal of fire upon his head. Be not
| overcome of evil; but overcome evil with good.
| There. 90: vote that. You have been talking it
! long enough; do it. You have been praying II
| long eLOugb; try it"-M y. Daily NslOs.