Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-09-20
Beechcr.

.Beecher, says the Laporte;U nion, has un-
Bcechered himself. Solicited by three
Generals to supplicatc for the Cleveland
Convention, on the 9TH inst. he declines
the Chaplaincy in an extraordinary letter.
But no prayer of his could have have been
so useful and acceptable to- the Johnson
ians, as this marvellous epistlc. What they
wanted was not intcrcession for the Divine
grace. but u benediction from the brooklyn
High Priest.
We have no heart or patience to dissect
this miserable document There is moth
ing of Beecher in tit is hollow, cold
bloodcd, and mean. No man writes finer
English than Henry Ward Bcccher. except,
perhaps, Wendell Phillips. His native
style is as free and untamcd bird, strong
pinioned and wheeling in brightness above
the clou,ls-in this wretched effusion il is
as wingless eagle, blind and tied and
grovelling in the dirt. He is a shorn Samp-
son grinding in the mill of the PhiliStines.
We knew he had of late sunk down into
sort of optimism. and had become Lao
diccan in our political faith. but we hardly
expected he would flourish his apostacy so
shamelessly in the face of Christcndom.
much less did we imagine that the soaring.
deep -sOuled Becchcr cOuid drop into the
lowest and most beggarly political cant
and drivel. What if the President did take
his cashicrcd and degraded son and wrap
him in the mantle of Executive pardon.
fastening him back on n dis"usted and mu-
iinous regiment, did he thereby acquire full
property in the honor ofthc unhappy faith
er? The old. golden reputation of Beech
or. is of the treasures Of our grand old cause
and we are in both pain and anger 10 see il
So hurt and befoulcd especially do we sor-
row To behold the good name furnished by
him who bore il so nobly in the ancient
battles for Liberty and Righteousness.
There was time when this man could
take the hand of little oc'oroOn orphan i'm
his. and leading her up the steps of the
Plymouth pulpit. before the most magnif
cent of audiences, demand money TO buy
her raimcnt and education. Now we pre-
~ume he would conduct the same little girl
down the steps of Mechanics Institute.
and deliver her into the tender custody of
a New Orleans police mob. Poor BceclIcr,
Horace Greely. in a singing review Of
the letter, closes thus beautifully on the
fallen author:
Mr. Beccher has achieved n sudden and
wide popularity. In the conception of cv-
cry blackleg. duclist. negro killer and row
dy. from the 81 John To the Rio Grande.
he has all at once ceased to be fanatic.
bi.ot. diSunionist. and become an cnlight-
cHcd patriot and statesman. His praises
are freely mingled with the blasphemics of
the Hook and the rihaldry of the Sunday
Mercury There is not in this land one
who considers ..nigge-s very well in their
places but that place under 10 feel oil The
whites. who does not thank him Tor lI:S tel
ter. The Thugs of New Orleans are b.,
this time enjoying it: and General Forrest
woGld gladly preside at n meeting express
" To ratify it. But there Is sadness in
many hearts where the eloquent pastor of
Plymouth Church has been loved and hon
orcd; a mourntul consciousness that they
have trusted too cOnfidingly and loved un-
wisely. Little children, Keep your hearts
from idols.