East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-10-25
HENRY WARD BEECHER.

HENRY WARD BEECHER.
Mr.. Beecher has made speech in
which he gives his reasons for sup
porting party he opposes and for OPP
posing party he supports. 1t is a
speech full of thought beautifully and
eloquently expressed, but his argu-
ments are lame and impotent, and his
conclusions are puerile and absurd
We have not always agreed with Mr..
Beecher, but we have always given
him credit for having faith in truth
and in great principles, but are now
compelled to believe, if we take him
at his word, that he has faith in men
and in party only.
In his Cleveland letter lie says:
Unless we turn the Government into n vast
military machine. there cannot be armies enough
TO protect the freedmen while Southern society
mains insurrectonary If Southern society Is
oalmed, settled and occupied and soothed with
new hopes and prosperous industries, no armies
will be needed Riots will subsdo, lawess hang
ors on will be driven OF or better governed, and
way will be gradually opened npto the freed
men through e6 ucatiOn and industry, to full cit
iZenship with all its honors and duties.
Civilization is n growth. None can escape
that forty years in the wilderness who travel
from the Egypt of ignorance to the promised land
Of civilization The Freedmen must take their
k..xa fp1l fait tv,t he fLax
have the stamina TO undergo the hardships which
every uncivised people has undergone in Their
upward progress they will in due time take their
place among us. That place cannot be bought
nor bequeathed, Nor gained by seight Of hand
1t will come to sobriety, virtue, industry and fru
gality. As the nation cannot DO sound until the
South is prosperous so, on the other extreme, a
healthy condition of civil society in the South is
indispensable to the liare Of the fieedmen
Refusing tO admit loyal Senators and Redre-
scatatives from the South TO Congress will not
help the freedmen. 1t will not secure for them
the vote. IL will not protect them. 1t will not
secure any amendment Of cur Constitution, how
ever Just and wise 1t will only increase the
dangers and complicate the difficulties Wheth-
err we regard the whole nation, nor any section Of
il or class in it, the first demand Of our time is
entire reunion.
Once united, we can, by schools, churches,
free press and increasing free speech, attack each
evil and secure every good.
Meanw hilc tho great chnsm which rebellion
made is not filled up. 1t grows deeper aud
stretches wider! Out of it rise dread spec
Tres and threatening sounds. Let that gulf be
closed, and bury in it slavery. sectional animos-
ity, and all strifes and hatrodsl
1t is fit that the brave men, Who on sea and
land faced death to save the nation, should now
by their voice and vote, consummatc what their
swords rendered possible.
For the sake, OF the freedmen, for the sake of
e. Sonth and its millions Of our felow-counsry-
men, for our own sake, aud for the great cause Of
freedom and civilization, ! urge the immediate
reunion OF all the parts which rebellion and war
have shattered.
And in his late speech he reiterates
the same sentiments
say to my countrymer, however, that mere
legislation, however good, vii! not protect tho
black. And will not be misunderstood on this sub
ject. / believe in the necessity of law just rs
believe in the necessity Of fences around n farm
You may put Ia your crops, and they may prom
iso you in everything fair return but if the wild
bear Of tho forest and the beasts of the street
and lane get in, because you have no fence, they
will destroy your crop, but on the other hand,
fences without crops not profitable husbandry.
(Applause) think we aught to have legsla-
ton; but what is n law in community without
IL
tho lawl To be sure the officers do; but what
makes the officers execute theml The public
sentiment believed them Pass n law in the city
of New York that the whole Intelligence Of the
city disbeeves them and rejects, and you can
not find officers enough in the whole police force
TO execute it. That which nourihshes law, which
legnlizcs IL and gives IL power and dignity, is a
public sentiment behind it, Now you are going
20 make laws. That is right. But while you are
making laws see to II that you do not negec
that upon which your law must stand and depend
for its cxecution-thc public sentiment of the
community. And If | speak strongly on this
point you will excuse me Ny early life was pass
cd in the extreme West: and know the jealousy
Of such people OF intrusion from abroad. know
IL was difficult even for young and accomplished
ministers to go in among without suspeeting of
treating them as heathens an that schools among
them were difficult TO establish; and | know il
was work Of pure wisdom to 60 in among such a
people and carry to them successfully and distri-
butte among them that which they most needed
but Che offer Of which their pride resented. And
/ know that If the wealth Of the North Is to 20
10 the South and its school masters and School
mistrcsses are TO go among them and teach their
schools and If there IL to he hearty circulation
OF national feeling among them You have got to
prepare the way for il by the establishment OF
cordinl state Of feeling between the people OF the
South and the people of the North. The South
has nobody to speak for it here butth Democrats
and they do not speak to anybody's hearing or
belief. But do not hesitate to say to you that
trust the Southern people great deal more than
you do-that believe in their good relate ms and
their honor great deal more than you do; but
thcn don't think that tae Mississippi valley is
the South. IL all the South was like that l
should be rs you are; but do not think the few
places around tho edge Of the country constitutes
the South. looked at the great interior and
my own impression Is not that they treat the
black race as well as he should DO treated, but |
say IL II the very nature Of slavery 10 dispossess
men Of the knowledge how TO treat others; and
believe ths people Of the South are scholars who
are seeking to acquire that knowledge. believe
that they mean, however unintelligent they may
be, TO stani by their word They may, perhaps,
need TO be constrained and coerced by various
laws. But have great faith in the honor and
the god intention Of the South, and l am not
ashamed to say that my heart goes out to them.
am not ashamed when ton years have passed
away, 10 have IL understood that there was one
man here, and he an abolitIonist Of tho darkest
dye, who, after the war was all over had yearn-
ing for that part Of tho country also, and be was
sorry for their sorrows and their mistakes, and
who, although indignant at their crimes, and as
eager ne any one 10 vndcaie judgment and gov
erpinent during the war, yet yearned at iis close
for their restoration ns part Of tbs Onion, aud
believed every honorable mans mind aud inten-
tion, who pledged them la that matter, not that