Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-04-10
HENRY WARD BEECHER ON REsTc.
RATION.
Heis in Favor of Reinstating all the Slater


We direct the attention of our readers
TO the following peroration of an address
delivered by the Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher at the Academy of Music, Phil
a lelphia, on the 22d inst
hold the seeded States that they be
reinstated as soon as possible, and as soon
as may be consistent with the public in
terests True, some delay is necessary
But this delay, though necessary, is ar
evil Notwithstanding necessary evil il
may be, but yet an evil. Quickness and
promptness are the things to be regi rde1
and delay thing to be deprecated. II
might not be best to do it tomorrow il
might not be best to do it this week ol
the next, but the necessity of delay is al
much an evil Notwithstanding When .
man is sick the physician says it il
necessary that the fever be subdued, but
| it may not be right to break it down a
once, but let it run, but the very necessity
of letting it run on is an evil.
| hold that it would be better that the
States should be brought into the Uniou
tomorrow, every one of them. And in
this regard allow me to say that ] canno,
go with either the President or Congress
1 would bring in all at once; they mean
to keep them all out at once. They
would let in a part, and let the rest wait
and see how they would like it. know
they are stumbling on this point If you
let in Tennessee on that principle you
will have to let in all the rest. | like to
see man stand npon principle--upon
sound principles They would let in
Tennessee and Alabama and Georgia
and when South Carolina came and
asked why not let us in on the same
principle as Tennessee and the others,
they would answer-"Because we thought
they would be better ip than out, and we
thought you would be better out than in "
On what principle do they do that2
will consider that afterward This does
not seem to be craftsmanship But, no,
to dwell upon that let us consider how
they argue the matter, They say we
must keep these States out till we gel
guarantees from them What do you
mean by guarantees
Yon are going to keep them out until
you are certain it would be best to let
them in, 1t is impossible to give GER
tainty What are the things that you
want guarantees about2 Secession, re-
bellion, the condition of the freedmen ?
What a guarantee of secession2 We
want guarantee that the South is will
ing to give it up How long would You
take before you would consider the ex-
pertinent as settled-fve years2 Would
that cure them? What has the war done 2
The war has settled the fact, whether
they believe it or not, that it shant be.
The fact is settled it shan't be, and all
that You can ask the South is, will you
give up the fact and say so2 Will you
give mp the fact, though you still believe
the doctrinep The question is settled
when they say, I'VE have referred this
question to the court and arbitrament Of
war, and war has declared against u.s.
and we accept the verdict we bow to
it." Can you in honor ask anything
more than that2 But then we want
guarantees against rebellion. y Four
parts ont of five of the total property of
the South have been destroyed by war,
and is not that guarantee that they
won't fight again very soon? The pop
ulation of the South has been more than
decimated doubly decimated
They are so sick of it that for one hun
dred years, cursed, they will say, be the
man that talks of war. But we want
guarantees that they will give the freed
men their rights.
Is not the Constitutions guarantee
Is not the whole law OF labor in the South
guarantee2 Is not the whole public
sentiment of this nation mighty enough,
with the Constitution on its side now,
and all natural laws and laws of politi-
cal economy on our side2 Are not these
guarantees enough? l cannot pay any
compliment to the South, to their courage
and to their intensity of sincerity and
zeal greater than the state Of panic and
fear which see in the Northern mind.
You seem to be so stricken with fear
that you have lost all thought of God,
and Providence, and natural law, and all
power of moral influences and public
sentiment, but i have that faith in the
cause, and that faith in God, and that
faith in you, when you wake mp to the
full consciousness of what you are, and
what your powers are, that am willing
TO risk, if the South were twice as strong,
with what we have now on our side.
They cannot be long in Withholding from
the freedman his rights guaranteed to
him by the Constitution.
On the other hand, look back for one
moment at the effects of a prolonged ex'
clusion of southern States Ii is wean-
ing the citizens Of those States more and
more from the National Government.
For five years they have not thought OF
Washington except to curse her They
have not felt the need of it. They have
not felt any blood running through them
that came from the national heart. Ii
proposed TO make them live five years
more out of the Union. Is that the way
TO make them love it2 Is that the way
TO make them feel their need of the Gov
ernment?
The utmost evil in admitting them that
can result, will be that We shall be
Obliged to take longer time TO do some
things which now we mean to do by leg
islation Many of the things which We
seek to accomplish by laws we shall be
obliged to accomplish by moral means.
| have seen this anxiety to do everything
by legislation, legislation, legislation,
waiting for it, and | have seen the
power of grea; moral causes Although
there is wisdom in Legislation which |
would be far from invalidating, the forms
of wholesome legislation, still | would
balance that BY the other consideration,
that it may take too long time, and We
may rely too much upon legislation.
rely upon reason and conscience.
Churches are my congresses, and school
houses are my legislators Kindness
equal, reciprocal or identical interests
these arc rennrnfinr inhnennns