The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-09-12
Henry Ward Beecler e0fl the
Cleveland COnyeHtiOhlI

Cleveland COnSeAtiOhlI
The Executive Committee ,liasiag in
charge the preparations for the National
Convention of Soldiers and Saiiofs,to be-
held in Cleveland on September NJ no,
tilted Rev. Henry Ward Boecharsof his
as Chaplain to the .Conyen.
ton. In reply that gentleman dwTitss as
follows: eJ y iiai sa aayl9araodi
PEEKsKrLI; Aug. 30, 1866.
Charles G.. Halpine, Brevet Brig, DGenor.
al; Fl. W. SlOcum, Major General;
Gordon Granger, Maj0r, Genera. Com.
mittee. 'ui7'',' ~, ''0''At
GENTLEMEN: / am obliged toy6a for
tho invitation which you have made me
to act as Chaplain to the Convention of
Soldiers and Sailors about to convene at
Cleveland. l cannot attend ii, gBdt I
heartily wish ii and all other Conventions
whatsoever, success, whose object is the
restoration Of all the States late id rebel.
lion 10 their Federal relations. obsm
Our theory of Government has no place
ior State except in tho Uhionge efIt is
justly taken for granted that the DATES
and responsibilities of State in federal
relations tend to its political health, and
to that OF the whole nation. Even Terri.
tories are hastily brought in, often before
the prescribed conditioDs'are fulfilled as
if it was dangerous to leave community
outside the great body polite. 'is5 10
Had the loyal Senators and Reprssen-
tatives OF Tennessee been admitted at
once on the assembling Of Congress- and
in moderate succession, Arkansas,j Geor-
gia, Alabama, North Carolina andaVir-
ginia, the public mind Of the South,
would have been far more healthy Chan
it is, and those States whichr fingered on
probation to the last would have been un-
der more salutary influence to good con.
duct then if dozen armies watched over
them. 1 .,di ri
Every month that We delay this health.
ful step complicates the case. The ex.
oluded population, enough unsettled be-
fore, grow more irritable the army be-
comes Indispensable to local government,
and supersedes it; the Government at
Washington is called to interfere id one
and another difficulty, and this will bs
done inaptly; and som etimes with great
injustice-for our Government, wisely
adapted to its own proper functions, is
utterly devoid of habits, and unequipped
with the instruments which fit central
lied Government to exercise authority in
remote States over local affairs. Eyery
attempt to perform such duties has result.
ed In mistakes which have excited the
nation. But, whatever imprudence there
may be in the method, the real criticism
should be against the requisition of such
duties of the General Government. The
Federal Goverenment is unfit to exercise
minor police and local government, and
will inevitably blunder when it attempts
it. 10 keep half score Of Stateslun.
der Federal authority, but without no,
tional ties and responsibilities to oblige
the central authority to govern 1.-THE
territory of the Union by Federal officers
and by tbe army, is policy not only un,
coDgenial to our ideas and principles, bat
preemlnently dangerous to the spirit Of
our Government However humane The
ends sought and the motives, it is, ID fact,
a course of instruction, preparing our
Government to be despotic, and familiar.
izing the people to strech of authority
, which can never be other than dangerous
TO liberty. $50 Iras edrlol
l am aware that good men are withheld
from advocating the prompt and success
sive admission of the exiled States by the
fear, chiefly Of its effect upon the parties,
and upon the freedmen.
1t is said that, if admitted to Congress
the Southern Senator's and Representa-
tives will coalesce with Northern Demo-
Gratis, and rule the country. Is this ma
ton, then, to remain dismembered TO serve
the ends Of partiesY Have We learned
no wisdom by the history of the last ter
years, in which just this course of sacri-
fcing the nation to the exingencies Of
parties plunged us into rebellion and war.
Even admit that the power would pass
into the hands of party made up Of
Southern men, and the hitherto dishonor-
ed and misled Democracy of the North,
that power could not be used just as they
pleased. The war has changed, not alone
, institutions, but ideas. The whole coln.
try has advanced. Public sentiment is
: exalted far beyond what it has been at
,, any former period, A new party would,
like river, be obliged to seek out its
channels in ths already existing slopes
aud forms Of the continent. l,loo roit
We have entered a new era Of liberty.
The style Of thought is freer an more no,
BILE. The young men of our times are
regenerated. The great army has been
q School and hundreds Of thousands Of
men are gone to preach truer and nobler
view of human right. All the, industrial
interests Of society are moving with in
creasing wisdom toward intelligence and
liberty. Everywhere, in churches In IT.
erature, in natural sciences, in physieal
industries, in social questions, as we'll ps
in politics, tho nation feels that the win
ter is over and new spring hangs in the
horizon and works through all the ele.
ments In this happily changed and .ad-
vanced condition Of things no party ofthe
retrograde can maintain itself. Every
thing marches and parties must march.
; | hear, with wonder and shame and
scorn, the fear Of a few that the South
once moro in adjustment with thoFederl