The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-22
INTELLIGENCE ITS ELEVATOR.
Henry Ward Beeeher's Lecture.

Henry Ward ISeecller's Lecture.
Concert Hall was crowded last evening. the oc-
casion of the lecture of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
upon "Work and Workman"
Upon his introduction, by Mr.. George W. Eddie,
and throughout his address, the eloquent speaker
was greeted with loud applause.'
Mr. Beecher said:-I am, this evening, to speak to
you upon the subject of Work. by work mean the
application of human physical force to Natter any
process by which the human body changes visible
substances to profitable uses, is work. thus define
it that you may discriminate between brain work and
merely hand work. 1t is hand work that mean
Brain work is apt to be undervalued by the mere
handworkers To the man all day long on his feet
exerng every muscle of his whole body the severest
physical results there is something real and visible in
work. ......
All day long the chopper swings his axe and at sun
down he has something to show for it: trees
trated cords ofwood heaped up, the ground covered
with chips But the man of thought sits for six hours
in his air-thinkng-writing The fire burns
cheeriy the wind does not buffet hard and what can
he for II that compares with this load of wood?
And yet they who know both by experience tell us
that brain labor is severer than hand labor.
Muscular toll is more toilsoine, but brain toll is
more expanding. Besides, the resulting consequences
Muscular work secures digestion; brain work is apt to
impair it. Bodily work and health usually go to-
gether and the poorest man earth, with health is
better off than the richest without IT, We carry our
purest treasures in our veins Give us health ana we
Work, on the whole declared Mr.. Beecher, has had
but hard time of 1t In this world. 1t has built up the
State but never governed it, Labor has been for the
and regarded almost always as a misfortune. some:
times as a disgrace; In our own more enlightened
nual labor should be obstacle peaceful honors.
cked could not hold office until ten years Of probation
had cleansed him from the enormity Of this Were
ti9n ere they could ID engage In business what good
Mr. Beeeher traced the progress and contempt of
labor In the past and declared @ it is curious eXcept
eyer has been Labor has has eyer yer been diydng line
the wealthy class the arstocracv; those who had to
work have been called serfs PEASANTS laborers and
content to labor patiently, and not repine beyond
some share of compaisant kindness; but when they
wished for the right of suffrage they were condemned
We have seen the like in this country Many States
days to their aborers. But the workmen of the North
will never stand their true level until all labor is
made an honor. for the disgrace attaching TO one at
Mr.. Beecher referred to the oppressive enactments
nies prevent the development Of all branches of in
one that directly led to the American REVOLUTION
greatest epochs of history. The liberation of twenty
millions Of sers and the freeing Of four millions Of
born in day" These acts are NOT merely individual
sive movement. The world is moving onward
Men lon long hssaed to Sceep The doctrine 5 that sn
inherent right Of man. In England but one man in
this question 1t may be said that the door Of the
future 70 be opened by the Iron key held in the hand
that TO labor should be given opportunity for i'm
to labor belongs right leisure as we'll as to capt
tai which now alone possesses it.
The remedy is not through tault-hnding, but de-
Rsnds upon @ ne action a ot the & wofEmen @ hemseYes YES
FIRST is the settled impression OF the public in ali ages
and now as much as ever that all pursuits OF labor
Pranwor In support of this proposition g Mr.
rank The hand workers as the soul OF man greater
The second cause is, while there is kind of COM
plant at this ranking OF things we shall find that the
laborng classes pursue precisely an analogous course
siton OF the various classes of workmen to judge o
the views that would elevate labor is What Of his own
mind man puts into his own work that determines
Unthought, upthinkipg labor, is always lowest
much more than he But has he any education to add
price and the estimation of his work. II man mine
only the iron that work Of the collier is the lowest
and he of the smith who & among his eompeers posses
strip in in power and general i1dsment the others
Work then ranks itself by It's degree and kind O
The workman properly is TO be estimated by the la
oSc to %Se he age man S Mho
The street may be shakespeare Sqt we are not boulC
his work ss acSPSGy he must be content
contented let him prove his power, and he will be re
cognized II is the developmen of oftheconcrete powers
Thus man who wishes to + rise higher must DO Thy h
that elevate his position. The thoughtful may
this is hard thing to say that tn workman can 9nl,
there are & SO many spheres Of work in which a MAJ
but little scope for advancement What shall thf
farmer and those Of like positions do a.? That is fai
question. Every should be judged by his work
f that does not take all his efforts let his mind turn
into new channels fructiylng and improving Others
Work may be divided into two provinces. First
that whose nature Is such as 10 give and remu
neration % the whole mind Of man. secondly, tha
or interest 10 remunerate mans thoughts.
that ne turns his whole spirit and efforts to it, Tn
professional man has the boon Of finding novelty Il
his work, and Of having II retrieved from the hard
that most serve of slaves, who contents himself b.
serving his passions woe TO him who binds his III
downto LABOR ana mas no oran-euorts OF improve
Glorious is the American world, which opens fou
sources OF Improvement to man outside of labor, tn
household, the leisure hour social ambition and cit
zenshp.
his household, is ennobled by his daily work.
In this country the leisure hour Is great boom An
man who here grows up poor that TO his passion
not TO his poverty No doubt ninety per cent. can
declared 10 be thus created The eight hour questio
and demand. If man does not put more labor Int
the eight hours than he did into the ten, then III
value cannot be equal But if the extra bought inte
Iigence of the two hours rest acquired the resu
can be achieved by that only.
The third sphere 10 which labor emancipate
self is by social ambition. The child of genius. u
wealthy and the like can take of themselve
Foreign labor is content 70 go out as It came In, b
cned plane, and working up his family TO high
grade In society. Every laborer mechanic wou
life yes. by running In debit Let him buy a lit
lot, and have home by incurring debt, and II tn
does not stir him up and make MIN more IRE lively al
uothing else will, according 20 experience.
This goodly city OF philadelphia ls the great one
sure society by the top but by the bottom. own
HIS own house as he does here the workman lisa ma
independent, honest and honorable