Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-27
FOR GOVERNOR,
RADICAL CORRUPTION AND TREASON
stE OF wEAKIEY COUNTY.

RADICAL CORRUPTION AND TREASON.
Henry Ward Beecher, in the course OF
his sermon last Sunday at Brooklyn
made use of the following significant
language;
The men at Washington and Albany
sold their country they sold their hn
menitv and their honor, and the trusts
that were put upon them by their con
stituents. They were debauchers OF the
younp: they were the traitors; they that
lifted the sword were not half so much
traitors. They that despoiled the old
banner and trod it under foot; they that
fred upon the Government OF the United
States. were not so much traitors as were
those yernin who were crawling under
The foundation, and destroying by cor.
ruption the vital power Of the Govern
ment.
We suppose Beecher knows his party
and we do not doubt that he has, in part
correctly described it. This great divine
stumper charges that the Jacobins OF
Washington and Albany sold their coun'
try. We shall not dispute with him on
this point. We accept his declaration.
But that they sold their humanity and
their honor is questionable, very ques-
tionable, the most questionable thing one
can imagine. These commodities, it is
probable, were not possessed by the per
sons referred to, or il possessed at all,
possessed in such small degree as not
TO rise to an equivalent-in brief, utterly
yalueless. We do not deny that they
we're "debauchers of the young or that
they sold their trusts" or that they are
greater rebels than those who fred on
the old flag, riddled its stripes and
brought down lis stars on many fields.
We will take the divine stumpers state
ment for that.
The inquiry that strikes us is, what is
the divine slumper doing in such COM
pany? What is Doctor Beecher doing
in the society Of men who, if his indict-
ment states their crimes correctly, de-
serve to dance on nothing betwixt an
averaging heaven and moeking earth 7
Fl If he must belong to some party, and the
Southern rebels are not so guilty as his
Washington and Albany associates, why
not change his Associations and embrace
those who are less criminal2 he has
always been known by the company he
courted Will man who is not de-
based wretch, herd with debased wretehes?
Who are the Washington and Albany
men Of whom the divine stumper speaks?
They are the leaders of the ruling party
of the country. When they take snuff,
all the Jacobins sneeze, from the ever
lasting regions of ice to the eternal YER
dure of the tropics. When the central
hearts Of Washington and Albany beat,
million little hearts set to going Ike
futter wheels in q swollen brook. They
are the Government. Who dares to face
them and say they are not They, the
men VINO are sulitJ vi thS hi5uSoe S''N'NS
known to human law, prevent restora-
ton of the Union, and hold the Southern
people, their betters according TO
Beeeher, in bondage. will any man be-
lieve that he is honest if he shall not
commence a crusade for the Liberation Of
the white slaves Of the South2 1t is in
vain for him to express such sentiments
if he shall not conform his conduct to
them. The truth is, Beccher is hum
bug, aud talks for buncomb and the sis
tiers His next discourse viii probably
be in another strain. Perhaps it will be
a eulogy of the men who have sold their
humanity, their honor, their constituents,
their trusts and their country. Alas,
for the divine stumper
He wires in and wires out,
And leaves the people still in doubt,
Whether the snake that made the track
a. -.