Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-24
THE GOITRE.
THE HIGHER CIVILIZATION.

Henry Ward Beecher on the Demon
aIizntiOn Of Northern Society.
Sunday evening of the 18th inst, MI.
Beecher favored his congregation at Ply
mouth Church with picture of Northern
society as it exists under the influence of
Radical rule. 1t was a damniDg confess
sion of crime in high places, and utter de-
moraliz2tion of the whole social organize
ton 10 the North. We extract "a follows
from the reported discourse
Corruption holds direct influence
throughout the land while the state of the
community is demofalized in this extreme.
Gigantic dishonesty struts forth unrebuked.
And to what may this be attributed? The
money power of the country. Then
pillage and plumber, yet the stern voice of
| justice, the frank expression of honesty
never reach their ears. CO1nterfeiters and
| polished swindler5 are received with smiles
on all sides Their friends meet them with
kindness and tokens of esteem. Men are
| ashamed TO mention their ideas or give
utterance TO their indignation, and thus to
| degree acquiesce in their villainy by their
reticence. Their friends know that those
| public plunderers are committing stupen-
| dous frauds. They will not be allowed to
be sunk and Frustrated, and thus crime
rides triumphant. But there should be
honest men in the community to let these
| plunderers know that they are watched
and scrutinized. They should be single
| out and denounced, and held up to public
degradation. Alas it was otherwise.
| Those very villains were received with
smiles, and honest men, with whom they
| sometimes mingled, thanked them for
| coming to see them, and felt hOnored in
their presence. Why? Because the
| plunderers had money enough to 60
| through the whole calendar of transgres-
| sions. We are not accustomed to honesty
or boldly expressing our convictions or APP
plying such epithets as would finally crush
| the public robbers of the time. Instead Of
| which they are applauded for their dis
honesty. If honest men did their duty
there would be no plunderers. T"Amen I"
cried an old lady, emphatically
This government, like a new boat, was
| built on quicksand and could not stand so
| long as the corruption Of the present day
was so glaring. The events within the last
fourteen days had aroused worthy indig-
| nation and given to sober minded men
| causes for anxiety. No man was true TO
| God who would conceal such fraudulent
| dOings or fail to upset them. He was sorry
| TO say that those persons we're led as
| sheep to the slaughter. Their engineers
were native born men Ii was not the
ignorant man who was guilty and snubbsd
besides, but 1t WAS he who sat in his EN-
bellished house and planned, who had
hordes Of agents TO scout aud skirmish and
carry out desigus-he was guilty, and
should be encountered, wrestled with and
knocked down. Talk about patriotism !
While men were mounting large words,
while men proclaimed sentiments that at
tracted applause, they were cutting the
garment of Justice and taking away the
grand foundation of everything that was
patriotic. Then there was another stage of
corruption in the legislative halls He
did not think he slandeFed when he said
that the general rule to-day 10 the Legis-
lature was buying and selling. Money
was the cry and men were undisguisedIy
bought and sold. Men formed plans.
cliques or rings, in which the great public
interests were bought and sold amid bribery
and corruption of the most atrocious and
appalling character. Those men were not
denounced. Corruption triumphed. Every
man who went to Albany in The ca
pacity of representative was dissolved
in the great Cauldron of dishonesty.
and if an honest ore did proceed there
his voice was so feeble az to be u0heard in
the mighty roar of plumber. After dilating
at length on the necessity of constituents
inquiring rigidly into the conduct Of their
representatives, the speaker proceeded to
demonstrate the fact that qll men sending
forth an assemblyman should be thorough.
ly acquainted with his character for where
the known recipient of brlbe was allowed
to pass UNDECIDED, those concealing the fac
!, were participants in the crime. When 8
corrupt villain was sent TO Albany il mus
be taken that he repTesented his con
stituents. Adver,ing to the Judicial sys
, ten, Mr.. Beecher proceeded 10 say Cor
ruption does not dwell only in Albany; i
travels in another direction. 1t descrale
the last refuge of justice-the courts Ye
80 corrupt are the courts of law that III,
) name of judge stiDks. (Laughter)
/ say there is nothing arouses my indig
nation; nothing so far beyond the pale 0
forgiveness as a corrupt judge. Strike hin
down. The judges plumber and are know
to plumber. They make decisions AM
= hold them up for sale. They auction jus
tice and grow fat on brides. Our court
are becoming more and more corrupt ant
f our iudges more and more infamous. Som
3. time ago / was written to by young man
8 the son of judge, who complained of oh
/ seryations | had made. Alas no one viii
7 write now, for that would be a sign tina
) some conscience was still left. 1t is useles
to say that they care not. But am worth