Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-12-18
The Testimony Of I'll. Ward Beecher


There is no man who more frequently avsils
himself of the privileges of the pulpit to play
the public censor than Mr. Beecher, and when
he lashes the vices and universal corruption Of
communities with which he is thoroughly ae-
ouainted- who have all of his
sympathies-we eau imagine how much pain
tgiYes him to lie forced 70 speak thus OF the
judiciary, becauss he must knew that where 1t
is as corrupt as he here represents it, the whole
community who elect and uphold these judicial
scouudrels must itself be utterly and LopelessIy
demOrahZed:
IL would that it stopped even here; but cor
rupton has gone still higher. The last refuge Of
iustcs is in our Courts, and yet, so corrupt
have OuryCourt become thatthe name OF Judge
stnksl There is nothing that excites my lndlg-
nation more. There Is no treaehery5 thatls so
base There is nothing that l forgive myself for
so unwillingly as for meeting corrupt Judge
and not frowning upon him-yea aud strlk-
ing him Not but$that they are the sab.
ieets of mercy but 1t there was only some
man holding the relation OF parent, that
could take some of these sturdy Judges
and renew the scenes OF their youth, l
should heartily rejoice. They plumber, and
are known to plumber. They make decisions
and hold them up tor SALE They make
auctions of justice, and among the seekers
OF Justice they bid for bribers. And what then
They are elected again to the Supreme Bench,
or to the Circuit Courts. They are elected be-
cause they are corrupt. There are few men
that mutter and say, ''TOO bad Too bad -
But that is the whole of it. And our courts
are growing more vand more corrupt, and our
Judges more and more infamous.
When, two years ago, | made some such at
tack as this | was written to with great iadig7
nation by very young man, the son OF very
old Judge, on account OF was glad OF that.
wish that some Judges son would write me
letter to- morrow. 1t would be sign OF some
conscience left or some faint "reminiscences of
honor But it viii not be so. They are just
like putty and if you dent, the dent stays! It,
will produce no effect upon them. Aud not
because | am not worthy of notiee-l am
worthy Of notice; for my words will go into the
newspapers and will be read aud will be known
that these Judges are corrupt, and they will be
made conspicuous as being leagued together.
And ii there are any honest men among them,
they have the opportunity of coming out and
clearing their skirts, that they may not divide
the responsibility with their infamous COM
panions; but they will not do it. They may
murmur at me they may. reyile. me- lt does
not hurt me at all. But these words will stick
upon them, and will be blowna abroad, and 1t
will be known by men that Judges are proven
blaly corrupt 'Faa .so-AF = DHs s9A0'
The above is an extract from sermon preach
ed by Mr.. Beeeher, on 15th.Of November last.
The DEAD OF THE WAR.-The Quartermas
ter General has published the sixteenth num-
Der of the roll OF the dead, prepared in the
cemeterial branch of his office, under the drec
lion of Brevet Brig. Gen. Perry. 1t contains
alphabetical lists of soldiers inferred at Brook
yn. Cambridge, Chelsea aud Worcester Mass.
Buffalo, Chataqua, Cypress Hills, Fort Ma
cara, Lockport, Lodi, Madison Barracks,
Pattsburg Barracks and Rochester, n. Y;
Gettysburg, Mercersburg, Reading, Philadel-
phia, Zamoqua and Upton Pennsylvania; Brat
teboro and Montpelier Vermont; aud City
Point, Dauvie, Glendale Richmond and
Yorktown, Virginia The list contains 90
+ jO0 The proportion of names known Is less
than one half or about % per ct. less than that
which generally holds good throughout the
country which is thought to be two-thlrds
Known and one third unknown. This volume
Of the roll increases the total number OF graves
now recorded in printed form to ABOUT 10000.
Qtthe occupants of these graves the names OF
about one hundred thousand appear as known,
leaving about fifty five thousand as yet un-
known.
1t is supposed there yet remains to be print
ed the records of about one hundred and htty
thousand graves of deceased soldiers and prlso-
Aers Of war belonging to the Union armies,
making an aggregate Of three hundred and hive
thousand graves, and that of this whole mum
Der the names of one hundred thousand OF the
OCc1pants will not at present, ii ever be record
Cd. The whole number of soldiers who tell IN
IIAeranks of the Union armlespis is supposed to
NeabOut three hundred and fifty five thousand,
exceeding the number of recognized graves by
] alty thousand. The number of men whose
Graves are not recognized as in existence, either
I SknOwn or unknown, Is supposed to be made
4 Approximately as follows;
Killed 10 battle and never buried, %, 600
aowned 5000; graves in remote localities and
Ot.yet found $4,000; graves covered by de
goslts of gravel and sand made by the Mlssls-
4 Hppl river and its tributaries In floods, 1000
graves carried away by caving In OF banks or
ue same, 5000 making total OF 81, 600. 1he
lumber of those who died at their homes, after
Oeng mustered OUT from wounds or disease
Nntracted while in the service Is not embraced
many Of the above epuDeratlons- LISTS tobe
punted In the future will contain the names OF
most OF the soldiers buried IN the States OF
vest Virginia. North Carolina, South Caro-,
uAa, Louisiana aNIisSissip bif Arkansas, Ms
%%lt, Texas, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, llllnoiS,
'aIehlgaD, Wisconsin and the Territories. aud
otSyeh VI such portion OF those buried in the States
virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and len
uessee as have not heretofore been printed.