Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-04-17
Am Easy Place Wanted.
BY HENRY WARD REEcurn

4
MIR. BoNNER:-I received letter,
of every complexion, but not offer
one more pithy than the following
which give verbatim, except til,
name:
LANCASTER, Feb. 5th 1868.
REV. HENRY w. BEECHER--Sir
Il hardly know how to address 8,
great q map. You said i'm sermon
some time ago, that honesty ought K
be rewarded, / am honest with m,
fellow man, ,.my self. my God. Can ge
recommendations, (the best) from
Lawers, Doctors, Preachers, &c
Get me an easy (sic) situation, tha
honesty may be rewarded. G.. C.
To which I append my reply:
MY DEAR FRIEND The proper
way to address great man is th,
way which you would address an,
man who has good common sense
Never begin by telling him that he |.
agreat man. If he isone, he probabl,
found 1t out before you did; and i
not one, you will not be apt to max,
much by tickling his vanity by 8,
cheap compliment.
Surely man as honest as you ar,
has been rewarded already. What
'honest with your fellow man, YOU
self, and your God! There are blu
few men can say as much. Homes
with your fellow-man9 liz your con
duct without knots, wind shakes, Of
cracks? How long has it been so
Do your neighbors think SO? Hav,
YOU come to it gradually, as a winte
apple ripens, or has 1t always beer
so? Excuse these questions, fol
really / am deeply interested. Yo,
belong to an exceedingly small class
You have few fellows on earth. In
deed, when you add that you ar,
honest with your self, l cannot keol
you company. You are ahead of me
and that last clause--honest will
your God-takes you entirely out o
my sight. Why do You come to me
| ought to sit at your feet. You ar
my master
No doubt yon can get "reccom
mendations from Lawyers, Doctors
Preachers.n You place those gentle
men, doubtles, in the order of thei
honesty, ending i'm climax. Law
yers are proverbially honest, Doc
tors never deceive, Preacher
always practice what they preach
Recommendations from any of thes
would smack of self-laudation. Ev
cry man praises his own virtues
Get some one not so inevitabl,
good to commend you. Are there N
editors, no members of Congress, Ii
your neighborhood?
But now come To the most impof
tant part of your letter. s.Get me al
easy situation that honesty may b
rewarded I am ready to do all Ii
my power for you. Had you signi
fled the sort of easy place you woul,
prefer | should have been less per
plaxed. Let me see.
How would good farm suit you
with say fifty Head of neat stock II
the barns, twenty horses, on,
hundred head Of hogs, cribs of corn
and twenty stacks OF good timoth,
hay, besides ell that the cattle cal
eat moved away In the barn2
propose giving you this. But, ol
reflection, am sure it would not b.
easy enough. Hired men must b
looked after. Fences, tools, an,
buildings want continual repair
Summers are very hot, winters ar
very cold, and farming requires
man to be up and about In all sea
sons. No, / am sure that a goo,
farm will not be an easy place!
give up this project the NOR
willingly because i thought of man
ufacturing. Would you like to owl
q large cotton or woolen mills? 4
great deal of money has been mad
land some lost) during the last tel
years In manufacturing. But, jus
now, i am afraid there are som
embarrassments I'm the business
The place is not easy enough.
would not, If ! We're you, go int
manufacturing, nor merchandising
nor speculation. There Is too mucl
agitation just now.
] could send you to Congress. Ev
cry thing Ia easy enough there
But the singular honesty which yol
possess would make you Lonesome
Congressman are all, or most all
honest; but not so honest! and yol
might find yourself an object o
jealousy, and envy, which woul,
take from the ease of your position
all the more, because il would .brinl
you SO near the White House.
Now, my dear fellow. that 10 th,
very place for you Your peculia
virtue of honesty would eminenti,
nc you for that place.. The Whit,
House has been often refurnished
but never with that which you woui,
carry to it, with one late exception
It took the nation four years TO ge
used to honesty In q President ant
then, alas, just as people began u
like 1t, he and Ii disappeared
You are q born President! AL
parties are looking out for you. The,
want man Honest to his .felloa
men, TO himsc.f, and to his God. :
What motto is that to run a rae,
with! Thus far they seem not 3.
have found just the man. III wer,
to divulge your name, no doubt yoi
would be ravished away to Washing
ton in spite or your screams. ant
made President of the United states
And the only reason why / do no
disclose your whereabouts, is, that
fear that the Presidency would no
prove that "eusy" place, which yot
SO justly think is due to your hon
esfy.
In fact, i believe II is q hard place
We read OF many patient martyrs
Men have sung i'm the flames, ant
been broken on the wheel and racl
without groan, and have worn
Heavenly countenance while arrow
were piercing them or stones plump
ing down upon them. And all these
things might be. But shall we eveI
see holy martyr whose faith vii
sustain him I'm the Presidential chair
Can a man be tormented by Office
seekers, praised by parasites, teasec
by widows, over run by Congress
carved and pierced by both parties
fiayed by newspapers cajoled, de
ceived, and finally. tormented by 1
cabinet, who treat him to advice as
consolatory as that which Job re-
ceived from his friends--and yet be !
saint? Can there be peace In thu
White House You are the very
man for President, but the Presf
deney II no. the place for you! Itil
Perhaps you would like to come te
New York and take Mr. Astor's place
or Mr.. Stewards. Let me advise you
not to do 1t. They have riches but
~ yet, no search has been able to find
for them that rare aud precious stone
---c0sateHt. Both Of them have build
ed good deal. But though they can
keep out tina weather--the winters
cold, the summers heat, and exclude
light, and sound, aud dust, as vel
they have not been able 10 keep Out
care, sickness, sorrow and heartache.
No! / cannot conscientiously recon-