The New York herald., 1872-11-29
PLYMOUTH CHURCH,

A Thanksgiving Day Talk by Mr..
Beceher ON War and Pcace-Proposals
for Universal Peace and the Need OF
Educating tho Masses of Mankind to
this Idea.
Plymouth church was crowded yesterday not by
She usual occupants of the pews, but mostly by
multitude of strangers. The service differed only
from that OF an ordinary Sunday morning by the in
PRODUCTION Of an additional anthem by the choir.
Both anthems were very finely rendered. The
solos were sung by Mr. Hill and Misses Lasar and
Sterling.
Mr.. Beecher gave o Thanksgiving Day talk on
s'Peace and War and the Duty of America in Rela.
lion Thereto" The text was selected from Isaiah,
IT,, 8. 4:-"And many people shall 90 and say,
Come yc, and let US go up to the mountain OF the
Lord, to the house Of the God OF Jacob, and He
will teach us of His ways, and We will walk in His
paths; for out OF Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word OF the Lord from Jerusalem. And He
shan Judge among the nations, and shall rebuke
many people; and they shall beat their swords into
ploughshares. and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation snail not lit up sword against nation,
neither eIAn. shall they learn war any more.n This
atant provision that 'taS the time ~ should nd
come when nations should be governed
Ry Gods will. the highest moral sentiments.
re day Is coming when men VINO enter upon
public Life shall 0e noble morally, and when that
takes place there shall be no war, and when that
man OF the people, the laborers and the artisans
being acted upon in that direction. The greatest
false use OF the faculties Of men. He aid not
believe that the time was come, or was nearly
force. OF that municipalities could exist without
police, which was another form OF armed force.
Neither had the time come when the family could
aiford entirely to exist without certain degree OF
physical force. But this was because some
of the savage elements Of the earlier con-
dition OF mankind remained. The time had now
arrived when there should be organization for the
peace Of the world. We have In every city, viii
aac ana the time Is rapidy Coming Ween asons % ons
shall organize for the same purpose. But this
could not be accomplished until the great mass Of
men had been in favor OF everything that would
carry the nation into war. In our day the
were directing their thought in this direction But
then the inspired few are generally prophets with
t sIowns s and are are generally NE John the
paths for those who follow and who 60 crying in
she wilderness prepare ye the way Of the Lord
q sns the PEOPLE sss s'efss ~Ss
this the common people must be on the side OF the
thoughtful, and this inspired few. II they mean
war you cannot stop It; II they mean peace, you
monstrated among them right views as to peace
and war. Any movement in the direction OF labor
and materialzing effect Of continuous labor
should be received with thankiulness. "Do you
thize with Internationalists : Do you suppose
am am &C Communist M uni because sympathize with
very horrible and mpracticable but this say, that
men me uv, who seek BY banding together to break
TO the labor that enchains their body
and soul are greatly to be commended II they
and rise to their anness sna be
judged with the same severity and called to &C.
count with the same uncompromislng spirit that
we -
Science No; to these men should be addressed
words of comfort and encouragement, and would
Jet religion say to these men what 1t has never
a unto me ali ali ye nR 9 The a @ e the
every government to say nothing about
Upon er V'V every = child % It ought to ''He put the
ballot box behind every schoohouse, that
when it comes to vote it should do 50 through the
schOolhOuse.n Mr.. Beecher then said he would
submit q few reasons to show why the mass OF
men should be educated SO as to have voice in
the taking oi measures for the
-<r~-.fs.s PREVENTION or WAR.
The laboring man and the Christian would have
an interest. common against the interest by
war were generally people whose interests were OPP
posed TO those of the common people. Let the ma
lions make many arrangements as they pleased
as to taxation, it was a TACT that alter ALL great
portion OF taxation came upon the common people.
There were 5co0ooo Of armed men I'm N d the chris.
that formed armies OF reserve. The cost OF this
$25 900 OUO and eighty-three to ninety per
cent OF the taxation OF Europe was Tor the support
OF that army. In view Of this fact 1t Is scarcely
possible TO believe that there is any religion In the
world or that there had been any Christ Is 1t any
marvel that men everywhere, in village debating
societies, should be asking themselves whether
they Will allow this to continuef In Russia since
1882 there has been every year an expenditure
over income for the purposes OF war, so that now
she has to raise loans by every device she can
think Of. In Austria since 1889 there has
been similar condition OF things, until
her debt now reaches $4,000, ,ooo, ,00O The Eingdom
OF Italy, that could be so prosperous, Is nearly
bankrupt by debt In consequence Of war. The
ideal Of Christianity Is absolute peace, but Chris
,tianlty has not yet attained to that IDEAL For the
correction or all this there must be an interna-
tional congress- think the time has come when we
might attempt national congress- whereby all ma
tions could agree upon certain laws. II has been
ceeded. When tile Church OF God rises trium-
phantly to this work then 1t will be accomplished.
Mr.. Beecher closed with an eloquent summary OF
fhe advantageous position In which America stood
for aiding In the accomplishment OF this.