Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-08-14
Reccher and DAVIS.


Saws the Augusta Constitxtiomalist:
Among the ground and lofty tumb-
lings of the dazzling ministerial noun
tebank, Henry Ward Beecher, nothing
can be better recalled, at this moment
than his sermon on the fate OF MIR.
Davis. the unfortunate President of
the Confederacy, when captured and
in deadly peril of his life at Fortress
Monroe. Here is the conclusion OF
Beecher's long sermon:
Ispeak it with certain reluctance,
and the thought oftentimes, when 1t
comes, even touches me with grief,
but T believe that Mr.. Davis for exam
Die, will be hung. Already the scene
rises before me. He is tried; he Is
convicted: he stands on the scatfold.
All nations have watched the sure pro-
cess of the law; all nations have
listened to the charges laid at his door;
all nations gather about the scatfoid.
There are some things to plead tor
him. He is a man of distinguished
ability: he has conducted his war with
pertinacity and courage F.; he was the
beloved leader of the multitudes OF
fha South. and even now millions of
them would shield him if they could:
He has wife who loves him, and
children who canaot understand his
crime he is surrounded by mighty,
innumerable North, who, the war
beinp over and its hot passions cooled,
have no hate and no malice, and no.
thing more and nothing worse than a
ward him. They would release him II
they could. If they could forget the
dead if they were not comprised
about with great cloud of witnesses;
If their bells of victory we're not
drowned by their bells of mourning; II
they could forget their country; II
they could forget their God, they
could give way to their pity for q
brother man in his extremity. They
hear voices from over the sea; voices
of sympathy for him; voices OF plead
ing: occasional voices of threatening.
may be. But nothing avails; he can
be- spared; he would not consent ttc
peace; he would not be just; he wonlo
be a patriot; he must die. And the
axe come down, and the world shud
ders. and the great traitor Is dead
ANA l. ClAlIu tlldb StSHO uliti SpSCt"
Gle as that will do more for the stabll
ity of the country and for the cause
of public order than almost any doze1
great acts of these last four years. Il
will take rank among the sublimitie:
of history. 1t will have a moral dig
nifty and weight which no magniti
cent battle we have fought co'i!t
have. 1t will engage the attention o
mankind as none of our battles have
It will be more easily conprehendet
by them. It will be rebellion anl
slavery epitomized and embodied IL
the form and person of their chic
man, and then beheaded for their sins
And the people will understand tia
simple, tragic thing. And it will SIM
into them; and it will hallow love il
their feeling forever more. Let
come, then. History waits for it. Th
greatest work of modern times-oii
loyal war, I mea1-waits for its cap
stone Let it be raised to its bed
Not with shoutings, but in silence All
with tears, if you please. But let
be raised. And in the words of on
great martyr, when he wrote the de
cree which has made Him immortal
"Upon this, CIR coming solemn az
of Justice, we inv cj1e the blessing {
Almighty God and the considerat
Judgment of mankind" Amen an
amen.