Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-30

MIR. Beacher's Sermon.

Mr. hercHer SerIuOH.
Mr. Beecher u bis sermon last Sunday ar
gued that the In ,dern aphorism of science
namely, that the true scientist must love the
truth for the truth 5 sake without regard to its
prac.ica! benefit, was liable to great misinter
probation aud to produce very great error. tie
admitted that when man is reasoning to as
certain what the truth is, during tho process
of reasoning in regard to physical and sensu-
Gus Truth he must be able to keep his mind
unbiased. But the truths that crowu and ra
diate in this world are the truths which we call
social and moral, and the preacher averred
that so far from mans S being in a better state
to understand a moral truth when his mind is
colorless and cool that the highest moral truths
cannot be understood by colorless mind and
cool one; and the mathematician that comes
TO moral questions with precisely the same
principles that are right In mathematics will
stumble upon the very threshold, upon the
principle that no man can judge in regard to
any clements of musical or proportion lu ast
unless he has working aud tLrobbiug in his iu-
tclcct something Of that which he has to lis
cern in those arts. Another aIb borsm was also
Outroperted-hamely, that true scleutlhc
spirit is one that has no regard to what be-
comes of truth in this world, only that il is
true. The true scientific philosopher, Mr..
Bcecher ssid is one who believes that
while knowledge is Indispensable to the
welfare of the humao race, the wei
fare of the race is Uore important than The
knowledge itself; and that the use OF all know
iug is to make being, aud that the c:eatlou vi
manl ood is larger than the crOwnug OF hugs.
There is no more ben; fit in scientific knowledge
that has no relation to the well being OF man-
kind than there is benefit 10 the brouding clouis
,of the morning. The arrogance of philosophy,
Gherefo.c, as it stands over religion, s essenll ,
Greek III this the Centennial year. OF The
whole scheme of advance, the preacher contlu-
ucd, OF which in this Centennial year, we are
called upon to observe we may be proud. The
development of art aud science is not to he
measured by cxtcrnal comfort, but by n. bier
standard than that. But il men are left SUD
stantialy as they were, il men are no better,
purer, liner, it makes no difference if they have
cattle on thousand hills where their ancestors
had uone it makes 10 difference II they live in
fine houses where their ancestors liv.d in small
ones or in caves The growth OF the race is to
be measured from within. 1t is true that
roads, bridges, canals, railways, shops and ware
houses, rightly used, augment those conditions
Of ease and those elements ofpower which make
mankind better There is 10 doubt that men re-
deem time from the disposition of matter
that they may devote it to scientific and in-
telleclual culture. All these things ought
to make mankind better, more honest,
But do they? 1t is a question worthy OF pro
found consideration whether what is called the
fruit Of civilization 10 our day is not growing
the animal man great deal faster and strong
,er than it il the spiritual man. And yet the
worlds advantages arc Squandcrcd and thrown
away if the animal grows faster than the man
If the outside dominates over the inside. ln
the third place. the pulpit has uncousciousy
lent itself to this preat danger OF making belief
more important than life. Not 10 terms. for
any pulpit 10 the most explicit terms declares
that the actual condition of the heart before
God is the most important thing But there
is way of advocating thing 10 terms and op-
posing it 10 fact. 1t is more the emphasis than
the statement that determines the effect lu
preaching. If mao should declare 10 every
sermon iu the year that God is love, and then
20 and preach God as just only, his mere state
mcut that God is love would practically perish
with the emphasis of the repetition OF the dis
closure of Divine justice. Aud men would
conceive God as vast machine rolling mi ghty
wheel, aud that all who come in the way Of
that would be crushed Thousands OF men
are impressed with the idea that, while they
ought to be right at heart, if they arc subs,an-
italy correct in their belief they arc great
deal beal better off than nolhng-as they
are, and that little goodness with great
deal of orthodoxy is far more presump
tive of safety than a great deal of goodness
with little orthodoxy.
Tue HOSTILE SIoUX.-The Big Horn cx-
petitions are now fairly on their way to punish
the hostile Sioux, and tdngs Of bloody doings
may be momcptariIy expected. Gen. Crook 5
forces are proceeding to find tho bands that
have scattered themselves 10 the mountains.
Staying the white invaders OF their reservation,
and the forces under Gen. Terry have been out
some days from Fort Lincoln GU their way to
the Little Missouri, where Sitting Bull lay
encampcd at last accounts with three thousand
warriors under his command. Gen. Crook 5
opinion that the Indians are secretly melted to
their present hostile attitude by the "Indiao
Ring" OF the Interior Department, may have
more truth in it than would appear ut first
sight, but his allowance for real and fancied
wrongs" shows that the blame of the revolt
cannot be entirely laid at the door OF any ring
In the Interior Department, but to the whites
who invaded the Black Hills in what now ap-
pears vain search for gold. We are at the
threshold OF great struggle, and although it
is out OF any ones power to avert it now, a
false impression as to its leading causes should
not be suffered to remain. That "luuus is
pisen' may be an excuse for all that is done to
the Sioux. But history will not give much
credit to excuses that are scfshness, for where
the red man takes SCALP thc white man takes
the land. .-Ne,o York Herald.
In lS49 Priucc Torlonia, the great Roman
banker, advanced 200, 600 francs to a Neapoi
tan on a diamond SO large and impid auo
piercing 10 the polish of its many faces that
none but the keeues' c'nno sScur could dlstln
Hotel Drouot, 10 Paris, that sclt.same pre-
cious stone was sold, early 10 April of thl:
ya.r for twenty francs fifty ccDtlmes, OF