The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-19
II. w. BEECHEE on POLITICS.
The plymouth Pastor "a Grant Man ant
also an Evolutionist.

AibO al EvOiuttOniSf.
From da Intrie,r in he SIN Frunsiseo Chronicle
"iou are interested in politics, Mr..
Bcecher?" ?"
81 am interested in everything that
concerns the welfare Of the human race"
And Grant man, believe"
Yes, | am Grant man-first, mid
die and last. always have been q
Grant man. | have never swervcd from
that faith. | think him to have the very
genius of common sense. When called
to power he made the mistakes natural
to u man brought up in the army. He
undertook 20 manage ..ic Go:ernment IS
II 1t were an army. Later in our history
he will be looked back to ~ one Of our
greatest men. We never had q Presi-
dent who was not called scouudrel, aud
criticised as imbecile, corrupt, incom-
pctent, foolish and everything else, but
as soon as they went out of office the
clamor all died out. Fifty years later
they ioomed up on the horizon as great
men, and people began to make pilgrim
ages to their tombs. | think it will be
the Same way with Grant. think he
will yet be shown to be one Of the wisest
and on the whole most sensible Presi-
dents we have ever had"
"What do you think Of President
Hayes and his policy :"
Mr.. Hayes seems to ME TO be most
excellent gentlemau-a man with the
very best intentions, with a great deal Of
quiet persistence, but without that big
power of brain by which he can make
his will coerce the will of other men. I
thlnk that in @ time of comparasive
peace. when there were questions of only
ordinary importance TO be settled. he
would make model President. He is
not for q time like this, whea there are
cddies, and conflicts, and tides; when il
Is necessary for man, by force OF dispo-
sition, to make other men do riEht."
"Do you believe in the methods which
some of his party have used to thwart or
oppose his plsns7'
Mr.. Conkling and his friends seem
to me to be harsh in tho course they are
pursuing. have not liked their temper.
although I am Republican. AS for
Mr.. Conkling, / have always held him
personally in nigh esteem"
"Cc jon tope for sneedy return of
good feeling in the South?"
Il think the Government has done all
that it can do ut the South. Some peo-
pie think that the feeling in the public
mind In that locality can be allayed by
outside influence. do not think 60.
when the present generation dies out
aid smother Go;aes I think the So.,th
Will experience an era of nrosperity
which We of the North can hardly re.
alize."
Mr.. Beecher went on to say:
-! have strong leaning to the Oar.
winian theory, though I am not tech
nical Darwinian. think that evolution
ID the theory Of nature. / think that all
men in the church who are we'll inform.
cd agree in this, sharing the opinion
with such eminent scholars rs Dr.. Nc.
Gosh, OF Princeton College, in whom the
church has confidence"
Taking Agassiz's view, perhaps?'
Yes; or Cope's or Wallace's. AS to
the general facts there can be no manner
OF doubt among thoughtful and religious
men who have reached forty wears of
age. The theory is going to revolution-
ize theology"
What will be its effect on religion ?,
don't think, in the long run, reli-
gion will be injIrcd. On the contrary.
1t will be helped; that is, man viewed
from the moral side will be better when
ell these scientific truths shall be surely
known. Theology deem to be an at
tempt to account for all the moral facts
of the universe. The method of account
ing for these facts which We call Calvin.
istic seems to be less and less appli-
cable"
"Will not what is called orthodox re-
liglon suffer by these onslaughts Of
Mr.. Beecher paused, looked little
doubtful and then said:
:! think not. My impression is sha,
the New Testament contains more scien-
9te truth than We give it credit for.
Were Paul alive now I think he would
shine IS an evolurionist.n