The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-13
MR.. BErcHEn TO HIS REGIMENT.


Plymouth Church crowded on the occasion of
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's first sermon to the
Thirteenth regiment in his capacity OF chaplain.
rhe aiscs galleries and vostbules Of the church were
all filled and the crowd extended far out into The
street, while after the sermon q number OF
fair ladies assembled on the opposite side OF
the street to see tho boys IN blue file BY. The reg.
TO the number OF 600 men occupied the pcws on
either side oil the central AISLE They were In fatigue
UNIFORM the officers with side arms; the $50 veterans
In blue, and their younger comrades IN gray. Mr..
Beccher himself dressed in u simple black suit
The sermon was devoted to comparison OF tho
spiritual warfare nculcated In the Scriptures WIN
tho temporal warfare to which the members Of the
EphesIans, VI. 13-"Whcreiore take unto you tn
whole armor Of God, that yc may DO able to with
The qualities, said Mr. Beccher. that ara required Tor
the good solaier the army the ncld precisely
Coz ,no Ike n inc
gent soldier made better than ignorant SOL
dier. Ignorance was good Tor nobody, knowledge tor
every body. knowledge was not piety, bat II admin.
tstered 10 It, Vigilance ana walchiuiness werc also
marks OF the good soldier. Earnestncss one
nobler. IL was that which made men throw
the power OF their whole being into the cause thoy
served. Patience also Decessary-thc ability to
wait Tor the consumma Of tho campaign. SO in
the spiritual world The education of mans soul was
inc Sn u the 700 was IS
better courage Of the that sensitive danger
and summons reason and moral sense TO give him
artificial courage. Another thing was obedience,
prompt unquesiionng obedience, by which the whole
BODY OF soldiers could he moved as by arm wnen
band, would that they could all say III have fought
the GOOD Tight
While all these qualities necessary for soldiers
in general there other duties specially appica.
bic TO the ..gentiemcn OF the Thirteenth" They
citizen soldiers; as citizens they should Keep
the peace and as soldiers they should DO the defend.
ers OF order IL was their duty to prcparc tor
efficient service. ihey represe ted tho
OF the civil order That disorder which the police
could not suppress IL was rhe soldiers' duy 10
override Should villa times arrive when llwless
men threatened society and the rights OF industry,
upon the soldiers would devove the duty Of defend
Ing all tina, was dearest TO man In no
olhcr land under heaven revolution and
violence SO lttio likely TO happen as In Amcrcs.
Here the laws wero the expression OF the viii Of the
citizens, Gisfranchised except Tor crime.
The whole community was jury before which every
man might plead his cause IL was morally certain
could suffer wrong. Tho American doctrine
SOUND one--that all things nceaiui
means. Violence was a remedy worse than
the good accomplished IL might possibly
be neeafal under despo.sm put u was desperate
der tyranny. In country whore all men have
common interest IN the common veal, whore no po-
liticai classes are allowed 10 perpetuatc thom.
selves there was no excuse, no pailiation
for iumultuous uprisinss Of lawloss men.
did not belong TO truo American ciiizcnship.
To the cmigrant population Americans were indebted
for much that excellent wealth, labor, learning,
art, skI industry, but the foreign population could
teach Americans tho art or seligovcrnmcnt Their
lawlegs doctrines brought from the maddenod classes
of oppressed workingmcn In Europe wcrc utterly re.
pudatcd here They a deadly poison, and
should they break out into disorder and be In
anagoBism to the rights OF men which they assumed
ociend and destructive OF that liberty which tney
aimed acquire, the energy OF Tree people woLli
be aroused 10 maintain It's institutions. In such
emergency would become the soldiers duty TO dc.
fend the Commonwealth II would rest upon thom end
they would not betray their country. Tbey should
then be Ike buwarks against winch tho waves OF dis.
order should dash In vain The consciousness oil
high mission should give them dignity.
After the concluding prayer the Colonel oil the reg.
mcnt mounted the platform and gave the necessary
orders to his men, aud they marched out Of cnurcn
In military style to the martial notes OF the organ.