Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-03
THANKSGIVING TRUTHS.
An Extract From Henry Ward
Beecher's Sermon.

dence, been put in a position where
it can do the most good laughter
that of opposition to the party
in power. Renewed laughter
Great numbers Of it's members are
among the best citizens we have;
much doctrine that goes into its
platforms is as good as good can be;
and, if it were not for the South, it
would be difficult to say which of
the two parties North would hold
the power, judged from their plat
forms. Laughter 1t is in the
last degree good that the Demo
cratic party is opposed to the parey
in power. I hope the Democrats
will grid up their loins, and neither
allow ''sleep to their eyes nor rest
to their eyelids" while they are
watching the Republican party; for,
although the Republican party is
mine, | recognize its leaders have
human nature, are liable to tempta-
ton, and need all sorts of auxiliaries
to keep them straight. Laughter. ]
The weakness of the Demo
cratic party lies in its ALI.
ance with the Southern States.
Let me speak freely, men
and brethren, for once in my life.
Laughter and applause. The
South fought during the war with
such signal gallantry as would, if
anything could, have redeemed the
badness Of its cause. Since it
yielded to the superior strength of
the Nation, its general conduct has
been honorable, and to an unex-
pected degree reasonable. Some
few States have given trouble; but
Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Tex
as, have they given such signal
trouble Have they not, on the
contrary, given an example of great
good sense? The things in which
the South has most nearly failed
have been those in which it was
likely to fall by reason of the old
reign of slavery-want Of sympa-
thy with the inferior laboring class,
for instance. I believe in the main
the better class of Southerners have
striven to be equitable to the labor>
ing man; but equity is cold. HUI
manity wants sympathy, or, rather,
justice, springing from benevolence
and love. If our expectations were
disappointed it was because
our expectations were unreason-
BILE. Nor has the South
learned sufficiently that to man
work is honorable and desirable;
that it is blessing and not a curse.
Work, with thought behind it, is
the only thing in political economy
worth talking about. The South
will not fall into line with the
North until generation comes that
will see men and women working
early and late, not on account of
poverty, but because honorable work
makes wealth and men. No COM
munity can transmit to posteritY
imperlshable institutions but the one
which compels Nature to turn i-self
into property. Connected with
this branch of the subject is a rep
rehensible carelessness in financial
honesty. When a State deliberate>
ly refuses to pay its bonds because
that course may risk the election
here and there of scullion; when
the whole people prefer to repudiate
rather than eat little less dainty
food; when they can look in the
face of this hideous devil, and in
vite him to come and abide with
them, 1t shows the worst form of
slavery, as slavery was the worst
form of violation of all civil rights.
And when [ see so many Southern
States (slapping the desk to empha-
size each word) falling into this sin
so easily, say the time has not
yet come when Southern statesmen
should be put in control of the
Treasury of these United States.
[Great applause. I am not un-
mindful that a similar stain rests
upon the North. That State in the
Northwest which has repudiated its
honest debt is a shame and a dis
grace to the free States of the
North. 1t had better sacrifice
every possible part of its property
and save it's honor rather than lose
its honor to save its property. APP
| plause
The heresy of State rights is not
yet dead. L. can hardly be said to
be asleep, or, if it sleeps, it walks
in its sleep. Laughter. 1t may
not interfere with the local prosper
ity of the Southern States, but it is
an unanswerable reason why the
administration of the Nation s
affairs should not be intrusted into
Southern hands. Such men would
use their power to counterfeit the
principles settled by the late war;
the war which gave us the right to
II