Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-12-09
a PLYMOUTH THANKSGIVING.

On Thanksgiving Day Mr.. Henry Ward
Beecher delivered a political speech in the
puIpit Of Plymouth Church to a large and
a~pplauding audience. The politics served
ont in hat church is about as good as the
religion and rather better than the moral
ity. but in all there is the sugar-sliminess
of s~entimentality and hypocrisy. Rev.
Henry Ward Beecher thanked God" for
a number of things, among others, that the
Democratic party has by the recent cleo
tions been consigned sto outer darkness,
also that Mr.. Tilden was not as bold and
enterprising as be was ambitious. 'Mr.
Tilden, +" said he, Knight have stepped In
at the critical moment and seized with I'M
lawfulness the coveted seat. He longed
but he dared not let his tomb beinscribed.
His timidity was greater than his ambition,
his economy greater than his courage
In other words, Mr.. Beecher. while thank
ing God for the electoral fraud. sneered at
Tilden's cowardice for not taking his right
by the strong hand. and at his economy
for nor making a more judicious use Of the
..bar1 of money" This was, CT course,
loudly applauded by the righteous of Ply
moath Church, aud thus encouraged Mr..
Beecher went on to speak Of reputation.
He gently chided one Of the repudiating
Northern States, but, Of course, reserved
his best for Southern reputation. Yet
Mr.. Beecher probably knows that it was
by the solid negro Republican vote in Vir-
ginia that the party Of honest payment was
recently s.cast into outer darkness" The
Conservative Democratic voters in Vir-
ginia were the upholders Of the honor and
credit of the State, while the Republicans
were the '.Readjusters," and thus, while
Mr.. Beecher was thanking God that the
Democrats had been defeated, he was
thanking God for readjnstment and repu-
diation. Henry has about as much real
reverence for honesty as he has for chastity.
He said also:
The heresy of States Rights is not yet
dead. 1t can hardly be said to sleep: or.
if it sleeps. it walks in its sleep. Laugh
ter. In words. it may be silent but it
lives in the air. It may not interfere with
the local prosperity Of the Southern States,
but it is an unanswerable reason why the
administration of the Nations affairs
should not be intrusted into Southern
hands.
The heresy of States Rights How
strangely does such a phrase sound in
America !; especially; coming from the pull
pit. To such an extent has a fanatical
hatred Of the South been cultivated at the
North that the plainest constitutional pro-
visions are hated, because the South is ac-
cused Of upholding them. States Rights
are in the Constitution and its amend.
ments. The Supreme Court Of the United
States has upheld, and still upholds them,
by its decisions. The State OF Maine, in
enforcing its prohibitory liquor Law, claims
the right of breaking open packages in the
United States mail, where it suspects con.
signments Of the forbidden goods--a very
strong assertion Of States Rights. Nay
the Electoral Commission which consum.
mated the Hayes counting-in fraud, did sc
upon extreme States Rights grounds. That
august body held that even an admitted
fraud in IN electoral return could not b
remedied-the seal Of the State was sacred
and Congress had no power TO go behind
the returns, even though the returns were
known to be fraudulent and procured By
bribery and perjury. This is " heresy o
States Rights" when ii suits Republican
purposes to proclaim them. But 1t ia q
damnable heresy'' when a Southern State
objects to having United States troops
quartered in its State House.