The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-19
For the Argus.

Can you suggest any plan to induce or
compel those who Iprofess to teach the
Gospel of our blessed Savior. to abstain
from meddhne in the dirty cess-pools OF
politics? am of the opinion that ministers
of the Gospel, There are few. honorable
exceptions thank God,) both north and
south. who 60 about making political
speeches, do more in keeping up our sec
tional strife and hate than even the politi-
G al demagogues of this country.
/ read In THE ARGUS of Feby. l4th q
political speech, made before the Lincoln
Club, in New York city, by that good,
pious, humble, christian, saint, Henry
Ward Beecher. After reading his speech
one would conclude that he is Just about
as orthodox in politics as he is in religion.
In speaking of the recuperative process
which followed our late civil war, he says,
lit was not 10 the power OF any man that
ever lived 10 have guided this country
to prosperity IN shorter period than has
elapsed since the inauguration OF Gen.
Grant. / suppose be thinks that Geo.
Washington and all the great European
Generals we're mere pigmies in com parison
with his idol u. S. Grant. He further
says. so remarkable recovery after
war has not been recorded in the national
life e. any country" The Rev. Gentle
man surely much have forgotten the
history of France since her war with Ger
many He goes on to say. we have 10
that short period rapidly progressed
toward morality, sound Industry and
wholesome finance. Of course he means
after the Democrats got both houses of
Congress. and he will see far more won-
derful i'm prevements when they elect their
president next November.
He is unwilling to attribute our recovery
from the war to the people, but to the
essential wisdom" of the great states
man, u. s. Grant. | wonder if he
thought the members of the Lincoln Club.
who heard him, were fools and believed
all he said,
Again he said. 1T is alleged that Gen.
Grant had about him men not so wise or
SO good as himself. That is pretty rough
on the Camerons, Belkoaps, Babcocks,
Buffers. Washburnes, Conk lings, Chambers
and many others of that stripe. ! guess
those men could not have very exalted
opinion of their own intellect if they
thought that they had no more brslos
than the man they assisted 10 placing in
the presidential chair, as a mere puppet
co do their bidding, 10 winking at, and oc
casionally participating in their crooked
nesses."
The Rev. gentleman goes on, He
Grant was aole to come out from eight
years OF experiments administration with
out SPOT on bis personal integrity, with
record 10 which there are no mistakes
and no stitches let dowu The man is
at fault again. 1t would seem that he has
even forgotten the transactions which took
place in this country, during the admins
tTa,ion of his great statesman, He surely
must remember, (if he is not In his dotage1
bow MIR. Sumner prevented L. s. Grant
FROM getting congress to purchase st
Domingo from Dias. its president, at a
price three or four times more than it was
worth, whereby somebody would have
made big SUN of money out of Uncle
Sam. 1t is true Mr.. Sumner. tor doing sc
naughty thing, was removed trom tie
Craftsmanship OF foreign affairs IN the
senate. which he had filed with honor TO
his country and himself Cor many years.
Again | would ask the Rev. political
preacher, if ne don't remember that u. s.
Grant refused TO return the partfo!io OF
the war department to President johnson
from whom he had received it. Would
personal integrity" have acted in thst
manner? l trust not. Again the Rev.
politician says, Much has been done to
further this prosperity" True. by the
Dem ocrats. Still again. IF | could
have my own way | would vote for
Gen. Grant 10 come back. What
is the matter with the man? We live
IN free country yet. and guess no one
will try to prevent bin from voting for
Graot. 30 one cares whom Henry Ward
Beeoher votes for. Again, Il should
vots for him fGrantl partly because wish
to bear testimony against herasY concern
ing a third term" The Rev gentle 10
will be greatly astoDished and dismayed
Dext November at seeing the millions OF
freemen who will dare TO cast their votes
against any third term candidate for
president of these United State. Lastly.
he intimates that T. s. Graut fulfilled
he function of his office as. president to
he satisfaction Of The majority of his
countrymcn. If | didn't suppose the
man was in his dotage ! should thick he
had he sof'euirg Of the brain. he surely
Is rat the Henry Ward Beeeher that he
was before that little uppieusantness be
had with TtIton, which il still fresh 10 the
mind Of the people, for If he was, should
thiuk, be would know that wh"n u. s.
Circuit was elee;e1 rresideu; 10 1868, the
hepGb lean party, which eieoted him. had
an overwhelming maj 'rity--three or four
10 one in congress, but the people became
- disguised with his crookedness and that
IF his minioLs he called around him, that
before the expiration Of bis sc cnnd term,
they cheated q large majority Of Democrats
in the lower house of congress, and in a
year or two the Democrats got q majority
in the senate. And in the year 1876 when
q. S. Grants second term expired, Mr..
Tilden the Democratic candidate was not
only constitutionaIy elected president, bat
got a majority of the popular vote over
bis opponent, of over a quarter of q
million. I should think such speeches
would ruin the political prospects of any
man. and Grant should request bis friend,
the Rev. gentleman to stop making poIti-
cal speeches, and go back to Ply mouth
church where he can preach his hetero-
doxy, to bis hearts content, TO those who
prefer worshiping Henry Ward Beecher
instead of God.
| wish to insert right here an article by
Hon. Gee, w. Curtis. Republican. to
show to your readers the contrast between
il and the speech made by the Rev.
Beecher. There is no more intolerahle
and unrepublican nonsense than the talk
of necessity of a strong man in the pres
ident's chair 1t is the cry of distrust of
a t.