The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-04
BEECllER.
A Powerful Plea for Progress by III,
Plymouth Pastor.
"Ihc Reign Of the Common People
Eloquently Portrayed.
Lecture In this City Last Evening,

were nearly one Thousand persons present
At $3.50 the lecture began and was closet
at about 10 o'clock.
The distinguished gentleman was intro
duced by Mr.. j. f. ELLIOTT, of the HER
AID, who remarked that he took pleasur
in presenting the distinguished gentleman
whose fame as an eloquent lecturer wa
not conf ned TO the shores Of America
whose reputation as divine and an orator
was co.extensiye with civilization itself
and whose humanitarianism was restricted
to no point OF the compass nor limited b,
any lines of latitude, and scholar whose
grandeur of thought was only surpassed by
the beauty OF its diction, and wn'ch haC
eutranced audiences and congregations o
The most cultured and erudi of tn,
county during two generation The il
lustrious gentleman who though
personally unknown tc many
here, yet whose name anu features
were as familiar to us as housebuii words
was now amongst us OF the souta, and il
Texas, Tor the first time
from his own northern home
and he asked that that courteous attention
should be given which the power of thu
man and himself would command, ant
WHICH WAS bO CDtEdCJclloblC VI q buildb az
dience. The distinguished parsonage o
whom he thus spoke, he said, was the Rev
Henry Ward Beecher, whom he nov
begged to present.
Mr.. Beecher then rising, the audience
greeted him with much applause, which
subsiding, he proceeded with his discourse
which, he said, was 1.-THE Reign of the Com
mon People," II is difficult to report the
learned scholar, who spoke as, much by
his manner and intonations of voice as
well as with his words. But substantially
he said THE reign of the common peo
pie is widening in its growth day by day
In all manner of things; and education il
doing the grand work. Once only kings
and priests could be educated, but that fol-
the common people to be educated was q
sin; it was vice; it was a crime TOR them
to pry into knowledge; it was private
privilege; it was prerogatiye of the high
classes and it was wrong TO- the common
people of Egypt to have education, even in
the limited form which existed there.
OF course, there were other places; there
were some schools, evidently, because, when
next we trace the historic development Of
schools it is in Greece, and they have
already grown up great ways over the
Egyptian schools. For now in Greece
everybody could be educated who had the
means-every body, l mean, except slaves
and women, for tney have almost always,
in antiquity, ranked alike. and often alike
out of antlquity-ard many ofthe common
elements attach to them yet alike.
Were there no women educa ed in Greece?
A great many-too many; in art, in litera-
ture, in music, in history. in philosophy
even in craftsmanship. But in Greece a
woman that was thoroughly accomplished
and highly educated was courtesan,
of course. 1t was a preparation for
that life. In Greece, In her best
DAYS, if woman would have reputation
for virtue she must be the drudge of the
household; she must be ignorant. All this
is so contrary to our idels that we can
scarcely conceive that virtue and ignorance
should be interchangeable terms. But
they were in Greece, in her palmy days.
We scarcely can understand how it is that
that which we now, strive to give
rs-accomplishments and intelligence,
and knowledge-in Greece should be the
sign, universally understood, OF INN desty.
SO it was; and the woman OF whom we
should be proud was understood every
wht 70 to be approachable.
land this throws great light on passages
81 scripture that are simple enough in the
light OF this historical fact. and which has
greatly perplexed oil the interpreters of sa-
cred writ.
Paul says: AZ suffer not a woman to
each in your temples Let your women
Keep silence" Well, to whom did he say
,hrse things2 in Corinthians. and in his
,pistle to Timothy. Coruth, pre-emi-
lently Grecian city, Timothy, Greek
bishop of the Greek city of ASIA Minor.
Nowhere Is there one word Of Limitation TO
Yoman's right by the Hebrews. And to
the honor OF that nation be it said, that
! ON the earliest OF their recorded history
woman has stood with more
reedom and more honor than in
my other Oriental nation. And woman
could do anything that God made her able
% do. She could be ruler, she could be a
Judge, or a prophet. Whatever she had a
charter 10, in her own creation, that she
was tree to do. The whole spirit of the old
Hebrew economy had in it the element of
honor unto all women. In Greece it was
he other way. Woman was low, base, ig-
lorant, vulgar.
What was Paul's declaration to these
jrecian women, ~ suffer not you
somen TO teach; Ihey WIZ Keep slence;"
he never would have said that to the
debyew women. If they had had the
pirit of prophecy they would have
,rophesied undisturbed by injunctions.
g is simply saying this: that in q public
where education Is a sign of impufity, do
lot bring upon the church the impuIation
If being a nest of lewdness. And 1 hear
rood men, meaning all right, go on
luoting it, and multitudes of the best
'hurches that are existing are scrupulous
est the women should teach 10 the church.
She may teach in the lecture. roon. but not
n the church. And yet we have unfolded
,iyiliz alton to that extent that women are
he teachers of the community. . hey fill
lot only our primary schools, hut pro.
essorships In our colleges. We make
hem our missionaries, and send
hem abroad TO the heather
But she must not speak in church. She
nay speak anywhere else-on the platform,
he may have conference, in the great mis-
ionary annual meetings. her voice may be
card, but she must not speak in church.
because Paul said: ~ suffer not your wo-
nen to speak," Was anything ever MOT
,reposterous7 Was anything ever more
led TO superstition and false Interpretation
{ text than that limitation oil the rights OF
Fomen?
When at last we reach our own genera
ion, we see that the world has turned COM
letely round, and that while in ancient
ines II Is wrong for the common people to
receive education, to-day i'll wrong for them
OF 10 receive It. Education 10 no longer
p:ional, but compulsory. States, by their
AltI1s nhNr AOI An~ lnO1b palN w ~ 4
arents shall send their children TO schools |
or It is insisted that no parent |
as right 10 bring mp ig-
GRANT children. Ignorance is dynamite |
the very worst natzre, for we dent /
nov when II may 60 of or what mischi
nay do. The result has been that such
creased intelligence has prevailed among
echanics and laboring men all over Eu-
pc, and has prevailed 20 such an extent.
4 IL
In in authority with the throne snd with
e council.
Two facts stand opponent. One Il, that
e people desire an education that used
u 70 care for IL; the other IL, the ruling
Dwers are Just a. anxious that they should
I'VE an education as they are 10 have H.
ther fact is remarkable; both together,
nv n msrksble Why il il that common
'ople desire more in life today Be
use they are 30 unhappy; and WHY
ev should be 80 unhappy !
- Thar wnrsa of than they