St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-31
GRAND WORDS FROM BEECHER.
The Strong and Just Man Cleveland the
Impartial Servant Of the People.
Review of the Results of Emancipation
and its Consequences.

Review of the Results of Emancipation
and its Consequences.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 3O.-Henry Ward
Beecher lectured to large audience here to-
night. In the Courier-Journal tomorrow
Mr.. Beecher will say: ''Let me state eX.
pIicitly my views of the past and present re-
lations of the colored people. First.-The
state of slavery in the South before the war,
with all its softening features, was evil and
| only evil, both in its effects upon the blacks
and whites alike, and was, on the whole,
both in morals and ins political
economy, exceedingly bad. A terrible price
was paid for the destruction of the slave
| system, but it was worth to prosperity hum
| dred times what it cost Second, the putting
| of the vote into the hands of an ignorant
race, was an astounding event in political
| history. 1t came not from the belief Of their
| fitness for suffrage, but from the convic-
! ton that it was necessary for
their defense. The tentative legislation
| of some Southwestern states which under
the form of vagrancy laws sseemed intended
to subject the colored people to essential
slavery again, alarmed the North and led to
this defensory legislation But
AUDAcIoUs WAS THAT FAITH
in liberty and suffrage which led the West
and the North to give full citizenship and
political power to the emancipated.
| The result has shown that the
colored people have not misused
that power. / must say that the colored
voting since the war has been fully as wise
as the white voting was before the war. The
colored people of the South, after becoming
citizens, did not seek revenge nor mischief,
for they intended well; not their fault that
many of the ls doidW 7sdfC
RESULTS WERE EVIL.
| 1t was bad enough for the white citizens
| to see late slaves led by foreign influence.
| 1t might be political necessity, but it waa
| not any the less a thing grievous I'd
| be borne by their white fellow citizens But
| when emancipated were largely in excess Of
the white voters, it amounted in fact to the
subsection of the white people to the legisa-
| ton of the colored and in those states where
| legislatures were in power of
the late slaves and where Northern
men, not always the wisest,
| led them on to foolish and wasteful legisla-
| ton, increasing taxation and squandering
| the results of it, plunging the state deeply
| into debt by the unmerciful issue of bonds,
| it is not to be wondered at that something
| like
REVOLUTIONARY METHODS
were adopted, aud that self-defense led men
| to violent resistance. Third, when at
little later period history no longer
under the influence of violent ard heated
passions, shall set in impartial judgment
upon this whole movement of the past quar-
ter of century, two results will stand out
prominently:
The admirable conduct of the slave popu-
| lation, being industrious, orderly, humane
and peaceful; their great bravery when the
| North made them part of the army; their
general good conduct when peace
was established, and their thirst
| for education as an indispensable
| condition of good citizenship. Their future
NAV not be what we predict, but 1t will be-
auspicious.
second-The remarkable conduct of theI
white population Of the South hurled frona
political power, defeated in war, wasted ina
all resources, wounded in every houshold by.
loss of husband, son and father, all in
dustries subverted and to be refunded on al
new basis, and worse than all, to see their
late slaves changing place with the masters
and holding the reins of legislation under
foreign leadership.
Is it wonderful that at such a revolution,
couvulsion rather, Southern citizens often
mistook the way of duty and that some
RUDE REMEDIES OF VIOLENCE
were practied; thss some counter methods
of violence were attemp pied. These things
are not 10 be justified, but is 1t not now
matter of transcendent wonder that the evils
we're so few and that the patience and self
control Of the Southern people so soon re-
adjusted their whole industrial and civil
economyl
glory In history which with all its in,
frmities and blemishes presents to the world
the most notable instance Of the force OF
self-government that has ever occurred in
history. On one or two points allow me to
be explicit. / do not think 1t wise that
whites and blacks
SHOULD MIX BLOOD,
vet 1t is their right and liberty TO do so ifs
they choose. But it is to be discouraged on &
the grounds Of humanity. The slaves are{
free; they must come under the universal
law As to their social position, no legisla- l
ton can put ignorance and knowledge on a.
level, Incidence and industry, virtue and !!
vice, rudeness and refinement. The house ;
hold is to be
FREE TO CHOOSE Or REFUSE
It's company; no obstruction should be put
in the path OF education. All opportunities
for development should be sacredly kept open
TO every class, every encouragement given
TO industry, wealth, refinement and good
citizenship. After that, society must be free,
so far as legislation is concerned, TO
choose its own partnerships. And now
that a new era and re-adjustment OF all
national questions has been reached l
am for the welfare of an undivided nation,
and belong in detail TO that party which
shall best serve the interests OF the whole
land. ! am not slave Of either. Party is
my servant am not its slave. The ad-
miDistration with that
STRONG ASD Just Man,
Cleveland, at It's head has my hearty support
and my full confidence; not because it is
Democratic, but because it is national, pa
triotic and adapted TO the exigencies Of the
hour Should It fail in its national duty I
shall still seek the honor and welfare Of this
nation, bat by another road.