Year: 1878

Mr. BEECHER ON THE ELECTION AND TIE VISIT OF


DEAN STANLEY.


"There are two subjects of current interest
of which I wish TO speak," said Mr. Beecher at the
Plymouth prayer-meetng Friday night. The first Is the
result OF the political strife that has taken place. There
ere very few subjects which seem less allied to morality
and religion than questions of finance, and yet In re-
mote way nothing has a more powerful influence
on a community. The great disturbance which the
war brought dslocation of all the relations OF
this NaOn-was more manifest IN finances than our
politics We had accumulated an immense National
debt and the first question that whether the
Nation would resist the temptation repudlae its vast
debt heard after tine say that we had got to
30 in'o reputation. This shocking to a man
OF honor After the disturbance eliminated
In the great revolution Of 1878. there was a
march backward in the direction OF substantial
trial when every one experienced the pang and peril of
contraction. Aud then the temptation Of nat money
which does not represent This idea tempt
ing one. In the West the fraud was scarcely veiled
although some believed that it was compatible with
honesty. There was tremendous temptation brought
TO bear upon the Nation ,..-.,.,
that We going to have honest sa money ana DC b
when question OF morality is brought TO this people,
they respond and that such question can be LETT for
bound 10 integrity and National justice, for the sake
OF the and OF the rch for the sake OF God and
on honesty ana integrity cheering that the National
conscience springs up. For the present this Nation has
said to the ,ireenback Devil Get thee behind me,
satanP [Applause.l But The temptation Is not dead
II will bear watching. Nor is my rejoicing the less be-
eminent statesmen have received hard blows
When think OF the grief OF Massachusetts, at the loss of
her great statesman feel sympathy tor her. but in tue
cause of National morality we must make some sacr'
fees" t1aughteT.J . - -


Mr. Beecher also spoke OF the visit of Dean Stanley to
this country saying that OF the profoundly honest and
profoundly CONSCIENTIOUS mel who sprang up after old
Dr. Arnold the Dean Of Westminster was one. He car
ed In high places the liberty OF thinking and OF say
ing what he thought When he lectuied at OK
ford on the history Of the Jewish people he strip
ped away 10000 comments. notes and notions, which
had buried the Old Testament under mass OF rubbish
He revised the text, whereas the American Bible
Society goes printing passage after passage that
does not belong to the Bible and s no more the WORD
Of God than the word OF General Butler Dean stanley
counted not his life nor his name dear but stood
up for the sake Of advancing Christianity,
and brought on himself reprOach aud suspicion.
lie never lost his temper; there was not
ane in his writings that not as sweet as 81 John.
Then he had an open heart toward the Greek Church.
and the Roman Church, and heather nat0us and scep
philosophers He did much 10 bring the Dissenters
into kind of harmony with the Established church
This was q bold and noble thing. No better man ever
touched these shores than Dean Stanley.