Year: 1866

Henry Ward Bsecher on "Reconslruc,iOn.n N
The Boston Post contains q sketch Of lee


ture delivered in that city on Tuesday evening
| by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, on re.
construction, from which We quote as follows
There is no principle of American liberty


which will cohere with the doctrine that suf-
| frage is political right. If it be said that


this principle would give the right of suffrage


to women, he woxld give it to her as well as


man. Every consideration of policy and good


sense point to the giving of this right, for


woman Is as good as q man, and a man and his
wife are great deal better than each other
| Yet he would not insist on the extension of suf-
| trage as a condition Of reconstruction. If he


had been President he would have done so last
| spring; but matters had gone 50 far since that


II was unwise to press this requirement now
| That which We SOW in May we do not SOW in
! August 10 60 back on the steps that have
| already been taken and demand new guaran-


tees Of the South would be the most ungracious


thing that we could be called upon to do Mr.


Beecher then stated what in his opinion, We


might and might not expect the South to do.
| We could not expect that men who had to sub


NIT to an OverpOwePing military force should


rejoice in their downfall, and spring up to kiss


the men that have whipped them. The men
| OF the South were as sincere when they went


into the war as those OF the North, and now
| that they are conquered, We could not ask them


to be joyful or jubilant We must not expect


that men who had rcliuquished slavery upon


compulsiOn would engage with alacrity in the


work of emancipation. If this result had been


the consequence Of a long discussion, and they


had voted emancipation, We might have reason


tor the course Of remark that is INDUCED in


not otherwise We must not expect that men


educated under institutions totally the reverse


OF ours will let them go in day and seek new


ones from their cOnquerOrS. He was not sur


prised to read that Yankees are not popular ut


the South, and that @hen the army goes some


OF the Yankees must go with it, Being de-
teated, they are not disposed to accept super


huOus and intrusive advice from those who


have defeated them We must not expect


that men who have regarded negroes as inie-


rlOr beings all their lives shall receive compla-


Gently the doctrine Of equality and citizenship


in its relations to the black man. Sometimes


1t would be well for US to remember the homes


we live in. He did not believe there were


dozen places in Brooklyn where colored man


could obtain work, unless all the white men


should leave. We, who still indulge In this


prejudice, should not blame the people of the


South who do not believe that society can be


reOrganized with the negro as an equal. Nor


should We expect that they would know how


even when they try to treat the negro fairly,
| AOI IneS nave Deeu DIOuRuL up ~ treat MN Us


beast We may set up schools and churches


in the South in such way as to be antagoniStic
to Southern schools and Southern churches -
One kindly disposed white man in the South


is worth twenty in Massachusetts,. There may


be such precipitate zeal Of philanthropy for


them as will defeat its own work. Legislation
will not alleviate prejudice. 1t won change
unklnd feelings into kind ones. The South


must recover by labor, and it is only new indus
} Ark hat -, h. ot- - &.,1
ing this out. Her success depends upon cot
ton cotton cannot be had without black labor,
and black labor cannot be had unless negroes


are kindly treated. So self-interest will soon


teach them the light way out Of the difficulty.
, The blacks should become landhOlders as fast


as possible. The glory Of the North is its di
| verHlfed and minute industry. lie would not
object to making property preliminary quail
! fcarion for suffrage, as an induCement to indus
, try and thrift.


) MIR. Beecher closed his lecture with an elo-
. quent appeal for justice and love, as the only


sure basis Of reconstruction, and advocated q
= spirit of magnanmity. He protested against
Vindictive punishment against JEFF Davis, as In
: expedient and uncalled for The era of des-
truction had passed, and that of restoration had
come This new position Of affairs required ,


change of tactics His remarks on this point
4 made profound impression.


:


A NoN-coMMITTAL CAPTAIN Captain Ward
! was an eccentric of the first water, and one OF
his peculiarities was that he never gave the de-
: sired answer 10 a direct question. An amusing
G instance of his evaEive habit is related. One
, morning, four of his friends, who were aware
IS of this trait in his character observed the Cap
II tain going to market, and, after some banter
c ing, entered into bet to the practlcabily of
), learning from him the price he paid for his
I purchase. They accordingly settled the pre-
= liminaries, and, stationing themselves at differ
= ent points along E street. which he must
II pass on his way home, awaited his coming. -
v Very soon the bluff old gentleman made his


appearance, with a bunch OF pigeons in his


hand AS he approached, the first queStioner
R accosted him with


s. Good morning, Captain what did you give
n for pigeons, this morning."


G Money! said the captain, bluntly, as he
/ moved up the street.


9 The second gentlemsn, little farther on,
: addressed him and asked


j. How go pigeons this morning, Captain"
! They dom 90 at ALL carry emF was
the equally unsatisfactory reply.


: Shortly after he met the third, who passed
/ the time of day. and inquired-


How much are pigeons dozen, Captain
r Didn't get a d0Sen-Omty bought half a
i dozen p said the old gentleman, grufiy, still
: plOdding on his way.


: Finally, the fourth and last of the conspira-
+ tors cottened TO the wary old salt, by observing,
!; in the blandest Of tones,


!, "a fine lot Of pigeons you have there, Cap.
j. tain what did you get them tor2''
= . To edtF was the pertinent and emphatic
s. rejoiner, and the Captain reached home with
Z out further molestation


: II the pigeons did not take wing, the joke
). did, and has been handed down by tradition to
: the present day.


n TAKING THE CENSUS. --Marshdl-What is
!" your husbands name2 :,
l. Wonlan--Don you know JoeP | thought
= everybody knew Joe; -he'is lazy 'oafer' that
4 is what he is