Year: 1866




On Sunday morning Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher, As is his custom In times OF excite>
meut and difficulty. spplied the Christianity
In which he believes to the two great popular
questions of the day. From . very much
shorter r.port than we had right to expect
from SO enterprisins a journal as the brook
lyu Eaolc. we learn that upon the text
Overcome evil with good" he uEtoded and
made APPARENT the great underlying truth OF
the Divine Fat Vengeance IS mine; VIII
repav, saith the Lord" In the application OF
the conclusions reached from tue text. MIR.
Beecher came, toward the close OF his DIS
course, to the duties of communities and
nations to each other. Ana here he he'd
that the rule was the same, and for the same
reasons as in individual cases. This lie
illustrated by an allusion to the present
troubles on the border. Il hear men say
Aha it's their turn now. Let US be quiet
and allow the Feniaas to return TO them
some Of their ST. Adams courteses. d
lust ike to see q town or two burned, bank
or 90 robbed, just TO let them know how
good it is" Well, now, this is all wrong.
[ will not deny that my natural man was
de.icately and quietly tickled at first by
mischievous sense of poetic justice, but ii
was only for . moment. True, the Cana
dians did act most unfairly, and the mother
country most wick adly, toward us III our dire
distress but if we take like opportunities 10
show the same spirit, in what Is republican,
ism greater or better than despotlsm L
want to heap Goals Of fire on their heads by
showing the grand spectacle of Christian
nation actuated By Christian principles 1t
England is involved in war, l don't want to
See . single ship 60 out of our ports TO de-
stroy her commerce, and over the Canadian
border l do not want a single cottage harm
ed. i want them TO find their evil o7ercome
by good. Ths way to 1--we in peace Is to be
better than your eDemy-ln his opinion, not
yours


After enlarging somewhat on this point,
Mr.. Beecher paused, and looking around
with humorous glance, continued, Il don't
know whether Id better make any further
application Of this principle or not. have
rot been very popular with my people lring
the past year. / have failed to carry them
alto se,hsr with mo on some public questions
and / am sorry for them! But | must say
that l cannot escape the direct bearing OF
this Gospel law. l am as strong as ever IN
the conviction that tie true result of the w2r
must be recognized. Whatever went into
the Constitution OF account OF slavery must
come out: and what was kept out on account
OF slavery must he paid into our organic
law-and l have believed and labored for
this as strongly, and longer than many of
YOU. But have felt that it should be done
n. the spirit of love, not of hatred con-
.der the doctrines brought forward in the
House Of Representatives. BY Mr.. Stevens.
though followed in !heir entinetv- thank God
hr very few, l think them ts be the doc
trins. of Beial, leading them to destruction.
The North had = chance to show grace, and
love, and magnaaimity. How longed. 10
see i'll Both Congress aud the Presidest
should have been pressed to Union. had
hoped to see the North showing her supe-
riority in Christian nobleness and generous
forgiveness. But L kays, been disappointed.
1t has not been done You can 10 more
change rebels TO loyal men by casting them
out aud turning them away, than you can
convert the wicked by building up a wall of
separation bstseeu them and the good
shutting them out from the very influences
that should be brought to bear upon them.
..If thine enemy hunger, feed him if he
thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou
shalt heap Goals of ire upon his head. Be
TO: overco ne Of evil but overcome evil with
good" There, go; vote that. You have
been talking it long enough; do it. You
have been praying it long enough; try it.