Year: 1870

A Thanksgiving Address by Mr.. Beecher-A


CsloriAcation of America and Her Future


His Views tho Labor Questionable Goes


"For That Hoathcn Chinee''-What He


Thinks About the Irish-A Million Dollars


Won't Amount TO DIueh Soon.


Plymouth church was crowded yesterday. for the
most part with strangers. The regular congregation
were giving thanks elsewhere. for comparatively
rev or these were present. The choir was there In
its full strength and favored the audience with one
OF It's best musical efforts, including solo, duet trio,
quartet and chorus. greater freedom than on
Sundays and an absence OF solemnity were the per-
vading characteristics Of the assembly, which mani
tested itself at intervals In demonstrative
applause tnat rung through the building and
stopped the speaker IN his utterances


MIR. Beecner did not preach sermon; ne cid not
select text OF Scripture; but delivered charac-
teristic Thanksgiving address, and the audience
were not by any means backward In showing their
approval OF Its sentiments, appealing, they did,
to the popular mind, and accompanied by occa-
sional wtticisms and laconlc sayings that would


have moved the risibility OF the sturdiest Puritan.
II contained some very startling statements and was
| rich In practical wisdom.


| The address was upon "Amerca; It's Present Ac-
| quistions and Future Prospects.n The lower pos
| sessions OF q nation were It's material wealth; the


next In the gradatlon It's social and civil devel





Glancing at the physical advantages of this country
It's natural wealth. and showing how almost bound


less its capacities for expansion, he spoke OF
| the condition OF the common people, and said thai
| the workingmen Of this country never so well
| clothed.


| so BOUNTIFULLY FED


| and so well housed as they are now The tendency
| or their social condition was not backward, but


forward Tney are more refined In their food, more
L
| In their dwellings than at any previous period


In their history. In mere material things the


tendency was certainly upward and not down.


ward. These, however, were not the signs Of the


highest good or OF Christianity but 1t was encour.


aging to note the fact that there never was time
| when the worklngmen grumbled more than they do
now. Q.aughter.) few illustrations Of the evil or
mistaken conientment and the social healthiness of
any indications that showed that man was anxious
to improve his social position, and Mr.. Beecher
passed on to notice the asslmilatng power Ameri.
can institutions. The institutions or America were
cherished by the working classes; did not think
OF themselves classes, but as citizens, ana were
proud OF their citizenship. Our institutions were
never stronger than they are to-day. They were
ast cherished by 9qr natiye.bern citizsps
alone. but by the ioreigh population, who
came here to find home In our great condict
none were ruer to than those who were foreign to
our land. When cur national credit was likely to
be impaired none were truer TO the country Of their
adoption than our foreign friends Why should
they notl They did not come here to destroy our
popular institutions. for popular institutions were
just those that the common people wanted. Except
Few Cities and except one nationality, there had
been been scarcely heard word OF complaint. The
Irish are an ingenious people; they are open and
frank; speak out what they think. There has IN
consequences been some trouble springlne from this
great good mas sprung from their race; but bile
Hdn ffnY O vuar ah1i
though II was very good stock, 1t was


VERY HARD TO WORK 1T UP.
Loud laughter.) While therefore, there had been |
trouble In one city from one portion OF the foreign
population, yet upon the whole none had contributed
the country than the foreigner VINO speedily mingled
SO well In the general population that he seemed to
6e born aonS u.s. There was on one section Of this
AFRAID Of He Mr. Beecher was just as little afraid OF
the Oriental as he was Of the Westerner Therefore
he was glad to see the Chinese coming among us. |
II might require more time for their assimilation,
coming anlsng us ss as they did WITH another
would speedily be swallowed BY American
gestible and make as good blood and as good food
ol the body poliIic as any other foreigner loud
welcome 10 this land 1t was said by the Ameri- |
cans who hold objections to the Chinese that what
only let them come freey and they would be vel.
come. Now, it was not che compulsory carriage |
they SAID So The real objection was that It was


COMPETITION WITH LABOR


that was feared. 1t was shame. a great shame to
any class or men TO urge such an objection, when
they themselves had made fortunes entirely sut OF
cheap labor that was native to refuse to give to that
here (Cheers) Men VINO were unsked, who had
nothing bat their hands could afford to work cheap.
IT had not the experience, the talent the facility that
forty years or Instructed labor had given to the
we're Scholars who If they worSea
cheapy, worked honestly. AS one class rose
in social power ana skilled labor there
this unskiiled uninstructed labor took that
place. Everybody who was sensible wished work
who did not had not that wish because he was igno.
rant, ana the most mschievous OF all ignorance
was that which did not know hsw to be wise,
tLaughter) II there was one thing that was wanted
more than another In the land 1t was labor. There
was land in this country which Tor the next hun
dred years Will hardly see secd-corn do what we
would, because lack the needful force place it
there God bless the Swede; God bless the Dane;
God bless the French and the Italian; God bless the
simple minded Welsh; God bless the sturdy English
bless little more the Chinaman.n LOUD cheers.)


The general aspect OF wealth in America was to
give occasion for thankfulness. The prodigieus
forces for developing wealth only just beginning
to be perceived The future fortunes OF Individual
owners In America VIII be prodglous, ana viii in
no way compare with the present possessions Of the
wealthy the ownership OF a million sf dollars will
not soon make man eligible To be classed with rich
men. He looked forward TO golden future, when
there will be marvels OF growth In wealth. Of which
we should have parallel in the history OF nations.


Now the value OF the possession OF wealth IN the
moral progress OF q nation was manifest. No nation
rose from barbarous state except by earned
wealth. 1t was no use taxing the Gospel TO
people, unless you taught that people |
to be industrious and to make money. Mr.. Beecher |
then showed that wealth need not be used 10 deprive
people OF their votes, OF their liberty, and could be
appropriated TO good ENDS as well as bad. Wealth
mad hyglenic properties as well as bad ends Let all


try 10 get IT, labor for II, and do anything tor 1t
except sacrifice their honor and disobey their God
Riches might be said to be


TIE POOR MANS PROVIDENCE,


when II was riches in use and not riches locked up
The tendency Of wealth in this country pro-
mote refinement was shown by the prevalence
of happy homes. In no other country the
world were there SO many elegant homes
80 many convenient and well furnished houses
for The population, as III this. There was much os-
tentaten, but the wonder that there was not
more. Mr.. Beecher also urged as a proof OF this