Savannah daily herald. (Savannah, Ga.) 1865-1866, April 17, 1865, Image 2
thought which schools for the common peo ple and newspapers breed, they reviled as the incitement of unsettled zeal, running easily into fanaticism. , , . Thev more thoroughly misunderstood the profound sentiment of loyalty; the deep love of country which pervaded tue common peo ple. If those who knew them best had never suspected the deptu aud power of that love of country which threw it into an agony ot grief when the flag was hdfc humbled, how should thev conceive of it, who were wholly disjoined from them in sympathy? The whole laud rose up, you remember, when the flag came down, as if inspired uncon sciously by the breath of the Almighty, and the power of omnipotence. It was as when one pierces the bauks of the Mississippi for a rivulet, and the whole raging stream plunges through with headlong course. There they calculated, and miscalculated. And more than all, they miscalculated the bravery of men who have betfn trained under law, who are civilized aud bate personal brawls, who a>-e so protected by society as to have dismissed all thought of self-defence, the whole force of whose life is turned to peaceful pursuits These arrogant conspir ators against government with Chinese van ity. believed that they could blow away these self-respecting citizens, as chaff from the battle-field. Few of them are left alive to ponder their mistake! Here, then, are the roots of this civil war. It was not a quarrel of wild beasts, it wa3 an infliction of the strite of ages, between power aod right, be tween ambition and equity. An a:med hand of pestileut conspirators sought tne natiou’s life. Her children rose up and fought at every door, and room aud hall, to thrust out the murderers, and save the bouse aud household. It was not legitimately a war between the common people of the North and South. The war was set on by the rul ing class, the aristocratic conspirators of the South. They suborned the common peo ple with lies, with sophistries, with cruel de ceits aud slanders, to figiit for secret objects which they abhorred, and against interests as dear to them as their own lives. I charge the whole guilt of this war upon the ambitious, educated, plotting, political leaders ot the South. (Applause.) They have shed tuis ocean of blood. They have deso lated the South. They have poured poverty through all her towns aud cities. They have bewildered the imagination of the people with phantasms and led them to believe that they were fighting for their homes and liberty, whose homes were unthreatened, and whose liberty was in no jeopardy. These arrogant instigators of civil war have renewed the plagues of Egypt, not that the oppressed might go free, but that the free might be oppressed. A day will come when God will reveal judgment, and arraign at his bar these mighty miscreants; and then every orphan that their bloody game has made, and every widow that sits sorrowing, and every maimed and wounded sufferer, and every bereaved heart in all the wide regions of this land, will rise up and come before the Lord to lay upon these chief culprits of modem history their awful witness. And from a thousand battle-fields shall rise up armies of airy witnesses, who, with the mem ory of their awful sufferings, shall confront these miscreants with shrieks of fierce accusa tion; and every pale and starved prisoner shall raise his skinny hand in judgment. Blood shall call out for vengeance, and tears shall plead for justice, and grief shall silently beckon, and love, heart-smitten, shall wail tor justice. Good men and angels will cry out, “How long, oh Lord, how long, wilt thou not avenge ? And, then, these guiltiest and most remorse less traitors, these high and cultured men with might aud wisdom, used for the des truction of their country; these most accurs ed aud detested of all criminals, that have drenched a continent in needless blood, and moved the foundations of their times with hideous crimes and cruelty, caught up in black clouds, full of voices of vengeance and lurid with punishment, shall be whirled aloft and plunged downward forever in an endless retribution; while God shall say, “Thus shall it be to ail who betray their country”; aud all in heaven and upon the earth will say “Amen!” (Voices: Amen! Amen !) Bat for the people misled, for the multi tudes drafted and driven into ibis civil war, let not a trace of animosity remain. (Applaud* ) The moment their willing hand drops the musket, and they return to their allegiance, then stretch out your own honest right hand to greet them, iiecall to them the old days of kindness. Our hearts wait for their re demption. Ail the resources of a renovoied nation shall be applied to rebuild their pros perity, and smooth down the furrows of war. [At this point in his oration, Mr. Beecher paused, and said: “I will thank the band to play an air, and you to get up that are sitting down, and you to sit down who have been standing; and I will sit down too, and rest for a moment.’’ When the band had ceased playing, he said: “We will now take our places agaiu, and attend to our business,” and then proceeded with his speaking.] Has this long and wearv period of strife been an unraingled evil ? Has nothing been gained ? Yes, much. This nation has at tained to its manhood. Among Indian customs is one which ad- mUs youDg men to the rauk of warriors only after severe trials of hunger, fatigue, pain, endurance. They reach their station, not through years, but ordeals. Our nation has suffered, and now is strong. The sentiment of loyalty' and patriotism, next in importance to religion, has been rooted and giounded. We have something to be proud of, aud pride helps love. Never so much as now dii we love our country.** (Great applause.) Buts jur such years of education in ideas, in the knowledge of political truth, iu the love of history, in the geography of our own country, almost every inch of which we have probed with the bayonet, have never passed before. There is half a hundred years' ad vance in' four. We believed in our iustitutiono and princi ples before ; but now we kiioio tlieir power. It is one thing to look upon artillery, aud be sure that it is loaded; it is another thing to receive its discharge. (Laughter.) We be lieve in the hidden power stored in our iu stituti< ns: we had never before seeu this na tion thundering like Mount Sinai at all those that worshipped the calf at the foot of the mountain. A people educated and moral are compe tent to all the exigencies of national life. A vole can govern better than a crown. We have-proved it. (Applause.) A people in telligent and religipus are strong in all econo mic elements. They .are fitted for peace aud co npeteut to war. TUey are not easily in flamed, and wheu justly incensed, not easily ex inguUhed. They are patient in adversity, endure cheerfully needful burdens, tax them selves for real wants more royally than any prince would dare to tax his people. They pour forth without stint relief tor tne suffer ings of war, and raise charity out of the realm of a dole, into a munificent duty of beneficeucp. The habit of industry among free men pre pares them to meet the exhaustion of wai with increase of productiveness commensu rate with the need that exists. Their habits of skill enable them at once to supply such armies as only freedom can muster, with arms aud munitions such as only free indus trv can create. Free society is terrible in war, and afterwards repairs the mischief of war with celerity almost as great as that with which the ocean heals the seams gashed in it by the keel of plowing ships. Free society is fruitful of military genius. It comes when called; when no longer need ed, it falls back as waves do to the level of the common sea, that no wave may be greater than the undivided water. "With proof of strength so great, yet in its infancy we stand up among the nations of the world, asking no privileges, asserting no rights, but quietly assuming our place, and determined to be second to none in the race of civiliza tion aud religion. Os all nations, we are most dangerous and the last to be feared. (Laughter and ap plause.) We need not expound the perils that wait upon .enemies that assault us. They are sufficiently understood ! (Laughter.) But we are uot a "dangerous people because we are warlike. All the arrogant attitudes of the nation, so offensive to foreign governments, were inspired by slavery, and under the ad ministration of its minions. Our tastes, our habits, our interests aud our principles, in cline us to the arts of peace. This nation was founded by the common people, for the common people. We are seeking to embody iu public economy more liberty, with higher justice and virtue, than have been organized before. By the necessity of our doctrines we are pnt in sympathy with the masses of men in all nations. It is not our business to subdue nations, but to aug ment the powers of the common people. The vulgar ambition of mere domination, as it belongs to universal human nature, may tempt us; but it is withstood by the whole force of our principles, our habits, our pre cedents, and our legends. We acknowledge the obligation which our better political principles lavs upon us, to set an example more temperate, humane and just, thau monarchical governments can, We will not suffer wrong, and still less will we inflict it upon other nations. Nor ar«ve concerned that so many ignorant of our ron flict, for the present, misconceive the reasons of our invincible military zeal. “Why con tend,” say they, “lor a little territory that you do not need?" Because it is ours ! (Laughter and applause.) Because it is the interest of every citizen to save it from becoming a fort ress and refuge of iniquity. This nation is our house, and our fathers’ house: and accursed be the man who will not defeiul it to the ul terraost. (Applause.) More territory than we need ? England, that is not large enough to be our pocket, (laughter,) may think that it is more than we need, because it is more than they need ; but we are better judges of what we need than they ure ! Shall a philanthropist say to a. banker who defend himself against a robber, “Why do you need so much money ? But we will not reason with such questions. When any for eign nation willingly will divide their terri tory and give •it cheerfully away, we will answer the question why we are fighting for territory ! (Laughter.) At present—for I pass to the considera tion of benefits that accrue to the South in distinction from the rest of the nation—the South reaps only suffering ; ,hut good seed lies buried under the furrows of wan, that peace will bring to harvest. 1. INvadlv doctrines have been purged away in biobd. The subtle poison of secession was a perpetual threat of revolution. The sword has ended that danger. That winch reason had affirmed as a philosophy, the people have settled as a fact. Theory pronounces, “There can be no permanent government where each integral particle has liberty to fly off. Who would venture upon a voyage on a ship each plank and timber of which might withdraw at its pleasure ? (Laughter and ; p dause.) But the people have reasoned by the logic of the sword and of the ballot, and they have declared that States are inseparable parts of national government. They are not sovereign. State rights remain ; but sove reignty is a right higher than all others; and that has been made into a common stock for the benefit of all. (Applause.) All further agitation is ended. Tilts element must be cast out of political problems. Henceforth that poison will ift>t rankle in the blood. 2. Another thing has been learned: the rights and duties of minorities. The people ot the whole nation are of more authority than the people of auy section. These United States are supreme over Northern, Western and Southern States. It ought not to have required the awful chastisement of this war to teach that a minority must sub mit the control of the nation’s government to a majority. The army and navy have been good political schoolmasters. (Laughter and applause.) The lesson is learned. Not for many generations will it require further illus tration. 3. No other lesson will be more fruitful of peace than the dispersion of those conceits ol vanity, which, on either side, have clouded the recognition of the manly courage of all Americans. If it be a sign of manhood to be able to fight, then Americans are men. The North, certainly, are in no doubt what ever of the soldierly qualities of Southern men. Southern soldiers have learned that all latitudes breed courage on this continent. Courage is a passport to respect. The peo ple ot all the regions of this nation are likely hereafter to cherish a generous admiration ot each other s prowess. The war has bred re spect. and respect will breed affection, and affection peace and unity. (Applause.) 4. No other event of the war can fill an in telligent Southern man, of candid nature, with more surprise, than the revelation of the capacity, moral and military, of the black race. It is a revelation indeed. No people were ever less undei stood by those most familiar with them. They were said to be lazy, lying, impudent and cowardly wretches, driven by the whip alone to the tasks needful to their own support and the luuetions of civilization. They were said to be dangerous, bloodthirsty, liable to insur rection ; but four years of tumultuous dis tress and war have rolled across the area in habited by them, and I have yet to hear of one authentic instance of the misconduct of a colored man. They have been patient, and geutie, aud docile, and full of faith and hppe ana piety; and when summoned to freedom, they have emerged with all the signs and tokens that freedom will be to them what it was to us—the swaddling band that shall bring them to manhood. And after the Government, honoring them as men, sum moned them to the held, where once they were disciplined, and had learned the art of war, they have proved themselves to be not second to their white brethren in arms. And when the roll of men that have shed their blood is called in the other land, many and many a dusky face will rise, dark no "more when the light of eternal glory shall shine upon it from the throne of God. 5. The industry of the Southern States is regenerated, and now rests upon a basis that never fails to bring prosperity. Ju9t now in dustry is collapsed; but it is not dead. It a'eepeth. It is vital yet. It will spring like mown grass from the roots that need but showers, and heat, and time, to bring them forth. Though in many districts not a gen eration will see wanton wastes of self-invoked war repaired, and many portions may lapse again to wilderness; yet, in our lifetime, we shall see States, as a whole, raised to a prosperity, vital, wholesome and immo vable. 6. The destruction of class interests, work ing with a religion which tends toward true democracy in proportion as it is pure ancl free, will create anew era of prosperity for the common laboring people of the South.— Upon them has come the labor, the toil, and the loss of this war. They have fought blindfolded. They have fought for a class that sought their degradation, while they were made to believe that it was for their own homes and altars. Their leaders meant a supremacy which would not long have left them political liberty, save in name. But their leaders are swept away. The sword has been hungry for the ruling classes. It ha 9 sought them out with remorseless zeal. New men are to rise up; new ideas are to bud and blossom; and there will be men with different ambition and altered policy. 7. Meanwhile the South, no longer a land of plantations, but of farms, no longer tilled by slaves, but by freedmen.will find no hind rance to the spread of education. Schools will multiply; books and papers will spread ; churches will bless every hamlet. There is a good day coming for the South. Through darkness, and tears, and blood she has sought it. It has been an uuconscious via dolorosa. But in the end it will be worth all it has cost. Her institutions before were deadly; she nourished death in her bosom. The greater her secular prosperity, the more sure was her ruin. Every year of delay but made the change more terrible. Now', by an earthquake the evil is shaken down. And her own historians, in a better day, shall write that from the day the sword cut of! the cancer she began to find her health. What, then, shall hinder the rebuilding of this republic? The evil spirit is cast out; why should not this nation cease to wander among tombs, cutting itself? Why should it not come clothed, and iu its right mind, to “sit at the feet of Jesus?” Is it feared that the government will oppress the conquered States? What possible motive has the gov ernment to narrow' the base of that pyramid on which its own permanence stands ?* Is it feared that the rights ot the States will be withheld ? The South is not more jealous of State rights than the North. State rights, from the earliest colonial days, have been the peculiar pride aud jealousy of New England. In every stage of national forma tion it was peculiarly Northern, and not Southern statesmen, that guarded State rights as we were forming the Constitution. But, once united, the loyal States gave up forever that which had been delegated to the Na tional Government. And now, in the hour of victory, the loyal States do not mean to trench uDon Southern States rights. They will not do it, or suffer it to be done. There is not to be one rule for high latitudes and another for low. We take nothing from the States that has not already been taKlb from Northern. The South shall have ust those rights that every Eastern, every Middle, every Western State" has—no more, no l«ss. We arc not seeking our own aggrandize ment by impoverishing the South. Its pros perity is an indispensable element to our own. We have shown, by all that we have suffered in war, how great is our estimate of the importance of the Southern States of this Union; and we will measure that estimate, now in peace, by £till greater exertions for their rebuilding. Will reflecting men not perceive, then, the wisdom of accepting established tacts, and, with alacrity ot enterprise, begin to re trieve the past ? a Slavery cannot come baclT It is the in terest therefore, of every man to hasten its end. Do you want more war ? Are you not yet weary of contest ? Will you gather up tne unexploded fragments of this prodi gious magazine of all mischief, and heap them up lor continued explosion ? Does not the South need peace ? Aud, since the labor is inevitable, will you have it in its worst torms, or its best ? Shall it be ignorant, im pertinent, indolent ? or, shall it be educated, sell-respecting, moral, and self-supporting ? Will you have men as drudges, or will you have them as citizens ? Since they have vin dicated the Government, and cemented its foundation stones with their blood, may they not oiler the tribute of their support to main tain its laws and its policy ?- It is better for religion ; it is better for political integrity ; it is better for industry ; it is better for money—if you will have the ground motive, that you should educate the black man, and by education, make him a citizen. (Ap plause.) Tuey who refuse education to the black man, would turn the South into a vast poor house, and labor into a pendulum, ne cessity vibrating between poverty and in dolence. From this pulpit of broken stone we speak forth our earnest greetiug to all our land. We offer to the President of these United States our solemn congratulations that God has sustained his life and health under the unparalleled burdens and sufferings ol four bloody years, and permitted him to behold this auspicious consummation ot that nation al unity lor which he has waited with so much patience and fortitude, and for which he has labored with such disinterested wis dom. (Applause.) To the members of the government asso ciated with him in the administration of per ilous affairs in critical times, to the Senators and Representatives of the United States who have eagerly fashioned the instruments by which the popular will expresses aud en- itself, we tender our grateful thanks. (Applause.) To the otlicers and men of the army and navf, who have so faithfully, skiiifuliy and gloriously upheld their country’s authority by suffering, labor and sublime courage, we otter a heart-tribute beyond the compass of words. (Great applause.) pon those true and faithful citizens, uien and women, who have borne up with un flinching hope in the darkest hour, and cov ered the land with their labors of love and charily, we invoke the divinest blessing of Him whom they have so truly imitated.— (Applause.) But chiefly to Thee, God of our fathers, we render thanksgiving and praise, for that won drous Providence that has brought forth fmm such a harvest of war the seed of so much Liberty and Peace. We invoke Peace upon the North. Peace be to to the West. Peace upon the South. In the name of God, we lift up our ban ner, and dedicate it to Peace, Union and Liberty, now and forevermore. Amen.— (Great applause.) The Savannah Daily Herald. BT S. W. MASON AND GO. SAVANNAH, MONDAY, APRIL 17, 1306. HOW GENERAL LEE WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER. The New York Times of April 10th char acterizes the surrender of Lee to Grant as “ the greatest and most important event for this country since the imperishable Declara tion of July 4, 1776; the most momentous fact of the century as affecting the stability of democratic government—to be hailed, not only in our own land, but wherever mankind aspires to freedom and progress as a turning point in the history of man, ’’—and thus sum marizes the movements which immediately preceded and brought about the great con summation ; The facts preceding and concluding this blessed result maybe here briefly stated as follows: From the hour of Sheridan’s vic tory over Lee’s right wing, on Saturday week, followed immediately by the grand assault along the whole line and the capture of Petersburg, the Confederate cause was lost. The evacuation of Richmond on the following Sunday, put Lee in rapid and al most disorderly retreat. He hoped to be able to escape by or around Burkesville Junction, with a mere chance of getting off towards North Carolina, and perhaps with a faint prospect of forming a junction with Johnston. But Grant’s pursuit was too vigor ously pressed. His irresistible cavalry, led by the hero of the Shenandoah, and backed by Grant in personal command, swept down the Southside road, seized the junction, shut Lee off from so much as crossing tafe Appo mattox, and forced him to abandon all hope of help from Johnston. That Lee struggled hard aud fought hard to avoid this disaster, our columns have already shown. He had, then, but two things to do : to make his way to Lynchburg, where he could only hide be hind liU vast fortifications and be starved out, or come to a complete surrender. Lynch burg, strong by nature and by art, would have been a place of safety for the present, if he had reached it; but Grant had already provided lor this emergency. Thomas was coming from East Tennessee and Schofield from the Shenandoah Valley; with powerful columns, which, with Grant's own forces, would speedily have besieged the rebel chief with a circumvallation ot bayonets that for half a year have glistened with victory.— Every avenue of supplies would have been in our hands; every railroad, canal, river and turnpike would be crossed by our fortifica tions ; to remain would have been death—to fight out would be accepting odds that might have appalled the most reckless. Thus brought to bay, and hourly harrassed by a pursuit that knew no such word as rest, Lee lias succumbed to his fate. It seems that on Saturday, Gen. Grant sent some note to Lee intimating that he was willing to accept rea sonable terms of submission. This appears to have been anticipated by Lee, who was on his picket-line when the note reachod him. He replied, desiring an interview. Grant re turned answer that he would hurry forward to meet him. The next note gives the terms proposed by Gram. Gen. Lee immediately returned answer, ‘accepting the terms pro posed. Thus upon terms both honorable and gen erals, upon terms which place the respon sibility of their breach upon the rebel leaders, the only really great army, the main stay aud very soul of the rebellion, gracefully yields to the overwhelming power of the Union—that Union soon to rise from its bap tism of blood, regenerated, purified, and conscious of a strength that shall withstand alike the jealouses of rival powers abroad and the shocks of treason within. LATEST FROM THE NORTH. PHILADELPHIA DATES TO THE lITH. Our special correspondent at Hilton Head sends us the subjoined despatch: [special despatch to the savannah daily herald.] “Philadelphia Enquirer of the 11th re ceived. No news. No rates of gold given.” Has to Wait.— Owing to the great press upon onr columns, occasioned by the Sumter celebration report, several columns of New York news, ‘culled from papers of the 10th and 11th inst., together with a most interest ing original account of the great meeting of the Freedmen at Charleston, have to lie over until our next edition. Reported Surrender of Johnston and Beaureoard. When the Blackstone left Charleston there was a report current that Geu. Joe. E. Johnston and Beauregard had also surrendered with their army to Gen. Sherman. This story could not be traced to any authentic source, and is per haps a mere flying rumor. It may, however, be true, and at all events it is probably only a very little, if any, premature. Gen. Johnson will unquestionably before many days imitate Gen. Lee, and will "“fol low in the footsteps of that illustrious pre decessor.” Capt. Isaac Russell. —This young man who was one of the Geo. “Melish” and a res dent of Savannah, about two weeks since left Millen, Georgia, to escort as far as Whitesville several ladies who were coming to Savan nah. He was arrested by order of Major General Howell Cobb, and lodged in jail at Augusta. Gov. Brown, it i9 said, bad to sign a bond in order to release Capt.|Rus»ell. Correction— Wfe printed the name of George Marshall (colored) as having been implicated in a robbery a few days since. We have been since informed that John Marshall is the name of the culprit, and that George Marshall bears a very excellent char acter. More Refugees Arriving.— Saturday af ternoon several refugees from Augusta ar rived in our lines. They bring no news. QLINTON LODGE, No. 54, F. A. M A Regular Meeting will be held This Evening .t half-past seven o'clock, at Masonic Hall, Bull stiUt corner of Broughton. u P ?*L? r * nd Master William S. Rockwell wifi deliver a Lecture on the Square and Compass to J £?En b r ofthe fr “ tera,t y»M respectfully invited SIMON E. BYCK, W: M. David H. Galloway, Sec. ap i» gTOVESI STOVES! 1 STOVES TTt ~ * Large and small, for Restaurants andFsmllles All kinds of HOLLOW WARE and Cooking Uten sils. Planters' HOES, wholesale and retail, bv , JAMES G, THOMPSON & CO., apl>— mAthC Beaufort, S. C. gOUT HERN BOOK, MO SIC X A2XD FANCY GOODS EMPORIUM. Just received, a large and well-selected Stock of BOOKS, STATIONDRY AND MUSIC, EPISCOPAL, PRESBYTERIAN, BAPTIST AND METHODIST HYMN BOOKS, VIOLIN AND GUITAR STRINGS, Ac., Ac , Ac i ✓ A large assortment of FANCY GOODS Will arrive this week. At. l. IN want or SCHOOL BOOKS, SLATES AND STATIONERY, MUSIC, ETC. • * SHOULD CALL mUXDIATEXT AT SCHREINER’S BOOK STORE, Corner of Congress gt. and Monument Square, apt 7 J^OTICE. Second Pbovost Coubt, _ , „ Savannah, Ga., April 13th, 1863. This Court stands further adjourned until Monday, the 17th inst,, at 10 p. m., when all parties having business at said Court will attend without further no tification. The following cases, pending for adjudication wUI De disposed of by Judge Walton, and all parties con cerned therein are hereby ordered to appear at the time above specified: ® arrett —Debt on ac- Mrs. M. A. Cavanagh vs. H. P . Willlnk, Sr-Claim fn £ r fP , 4l?J n * de . on tEe defendant’s property? dnoka Wright C color *dj vs Henry (colored]—Theft of P ChasUnet vs. John Boger (colored]—Nuisance. Board. C ° o,ed ® e v *‘ E ' E- Snow—Debt on account of . 8 - w - Bourquoin vg. Mr. Miller—Recovery of a mare in possession of defendant. * “ are baUe“ry E1 ° n<leaU Ta * Hancah (colored]-Aseault and Tnmer Johngon—Violation oKSS VS Mary Br *nnan—Violation GeSoSr™ Cornell - V iolation of John Cofiee vs. Dick (colored]—Recovery of a horse _»p,» t , joum OIL, " IN FIVE OALLON TIN CANS, GIVEN AWAY! For this week only, at On* Doll as na Gallon ' to close consignment, at store gallon . io CORNER OP BAY AND BARNARD STREETS. aplT—7 R. VETERINARY SURGEON iiam strelt r. * opened hls office and yard, on Wil- ? w P re P ared to treat (on scientific uaratJK& I ? ,ea ® e< incident to Horses that are sags test “*■*» ■—a* ANTED. whe&^prf I f?!. WOn l d lik £ Board In a private family tonv ottU:r bjar der*. Price no object aa 1 f .*£ u ,* b,comlor t of a home. Adores* 8., Savannah Herald office. apri4—iw