Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1837-02-10
REV. DR.. BEECHER.

Every truly great man has some pecu''-
nrities which mark his character. But no
man living probably has stronger charac-
teris,ics. than the distinguished gentleman
whose name heads our article. In giving
them to our readers briefly, we would say
that we introduced them not as buresque:
for no one can have higher estimate OF
the oftness of his intellect, the purity OF
his int entions, and the power OF his elo-
quence. DR.. Beecher's personal appear
ance is very significant. No one would
suppose him q man of mind. He is short
and somewhat compacty built. His hair
is coarse his fore head low his eyes small
and twnkling his mouth comprcssed,--
We presume no stranger ever heard h'm
preach without feeling at first sigh, disop'
pointed When the Doctor enters the
church it is upon very fast walk. He
runs up the pulpit stairs--wipes his spec.
tacles--correc's his sermon with his PEN
eli, or gases about IN a list|ess manner.--
He reads his hymn in a careless off hand
style, and follows it with an extempore
prayer, remarkable principally, Tor lis
tcrseness From the manner 10 which he
commences his sermon, one would think
that he was not even good reader. Can
that be Dr.. Becchcr ?"--iuqulres the vIsI-
tor almost Invariably. "lie certainly has
been overa-- step, what sentence!
yes it is he" DR.. Beecher's mind when
he begins to discourse, is like pent-up
river. 1t cannot endure the confinement
The rush Of thought, Of argument, of I'M
agery. is SO pow leriul that it sweeps away
every barrier. .No,D look at hun. His
eyes expand and burn as though lighted by
uneartnIy tires--hs very body appears to
swells with the increasing majesty and
grandeur Of the conceptions of his intel
!ec,. lie looks for the moment as though
under he Influence Of direct inspirations -
I!e is 70 longer he lIstIess man, but one
of Coos immortas. We have heard HIM
preach before an audience of five thou-
sand persons. when SO overwhelming was
the power Of his cloquerce, one fifth Of that
mighty mass have riscn Involuntary on
their feet, and stood cnglng with convuI-
sed grasp to the pews.
DR.. Beecher's forte is debate. He needs
an antagonist IN order to rouse him thour-
oughy. He needs no quarter and asks
none. 1t was once we'll said by nervous
writer, speaking of the celebrated discus
sion between Be, cher and Claiming few
years since, that the former used "a bats
lie axe Of Iron--'he latter, quill plucked
from the bird of PARADISE" The former
had more energy the latter more polish.
The one was 10 the field, with the arnor
Of GoIiah,--lhe other was IN The closet pol E
ishipg The delicate weapons of gen'ee war
fare. DR.. Beccher in his discussions i'm
pales his antagonist, and holds him writing
On the point Of his spear up to the gaze
of the public.
The Doctor has no clerica! dignity
Passing by his house one morning, we saw
him rush out, without any hat, his hair
standing up like porcuplne quilts, his coat
and pan,aloons apparently IN the last stage
of consumption, crying out as he shufiled
down the street in his study slippers. -
CLANS! Clans" We perceived that he
was after man about quarter Of a mile
from him who had the article for sale. He
invariably did what no other clergyman,
we presume in Boston would do-went to
market. On his way home he would stop
to read the papers, and IN the forgettnness
of the moment frequently leave his pur-
chase behind him. His absent mlndedness
was proverbal. He would sometimes look
his most intimate friends IN the face, and
mot know them. Ore morning, when at
Litchflcld, he arrayed himself in new
black suit presented by his parishioners, as
he was in the course of an hour to 60 to a
ne ighboring town to preach an ordination
sermon. He thougt in the meantime he
would 60 to the barn and give his horse
some hay. In the loft he found a new-Iaid
egg. and put it in his coat pocket then
another, and another until he had six or
eight. He walked into the room, took
down his fiddle, paced back and forth. and
finally sat down scr c-k," went the
eggs his coat was ruined. We give these