New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-24
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nErRY WARD nEEcIIER.

hEHaY WARD BEECIIER.
Henry Ward Btesser il one of The mos, popular
men IN America, Sld Of the same time be Is one OF
osr meet radical refcrmere. He is the pulpit re-
fornel-the man wso thuhders :oY;h the most
popular truths, every Sunday, from his pulpit, 10 an
audience cor sistipg 10: of Independent country
farmers who have little temptation 70 do wrong, or
youDZ enthusiasts without prudence position in
soei.ty-but Of sober. st.d merchants, sad Their
sons and daughters. No pull orator in this country
is fearless in bis uttersnce Of truth than Mr..
Beeebsr; yet he 10 10 we'd and admired BY his church
and congregation. The reason is, that whils no
slw sys insists upon being independent he Is II the
same tine manly and honest. His denunclaGons OF
oppression and oppressors do not proceed fro
soured mind but from profound sympathy Win tne
oppressed. II il at eviden. 10 hls hearers tost
he is aeonizing over the wrongs OF the poor; aud,
in that frame u mind with his great heart 1t - I'M
possible for him not 20 pour forth, with astonishing
power, his convictions Of right-his hot censures
upon tbose gho deliberately aud purposely ire I'd the
poor beneath their feet. 10 gain any Just idea OF
Mr.. Beechers STYLE of eiOluence he must be seen in
the pulpit. The moment that be rses 70 commence
religious service the listener stEnck with his manly,
vigorous appearance There is Nothing soft or bland
in bis manners; he reads hymn, or a chsptsr from
the Bible. in 4 clear, firm tone OF voice or utters
prayer, moi az if he studying TO so modulate his
sci fences as 10 create an effect but as If he were
really wrestling with his Maker. We by no means
would give the idea that h5 Is hsrsh, coarse, and
without proper manner, for such is not the case.
like the moaning sob OF child upon the heart OF It's
mother: too We lave heard bin launch bis electro
cal eloquence st the heads of notorious sinners IN the
most impassioned, decsmaory manner. But We
we've saying. when he rises in the pulpit his waEli-
strikes first upon the attention OF the stranger,
and next his eager almost terrible esrnostness. He
scarcely writes out Ms sermons but comes into
the pulpit with but a few rough notes before him.
This allows him command over his audience which
he could not hold were he confined 10 written SER
mons. He seems to be talking directly - Cach lndi-
yidual bearer. There is no escspe; he bends over
the pulpit, and looks you IN the 6ce he Intends thN
YOU hall not go home without apprOpuating por-
ton of the discourse to yourself You come perhaps
preiudiced against him. You have hesrd that he Is
hsrsh mcui dent and an unpleasant orator; but when
you have heard his opening prayer you tee. neNnedto
give candid hear ing To what SO slncete, 50 honest
u an can cav. TO tell the truth, your preju1ces have
half melted before word o. the Sermon is uttered.
He does not open abruptly but in clesr, straight
fore ard amer lays the subject before his congrega
ton by and by he up with his subject. Is It
upon Int importance or Slavery! With what vigor
does he expose the ~ickedness Of the rum-rslic or
the ;rs tic in human flesh HoR clearly he untods
the law Of God How plainly exhibits the loving
humanity Of Christ lie draws picture Of the
poor hunted fugitive; be leads you nong the cotton
fields of the fair sunny South, where the oreeIs are
scented with orange blossoms and there ne asks you
to listen TO the hear'.broben signs of some miserable
slave mott err parted from her children His voice
and manner are Lot yehement, though sOemnly IN
earnest His manly tones are moiulated by feeling;
there is ss treIAoe in bis words his eyes over
run with tears You are weeping yourself for your
sympathits ere touched He grows more imprisoned
passes from the slave TO ne mGster His voice !
changes; his manner grows more declamiory; bus |
tears are dried. You leap along with him. and, ~ ne
sn ties the oppressor with Gods truth, you have no
thought of rebUking him for vehemence; he ex-
presses your own thoughts IN better language thdu
you could command. But, before he Is done, he
snites you; be charges those before him with ln-
diere TO this giant wrong ne tells them ina the
of ,ba cd will ba n
for conniviDg az the servituce OF three millions OF
their fellow men.
II is tie same with every subject; he is fearless
yet tender, vehement yet gentle. he breaches lev
of what are called docrinal sermons, but he dweus
of en- and fully upon the wonderful love OF tod
upon the everyday duhes OF men. lie never
breaches upon the exceeding sintulness OF ain,
but addresses himself to sinners. But, though he
is bold ne rarely offends any honest inquirer afts
truth Such mind likes his frankness-s charmed
by his boldness-is moved to tears by his pa'hos.
There are some who charge Mr Boecher with utter
irg irreverent, witty things in the pulpit. tie IS
sometimes almost humorous in the pulpit but II Is
because be cannot help it, IL is as natural for him to
speak his thoughts in original manner, as 1t Is tor
some clergymen 10 preach stupi ilt;es. OccFion-
ally sentence drops from his lips which starts the
so lie upon the faces of bis audience lie inteuded
no wit but the odd compar'son or the spa;k king
sentence bursts forth inyoiuntariiy 10 sit down
and snar over this feature o. hl pulpit oratory, when
there others 80 rare and attractive Is the marx OIL
Among the crowd who Ggure in this vol
ume 10 the poet Bryant, whose cold and re-
served temperament, we imagine, must recoil at
being mixed up with such a motley group OF en-
thusiasts, heretics, reformers, philanthrOpists,
and other nondescripts devoted TO lone idea.
TRAVELS IN EUROPE AND TIE EAST. BY s,HuEL
IREsAus PRISE. 2volA, ave. Harper Brethers
In these volumes, a record is presented Of ey-
tended foreign tour including years travels in the
principal countries CT Europe, with excursions in
Syria, Palestine, and Egypt The author is we'll
known by his connection with the religious press Of
this City and the work now given to tbs public will
take nothing from the reputation he has gained in
that capacity. With attempt at brilliant descrp-
ton or profound remark, he relates the occurrences
of the day in an easy conversational manner, often
diversifyibg the Of the narrative by pious
sentiment or moral reflection. He occasionally pa
rades his own feelings little too much for good taste,
considering that the readers are not limited to the
circle of his personal acquaintance; but on the whole
he tells his story simply ard unostentatiously as
could be expected from with whom the desire Of
FOREIGN travel had become passion, and whose e.
element at the prospect of departing deprived him Of
sleep. The opening chapter is vitiated with some
tawdry rhetoric, when the dear old honest sun is
spoken of as coming up from the sea in his chario.
of gold, shedding radiant glory from his glowing
wheels, spreading heavenly lustre on the heay-
ing bosom of the waves while "the blue heavens
came down to kiss the sea. Thi, might pass muster
in Alexander Smiths poetry, but is no: quite in the
ecclesiastical style becoming grave divine The
volumes, however, do not abound with such sopho-
morica illusions, ard generally more remarkable