Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-11-22
Coins TO teal Beecher's Election Sermon
Attending Church under Difficulties.


Going TO hear Beecher's Election Sermon
Attending Church under Difficulties.
A New York correspondent of the Boston
Traveller writes
| had a queer experience on Sunday even
ing: if you have time, read it. l had often
heard OF Henry Ward Beecher and his politi-
cal use of the pulpit but it had never been
my fortune to hear him, on any great occa-
sion. Old Abe, you may remember, was
elected President last Tuesday, and l thought
the reverend gentleman would be very apt
to v~entilste his publications thereon-and /
determined to go and hear him. His services
commence at half past seven in the evening,
and the church is always crowded by half
past six; so taking bite at five, and putting
a smoked herring and a cracker in my pOck-
ct, ! walked from my hotel to the Fulton
ferry, determined to profit by my early at
tendance and geta good seat. On the ferry
boat | found about five hundred other people
who had determined upon the same course OF
action, and who scowled selishly at me as l
entered the cabin. However, I said moth
ing to nobody" resolving thar when the boat
touched the Brooklyn shore l would TAKE a
short cut to the church and play smart on my
fellow seekers of religio-political truth. The
boat touched, I jumped, so did all the rest.
| ran, so did they cut across the corners,
they did the same-we all rushed liekety cut
up Hicks street reaching the outer portal of
Plymouth church, breathless, heated, tired
| and worn, and when we had reached that
interesting locality-we found a pushing,
striving, restless mass Of humanity-com-
prising certainly six hundred men, women
and children all eager to get inside of the
church house, which was already rammed,
damned and packed as full as full could be.
However as a reporter I was able to get in.
and side by side with fifteen little boys and a
blind man | squatted myself on the point Of
the circular platform and-waited an hour
and a quarter. Then the long~-looked-for
came, the gas was then turned up-a rousing
hymn was then sung by three Thousand peo-
pie with a Will and a gustO-a strong and
wonderfully eloquent prayer was offered, and
then all settled in their seats, while the
Domini "squore himself for the sermon.
Coolly, calmly Mr.. Beecher began-gradu-
ally he warmed up-presentIy he flushed red
in The face-then his arms few around like
the arms of a windmill, first on one side of
the pulpit, then on the Other-now reading,
now extemporizing -thundering out anthe-
mas on sneaking politicians-scarifying Nor
thern doughtaoes-ridiculing Southern threat
eners-imploring Northern Christians-run-
ming through the several gamuts of menace,
petition, argument statement and reason, and
keeping for an hour and a half the entire
audience in a delightful state of intellectual
enjoyment, and physical upscrewment such
IS is rarely sustained 10y mortals here below
firing the nimble fingers of the reporters,
and sweating himselfat every pore. 1t was
a great and grand sermon-suited to the oc-
casion and fitted for the times. Next time I
shall go at four o'clock, and take my luncheon
with me. and a file of the Sunday papers,
with which to while away the waiting
hours. - -.r