The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-06
The Now Sensation Preacher.

From the n. Y. Herald, Marcn 10. . III. s+a-
The Rev. Henry Grattan Guinness, whose
sudden and meteoric-like appearance in the
pulpit of New York has caused so much
excitement in religious circles, preached q
sermon yesterday afternoon. The Academy
of Music was the place selected for its deliv-
cry, and the reverend gentleman held forth
on the very boards where the spirits Of "Der
Freischutz" were wont to weave their mystic
spells and Don Juan practiced his amorous
intrigues. The immense building was
crowded to OVERLOOKING; SO great, indeed,
was the number in attendance that stand.
ing room even was in demand, and many of
the audience were compelled, by the pres
sure behind, to get upon the stage. The
aisles were jammed, and even the third tier
was crowded. So great an assemblage was
never known in the Academy of Music
except when a political mass meeting has
been held there. At three o'clock between
seven and eight thousand people were pres.
ent, and by half past three-the time set
for the commencement of the sermon-the
building was so filled that the ingress of any
more was impossible, and many hundreds
were compelled to turn away unable to OBJ.
tain admission. A platform had been
erected in front of the stage, and the crowd
upon it was so great that fears were enter
tanned for its security, and the officers of
the place were obliged to thin out the crowd
by sending them back upon the stage. On
former occasion Mr.. Guinness requested
that all Christians should absent themselves,
and that none but sinners should come to
listen to his words. If his instructions were
obeyed the Academy of Music contained an
immense concourse of sinners yesterday
afternoon.
Mr.. Guinness, although possessed of con
siderable fame as preacher, is still young
man, being about twenty-five years of age
though his appearance would make him
somewhat older. He is man of medium
height, slimly built, and has very interested
and earnest manner when speaking. His de.
livery is graceful yet forcible, although there
may be slight want of gesticulation. He
is also somewhat selfsuAicient in his manner,
and at times rather harsh in his language.
He seems to be solid, earnest speaker, and
deals out no compliments to bis hearers, into
all of whose hearts his words appeared to
sink like soaring iron. His style is not OF
the argumentative kind-it belongs more to
that which logicians call the ar gumentum
ad honsinem. He appeals more to the feel
ings than to the reason-more to the heart
than to the brain. His voice is somewhat
monotonous, and does not possess that ever
changing variety necessary to enchain the
attention of an audience, and the listener
who has been prepared to expect a great
oratorical display is somewhat disappointed,
although his earnestness, as he advances,
renders him more pleasing, and disarms crit
icism. His grand redeeming trait, however,
is the simplicity of his language. He sell
dom resorts to those lengthy and technical
expressions which reverend orators are apt
to make use of, and, even when compelled
to do so, his explanation is so satisfactory
that his meaning is evident to every mind.