The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-01-22
OTTUMWA, IOWA, THURSDAY, JANUARY g. 1876!

gathering, which at least needed only an el
oquent popular leader to give it the charac
ter ofa popular movement. Lyman Beech
er, an eloquent speaker, natural born lead
er, constitutionslly courting the opportunity
Of attack, and animated with conscientious
zeal for the heriditary faith Of the Pilgrims
was just the man for the hour, to whom, as
champion, the Evangelical party spontane
ously turned The history of that famous
conflict IN which DR.. Beecher and his friends
on one side, Arraysd themselves against Drs
Claiming. Ware and Gannet. and the body
Of Unitarians on the other, need not be here
further revived. Henry Ward Beocher, in
speaking of it has said that "Boston, when
his father set bis foot in it, immediately
sounded like bee-oive with stone thrown
into it y
In 1882, the great preacher bade an elo-
qusnt farewell TO the ,nultitudes who flocked
around him. and actuatcd by conscientious
duty toward the Great West, removed to
Cincinnati. to take the Presidency Of Lane
Theological Seminary and the pulpit of the
Second Rreshyteria Church sf that city
Hero the man who in Boston had brouyh,
accusations Of heresy against others. was
himself tried as hereto. DR.. Wilson, his
neighber, and pastor of the First Presbyte.
rian Church, tabled charges Of false doc.
trines against him in tbs Presbytery. The
trial was famo IL in its day, and is not for
gotten yet, The case was carried from Pres.
bytery to Synod. and the accused was 20
thoroughly acquitted, anil his triumph 40
signal, that all his friends were even glad that
he had been charged and triel. The trial
aided not little in widening tn, area of free
discussion, and in promoting the gsner,l
spirit Of religious inquiry. After giving
twenty years ef his life to Lsno Seminary,
he endel his public iabors in 1852, when
he returned TO Boston, and afterward remov-
ed to Brooklyn.
He was three times married, and was the
father Of thirteen children, of whom We need
not here speak, as they speak for themselves
OF his irst wife. Roxana Foote-the mother
Of Catharine, Edward, Mrs. Stove, Charles
and Henry Ward-a woman Of cxtraordin
ary mind and equally extraordinary acquire
nsnts-the Doctor used to make this re-
mark: "Shc was the only psrson that ev.
or met whom felt to be fully my equal in
an argument" They were in the habit OF
reasoning togsther, over the tea-table on the
profoundsst questions of philosophy and
theology.
DR.. Rsechsr's published rks ara mainly
Sermons. AMI after thes,. various C,ntrover
sial writings. which had wide circulation,
and exerted great influence in their tins.
AS an orator, be was the most peculiar,
brilliant aud effective of his day. By nature
he was a strong reasoner, yet no reasoned
rather in the style Of an advocate aiming at
point than Of judge or a statesman, aim
ing to cover whole field Of discu ,sion.-
He spoke and wrote always for some im,ne-
date purpose. His sermons and speeches
were marked in their openings. and subse-
qusnt leading parts. with unusually careful.
statements and distinctions, and then fol,
lowed, after each well stated point, some bril-
liant illustration, which kndling his imagin.
alton, would suddenly set his speech on fire
thrilling the assembly as assemblies rarely
are thrilled by human speech. The ,dore D.
Weld, one Of his pupils. plato to Socrates)
used to say Of his masters method, that
"first he made his point. and then. he srt .
candle on it," The Rev. Albert Barnes says,
in letter. that No or,tory which he ever
heard in his life equ,llsd Lyman Bcecher's.
in his granl Agits. Henry Warl Bescher
once said (psrhsps rather joeosely, for Ger
tainly noboiy will agree to it) shat all the
thirteen children together were not ths equal
Of their htherT In counterpart to this. the
old Doctor, one Sunday evening, ,her listen
ing wrapt and spellbound to his sons ser.
mon, turning round to watch the great con.
grcga,ion retire. stroked his long. white hair,
and, As il rejecting, with pardonsble pride,
upon tho great inaence Of Plymouth Church,
exclaimed. Well, this is the greatest thing
in America /"