Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-11-19
iIr. Beeeher in Great Britain.
! From the New York Times. l

Every loyal American, whatever his opin-
ions respecting the past words and acts of
Henry Ward eecher will thank him for his
work across the water 1t is no exaggera-
ton to affirm that the five speeches he has
delivered-in Manchester, Glasgow, Edin-
burgh, Liverpool and London-each pursuing
its own line of argument and appeal, have
done more for our cause in England and
Scotland than all that has been before said
or written. Mr.. Beecher possesses the facul-
ty beyond any other living American of
combining close, rapid, powerful practical
reasoning with intense passion His mind is
always aglow with his subject and whatever
comes from it, even if it does not flash con-
victon, is almost sure to kindle sympathy
This combined with his marvellous power of
Observation-Disclosures alike for its intense
vividness and It's unerring pertinency-and
with his great HeXibility, whereby he adapts
i himself completely to the exigency of the in
slant, gives him a rare command over COM
mon audience. Even those who hate can't
help admiring, and those most steeled with
prejudice have to vince in spite of them
selves.
No better proof Of the power of Mr. Beech
ers eloquence need be had, than the immense
efforts made by the rebel sympathisers, after
his first speech, to shut his lips by force
The streets Of every city where he was to
speak, were pIacarded with the foulest abuse
of him; the newspapers were filled with
raillery and sneers the halls where he was
to speak, were packed with gangs of rowdies
in broadclOth and fustian, whose business it
was to browbeat, and if possible, silence him.
Every available resort was used to stimulate
the mob against him; or, if the mob could not
be raised, at least to crush him with public
contumely. Nothing but the fear of him, or
rather of the truths coming from his lips,
could have raised the tempest of opposi-
ton.
And yet how well he sustained himself. It
grand spectacular St. Georges Hall,
Liyerpool-when he struggled two livelong
hours against that raging sea Of insult, taunt,
irony, impertinent questioning, blackguard-
ism, curses, Kisses, cat-calls, stampings, boot
ings, yellings-every possible manifestation of
hate, every possible form Of disorder-a brave
sight, say, this strong winged bird of the
storm matching his might against it-now
soaring up to overcome it-now sinking down
to undermine it-now dashing in its teeth
now half choked in the gust of its fury, but
always moving onward, and in the end riding
triumphant on the very crest Of its widest
pillows. There has not been a more heroic
achievement on any of our fields of battle
than the successful delivery of that speech
against the odds which opposed it.
And the last speech at Exeter Hall, which
we published notwithstanding that Slave
ry was the only cause and the whole cause of
this gigantic and cruel war-how magnificent
ly and how completely did it sweep down all
the sophistries, and the whole mass of rub
bish with which the Secessionists have clog
ged British thought. And with what sublim-
it,- Of bn ~;
Britains the spirit that animates the hearts of
true Americans in regard to maintaining this
war:
" Standing by my cradle, standing by my
hearth, standing by the altar of the Church,
standing by all the places that mark the name
and memory of heroic men who poured their
blood and lives for principle, declare that in
ten or twenty years Of war we will sacrifice
everything we have for principle [Cheers.
If the love Of popular liberty is dead in Great
Britain, you will not understand US but if
the love of liberty lives as it once lived and
has worthy successors of those renowned men
that were our ancestors as much as yours, and
whose examples and principles we inherit to
make fruitful, as so much seed-corn in new
and fertile land-then you will understand
our firm, inrincib1e detcynaination-deep as the
sea, firm as mountains, bat calm as the heayens
ADORE 'ss-to fight this ecar through at all hazards
and at every cost" Immense cheering, accom-
panied with few Kisses.
This last speech was only slightly Interrupt
ted. 1t was listened to by the vast throng,
not only with respect and good nature, not
only with good will and appreciation, but with
urbounded enthusiastic and no orator of the
day has ever received such an ovation as avail
ted Mr.. BEECHER at its close. He had the
people completely with him. The eloquence
which had been withstood in the towns with
such desperate fury now eliminated in the
metropolis in most glorious triumph
1t is plain, from the whole tone of the Brit
ish Press, that Mr.. BEECHER has been instru-
mental IN starting, or at least in fastening,
complete revolution of the popular feeling of,
the kingdom in favor of our National cause.
He is the man who ought to have been sent
to England two years ago to enlighten and
rouse the people. Had this been done, he
could have hardly failed Of preventing vast
deal of that bitterness which has since. all
the while, been fermenting between the two
nations.