The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-02-04
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
Mr. Reecher In Exeter Hall.
BY AN EYEWITNESS.

In the i've great speeches which Mr.. Beecher
has made in England and Scotland on the Amer
lean question:, before vast audiences, he has taken
care to observe n system of selection. which has
brought before the country all the great salient
points of the American War. He has not re-
Peated himself, but met the Confederate sympa-
thizers here upon every field which they had
y chosen for their own advantage. But the grand
climax of all his efforts was that which was
made at Exeter Hall last night. before n crowd as
great rs ever gathered into that immense hall,
and which, despite the persistent efforts OF the
opposition to destroy the meeting and its effect,
made n mark upon English opinion which must
prove OF the utmost Importance.
You will get and copy from the London press
the extended reports of this meeting. But there
were some characteristics of IL which they have
not reported, and some which perhaps would be
observed more particularly by an American. L
had the good fortune to receive 4 complimentary
ticket, which gave me a seat near Mr.. Beecher on
the platform, and with the full crowd under my
eye. And as l know that the orator would be
too modest to write out the full account of mat
tiers so Intimately connected with himself, and
TIT the many readers os The Independent will be
eager to know all about his last encounter with
the Rebellion before n crowd of English specta-
tors, / have determined to send you some sketch
of the affair.
Mr.. Beecher's strokes in other cities of the
Kingdom having invariably drawn blood from
the hides of the Confederate sympa;hizers here,
it was plain that they had determined TO meet
with yells and uproar what they could not meet
with rgument That an organized opposition
was contemplated was not concealed. During
all yesterday posters were scattered through the
length and breadth of the city, making all kinds
of charges OF n personal character against him,
abounding In fictitious and distorted quotations
from discourses and lectures delivered by him in
old times. liz has been considered of prime i'm
pOrtance 10 the Confederate cause here that Lord
Russell's assertion at Blairgowrie, that the moral
sympathies Of the English people were adverse to
the Southern cause, should be disproved and it
was hoped, through personal assaults upon Mr..
Beecher, to inJure the effect of the meeting. and
then claim il ms the verdict of London i'm favor of
the Southern Confederacy.
At an early hour the hall was crowded to over
flowing, and there was evidence too that they
were orderly men and women, who, whether
sympathizing with the North OF not, had come
To hear n fair discussion of the question which
concerns all, and were determined to secure fair
play. The crowd outside i'm the Strand and
Exeter street was enormous, and consisted chiefly
of the opposition. One of the committee came
in smilingly, and said, - Our shilling admission
fee has filtered the crowd. The Southern sympa-
thizer is always a man who looks hard at a shill-
ing before he paris with it, and then don't part
with it," Yet it was known that in two OF three
sections of the house there were parties who
meant mischief.
The speech was to begin at seven. At that
hour Mr.. Beecher had not arrived in the COM
ENTHUSIASTICALLY WHICH,, 70 " nuInDer Oh thirty or
forty, his friends on the platform were awaiting
him. a messenger came To tell us that Mr..
Beecher could not force his way through the
crowd, but was bravely trying to do SO, and
would succeed probably in fifteen minutes. After
n brief consultation 1T was resolved, in view of
the growing Impotence of the crowd In the hall,
that the leading men of the city who were present
should go to the platform, and that the chairman
OF the meeting, Mr.. Benjamin Scott, Chamber
lain Of the city, Rev. Newman Hall. and others.
should entertain the crowd with addresses until
the orator of the evening should arrive. The
procession OF these gentlemen to the platform
was greeted with vehemen applause but when
it was discovered that Mr.. Beecher was not among
them, there were equally vehement expressions of
disappointment. When, however, the chairman
gave u promise that Mr.. b. would soon be present,
the meeting became quiet and pleasant. He 1.-THE
chairman) then began TO address them, and was
listened to and applauded, until Mr.. Beecher
walked upon the platform, when the Chamber
lain's most glowing sentence was cut short off,
nor could the crowd be persuaded to allow him
to conclude it. Cries of SIT down." Time"
a. Beecher," hurtled about his head, and he had
to sit down-for n British crowd is renorseless
in such cases.
When Mr.. Bcecher arose, there were FIVE
minutes Of the most tremendous cheering that |
have ever witnessed. Wave after wave, as Of a
tumultuOus sea OF sound, came laundering up
from the gallery at one end to the organ at the
other, in the midst of which stood Mr.. Beecher
calm rs n rock In the midst of the surges. A
hiss was then begun, but at his first word it sank
back into the diaphragms of those who uttered
OF meant To utter it. The first glance and the
self-possessed manner of the man told plainly
that he had something to say in Exeter Hall that
night, and that he meant to be heard.
Mr.. Beechers voice was scarcely as sonOrous
and clear as it usually is, and all recognized that
tins was natural after the many speeches i'm im-
mense halls which he had given during the week.
g. 4 eypect To be nDarSe - he said Sand am
willing to be hoarse If 1 can in any way assist to
bring the mother and daughter heart to heart and
hand to hand together" This sentiment was
received with great applause and Beecher's
hcarsene>s was thus Impressed 70 the service of
his cause. But he 80 economical his voice that
every word was distinctly heard by the vast
assembly. And | assure you that every word
was freighted in the day when men are called
TO give an account for every idle word spoken,
Mr. Beecher VIII not be confronted by any one
uttered last night ut Exeter Hall. At one time,
when there was an interval of a few moments,
arising from the effort of the misses to triumph
over the cheers, Mr.. Beecher, with a quiet smile,
said, +" Friends, | thank you for this Interrupt
ton 1t gives me a chance to rest The Kisses
thereupon died away, and had no resurrection
during the evening. 1t was evident, indeed, that
the speaker. who knows Il thing or two about
audiences, felt that the meeting was his, and that
no interruption would succeed. But many of
his friends had serious apprehensions. One of
the editors of The Star. himself a distinguishes
speaker, and thoroughly acquainted with English
audiences, who sat near to me, whispered in nv
ear, There are a great many here who do not
cheer there is a strong chance of a row vet but
the meeting is just in such a condition that its
result Will depend upon the power and eouanim-
iy OF the speaker" Then" l replied, syou
need not fear" If Mr.. Beecher had heard our
brief whispers, he could not have more distinctly
appreciated the remark of the editor. At that
moment althnuyh ha had haap SpfaraSt;nr III