The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-08-05
A Great Sermon Lost and Found.

Many 0f our readers are aware that SER
mon OF DR.. Beocher against du uelling exert
cd powerful Influence in turning public
opinion OF the North against that falso code
OF honor to which 80 many valuable lives
have boon wantonly sacrificed. Tho histo-
ry Of that sermon is very curious ono, as
given by DR.. Beecher in bis Autobiography,
published by the Harpels.
There never was such o sensation produ-
ced in the whole country, as when Aaron
Burr foupbt q duel with Alexander Hamil.
ton, and killed him. When read about it
in the paper a feeling of indignation was
roased within me. kept thinking and
thinking, and my indignation did not 20 to
sleep. 1t kept working and working, and
finally l began to write. No human being
knew what l was thinking and feeling nor
had any agency in setting me at work. 1t
was the duel. aud myself, and God, that
produced the sermon.
worked at it, off and on. for six months,
and when it was done, without consultation
or advice. preached it to my own people,
and in obscure villages on the north side OF
the Island. to sec how il would sound. Iii.
naIly, l presented it before tho Presbytery
at Aquebogue, April l6, 1906.
venture on such subject, in such place.
but they eulogizod the discussion, and
thought it should be printed. So foil to
work fitting it for tho press. But. after oil,
it came nigh not being printed, for, want.
ing some one to criticse 1t, aud having no
literary man IN my own congregation but
John Lyon Gardiner, l sent it over TO Gar.
diners Island for him to road and criticise
A fort,;obt aFt,r I pant ny,r Wbap I ~ap,
into the house, and up to tho fro, i met
Mrs. Gardiner. Her husband was away.
"Havo you found your sermon:' said sho
tho question:; did not know it had been
lost" "No:" snid she; but it is, though. =
| And then she told me that her brother John
had been over about week ago, and they
sent IL by him; but ho gavo j. to neiehbo,
to take over, who put il into his pea jacket
pocket. In the middle of the bay, being
warm wDh rowing, he threw off his coat
ano tho sermon tell into tho water. II,
heard something splash, as he atterward
recollec,ed, but did not notice it at the time
SO there. was. supposed all was gone
had all my rough sheets, and should bnv
tried to regain 1t; but it was a doloful pros
pect after working over it SO long, and read
'pS ah tbo iiiep'uS " ~ W LeoAauay au'
Esther and Mary Hubbard.
So went to GARDENERS hands--he ba,
some five hundred ncres of the island farm
and thirty or forty men--and engaged then
to watch tho beach to SEQ if any-thng cam
ashore. offering five dollars to the one tha
found it.
Ono day month after, was at hom
cutting wood, when spied fellow runnin
toward me, swinging something in tho al
and grinniDg. SO that could see his teet
fifteen rods uf There was my sermon, lik
Moses from the bulrubhes. They had wrap
ped it in paper. and wound it round wi,
) yarn so closely that it was dry inside. A
Providence had ordered it, q heavy storr
and high tide had set in the same nigf
when it was lost. and lodged it high and dr
about a hundred rods frcm our landin
place, above highwater mark. 80 l had
nrinted