Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-09-03
AN ovEReRowN BOY.

Henry Ward Beecher is never so.great as
when you see him among men, or we might
say, perhaps, among children. He never
left off being boy. There is something so
honest, noble and childlke in his great
square-put social utterances, that in this
sphere he is perfectly irresistible. So pow
erful has this influence become that the
whole city of Brooklyn, and to considera-
BILE extent the whole nation, is affected by
his social example. The narrow, contemptl-
BILE mannerisms that characterize the people
affecting Churchanity, the Miss Nancyish
ways of too many even of our clergy, the
pompous airs, exquisite snobbishness, pious
prepriety, and severely ornate methods of
speech and writing commonly supposed TO
give evidences of refinement and taste, the
great thunderer sweeps away with one blast
of his trumpet of truth.
Mr. Beechcr has taught the world that to
be saints mon need not be hypocrites, and TO
love the beautiful one need lot be sap-head.
Culture may kill out mans naturalness,
and leave only mere airs. Beau Brummel
and Beecher are forever at war. Oh, how
disdainlully Araminta Sophranisba Rose
water inverts and elevates her prOboscis at
the mention of some characteristic ''Beech-
erism' of the Brooklyn Boannerges. 'Did
Mr.. Beecher actually play ugly mug, and
stir the pudding at social gatheringf" said
one of these ancient maiden saints 10 us
few days since. "It is positively horrid.'
It is characteristic OF men who love truth
supremely that persons have but little influ-
ence over them. God makes a truly wise
man SO simple and unpretending that men
never look into the manger for the King of
Kingdom coming. Yet it is there that we
find our King. "a little child shall lead
them" The child is the model for Chris.
tians to follow and frame their characters by.
So does Mr.. Beecher. So do not the great,
the grand, and the filled with pomp and
show Visit Brooklyn, and you shall see
man as brown as Western farmer, with
perfect tumble of hair, falling all over shoul-
ders as broad as blacksmith's. His gait is
rapid, abrupt and blunt. He rolls as he
walks like a Cape Cod shipmaster. He
wears rough sack coat, pepper and salt
perhaps, breeehes, wide, roomy, and no bet
| ter fitting than the pants on Webster's statue
in front of the State House in Boston. He
swings his arms as he gets over the ground,
ever and anon lifting his hat and smoothing
back his hair over his massive forehead.
His features are coarse, his skin as rough
and ruddy as Jacks Tar's, and his whole
air that OF a man overlooking with human
| = ~,
as he meets you-no mannerish hand-shak-
ing or French airs; he passes right on unless
you have business. Then if you hem or
haw, or hesitate or don't come right to the
point, ten chances to one if he does not take
French ledue at once, and leave you to medi-
tate upon the abruptness of this wonderful
man.
In short, Mr.. Beecher has no nonsense in
his makeup. He is filed with good sense,
and woe he 10 Mr.. Diplomacy if he crosses
his path with his endless circumlocutions
He crashes right in on your forms of pro-
priety, your airs and distinguished consid-
erations. We once saw him beset by Com.
mittee-it must have been-sent to extend
thanks and distinguished consideration fol
his great services in behalf of our country
! while in England. There were kid gloves
of course There was a perfect puff o.
patchouly from silk handkerchiefs and cour
dresses, and diamonds in a shower, and al
that Then the French etiquette, the pre-
: : liminaries, the coming to the point, and ye
4 not coming to the point, the craven manner
the bowings, nonsense, hypocrisy, gentility
+ IN short, refinement of the poor creatures
bewildered the poor man so that when a
G last he shut them off with an abrupt grunt
> not even saying good evening, we though
he breathed again as one gasping for tresl
y air. This is the Americanism of our time
n and country. He is relgiously and polit
callY an embodiment of our future Churc
u and State. As the prophet of the comm
y kingdom, he heralds In what his whole lii
81 will yet exemplify. No man of this natio
70 is to impress upon the nation his characte
N more than Henry Ward Beecher.
81 Franklin stamped his spirit of econom
~ ~ upon our American boys, but Mr.. Beecht
III will stamp his whole soul upon the lives an
y aspirations of our whole people.-NesO Ko'
~ Church Union.
n