Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-07-29

silver, being; in every disguise and under every
possible plea, an attrocious theft and pronounce
that man who does it, or attempts to procure the
doing of it, either by mistake or Intentionally,
thief" at this point, there was long, loud and
violent applause. Yes in the house of God, So
Called there was long, loud an'l violent applause!
This bad old man had chosen his text for the cs
pecial purpose of making this hit nt Mr.. Pcndle-
toms financial opinions; and with the hit, came
the coveted applause. Dr.. DevOre, who sat next
us, upon scoing this noisy demonstration, whis-
perod to US: "The very next good thing he says,
I'm going to sing out at the top of my voice:
Bullym But there came no more good things.
All the things to which the Doctor could have
cried out Bully p had been sad in the first part
of the discourse. But let us give the winding up,
in tho words of the speaker. "ThiS thing is an
attempt to mako the American nation n vast
tbieving body. It is not an accusation which can
bo laid against one party or the other. There
are thieves in both parties that are clamorous for
this national reputation. This is crime that
could rot find its parallel even among the arrant-
est knavcs. [Applause.] 1t takes man smirched
with patriotism and vanished with picty to do
the wickedcst things. A pickpocket would not
steal the medicine away from a physician who
was healing his own mother. But while men in
the nations hour of extremity lent their aid, it is
now proposed that we shall pick their pockets
and steal from them. 1t is thing for which there
ore no titles mOnstrous enough. 1t is thing
that every man who has conscience or parti-
Gle of honor ought to hiss Mt and spew out of his
mouth. 1t is shame that the Church, which is
so loud against dancing and card-playing, has
not word to say against national robbery, ma
tional dishonor, and ational.dishonesty."
Father Bcecher was in his element, and We
had. struck him ut the right time to hear
characteristic sermon Sermon! Bah it was
no sermon It was profane and violent trade
He is man of powerful mind and powerful re-
sources and he is doubtless possessed, in high
degree, of both moral and physical courage. But
he is neither preacher nor orator. He is cum
ming actor, and very vulgar one at that. He
is.coarse, sometimes, to extreme vulgarity; un-
digniGed, sometimes, to buffoonery; and irrevent,
very often, to impiety. He appeals ever to pas-
sion, instead of e1horting to piety. While celmly
listening to his commonplace illustrations, his
familiar figures and apothegms, his material
views Of life, and his inccssant appeals to our
coarser instincts, we could and appreciate the
sources of his immense popularity with the half
educated, wido-awake, grasping, jostling, bust
ling, vulgar, money making crowds who go to
hear him and who, from their very pursuits and
instincts, demand in a preacher man whose
smartness gives moro promise of outwitting the
devil than of guiding to Heaven. Such an ono
is father Beecher-an old man who, like his sis
ter, Harriet Bcecher Stowe, has long since cut his
eye-teeth in devtry.
Our frame of mind when wo left the White
Fawn nnd the pink-legged womcp, was much more
pious than when wo quilted father Beecher and
his Plymouth Church.
To. morrow will be Sunday, and on that day
we will writo you cur last letter, for on Monday
morning, as the b'hoys in Edgedcld would say,
we must git up and git" j. 7. B.