The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-05-10
Henry Ward Reecher.


The well-known minister of plymouth
Church, Brooklyn. has worldwide fam
as one of the most original :uld successful
preachers of the present day.
Despite being one Of the best abuses
men i'm the United States. he general,
rises triumphant over his antagonists
and keeps master of the situation.
Henry Ward Beechcr was born in Lich
| field on the l4th of June. 1913. and il
| 1884 he graduated at Amherst College
where he was considered most acut,
observer of men and things, and tin,
| smartcst student in the academy. III,
had no pOetical genius, but he wa
| strongly endowed by nature with all Tn,
elements essential to form true orator
He was very quick in his perception %
analogies. and had great power to sway
| the feelings of an audience with wonder
tlll facility by vivid description. pleasing
| and varied illustrations and vigorous ap
peal to render his audiences spell-bound
Hc>studied theology 1T Lane Seminary
| Cincinnati, which was under the dircc
ton of his father, DIR. Lyman Beecher, 9
very clever man. Henry Ward Beeclier
on his first clerical starting. settled As Q
Presbyterian minister at LawrcneebIrg
Dearborn county. Indiana. where he re-
mained two years. From thence he re-
moved to indianapolis. the capital of tho
State where he labored with great zeal
until he accepted the unanimous call of a
new Congregational Society in Brooklyn.
where he was installed pastor af the So
cicty's church in October.
He often refers to the night when he
arrived in Brooklyn with only single
silver half doller in his pocket, after de-
fraying travelling expenses. He rented
two little empty rooRs, and one friend
sent him in Il stove and carpets. another
bed, chairs and tables. and a third put
up book-shclvcS and filled them with rare
books. and he was happy rs a king,
.'monarcli of all he SURVEYED He ha,
now grand homes. place in the cour-
try. and a richly furnished winter resi-
sIence in Columbia street, Brooklyn. In
an Grafton he delivered to Young men on
he point of getting married. fe advised
them to Immediately go housekeeping i'll
stead of boarding" He said it was won
derful how much valne two little rooms
could hold. and. with a voice deep and
full of sorrowlul pathos, he added. Il
question very much if was not happier
i'm my humble lodgings than have ever
been since i'm my grand homes" From
lS47 mp the present period, he has heen
the idol of 4 certain party. many Of whom
consider him an inspired superior and in
ftllible being. In his own religion he is a
sort Of luminary, round which some fan
atical satellites move in worshiping ado
ration. Some outside the pale of his cir
Gle look upon him as a BarnlIm or a
Rarey but. on going to lear him. find
him neither a prince of showmcn nor a
horse-tamer, hut most polished gentle
man. doing the best he can Ito leave foot
prints on the sands of time and 10 leave
society better than he found il. Outside
the sanctuary he is jovial and a sociahle
companion; but
eat church, with meek and unaffected grace
His looks adorp the venerable place;
Truth from his lips prevails with double sway
And fools who came 10 scoG remain 10 pray
When Mr.. Beechcr was only boy
MANY told that he would create a sensa-
ton on his pathway through life. for the
great ability he displayed gave high
promise that he would rise To that exal-
ted pinnacle TO which he has since mount
ed through close study and naturally
remarkable power lc possesses for ana
living human character in all its varied
phases. He is not, by profession, a pain
ter; vet. when he delineates the workings
of the human heart. and describes scenes
OF the temptations. the errors. the abuses
and the wants Of to-day, he does so with
such soul strength and mental elasticity.
that you fancy you see the illustrations
he places before you rs plainly as il you
were gazing upon the glowing colors of
the tinted canvass. Whether he wanders
amid the clouds or fingers by the ruined
hearth, whether he bears you TO tho gor
geous flowery gardens Of Eden, or TO
where the meek lily droops beneath the
storm. or the humble daisy lifls its mod
est head beneath the wild hedge-briar; ;
still-still, Bcecher pleascs and cnchants
you, and you lose sight of the preacher
in the great actor and calm orator before
you.
He Is artistic.,lly dramatic in his deliv-
ery. and some of his solemn feelings are
uttered with as much thrilling pathos as
ever the late Charles kean outpoured his
sublime Interpretation of ShakspearIan
imagery. His sermons might more prop
erly be called orations or lectures. He
seldom dwells on the Scriptures beyond
the mere announcing of the text or Cos
pei of the day. He views events much
like the Indian, who, without Bible-learn-
ing, knows there is God. and sees His
great Omnipotence in the leaves and in
the flowers, and hears His mighty voice
m the babling of the brooks and the roll
ling of the thunder. The sect over which
ne presides simply call their religion
congregational He scans his audi
ence much as husbandman with sickle
viewing ripe field of vintage, and it
seems as II he could pierce into the work
lngs OF every heart. Like Dean Swift
whom ne much, resembles in keen wit
and pointed repartee-he can stir up his
audience 70 laughter, thrill them with en-
tnusiam 70 give bursts Of applause, move
them TO tears or petrify them into breath
less silence. he has great flow of Ian
guage, clear and simple diction. and is
never at a loss for words to express his
sentiments. his voice is clear, pleasant
and well modulated.
His higher tones are theatrical, and his
lower tones soft and effective in solemn
narrative, with a good deal of the ycntril-