Smyrna times., 1874-09-02
.MISc eIZUW e Gus.
The Beecher Family.

The Beecher Family.
Ninety-nine years ago there was born in New
Haven, Conn.,, child who was destined to be-
come one of the foremost preachers of his day
and the father of a numerous prOgency, many
OF whom are no less distinguished than he was
himself Out of the thirteen children of DIR.
Lyman Beecher-one of whom died in infancy
and another, the Rev. George Beecher, was
killed by the accidental discharge of his own
gun while still young man-eght are well
known all over the country. The most emf
nent member of the family is the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, whose unfortunate compiler
tion with the Tiltons is now the source of so
much scandal. 1t is unnecessary to review his
public career, even for the purpose of contras-
ting it with that of the other Beechers but
we must be excused for remarking that, as
Livingston street was his GolgOtEa, SO has
there been a place of skeletons for nearly every
one of the eminent Beechers The fathers
popularity of playing Aud Lang Syne" on
his fiddle or dancing the double shuttle"
after a sermon seems to have been transmitted
in one form or another to each of his children,
and nearly all of them have at some time ac-
quired notoriety by freak characteristic of
this remarkable family.
After Henry Ward Beecher, Harriet Beecher
Stowe is the most eminent of old DIR. Beecher
children. Married early in life she was at first
absorbed in her domestic affairs, and she
showed no decided literary genius till she was
forty years of age. But in 1852, when every
body believed that slavery agitation was ended
by the repeal of the Missouri compromise, she
gave abolitionism new impetus by the publ
cation of her remarkable story of Uncle
Toms Cabin" The success of that novel was
simply marvellous and the story still remains
unsurpassed as picture of the old slave life in
the South. In her subsequent works, how
ever, Mrs. Stowe has showed only mediocre
talent, and she has fatally blurred her reputa-
ton by her famous vindication of Lady Byron.
As a vindication it can only be called Beech
erian, and it was, in fact, only relation of the
gossip she had gathered from the woman Lord
Byron once called his wife. The Beecher sis
ters have singular knack Of dealing with the
domestic affairs of others, and even Miss Cath
crime Beecher once wrote book sailed Truth
Stranger Than Fiction, in which she gave an
account Of an infelicitous complication in which
some of her friends were involved. a more
remarkable Illustration of this singular faculty
than either of these is found in the conduct OF
Mrs. Isabella Beecher Hooker in regard to the
calamity which had overtaken her brother.
. According to letters exhibited as a part of the
Moulton statement Mrs. Hooker sent her en-
i teebled husband abroad, possibly to die, while
, she remained behind to save her brother Henry
e and vindcatc that fragrant essence of woman
: hood, Mrs. Victoria Woodhull, for her assault,
e upon his character This proposition was not
/ more astounding than the method by wbicl
3 such wonderful results were to be achieved
But if it is essentially true, says Mrs. Hook
: er to Mr.. Beecher, speaking of the story abou
e which we have recently had so much teStl
n mony, there is but one honorable way tC
s.r meet it. in my judgment, and the precis
= method occurred to me in bed this morning
y and | was about writing you to suggest 1t wheI
e your letter came | will write you sister
ii letter, expressing my deep conviction that thi
whole subject needs the most earnest an
q chaste discussion that my own mind has lon
er been occupied with it, but is still in doubt o
s > many points; that have observed for year
es that your reading and thinking have been pre-
p. found on this and kindred subjects, and nov
pisi the time has come for you to give the world
IS through your own paper, the conclusions 70
have reached and the reasons therefor. 1t 20
choose, | will then reply to each letter, glvln
he the woman s view-for there is surely man
ne and a woman's side to this beyond everywher
nd else-and by this means attention will be dive
es ted from personalities and concentrated on 81
at at cal philosophy-the one subject that no
to ought to occupy all thinking minds. This WI
~S ~S sstery as no sister ever wrote to brother b.
ev fore, and people must belong to a very remarl
able family, indeed, where one can recommen
NJ such course to another in matter OF sue
nT great moment.
'u The youngest of the Beechers, cast in tn
Is; shade as he is by his more eminent brothe
1n and sisters, seems to have mOnOplZed the cor
". ", mon sense of the family. This is the Re
red Thomas X Beecher. Henry tells his sist
am Belle that they are nearer together than any
'n"d their brothers and sisters. About the san
ing time Belle writes to her brother Tom, spea
eni sGfi ing of Mrs Tilton, that it was Henry "wl
wo has dragged the dear child into the slough ar
our left her there, and is now sending another W
a, man to prison who is innocent of all crime b
ria, a fanaticism for the truth as revealed to he
for for and |, by my silence, am consenting unto h
md death" The other woman was Mrs. WOodhu
for whom Mrs. Hooker declares her hea
'He '"n bleeds as for her own flesh and blood. B
nd Tom is of the sturdy sort. He is evidently
rti- man who sees the hard corners of truth We
ana plainly and expresses what he thinks We
cen clearly {" In my Judgment" he says, " Hen
late is following his slippery doctrines of expet
the ency and, in his cry of progress and the mob
FL! ness of human nature, has sacrificed clear, G
doaI act, ideal integrity And so he comes to {
D.. clare that Woodruff is his hero and Henry
hir coward, "as at present advised" He dist
and lieves in their philosophy, but he believes
tho courage in maintaining ones beliefs, whatey
OG5S fof they are. This man Is indeed very remar
year year able Beecher he is all the more remarkal
nty; because he is utterly unlike the rest of this
'Onu markabe family.-N Y. Herald.
gust A member of the Saginaw county bar, y
esD ar recently 10 one of our thriving interior TOW
the on professional business. In the Office OF