Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-07-14
NASHVILLE TENN. WEDNESDAY JULY IA. 1875.
BEECHER.
He is Serenaded at His Country
Seat,
And Makes a Characteristic ResPOns

And Makes a CharaeteristIe ResPOns'
New YORK, July 13.-The people ant
temporary residents of Peekskill ant
the neighbOrhoOd, preceded by a band o.
music and a company of militia, marched
to Rest Hill last evening and serenaded
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. After an ad-
dress by Judge Wells, giving expression tC
their confidence in him as a man and as a
christian minister of the gospel, Mr.
Beecher spoke for nearly an hour. Among
other things, lie said:
"When / began my life, hau no inten-
tiOn of being great and eloquent and wise
man, but did mean to be a good man and
| an honest man; / did mean TO spend all the
strength God gave me in making my fellow
men better. This has been my ambition.
This have done, by the help of God.
make, then, this assertion, more emphatic
because not a few newspapers seem 10 think
1 have done it
BY the Help and Permission OF News
papers;
but have done it in spite of them. 1
don't ask that they should care for my fu-
ture. My future is in the keeping of the
Lord God TO whom my mother directed
me, and should like TO know who is going
TO stop my mouth with a muzzle, my hand
that cannot write, if it is given TO me to
say things which men want 10 hear, and 10
write things which make men better.
Went Through the Red Sea,
but it was long time ago. The fact is,
gentlemen, that in 1870 and 1871, and for
three or four years, i had TO 90 through
pretty deep waters at times, but / kept it
to myself The revelation of il TO man
kind came within year, but L have got
through it. l am receiving scores and
hundreds Of letters cOuched in most earnest
and atiectiOnate coincidence for
The Fiery Trials
through which am going, but bless you,
the ashes Of that fire were scattered long
ago. l am growing in strength and elias
ticity Of body. | am all right. The let
tiers l have received from Baptist clergy
men, from clergymen in the ministry Of the
Episcopal, and especially letters and
messages from Roman Catholic priests,
have been among the Christian expressions
rendered me. / prize these letters.
Churches have prayed for me, mothers
kneeling in the midst Of their little chill
dren have prayed for me, and | will say
that their prayers have been more TO me
than the plaudits of the people on the
streets. 1t has been this that has made me
happy. l have no new course TO take. |
am too old to change my position. / shall
60 on trusting men. l have pursued that
doctrine all my life, and
Only Once I'm Forty Years
have | made a mistake. | shall love men.
l shall not stop to think Of their faults be-
fore love them. propose 20
60 on with my work, CON
tident in men, not preaching merely
the difference between right and wrong,
but this l shall preach, that there is no jus
tice, no severity, no punishment, that are
good unless they are administered in the
spirit OF love.
The Expenses Of the Trial
have been enormous enough TO bankrupt a
country minister five times over, and
would have destroyed me but for Plymouth
Church, and even with their help | shall
barely get through, for the expenses Of the
trial 10 me have been
over $4,000.
On the other side they have been very large,
but they have got no money TO pay them
with.
Mr.. Beecher elected much laughter, and
was frequently warmly applauded
throughout his somewhat long address.