The Van Buren press., 1875-07-20
BEECHER.
He Is sersnaded by His Admirers at
Peekskill

A dispatch from New York, July 18th,
says The people and temporary resi-
dents of Peepskill and neighborhood,
preceded by band of music and com
pany of militia, marched to West Hill.
last evening, and sereuaded Rev Henry
Ward Beecher After an addres by Judge
Wells, giving expression to their conf
deuce in him as a man and as a christian
ministsr of the gospel, Mr.. Beecher spoke
for nearly an hour. Among other things
he said:
When | began my life. had no inten-
ton 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 as
sertlon more emphatic because not few
newspapers seem to think have done it
by the help and permission of newspa
pers, but | have done it in spite Of them
| don task that they should care for my
future My future is in the keeping Of
the Lord God, to whom my mother di-
rected me, and should like to know who
is going to stop my mouth with muzzle,
or my mind that cannot write, it it is
given toIne to say things that men want
to heor. and to write things that make
men better went through the Red Sea,
but it was q long time ago. The fact is,
gentleman, that about 1870 and 1871, and
fnr fbraa
through pretty deep water, at times,
but kept it to myself The revelation
of it to mankind came within a year. but
had got through it. | am receiving
scores and hundreds Of letters, couched
in most earneat and aflectonate condo
lence for the fiery trials through which |
am going. But bless you, the ashes of
tina, fire We're scattered long ago. am
growing in strength and elasticity of
body, am all right. The letters | have
received from Baptist clergymen, from
clergymen in the ministry of the Epis-
eopa church, and especially letters and
messages from Roman Catholic priests
hrve been among the most christian ex-
pressions rendered me. | prize these let
ters. Churches have prayed for me,
households have prayed for me mothers
kneeling in the midst Of their little chill
dreu, have prayed for me; and | will say
thut these prayers have been more to me
than the plaudits Of the people on the
streets, 1t has been this that has made
me happy. ] have no new course to take !;
| am too old to take new position; |
shall go on trusting men, | have pursu.
ed that doctrine all my life, and only
once in forty ycare have | mndc mis-
take. / shall love men; | shall not stop
TO think of their faults before | love
them. ! propose to go on with my work,
confident in men, not preaching merely
the difference between right and wrong
but this | shall preach that there is no
justice, no severity, no punishments that
are good unless they are administered in
a spirit of love.
The expenses of the trial have been
enormous enough to bankrupt country
minister five times over, and would have
destroyed me, but for Plymouth church,
ana evea with their help Shall barely
get throuenn. for the expenses of the tri-
al to me have be,s aver $4,000. On
the other side they have -cen very large
but they have got no money to pay tHom
with.
Mr. Beechcr elected much laughter,
and was frequently and warmly applaud
ed throughout his somewhat long ad
dress.