The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-07-21

NEW York, July 13.

AVE- w = AOAsAAs " eAJ AOs
Some of the PEOPLE and temporary
residents OF Peekskill and neighbor-
hood, preceded by band of music
and company of militia, marched to
Rest Hill, last evening. and serenaded
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, and after
an address by Judge Wells, giving
expression to their confidence in him
as a man and as q Christian minister
of the gospel. Mr.. Bcecher spoke for
nearly an hour. Among other things
he said: when / began my life /
had no intention Of being q great and
eloquent and wise man, but l did
mean to be a good man and an honest
man. / did mean to spend all the
strength God gave me in making my
fellowmen better. This l have done
by the help Of God. / make then this
assertion, more emphatic because not
few newspapers seem to think have
done it by the help and permission of
newspapers, but I have done it in spite
Of them. don't ask that they should
care tor my future; my future is in
the keeping of tho 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 I can not write, if it is CIV
en- to me to say things which men
want to hear, and to write things
which make men better. / went
through the Red Sea, but it was a
long time ago; the fact is. gentlemen,
that about 1870 and 1871, and for
three or four years, 1 had to go
through pretty deep waters at times,
but kept it to myself. The revela-
ton of it to mankind came within a
year, but l had got through it. I am
receiving scores and hundreds of let
tcrs couched in most earnest and af-
fectionate coincidence for the fiery
trials through which am going.
But, bless you, the ashes of that FIRE
we're scattered long ago. l am grow
ing in strength and elasticity of body.
I am all right. The letters / have
received from Baptist clergymen, from
clergymen in the ministry OF the
Episcopal Church. and especially the
letters and messages from the Roman
Catholic priests, have been among the
most Christian expressions rendered
me. prize these letters. And the
churches have prayed for me; house
holds have prayed for me; mothers
kneeling in the midst of their little
children have prayed for me, and l
will say that 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. Ihave
no new course to take [ am too old
to change my position, and-I shall 60
on trusting men, and l have pursued
that doctrine all my life. and only
once in forty years have l made a
mistake. l shall love men, and l
shall not stop to think Of their faults
before l love them, and l propose to
60 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 punishment that is
good unless it is administered in the
spirit of love.
1.-The expenses of the trial have
been enormous, enough to bankrupt a
country minister FIVE times over. and
would have destroyed me but for Ply
mouth Church; and even with their
help | shall barely get through, for
the expenses of the trial to me have
been over $75, 1000, and 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 ad-
Nrosa --ttts