The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-15
MI. Beecher's Church, Associations
and Defence.
EVIDENCES OF HIS GENIUS.
Peculiar Characteristics Of the
Corporation.
THE POWER OF MONEY.
Philosophical Reflections on the
Great Trial.

Every Sabbath makes Mr.. Beeoher's church
greater superstition. The suis IN which he is the
de .endant has dragged on 80 cautiously and tedi.
uusly that the minds OF men are diverted from the
persons and principals to the whole institutions
around which such strange and extreme people
cluster.
At nrst sight the visitor TO Brooklyn Is dts.
appointed both with Plymouth church and the
houses In which Its dlgnltaries reside. Columbia
street, which runs along the parapet OF Brooklyn
Heights, leaving enough space between 1t and the
scarp OF the East River for row Of houses and back
yards, contains the TWO residences OF the famous
pulpit orator. One OF these houses Is painted
hame, a sort OF bright pink color, which has been
raised and enlarged since Mr.. Beecher made 1t
his nome and study. There he lived IN the earlier
years OF his mfnlstration IN Brooklyn, when some
OF his children were babies. His present dwelling
Is a brown stone house, not particularly roomy or
ornamental The average good residence In
Brooklyn Is inferior 10 the New York house. A
New England character belongs to all Brooklyn.
The generally wide Streets lined with shade
trees; the abundant white frame cottages and
frame mansions, set at random gable end to the
street, with porticocs and verandas. and green
and white shutters. are very suggestive OF life in
New Haven Hartford or Worcester. Even the
brown stone house Of Brooklyn has a minor,
humber look. In such brown stone house Mr..
Beecher mas his home. From the rear there Is
NOBLE VIEW OF THE BAY,
the East River, the probe OF New YORK Island and
the shores OF Jersey extending far on to the soft
line OF the orange Mountains. Probably no spot
10 the world affords scene under generally clear
sEes. or such variety and strength. The granite
tnts OF American scenery abound In land and
water. The bay itself has something OF the color
n n1atAd The Variouqlv
affect this animated scene; In spring and summer
bringing out the foliage. In autumn making this
foliage gold ana crimson and In winter mantl1ng
all the vista with snow. The street running
be.ore Beecher's door Is not an overrun
thoroughlare and Is generally very still. he can
look down from his windows on the incessan ut
panorama Of human activity and the shifting Of
the tides. and discover illustrations almost In.
Unite for his sermons and writings. Only the
whistllng OF the steamers. mellowed by distance,
penetrates to his study. He Is as quiet on the
shores Of the East River Mr.. Tennyson, his con-
temporary, hidden away in his seacoast home on
the Isle OF Wight.
very short distance from this house on q
transverse street Is the celebrated Plymouth
church. 1t Is plain and almost lorbiddlng In ap.
pearance. A slight touch OF satire might hken it
to q warehouse or o brewery. Built OF red brick,
with rather crouching root, its great depth
alone suggests the call upon its capacity.
People in the neignoorhood say that it
has raised the price OF real estate
around 1t, and not the least or the
pecuiarities OF this church and society 10 the
iden tlncation OF pecuniary ami moral values. the
income OF the corporation or society Is always re-
ierred to In the same breath with q eulogy upon
the moral influence of tho preaching and praying
there.
plymouth church is power, sir" exclalms the
Brooklynte. ut Is rich, sir.
MIR. BEEcHER Is A WONDERFUL MAN.
cut even without MIN Plymouth church would get
along. They can raise money in that congreRa.
taon Tor any thing they please. Beecher only has
to mention It, and all the hands OF his hearers 60 to
their pockets. They built the Howard University.
helped the Jubilee singers, raised an annuity for
Herbert Spencer, and whenever olo Plymouth feels
an impulse she plants seed"
Being without metropolitan institutions, saving
only a navy yard and graveyard. Brooklyn has
become known to outer mankind principally by
Mr.. Bcecher's name. HIS ubiquity, spontaneity
and activity, mis- position before the lecture
" ceums-where he has lame no man, native or
imported, has approached, excepting, perhaps,
joan u. Cough, the temperance orator-and his
fertility with the pen, handling all classes of SUBJ
jeccs, from p0emlcs TO p0lttlcs, and In q great
variety OF publications. have established him as a
marked American. He has appeared to the world
rs the embodiment OF American processes OF
thought and assertion. His t!reiess express
sion has grown more VIVID and brilliant
with the coming OF age, like a superb
sunset. such as we see ores the. Ches.
apeaKe or Abemarle Sound, where the day
draws to Its close IN a richness or cloud. tints
which mocks all It's pathway during the day.
Consistency. too, has been the apparent attribute
Of all this expression, and the preacher, growing
steadily more liberal, has omitted that portlon OF
age when. with the wearing out OF the tissues and
the sense OF nfrmity, the most dauntless spirit Is
apt to repne and regard the buoyant visions OF
youth and middle age with sceptlclsm.
AT sixty.lour SO youthful Is this man that his
enemy described him IN court the other day as q
"Doyish person." At sixty.four in sight OF his
three score and ten-the allotted period OF man
he Is still called q gallant. Something in this
high vitality and abundance OF Learning and love
suggests the poets fiction OF Faust, translated in
his professors study from age youth and sally
ing forth under The spell OF beauty.
The charge to which Mr.. Beecher mas been sub
jected Tor two years or more, and the portion OF
time antedatIng this exposure. when lie was
under the threat and apprehension OF II, have
enormously stimulated his senspilities and the
talents which give them expression. The extent
OF his culpabillty Is not now under consideration.
but he admits that in the enlargement and mis-
apprehension OF that time he suffered keenly
Moulton says he advised Mr.. Bcecher before tins
scandal became public to seek renef by q more
devoted attention to his clerical WORK. There Is
little doubt that this advice, whether gwen not,
was adopted by the clergyman, and If his congrega-
ton are at this moment rallyiug around MIN with
spirit unequaed in commercial society, It IS be-
cause they have seen the past two or three years
DEEPER PIErY AND AFFECTION
In their pastor, sprnging from his anguish. His
style OF preaching emotional and personal, rises
Or falls in power according TO his own expert
encc. His literary faculties are inferior TO his
pulpet use OF them, and nothing that he mas writ.
ten, save, perhaps, some oil those touching and
agonizlng letters 10 Moulton, which seemed ex-
haled rom the lava OF soul in eruption, Will
give an idea of the same man pacing tue moor OF
his pulpit when com pletely aroused and throwing
OIL a torrent OF thoughts, emotions, iancies and