The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-04
RUIN or HENRY WAND BEEouBR.
A Post-n1 ortem -wtat the Au-
topry hes Disclosed.
Never before has n great man fallen q

Nom ne Conffct
Never before has q great man fallen 80
| suddenly and 80 far in unfathouaDe, hopelese
ruin. But Yesterday he sat enti roDed In the TN
coudcd noonday OF n world wide renown. To-
dav tmpeDetrable, offensive rkness more than
Styeian shuts him out from the great heart OF
IL is not loss and waste OF position. prestige
II IL wreck OF manhood, honor. conscience.
Hearts are broken, homes are polluted, sacred
things are prOfauod. Tho public conscience ~
stunned and paralyzed. Justice, the enthroned
majesty Of the law, humble and palter. The
very foundations Of society rock and feel under
the shock.
" AT heart the Interests OF living men and socie-
". with their perpetual labors and struggles. We
find here only repetition OF history. for, verify,
"thore Is nothing new under the SUM- ard 1t Is
our care and duty that we seize and master the
lesson OF this browning disaster OF these disas-
trous times
We are to remember that Mr.. Beecber has
fallen by hts own hand. The breath OF his own
hps has slain him. A handful OF chance wise,
reckless, pregnant scraps from his own pen,
without note OF comment, more venqeful and
deadly than any dynamite nend, has. in the
twlnkling Of an eve, tum oiled the teople's idol,
blackenod, mutili ed torso. at their feet. Truly
great men are boyond the reach and horn OF lit.
tie people. and little people never yet destroyed
truly great man. For tho public closes in
sround Its chosen ones like Spartan guard.
did not spare the wife OF Uriah yet the klndlinR
elouuence OF Cicero, the quickening philosophy
OF Bacon. and the word-subduing condition Of
the psalm lat abide with US In perennial youth
and strength.
Even In our times we forget the cups and rev.
elries 81 Hamilton and Webster In the dignity
and fervor OF their patriotism. Society, indeed,
Is provefbially tolerant Of tho ecceniriciies ard
innrmitles of its heroes. II recognizes aud re.
spends TO the STAYING power OF genuine great
ness. Under the fascination OF genius, II crows
tlind to Its shortcomings and misddvertures.
II lets GO its c,ngng hold only aftei hope is
dead. SO long IA shred OF manliness remains,
so long as a ture OF character shows vitality. the
heart stops beating and the grave chill sets In do
we tind no ana bury our dead And this 10
what has befallen Henry Ward Beecheri
lime was when courage, truth. penitence and
humility could have stayed tie plague and
spared us national shame and grief; and he
night have faded ont OF sight Into n sorrowful
hut not altogether ignoble obscuriiy waiting in
the patience Of hope for the gentler judgment
Of coming generations. Hut MIR. Beecher has
been pitlless toward himself and hts own
memory In the frenzy OF his nameless trans
gressions he has perpeitated self .immolation
1t H. not STANCE that there are vet found
men and women who. blinded by grief or the
glamour of his wonderful presence. remain un.
| conscious OF the profound tragedy that entOnbe
| hin. he heart Ia stronger than tho head, and
| Condones ald loves to the last. But the people
out from them, that the great evangelist Is NJ
| more. To them, the posthumpus utterances Of
| the violated and desecrated pulpit ON Plymouth
Heights are, OF all conceivable things, most ter
| fihlo and CHASTITY.
And what further docs this autopsy disclose
| concerning Henry ward Beccherr Very briefly
| nnd only this: hat in hun dwell, us in every
lavi-hly endowed nature, the animal and spirit
ual forces IN great potency ana inst the lover
l
| higher life. 1hls II the sum OF II. Such fe-
| long gauntlet Of neWlldeIiar nattery, adulation
| and prosperity has sl,tn multtudes a. strong
aud great. Surely and fatally a constitutional
| scnsuOusness and cNfnality came to suruse III.
| whole aesthetic and intellectual development
| lie despised and so neglected that culture and
| refinement which, Frat csOteric and spiritual
| works out To the circumference Of life until II
| comes to clOthe, as the robes OF the saints, the
whole manhood IN visible purity and beauty end
| strength.
| SO all far seeing artists In the deliberate study
| end professional ANALYSIS uf MIR. Beecher saw an
! uns ,iny satyr leering over the shoulders OF
their sitter. Then. the furry ears OF DONATED IL
| would peep out under the lock- OF the evancel
list. SO true was this ia life that even his private
| talk became smeared with repulslve unclean
ness. and his latter-day uiterances from the
| pulpit are stained through and through with the
| uncunciOus crimson OF sh eer amin alism. In Tho
| ultimate and unerring ANALYSIS OF character
| words, alas. become CAPITALIZED into facts and
| things, bearing their Intrinsic quality and es
| sence forever. The crisis WAS tue logical ant
| necessary outviowth u the man and life. JUS
as the ruin found bim-ccrrupt, fatbiess, de
| PRAYED.
Providence and Nemesis are one, To,
| wages OF SIN IL death.