The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-04
Deecher,s Autobiography.

ing MS uutOplOHEHIUH uuicI Stli'iS S'h-
sideration, and that he may get at 1t when
he has finished the second volume Of his
Life OF Christ" "a publisher urged me
to undertake the work" remarked the
Plymouth preacher last week toa rcportcrof
JAY GoULDs Tribune, and his suggestion
fell into line with my own thoughts and de-
sires."
A faithful, true, and honest autobiography
OF BEECuER would be one OF the most re-
markable additions which could be made to
that sort OF literature But the publisher
who engages him to write his life must be
careful to SO draw the contract MS TO
leave no chance for BEECHER to get the
advantage OF him. The history Of the Life
OF Christ" teaches the necessity for such
wariness when BEECHER pledged himselfto
write that book he was at the height OF his
popularity, and his mere name as its author
was sufficient to secure its extensive sale.
Though the same man then as he whose
dcpravty was afterward exposed, and
though living life which outraged the Chris
tian principles he preached and Of which he
set himself to write, he had not yet been found
out at that time. and many thousands Of
people eagerly awaited the publication OF
the Lite Of Christ" His publishers, a
new and ambitious house, counted their for
| tune as secure and expected to firmly cs-
tabish themselves by the aid Of this one
important and popular work. They adj
vanced BEEcIEn large sum of money on
his promise to furnish the manuscript with
in a specified time, trcnchcd heavily on
their capital to pay for costly engravings
for the work, advertised it at great expense
| nd prpapt1aI up ~ = xgtpfu of
cies for procuring subscriptions for it.
But how did BEEcHER perform his part Of
the bargain Taking the money advanced
him. he also took his ease In writing the
book, fretting his publishers by delays, and
harassing them with fears Of loss by reason
of their inability to fulfil their engagements.
In explanation Of his negligence we now
have his letters to his friend, Mr. MoULroN,
in which he Rroaned under the burden OF
care imposed on him-preaching ut Ply
mouth Church, lecturng, nominally editing
the Christian Union, talking and praying at
the Friday evening prayer meetings, and
writing the Life OF Christi" while all the
time the black cloud of his subsequent dis
grace hung over him and he was fertile in
devices for warding Off the approaching
storm. II must have been hard indeed to
settle down to steady literary composition
under such circumstances. But when BEECH
Err made his contract to write the Lilo Of
Christ" he was already morally rotten,
though then he was enjoying the pleasures
of sin, while during the progress OF the con-
struction OF the work he was cast down by
dread OF the impending rctribution.
Still. ne managed to finish one volume Mt
last, and it was eagerly taken by the public;
but then the storm burst and BEEcHER and
his publishers went down together. They,
however, were made bankrupt In purse, but
he, though bankrupt in character. was pro-
vided with plenty OF money by partial
friends and when his trial was over was
able to exhibit himself throughout the coun-
try to his great pecunary profit Thus it
happened that while the publishers We're
ruined by his negligence and his prOngac
he made more money than ever. Yet he
never helped them out OF the scrape into
which he had got them, aud saw them sold
out without any apparent interest.
Such is the history OF the Life Of Christ,
the second volume Of which BEEcHER tells
JAY GoULps reporter he has now nearly
three-quarters finished. But who wants "a
history OF the spotless Founder OF the Chris
tian religion written by periured preacher
who used his pastoral privileges to corrupt
ono Of his flock ? The one volume already
printed contains all that risht-minded men
can have the patience 10 stand from him on
that subject. The original subscribers fol
the half-completed work ought 70 get their
money back by all means. But BEECHET
should henceiorth conilne his religious
rhapsodies to the Plymouth pulpit. Til,
public resent the thought OF prOiane and
, unclean hands touching the subject he has
a the enrontery to treat in his unfinished his
tory.
a His autobiography is a different matter
But that II it is truly and completely writ
a ten, will not be book tit for general circu
h lation. The one great overshadowing phas'
: of his life, the one by which he will longes
l. be remembered has been described by h
E, own letters brought out in his trial. He cal
4 add nothing to that disgraceful story whicl
T.. will be valuable except his confession tia
a he periured himself when he swore that hi
:, other confessions did not confess what the.
plainly did confess. But BEECHER does no
, need 10 write his autobiography to reliev
!. his conscience Of that false oath. nor cal
= he 50 write it as to make the perjury an
/ the less black His pen is poisoned, and pee
II pie want no more Of his writing. Nobody ca
d be prohted by the reading Of an autoblogra
n ply which is based on lie, and which
j. prepared with the manifest purpose OF dt
20 ceivng readers as to the real character {
its author.
II All that went before his trial for licer
n tous conduct, and all that has taken pac
~ since in his life, is Of no consequence in con
70 parison with the fact that he then was dis
i covered as wolf in Sleeps clothing
y BEECHER has already written as much
le his autobiography as we need for the III
,s Outstanding Of mis- character and If he eve
,f attempts it on larger scale he cannot wiz
a. out or gloss over what is now on recon
re against him in his own words.
10 Competition in Lighting.
st good deal OF money has been made
is late by investors in gas shares who bougl
ls their stock at the prices to which it fc
n uubpr tina announcements N MIR EDISON