The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-08-30
HENRY WARD REECHER.
Last Evenings Lecture.

lightly upon Henry Ward Beeeher as
be stood in Occidental Hall last night
and talked in his familiar way to the
great audience that had come to hear
him. His power to invest the prosi-
est subject with the charm of his ora
tory gave the theme he chose an add
ed charm and placed him before those
who listened, as ga guide, philosopher
and friend" Some were there who
had heard him IN years gone by; 9TH
ers there were who knew Of him by
reputation only; more who. had read
his published works, his sermons in
the Independent and his aphorisms in
the newspapers, and more who were
there simply to "see" him.
He looks little heavy about the
eyes and is as careless in relation To
his personal appearance as ever. The
massive head, the intellectual eye
and firm, leonine attitude are the
first noted characteristics. OF course
the Consciousness that "this is Henry
Ward Beecher that is talking" causes
greater attention to the discourse, but
If man who had never heard of
Beechcr, had strayed into the hall last
night he would have been just as in
terested as any other of the audience,
after the first five minutes Of listen
ing. His style is unique and Beech
eresque. He has no grace of studied
diction or polished phraseology OF cul-
tured thought. He just stands there
in front of you and uses little bits Of
short Saxon-EnglIsh words that you
can understand. He throws no poly
syllable words at one, but seeks to
clothe his language ia terse, incisive
speech. This, We believe, is one So
cret of his popularity. Gt is a
common characteristic of all great
writers and speakers that they dis
card stilted efforts at pompous diction
and delight in using simple everyday
speech.
The lecture, as announced, was on
the theme "The Reign of the Com
mon People" p" 1t is one Of Mr..
Beecher's favorite lectures. He has
delivered it time and again. At New
Market Theater, in Portland, tonight,
he will repeat it, and again in San
Francisco on September 18th. In it
he talks OF a government of the peo-
pie, and by the people, pure repub-
lican democracy, a regime of mental
equality where all are equal and moth
ing rules but acknowledged merit.
His language last nigh had nothing Of
the oraenlar in ii; he talked as one
friend 10 another, and throughout his
discourse was a vein of consolation.
In that part of the lecture where he
says that on the dusty highway of
life in unfrequented and untrodden
corners where wheels do not roll, we
can find beautiful flowers springing up
to gladden. the tired traveller, he placed
in graceful language the idea that ac-
tuates a good deal OF our daily duties
and struck a chord that vibrated In
the hearts OF all his hearers. The
hall vas crowded, Of course, and had
it been as large again would have
been filled.
Following is a synopsis "f Mr..
Beecher's lecture:
He began by saying that we who
have been SO thoroughly trained do
not stop to think that the first or
lowest order of society was when men
lived by hunting or fishing. The next
order is the pastoral life, and then
society commences TO develop and
form nations.
When men are SO ignorant that they
do not know how to think for them
selves, they must be governed by men
who can think for them. As the
higher stage of government succeeds,
there are more than one who are capa-
bic of governing; this makes an arlsto-
cracy. Then, when you have still
more, it becomes limited monarchy;
and then comes Democracy or r Re-
public-a government adapted 10 the
needs of the common people. The
most difficult and complex govern
ment in the world is that of the COM
mon people. The chase, war and
commerce tend to make men think.
About all of education is To teach men
to think. A man may be chOck full
of knowledge, but that isn't all that is
necessary. A man may be full of
college knowledge and not know
CuOuSll " NOiiAo III hucu II Idlus.
Everybody might be educated in
ancient Greece if they had money TO
pay for it except slaves and women.
They have always stood about on the
same level down to our time. II
a woman wished to live as a modest
maiden there she must be ignorant.
only courtesans were educated. Igno-
rance meant virtue, wisdom meant
vice. This throws much light npon
some of the New Testament. Paul
said, Let your women keep silence
in the churches" Paul said thi:
when writing to Timothy, Bishop of q
Greek church in Asia Minor. II
never was 50 written Of a Hebrew
woman. & Jewish woman could bt
anything that man could.
To-day all the laboring classes oI
Europe are demanding education, not
for themselves SO much, but for THEN
children. Two hundred years age
they didn't want it. They thought il
only belonged to great men-mer
with white hands, who don't work
The common people demand educa
tion now because they are unhappy