The Indianapolis journal., 1883-06-30
THREE-SCORE AND TEN.
Notes and Echoes of Henry Ward
Beecher's Birthday Celebration.
DIR. StOrrs COnspicuously Absent-One Regu-
lar Attendant at Church-COlIyer and
FultOn-UncIe Toms Cabin.
correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.

of his seventieth birthday, has been, of
course, "the event. of the week in local soci-
ETY.. 1t took place in Brooklyn, but sup
pose half those present were from this city,
while the speeches that were made and the
letters that were read, made it really ma
tional demonstration. Indeed, l might al
most say International for one of the speak
ers was member of the British House of
Commons. 1t was fitting that it should be
so, for such a man as Mr. Beecher does not
and cannot belong to any one city or State.
He has been heard by thousand times as
many persons outside of Brooklyn as in it;
and thousand times as many more have
read his words or been influenced by his
career.
1t was strange and sad feature of the occa-
sion that the man who welcomed Mr. Beecher
to Brooklyn many years ago, and who offici-
ated, so to speak, at the silver wedding of
Plymouth Church and its pastor was most
conspicuous by his absence. The Rev. DIR,
Richard S. Storrs was almost the only man
in Brooklyn, of great fame, who was at the
celebration neither in person nor by letter.
The breach between him and Mr.. Beecher,
made ten years ago nearly at the
time of the famous Tilton trial, has never
been closed up; and the two greatest
Christian preachers in America, who once
were the closest of friends, drift on swiftly
through old age toward death and eternity,
strangers-I had almost written foes, The
opinion has long been deeply rooted in the
mind OF the Brooklyn public that DIR. Storrs
is jealous of Beecher, and that that passion
led him to take sides against him. And this
belief is growing stronger, year by year. Yet
l can scarcely credit it. OF course, Dr. Storrs
has every Sunday hardly as many hundred
hearers as Beecher has thousands; and Beech
er's sayings are reported and quoted ten
times as often as Storrs's. Yet DR., Storrs has
an almost worldwide fame as the most pol
ished pulpit orator in America and he has
fine church and large salary and enjoys the
universal esteem of the public. Why should
he be jealous? My own idea is that the
friends of the two men are keeping them
apart, more than any other cause, and it is
undeniable that some very mean things have
been done. For example: When the bridge
all arrangements, decided to have DR. Storrs
to whose church he belongs, deliver the ora
ton Oil behalf of Brooklyn. That was well
enough. But he further took care that Mr..
Beecher should not even get an invitation to
attend the exercises. And that was about as
small and as scurvy a trick as ever was
played. 1t is now very freely remark ed
about town that Mr.. Beecher's friends got
up the great birthday demonstration as re-
venge for the bridge trustees slight That
don't believe; but many of Mr.. Beecher's s
friends are injudicious enough to boast that
it is so, and OF course every such thing only
tends to widen the breach between the two
men.
One thing is however, universally remark
ed: That Mr.. Beecher never before was so
popular and SO well-beloved as he is to-day
and this circumstance was very freely and
emphatically stated by several speakers at
the celebration. Theodore Tilton and his
friends have sunk out OF sight; few know or
care where. Of the clergymen who op-
posed Mr.. Beecher, DIR. Burlington, sleeps in
an honored grave, and all the rest are recon
ciled, save DIR. Storrs. OF the newspapers
that assailed him, all now have changed their
tone save the Times, which still looks darkly,
though not damningly, upon him, and the
Sun, which never forgives or forgets As to
the great public which never for moment
lost faith in him, its loyalty only grows the
firmer as years cycle round.
An interesting circumstance, overlooked by
newspapers hitherto, comes to hand Just now
There is one person now living in Brooklyn
who has heard every sermon Mr.. Beecher has
ever preached in Plymouth Church-for now
more than third of a century. He has
never missed a single service, when the pas
tor was in the pulpit. Who is it? Not a
prominent trustee nor church officer, nor Or
ganist, nor usher nor sexton. No; but poor.
obscure truckman, who labors hard all the
week, and of whose very existence not one
in ten of the church is aware. He is an
intelligent man, with no family. and he goes
to the church as regularly every Sunday
morning and evening as the sun rises and
sets, and from his humble back seat in the
gallery listens to the words of the great
preacher.
Il shall keep on going" he said to me, las
long as we ar, both alive"
do you know Mr.. Beecher personally?'
'Oh, no. I've shaken hands with him now
and then, but he didn't know me; and if he
met me on the street to-day, he'd not reoog-
nze me-"
Maybe this last statement was true, but 1
half doubt it. Mr. Beecher has a keen eye
and good memory. He sees every one in
his huge congregation, and think he knows
every regular attendant by sight about as
well as they know him.
Robert Collyer was one of the speakers at
the celebration, having postponed his trip to
England purposely to attend. Many people
think there is a strong resemblance between
him and Mr. Beecher. There is. They look
alike-both being old, portly haired,
ooth-faced, and with kindly, benevolent
expression. And they talk alike, with an
easy, uninterrupted flow of language mostly
simple, Anglo Saxon words that anyone can
understand And their thoughts run some
what in the same channels, both believing in
great freedom of thought and creed but
sticking firmly tn tbn fnpAa nfo1
truths. Mr.. Collyer, however, never seems
to feel himself, nor to inspire in others, the
tremendous earnestness and enthusiasm that
Mr.. Beecher does. He does not throw him.
self forward, with flashing eyes and ringing
voice and swelling chest and uplifted arm,
with scathing denunciation of wrong or
,ft Al,on. sL.... IL.