The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-13
BEECHER'S LETTERS.
THE EMINENT DIvINE's OPINION
OF the Greatest of English statssmsa-AIr.
Bsecher's Estimate of Gladstone
His oratory and Appearance
Ills Wonderful Versatility,
Copyrighted, 1861,


peCtsd to return, although ! have been
repeatedly and from various sources CO.
licited to do 80, The work that found
on hand at home was quite sufficient.
had no sp9Cial need Of vacations. have
not the luck, which most ministers have,
OF having bronchitis, or dyspepsia, or
liver complaint and 50 a quIot vacation
on my farm has bssn all that needed.
Even this spring had b9ou urged again,
yehemently, to make a visit, and reso.
lutely refused to do so. 1t is not necss.
sary to say what II was that whirled me
about In less than o day. On June 10 |
took passage on the good ship Etrurls OF
the Ounard line, and on the next Ea!ur.
day night landed In Liverpool. BY II
o'clock l was safely enEcolCed In the
Northwestern Hotel. The voyage was as
pleasant as any voyage could 6e to me,
My opinions on the subject Of the ocean
are pretty well known, and ! do not need
to repeat them, do not sse any use In
tho ocean, except to solidiiy It.
l.sarninG, on my arrival In Liverpool,
that Mr.. Gladstone was to speak on Mon.
day, concluded to walt over and enjoy
the opportunity ol seeing and hearing
him. ! accordingly scared tiCketG for the
platform st Hengler's Circus, building
capable Of holding several thousand per.
sons. The meeting was to he In the after,
noon. A sort Of invisible excitement
Eeemed 10 psrvade the whole city OF Liy.
erpoOl, in that Gladstone was to make
speech, the last OF his campaign speeches.
When l drew near TO the buildlng the
streets were filled with scattering bands,
growing thicker US one approached the cir.
Gus. but with some difficulty, under the
convoy oil o policeman, eI0ctal au on.
trance In tho rear and was admitted 10 the
stage. Pfesuming upon my sympathy
with Mr.. Gladstone, the audience soon
recognised me aud gave some hOspltable
cheers. AT the request OF the committee,
however, | repaired TO an aute.room In
order to meet Mr.. Gladstone. Pfomp.
TO tho hour he appeared, together with
Mrs. Gladstone and few ladies' oil his
party. He bore the marks Of the cam.
paign through which he had gone, and
his voice was quite husky. He had
wrapped around him a sort OF tippst 10
protect his neck and throat. Mrs. Glad.
stone seemed to have him in special
ohaEge, and, like mother nurse, watched
over him and checked any person that
wanted to talk with him, for fear that 1t
would hurt his voice. She also sat near
him during his address, and hO reauently
turned to her, either because Of solns aug.
gestion that she might have made, or
from the familiar habit OF courteous
Difference to her.
GLADSTONE ON THE PLATFORM.
The storm Of applause when he aa.
cended upon the platform could hardly
have been surpassed, The roar and cheers
rolled long and loud, and 1t wa1 with ex.
treme difficulty and alter considerable
lanse Of timo that tho audience was re.
duced to anything like generous silence.
sat in tho front row on the platform,
where by turning toward him had a fall
view Of the great orator. Hla voice showed
evidence Of much upo in open.air speak.
ing, yet, while Its Gnor qualities were OBJ.
scured, 1t was reconant aud one could
easily SEQ that 1t was voice emiuently
adapted TO the best purposes OF oratory.
He held his audience for an hour or more
with perfect control; he Charmod them /;
he filed them with sn overGowiug on.
thpsiasm. At times the applause burst
out into an uncomfortable stream,
which refused to be damned up,
or checked even. l was not capable
OF judging oi many Of the themes
introduced; l had not the local knoyl.
edge. He seemed, however, TO touch all
the spriRgs necessary to be affected, and
he lett the imprerslon on my mind that
lie would be inylnOlble. There were very
glight shades ot humor In hig speech, but
ita predominant characteristic was that OF
profound convictions on deep moral
grounds. Whatever in his discourse may
haYe played upon the surface OF things,
he seemed most to be atirred when the
underlying elenenta OF morality came in
for discussion. There were no al odpit1n.
dun allusions; there was nothing Of the
element Of comhative attack. The scope
Of his knowledge and the minuteness Of
his information were remarkable. II 1t
be the object ol an orator to convince, II
may be said that on this occasion he
exhibited himself to be q master in or.
atory.
Taking the address as a whole and com:
pairing 1t with the elaborate efforts OF such
an American as Daniel Webster, or with
some otthe old Greek orators, 1t could
scarcely be. said to have the form and fin.
ish that applied 10 many OF the master,
pieces Of eloquence. Judging Of its effect
upon myself, q stranger, foreigner, one
not we'll yerssd 10 the details which he
discussed, found myself, nevertheless,
glowing with the sympathy OF the audi.
ence and In full admiration OF this remark.
able man. Whatever may be the issue Of
the great question upon which he has OK.
pended his genius, which he regards as
his last great liie'a work--she emancipl.
tlon OF lroland-these can be no doubt
that Gladstone is pro.eminontly the cen.
tral figure In the politics Of Great Britain,
and that ne also Ia or has been a leading
figure In the affairs Of oil Europe.
the Rx.rRRMtER's VERSATILITY.
His Versatility ID proyefbial. His
knowledge Of classical lAuguagsu and Of
modern languages, which is not 80 pro.
found or 50 tninutea, thi. OF IN my other
men, is nevertheless, remarkable. Thare
are few men which interest thinking men
to-day about which ho CRnRot wisely and
inStructiyely discourse. His memory Ia
som6thlng prodlSiouL His command Of
material very Sttlking; his accuracy In
statement marvellous, hs impresIes one
40 q iAr-goslng aud comprehensive BsatnH.
mau, void Of the arts Of p0liticlans, In
deep earneGt and with strong moral con,
ylptlqng.
should Say, Of about Ave feet ten Inches In
height. lie 10 active, supple and erect
capsule Of enduring great fatigue, quito
elastic In tp!tlls genial and sooial, llla
i heRdis alid'to be q WsbsteriAa head, BdE
In my judgement II will hardly bear thai
comparison. The lines upgn hiS iGCo atG
strong! his features ay0 large aad, beinu
nearly bald, LAV Impression the huiRhI
oi his forehead Ia apt to 10 ex lggoralel, a
strong tiOsei lnodth fine, b1t very firm
thu bhin oIlV h1n1efalnlV fall Atka,sIhht