New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-13
from BROOKLYN PULP1TS.
,rv CHARLES T. WEITzEL's EULodY
OF HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE.
GAG THE KEYNOTE OF HER LIFE-How
sur ACCOMPLISHED HER GREAT WORK
. -,,r- r-pxr.DoN Or THE AYES

s-,, ACCOMPLISHED HER GREAT WORK
. FOR THE FREEDOM OF TIE SLAVES
-. Paw Charles T. weitxel assistant pastor
=. p,vmouth Church. who has charge OF the
- and parish IN the Rev. Or. Lyman Abbott's
.n.ence in Europe. delivered an eloquent eu'osy
.y.,re. 9ecchcr Stowe In that church yesterday
O. 80 4 well-krown hymn Of Mrs. Stoves.
s 100 written by her brother sung by the
s~ngston The text from John ~. Z. g.
.ps,ovea let us love one another. for love Is OF
~ He that loveth not. knoweth not God. for
Add Is love"
-, more than any other where the memory OF
s"--,st Beecher Stowe should be honored At this
.'sn :, Is this church. Here is the pulpit: made
.-avsr sacred by her brothers magnificent cham
1,rsb,n OF the cause to which she gave her hearts
s,ood Time and again In generous response 10 his
,rs,,rtnr appeals have slaves been redeemed from
chair bondage IN this holy place Through all those
,-,u, wears OF our Nations fiery trial. Plymouth
CHURCH and freedom were synonymous terms
harovsr the name Of Henry Ward Reecher was
.,,rn Harriet Pcechcr Stowe belongs 10 us al!
,s is known to us all. Whoever has been charmed
~ her hur,or touched by her pathos. upltted BY
A., faith knows her. She took all the world 10
~ ,reat heart and We have taken her TO ours.
And heart knowledge Is the deepest knowledge
Of all
AT the close of the Simple preface 10 her i'm
mortal book on human slavery In cur land Mrs.
s,ome quotes these words of prophet and psamist:
ola shall not fail nor be discouraged I'LL ne hath
a., ,udgmen, IN the earth; he shall deliver tie
needy when he cricth the poor and HIM that hath
~ helper he shall redeem their soul from deceit
and violence. and precious shall their blood be IN
ms sight
10 bring TO pass according 10 her power the
~-sat Messianc hopes here expressed was her lie
,nssion To this mission she brought sucn powers
and such spirit as 10 make her truly the most n
fuen;ia woman of her time in this country, worthy
20 be named with Abraham Lincoln and Grant. and
with brother. OF the great bcne,actoIs o.
our country and Of our century
Love was the Keynote Of Mrs Stoves character
Love! In that word lay the recTet OF her ex-
traordnsry power. True, there was much else
that helps TO FOR the efec. she produced on
human hearts she greatly blerscd in her
carents Her mother IS described as one OK those
strong restfui. ye; widely syrnpataetic natures IN
whom all around seemed 20 find comfort and re-
pose Her father. DR.. Lyman Eeecher. was an
earnest student and vigorous thinker and preach
er a fearless defender OF the oppressed
The daughter grew UP In an atmosphere electric
with strong high thinking Her composition AZ the
age o. twelve gives proof Of mind OF rare native
force ard an early Intellectual development thai
was extraordinary. Like her brothers and sisters
she possessed and enjoyed sparkle Of humor
ertv and prolon ged il-hea:h. Like some other great
souls she suffered at one time from asonlzing
doubt but came out Of the trial with her trust IN
God mistaken
.But after we have taken into account all the
elements OF a noble ancestry. OF native powers
literary humorous. dramatic OF careful bringing
I'D under inspiring teachers Of intense intellectual
activity Of social stimulus and OF the training re-
ceived from hfe's sharp experience, we must say OF
all these they are only outer doors The holy OF
holes in her life is ye; to be unlocked. we are
moved 70 say with her son, Love is the key to her
whole life She did what she did, and wro;e what
she did, under the impulse OF love. Never cou1u
Uncle Toms Cabin or The Minister'S Woons
have been written unless by one to whom love was
the Nfe-blood Of existence. the all In al! OF mind
Many in her day loved their netghbors loved the
slaves loved the Southern Shareholder. but not
many loved she loved
'I>er US look at some OF the marked Characters
tics which made the love of Mrs. Stowe flame,
bright enough and hot enough to make the heart OF
a nation. yes CT the civilized world glow and thro'
with sympathy FOR the slave.
In the first place her love Intellectual
ove Her mind thoroughly alive 10 the prob
em which weighed her heart. She had MADE
the various objects OF negro slavery study She
had lived on the borders OF a slave state. ana
actual cases thai she described in he- book came
10 her personal knowleige In the preface OF the
European edition of Uncle Toms Cabin she VI
tered the agonized cry Would that this book wero
indeed fiction The tru;hfu,ness and faith
fitness Of her narrative having been called mo
question. she made out al elaborate key which
contained all the original facts and documents on
which the story was founded TO the Duchess o'
Sutherland she wrote OF this key: II IS made up
Q, facts the documents Of whch my U%n es af
Mrs Stoves book Wa Indeed an 'S ss
means for CO.'S revelation had she not been dlrer
en-, from many Of her DAY VINO assed no.
eyes; hers The manke mind In an appeal ..
lord casse fo se can tel Of h me
ways In which. by trade. by family affinity or by
s sSn:isn sHPe cmpe the to 's With
hoding part. In the divine madness mat fe n
r. fns s i in the Se't Solemn hour hat
day when the death Of rnce Tom took shape in
From passion 50 Supported there could be no re-
Ios broad haanty she s not Sny IL sy the
say Ds sn ne fsvs S asG her
Simeon. The undergoing rar2ad oicla, exc!a Ths
n sr aaisa Ie ais H. am
son. would do even the same for the save-noioer
'S a In ms s she %Is to '
that she Is trying TO scutivate "a general sp;rs
task for The deliysrapss q the ss.ms apv e.
ne IKE cali to undertake this work It was this.
people a feeling Of appreciation for their trials
ind a sincere admiration for their many good
raits'
In the third place, Harrie. Beecher Stoves
owe was suffering love In regard 10 ors slaSi
.arly In life SIZE saw and confessed the share
shlch the North had IN The Nations crime ana
ure that the North wei as the South must
uf,er before the SIN could he put away. IN her
wn person She was willing 70 suffer and did suf-
er IN the key 10 Uncle Tom she said: ! write
IN the anguish OF my soul with tears and PRAYER
bear nv festrnony with a heavy heart 1t may
-uy be said that write with my hearts blood
70 wonder that she touched the human heart NO
Vonder she moved a Nations conscience. 80
80 DO few brief words show the power win
Fhich Harriet Beecher Stowe reused the conscience
a Nation and made ready the way for the great
el!verancc. We may not have her gif,s o. nature
nd education; we may not have her genius. but
70 can al have that which was greatest OF az IN