St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-21
HENRY WARD WON'T
EDWARD j. HODGSoN,s. VIVID DE-
SCRIPTION OF MIR. BEECHER,S
MANCHESTER MEETING.
LECTURE AT MANCHESTER
IN WHICH HEEDEPICTS THE DIS
COMFITURE OF THE BRITISH
PGBEIC.
HowLING MeBt BRoUGHT TO BAY
By the FOrcefuI EIOquence and CO.
IossaI Impudence of the Great
Pulpit Orator.

Henry Ward Beecher's eloquent adj
vocacy of American abolition in En-
gland in 1853 was the subject of an
entertaining address by Edward ].
HodSson at Manchester college last
evening. Mr.. Hodgson was in England
at the time. and had the opportunity
OF enjoying the American orators
noble address. After speaking at some
length of the spirit of sympathy with
the South, which seemed to pervade
about 80 per cent of the population of
the island, Mr.. Hodgson said:
Such was the situation when Mr..
Beecher went to England. 1t has been
| thought that he went as the semi-ofii-
cial representative of the government.
but this he himself denied. So indig-
nant was he when he reached there
that he determined not to speak there,
and declared that he would not accept
the shelter of any roof belonging to an
| enemy Of his country. The profess
sional men, the Quakers, the Congre-
gational ministers, and the govern
ment were nearly all against the United
States. Only the working classes were
! in sympathy. He went to the CONT
nent, and while there Vicksburg fell.
The cause was in the ascendant. Re-
turning to England, he was implored
by his sympathizers to speak. They
said: 1--WE have been counted as the
of-scouring because we have espoused
your cause. We have sacrificed our
selves, and if you go home without
showing us a favor, they will say:
Even your friends in America despise
you " Henry Ward Beecher spoke
..1l,1e- T
burgh and London alike heard his
voice. The eyes and ears of the world
were focused upon him. His success
| or failure was of almost if not quite as
much Importance as military victory
or defeat.
1 think Mr. Beecher had one source
of strength for his great work that he
| knew not of. His long and fearless
apostleship among the hated but in
domitable abolitionists and his power
as orator had qualified him emf
nently. But there was another thing
that perhaps even he did not realize.
His sister, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe,
was the author of the then most widely
read book in Great Britain. 1t had
created a powerful IMPRESSION, and
Mrs. Stowe was the most popular liv
ters fame and popularity had made
for him welcome and given him an
entree to the British heart open to no
other man.
The opposition fought bitterly. They
"Who is this Henry Ward Beecher
He is the man who said the best blood
| of England must be shed to atone for
the Trent affair. He advocates a, war
of determination. He is the friend of
the inhuman monster, Gen. Butler, and
Of that so-called gospel preacher
Cheever, who said in one of his SER
mons, Fight against the South until
1 hell freezes over and then fight ON, the
ice"
In spite Of this Mr.. Beecher spoke,
first at Free Trade hall in Manchester.
Admission was by invitation, in order
to keep out the dangerous classes, and
people began to come hours before the
speech began. Policemen guarded the
large audience, 5000 in number. After
preliminary exercises an address was
presented to Mr.. Beecher, who was
called upon.
He was scarcely upon his feet when
the audience was likewise. Friends,
men and women alike, swung hats,
handkerchiefs and umbrellas, and
cheeing to the utmost of their lung
capacity. Enemies were believing,
bowling. shrieking and giving vent to
the most eXecrable and horrible sounds
that human wit and threats could i'm
prOviSe and execute. Mr. Beecher was
compelled to resume his seat until both
sides sank exhausted in their seats,
Then he came forward-in the very
prime and heyday of his manhood and
strength. Victory was in every feat
ure of his face. He was at that in
slant the representative of his country
as he had never been before.
When he spoke he said: 81
have not come to England to
be surprised that men whose cause
cannot bear the light are afraid
of free speech. | have had q
practice of twenty-five years before
just such assemblies. Little by little
1 have been permitted to speak until
now, in my country, nothing but the
utterance of speech for freedom is
popular. Little by little, 1 doubt not
l shall be permitted to speak here to-
night
But the audience did not remain long
in Quiescent state. AS it regained its
breath the storm set in again with un-
abated fury. Over and over again the
speaker was compelled to take his seat
The meeting was half over before the
audience ceased to battle with the
speaker In the desperate effort to van
qu1sh and crush him. Had it not beer
for the police, no speech would have
been made there that night. Bullies
have no inconsiderable respect for bill
let's. Quiet in the audience was finally
effected by thunderbolt from the
speaker. Rising. in the midst of one
of these scenes. he shouted: Gentle
men of Manchester, have fought with
your brethren, the slave drivers of the
South, for the last twenty-five years
and l now serve notice upon you thai
it is too late in the nineteenth century
for you to take up their fallen anC
disgraced cause" 1t fell upon the au
dience like sledge hammer blow Al
Englishman to be called the brother o.
a slave-driver Would not an earth
7 quake Immediately open and swallow
this profaner and blasphemer of Eng
, lishmen? And might it not fail to dis
, tinguish between the profaner and the
profaned and thus swallow up tn,
whole outfit? From that time tn,
speaker had everything his own way.
DIED.
KELLY-William D. Kelly, at his home, nea