The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-05
DR. LEONARD BACON.
Life and Work of the Divine De-
 scribrd by Professor Walker.

Rev. Dr. George l.. Walker, formerly pastor of Center church, New Haven
 delivered an address at the parlors of
 the Asylum Hill Congregational church, | in Hartford, Thursday evening on Dr. | Leonard Bacon, for so many years the
 pastor of the First church in New Ha-
 ven, and tower of strength in the | American Congregational church.
 The Hartford Courant says: Profes-
 sor Walkers father was one of the suc-
 cessors to Dr. Bacon in the pulpit of the
 church, and he told how as a small boy
 he sat under Dr. Bacon and admired the strength of his preaching. Dr. Bacon s marked personality was described, his
 massive head, keen eye, firm mouth
 and loenne hair Although his life
 work was mainly in New Haven, he was
 more or less connected with Hartford.
 His father and mother were the first | missionaries sent to the Indians by the
 old Connecticut Missionary society. His | father, David Bacon, was ordained De-
 cember, 1900, and in February of the fol- 1 lowing year set out with his wife, who | was a Miss Alice Park, of Lebanon, for | the far west, a trading post at what is now Detroit. They arrived there in May l and Leonard Bacon was born in small | cabin on February 19, 1902. After a year or two David Bacon removed to | Mackinaw, and four years after to Hud- son, Ohio, then a part of the Western
 Reserve. David undertook to form the same sort of Christian community as was formed in Oberlin thirty years later, and in 1872 returned to Connecti-
 cut broken in health and spirits, and died in this city in 1S17
 Leonard was the oldest of a family of
 seven and made his home with his un-
 cle for whom he was named who was
 celebrated physician, and lived in the
 wooden house still standing, adjoining
 the Trust company's block on Main
 street, In 1917 he entered Yale as
 member of the sophomore class, class
 mate of President Woolsey. He gradu-
 ated at Andover seminary in 1923 as the
 leader of his class, and in October, 1924,
 was ordained an evangelist by the
 Hartford consolation. He was about
 to start as a missionary when he re-
 ceived letter inviting him to supply
 
 ven. After preaching fourteen Sundays
 he was called to the pastorate, which he began on March 9, 1925, and resigned in 1866, but did not completely sever his relations with the church until his death in 1881. He had a difficult task before him to fill the pulpit which had been previously occupied by such princes among preachers as Moses Stuart and Taylor, and al the end of the first year
 pr, Bacon had very great doubts as to the effect of his work. A committee of the church, headed by Senator Hill house, once informed him that his ser mons were not what they expected from him when he took the pastorate, and he informed them that he would try and do better, which he did.
 Professor Walker described Dr. Ba- cons attributes of mind and speech and said that no man had greater power in the pulpit, more eloquence or greater ability of all the New England preach CTS, and he had also the seal of God on his heart. He was greatly beloved by all his church people, for he took per- sonal interest not only in the welfare of their souls, but also in their family af fairs. and bore their burdens He con- tributed to the great theological discus sons of the time, notably the great Con- gregational controversy of Taylor and Tyler. He undoubtedly prevented a split in the Congregational church over the subject, which had caused two the ological seminares in this state. He also took part in the controversy over the works of Dr. Bushnell He was a peacemaker and his efforts were al- ways in that direction. He founded the Church Building society and was it's first president. Professor Walker de- | scribed pr. Bacon's work in the great | national conventions, and said that his work as a religious editor was of a very high order. He contributed to the | Quarterly Church Spectator" and one | of his first editorials, to show the char acter of the man, was on moral reform | and social progress. He advocated re- | forms in the New Englander," to | which he contributed over one hundred | articles. In 1S4S, with Dr. Stoors, of | Brooklyn now living, and Dr. Thomp- son. of New York, he founded the Tn dependent" His work for temperance and against human slavery was de- scribed, and Professor Walker told of | his writing a little book, Occasional Essays on Slavery" It had but limi- ed circulation. but copy found it's way L to the desk of a country lawyer out in I Illinois. Years after, when Dr. Bacon called on the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln expressed the debt he felt to him for what he had said in the book, which awakened in him the ! feeling against slavery. Tn 1866 Dr. Bacon resigned and was relieved from all pastoral duties, but continued to serve the church until his death in De- 2ember, 1881. He was loved by all who 1new him and enjoyed the respect of all people. He was recognized as the lead- l ng Congregationalist in the country.
 Professor Walker described the scenes 1t the funeral of Dr. Bacon and at the dose of his address the Rev, J. H. FWichell spoke of the great admiration he late Dr. Nathaniel Burton felt for Dr. Bacon. An incident of pr. Bacon's fife as related by Professor Walker was hat when boy he engaged in a debate with John Brown, two years his senior, 'n the subject of treatment of the Indi- ms. pr, Bacon advocated the humane reatment of the Indian John Brown he more rigorous way. John Brown vas afterwards heard from at Harper's Ferry.