The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-03-09

the glory of God and the good of hu- manity.
 'It is also entirely manifest that we can build no memorial shrine to our hero which will attract his favor and the pres ence of his spirit, without making Ply mouth church a part of 1t. Plymouth church was erected by and for him. Dur ing more than forty years, and even to the day of his death, it was an engross- ing subject of his devotion, and the scene of his devotion and the scene of his anx- lous self-sacrificing labors and joyful triumphs.
 If our work of building a memorial to our hero is prosecuted in the spirit that characterized his work on earth, and II we mingle with the love we have for his memory serious purpose to emulate his love for humanity, our hero worship will be inspiring and elevating. If, invoking his approval and in his name, we extend his life work, we shall not only amplify our affection for him, but shall follow the designs of God as they were revealed to him; and If at the shrine we erect, hu- manity shall look up and shall cast off It's burden of sin and selfishness and unchar- itableness, we shall know that our hero Is there, and that through his intercessions our efforts have received divine bless ing"
 Justice D. J. Brewer Speaks.
 Mr.. Cleveland was followed by Justice | Brewer who said: e "In the marvellous transforming years 1 from 1850 to 1880. Henry Ward Beecher l was a man of prodigious influence. He may well be called its great preacher. He was re-eminently patriot Dur ing the bitter hours of the civil war, both at home and abroad, his voice rang out | was emphaticaly a preacher in politics. It was fitting that when the flag lowered at Fort Sumter on April 12 1861. was raised again on April IA, 1865. MT. Beecher should be selected to utter for the nation it's exutant, triumphant hallelujah. And yet, as he poured forth his song of joy, hear these accompanying sympathetic words
 " For the people nlislead, for the multi tudes drafted and driven into this civil war, let not trace of animoslty remain. The moment their willing hands drop the musket, and they return to theiraalleg- iance then stretch out your own honest right hand to greet them. Recall to them the old days of kindness. Our hearts walt for their redemption. All the resources of renovated nation shall be applied to rebuild their prosperity and smooth down the furrows of war
 His theology was condensed in single sentence, God is love-
 Ut Is fitting that on this anniversary of his death, we gather today to do hom- age to his memory; fitting that in his city, where his great work was done, there be erected memorial building, which shall speak his name to those who shall come after us."
 The Movement Outlined.
 
 of Plymouth church, then outlined the scope of the Beecher memorial movement and the plans of the committee:
 This movement to build some memorial to Henry Ward Beecher grew out of striking emergency. As you all know, his old church, Plymouth, Is in a downtown district. While in the present the church is not suffering from the incoming of bus mess. the time is not far off when com merce Is to crowd out the church back to the residence district, several miles away, while there Is imminent danger that the great apartment houses may overshadow a historic building. This memorial move ment includes several different features.
 First of all the citizens of the Heights have petitoned the board of estimate and 1 local improvements to condemn the whole or part of the block on which Ply mouth church Is situated as a little
  Ward Beecher park. It is also proposed to | erect a Beecher memorial hall for the | people of the country. To make this memorial a hall of patriotism and to se- cure for 1t a small endowment fund by means of which the building may be sup ported, and each winter series of lec- lures given on the relation between Chris | tianity and free institutions, to be pub | lished annually and sent broadcast for the indictment of love of liberty in the children | and youth of the country and by bringing in various objects from time to time that are related to liberty, to so enrich this community as to perpetuate the memorial | with time everlasting.
 The twenty great windows in Plymouth church itself can be used for the por- | trayal of the historic edif1ce, uniting his- tory-making epochs under one grand ex- hibit, making this memorial building one | or the shrines of patriotism. surpassed or equaIled in interest only by the tombs or Washington and Lincoln and buildings like the Old South church and Indepen- | dence hall
 TWO hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars Will be needed to carry out these plans and support these buildings in addi- ton to the sum the city must expend for condemning the block in part or in whole"
 pr. Gunsauius, who followed pr. Hills said in part:
 pr. GunsauIus TaIks. T bring the heartiest concurrence of the middle west in this movement for memorial to MT. Beecher They refoice that Henry Ward Beecher belonged to no east or west but to all the peopIe. Tt is the west of John Brown that