The Goodland republic., 1903-07-24

Il see they are going to build a ne
mortal TO Henry Ward Beeeher.' said
my white-haired Southern friend. who.
in spite OF his soft voice and grayely
gentle demeanor, had been a fre-eater
in the old days Its time they did
and I shall send in ny subscription
I looked up surprised i thought
you fought for the other side during
the war;
so / did, and perhaps that's Why
know he deserves a monument" said
the colonel, smiling. I know he was
the greatest orator who ever lived"
"DemOsthenes and Cicero amt in
it. I suppOse?"
Not with him the colonel insisted
Let me tell you a story. to prove it
So settled back in my armchair
the cOlOnel's "reminiscences were al
ways a little vacation in my wOrk-a-
day life
You know during the war I was
sent TO England by the cOnfederacy to
work up public sentiment for our side.
Wei. there we're a number Of us, and
we worked up a good deal Of senti-
began 70 take notice Of it, and after q
while he sent Beecher over TO make
some speeches against US
When Beecher landed in Liverpool
the town was already billed for his
first speech. and we were already there
in force to see that he shouldn't make
it The night came and the hall was
packed. largely with our sympathizers
and with men whom we had scattered
through the audience and hired TO
boot and make cat calls, and utterly
drown out the speakers voice. II
wasn't exactly generous. / admit. but,
you know. those were desperate days.
so when he entered il was pande-
monium let loOse-yOu never heard
such a racket He had TO come in at
the rear and walk the whole length
Of the hall down the middle asile
through a bowling mob Of enemies. 1
can see him now as he braced MIN
self, shook that name Of his, walked
slowly TO the front and climbed the
platform He took on his OvercOat
deliberately and put it and his hat on
a chair, he tested a reading desk that
stood in the middle. found it loose,
and carried IL out OF the way. Then
he turned. walked slowly TO the front.
faced the whirlwind a minute. and
then said. in a voice that went through
our yelling like a cannon ball through
cotton field
Boys. this amt fart
We forgot to yell for a minute.
stopped TO draw breath against him,
and in that pause he hurled upon US
the most wonderful sentence that ever
fell from the lips Of mortal man A
thousand times have tried to re-
word il. but always IN vain / know
only that II appealed to the British
love of far play. 10 the old. historic
British sense Of justice And ! know
from that Irst moment every man Of
us forgot why ne was there-utterly
forgot himself and his country. and
krov also that within ten minutes We
were bre7 king the hush with cheers
that too. the roof on Cheers. yes.
sir; we who were there TO silence him
who hated him and his cause He
held us there cheering FOR two hours.
and not tlE IL vas all over and We
had left tcat place Of magic did we
ANaAAlE ~ AAe-A n y Als-AA taNAAA- Al va NaAAA
find in al history such another
miracle wrought by IN orator I'd like
20 know OF it.
Il tell you. he was forever Eurling
thuudcrbOlts that night that were
lightning flashes from him Re was
not like a mar, but some supernatural
power Every soul there fell under
the spell. even the reporters The
London papers all sent their best men
with orders 20 take 4 verbatim report
or the speech. and not one CT them
got beyond Boys. this amt fair The
London Times actually discharged its
representative because or his failure.
Ten OF fifteen years later met
Beecher. He agreed With nc that thai
night in Liverpool was the great
moment OF his life. said that then. end
then ORly, he lad felt as though pos
sessed by c God. as though utteri2g
not his own words, but those OF SOHO
7rchangelic power. He regretted deep
" that the one speech by which &c
would Ike 10 be remembered should
have perished in the utterance At
lanta Constitution