Year: 1869

Quoted and given by the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher.
In announcing at its clSse that the night for
took occasion to speak OF the condion of
Plymouth Church and that that night "found both
people and pastor on higher spiritual plane"


Upon this gentleman connected with the church
got up and said that IL but proper and just that
public matter in which their pastor had been re-
Gently prominently connected should receive atten-
ton at once, in order that the church should occupy
no longer the haf-hearted and uncertain position as
signed to it almost unanimously by the public in re-
gard 10 the Richardson tragedy. lie believed tnat
would be justified by the public in his action. Con-
sdering the limited information he had received,
connection with this affair." he inclined to think
that Mr.. Beecher had acted as he might have been
expected to act under circumstances that required
charitable and merciful consideration.


Upon this gentleman taking his seat other persons
got up in succession and expressed similar senti-
ments. There were, however, few dissentientS
who spoke out and said that Mr.. Beecher had made
mistake, and that the reputation OF the church,
they were afraid, had permanently suffered. Tnere
was little light skirmishing on both sides, which
Mr.: Beecher watched and listened to calmly
nervoSsness r ~' that ' was shown @ vi" in the lifting
and anon of the hymn book, the playing in his
in the eye as some Of the speakers oundered about
when trying to polish off the angles of stern re-
proof OF their pastors conduct. At length MIR.
Beecher arose and stepped to the OF the plat
form and prepared himself for delverance There
crowded congregation, for the lecture hall was
well filed, and there was an audible hush OF eXpec-
tatiOn.


Mr. Beecher said he was waited upon by Mrs.
Calhoun, who was gifted and eloquent writer for
the Trtbiae.


gentleman here interposed and said that Mrs.
Calhoun's late husband was deputy collector, and
man Of great respectability.


Mr.. Beecher resumed-Mrs. Calhoun showed him
anote from Mr. Greeley, which commended her to
Mr.. Beecher, but did not ask him (Nlr. BeecheD to
perform the marriage In conversation she said
that she had known Mrs. Mcfarland and believed
her to be a woman OF respectability, and that the
divorce from her husband was legal one. She also
knew nothing that would hinder a proper marriage.
Mr. Beecher went on to say that he had not heard of
the first shooting by Mcfarland or Richardson.





his ministerial and literary work had not time for
Is not surprising that he Should be ignorant Of
that which was now a matter OF history. The first
Mr. MI Richardson st and Mrs Mcfarland was when he
was shown a letter a long time ago by Mr.. Henry
Meen MRS de and % lie saw
glance it love-letter. and he did that which
he should do If there were million such letters be-
and not read it, Mr.. Camp had, however, pro
Rery thought it his duty to show it to ~ Mr.
ardsons conduct towards Mrs. Mcfarland and
thought Mr.. Beecher would not have written so
he know his character as well as Mr.. Camp seemed
to know it. That book-"Beyond the Mississippi'-
mad delighted him. and OF his own free will he had
written the letter to Mr.. Richardson about that book
which had been published, but not until Mr. Richard
son had written to him and asked his permission.
That permission he promptly and cheerfuly gave.
Mr. Richardson he had never seen until the night Of


on that evening he had been spending two or
three hours with Father llyacinthe at Mr. Frothing-





Astor House. There he found corridor full OF
friends and weeping group around the bed. The
surgeons told him that Mr.. Richardson was under
the influence of opates, and that after their effect
was over he would gradually sink and die Mr..
Frothingham, at whose church Mr. Richardson was
an occasional attendant and went there whenever he
in the city, was present Mr. rockingham ohered
the PRAYER and he (Mr Beecher) performed the cere
mOny and in doing so simply acted magistrate
not in the semi-Orthodox fashion OF magistrate
parties came to him for marriage he could not sum-
mon witnesses he could not act as Judge, but simply
At the time Of the marriage at the Astor House he
did not understand that the laws OF New YORK de-
cared null and void divorce optaineu IN Indiana


had stolen away the affections and partner In lie
Mr.. Mcfarland, he would sooner nave cut on MS
right hand hundred times than have performed the
ceremony. Once a couple had come TO his house to
be married, and he was about to unite them in the
marriage bonds, when police officer came in and
told him that he was about to marry the young lady
to notorious offender, and thought it was pro
bable that she had been beguiled from her home
in Philadelphia. The oiiicer thought she ought
, TO be made aware of the fact Mr.. Beecher told
her what the officer had said and she replied, "Well
guess know what / want" -(Great laaghter.)
Mr.. Beecher said he supposed she did, and
inquired whether fourteen and twelve not the
ages at which persons could be legally married. and
He then said il the parties were OF legal age for
marriage and presented themselves before him and
required him to marry them his duty in that regard
was simply a magisterial one, and he was bound to
fulfil It, lie had looked through the civil code OF the
state and he had been unable to discover any
defniton Of the duties OF minister in respect to
MARRIAGE IL seemed to him that there was no de-
fined law about 1t in the revised code. After the
marriage and before the funeral OF Mr.. Richardson
he had asked responsible party as TO the legality OF
the divorce and it stated to him that the divorce
was unite correct. He inquired also OF another per-
son whether the divorce had been obtained on more
was granted, not only upon legal, but also upon
moral grounds. The question mad been asked during
this discussion why Mrs. Mcfarland had not sought
the divorce from her husband in the State OF New
York. He had been told Ia reply 70 this that Mrs Nc
7 Farland had resided in Indiana eighteen months,
and that she had gone there to seek the divorce to
save her children from the STAN ana annoyance
which the seeking OF that divorce in that State
wOuld bring upon them Mr. Beecher said that ne
BELT he was an honest man. There was another mo-
tive that actuated him In tnls aHar Whlch ne would
pastor of Plymouth Church 1t was not Tor the pur-
pose OF self-seekng for obtaining popularity.
When he came there he was ''ankle deep" he was
'lnee deep, he was "thgh deep" ne was ''shoul-
slavery question. Then, when he thought the
time was reached he wrote his Cleveland
letter. He was not sorry for the writing OF
that letter at the tlme neither he sorry now,
According to the present style OF Judging MIN by
public writer's he had only made -FOUR or nVe mis-
lakes In his life. lie was one OF those men who
when cause appealed TO his sympathy and 70 hi
heart he was drawn almost irreslstlbly TO 1t. From
the very manner in which Mr. Calhoun presented
the matter to him 1t seemed to him that he wa
needed TO defend the cause OF the weak agains
me strong There was something TO be done tha
yIskad a great amount or unp0pularty, ant
fhat required that some one strong enougl
To bear II should throw himself into the breach
such O cause, such an appeal, ana such state 0
circumstances raised within him all that appeals
mat which is combatve and tender within him
ais idea OF a minister was not man who neVe
had spot on his collar, a spot on MS Guns OF 9pol
this aght muddy and spotted. lie though
he had a heart like mis- great Master, AM
feeling like that ne had NOT ielt gu.y ia Nv what n