Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/274

 BEECHER.

BEECHER.

taught God AS the Father of the whole human race — a i)itying. loving Father. Frequently he brought to the platform on which he preached some ptxjr victim of the cruel laws of slavery, and held an auction to procure the price of ransom. In 1H4.S tlie Plymouth church adopted a strictly evangelical creed. In 1841) the original edifice was destroyed by fire, and a new one was erected with a seating capacity of three thousand, the regular members at the time of Mr. Beechers death num- bering 2.400. Mr. Beecher early became distin- guished as a lecturer and public si>eaker, and so numerous were the calls made uix)n him that he was freiiuently obliged to decline engagements at five Imndred dollars a night. On the organiza- tion of the Republican party he affiliated himself with it. He delivered many political sermons, and was particuLarly active in 1856 in addressing political meetings throughout the northern states. He paid his first visit to England in 1850, to re- cuperate his health. In 1861 Mr. Beecher became the editor of the New York Independent. He was the pioneer in catholicity of thought in re- ligioas journalLsm, his editorial writing being extremely characteristic; he chose, as .subjects, matters interesting to the people, believing in God's action in the common affairs of life, and wrote so as to awaken inspiration, treating of his subjects from the Christly standpoint of re- sponsibility for and helpfulness to others. He wrote at this time his famous article, " Shall we Compromise?" being absolutely against any measure of compromise himself ; and he bitterly denounced Webster for his retrogression. In 1863 he visited Europ>e and did inestimable service to the northern caase by his speeches before large audiences in England, Scotland and Ireland. He took an active part in the presidential cam- ]>aign of 1864. when Mr. Lincoln was the candidate for a .second term. In April, 1865, he delivered an anniversary addrass at Fort Svunter, at the request of the government. In 1870 Tlie Chris- tian Union was established in New York, and Mr. Beecher became its editor. During the years 1872. 1873 and 1874 he delivered three courses of lectures on preaching in the Yale divinity school. In 1874 his .sfmietime friend, Theodore Tilton, the editor of the Independent, brought gross charges of immorality against him, from which he was exonerated by the church, and on the civil trial the jury failed to agree. In 1878 Mr. Beecher openly stated tliat the doctrine of eternal punish- ment was opposed to his belief, and in 1882 he withdrew from the Congregational a.ssociation of churches, followed by the entire congregation of Plymouth church. He gave his hearty .support to Mr. Cleveland in the presidential campaign of 1884. by which action he antagonized many of his political friend*. In 1886 he again visited Eng-

land, where he was overwhelmed with kind atten- tions, and where he delivered niunerous addresses. Many of the pajiers contributed by him to the New York Independent, the New York Ledger, etc., were afterwards collated and issued in book form. The following is a list of his more important works: "Lectures to Young Men" (1844, 2d ed.. 1850); "Star Papers; or. Experi- ences of Art and Nature" (1855); "New Star Papers" (18.58. These were republished in Eng- land under the title "Summer in the Soul"); " Freedom and War : Discourses Suggested by the Times " (1863) ; " E.ves and Ears " (1864) ; " Aids to Prayer " (1864) ; " Norwood ; or. Village Life in New England" (1867): "Overture of Angels" (1869) ; " Lecture-Room Talks " (1870) ; " Jesus the Christ; Earlier Scenes " (1871) ;" Yale Lectures on Preaching" (1872-'74) ; "A Simmier Parish" (1874); " Evolution and Religion " (1885). The second volvmie of '"Jesus the Christ " was published after his death. He edited the Plymouth " Collec- tion of Hymns and Tunes" (N. Y., 18.55), and " Re- vival Hj-mns " (Boston, 1858). Twenty volimies of his sermons were published, as well as many separate addresses and sermons : ' ' Army of the Republic," " The Strike and its Lessons," " Doc- trinal Beliefs and Unbeliefs " (1882) ; " Com- memorative Discourse on Wendell Phillips," " A Circuit of the Continent " n884) ; " Letters to the Soldiers and Sailors" (1866-*84). He received a place in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, in October. 1900. See the "Authentic Biography,' by William C. Beecher and the Rev. Samuel Scoville in collaboration with Mrs, Beeclier. A mural tablet was erected in his honor in Plymouth church, Brooklyn, Jan. 13, 1893. He died in Brooklyn, N. Y., March 8, 1887.

BEECHER, James Chaplin, clergyman, was born in Bo.ston, Mass., Jan. 8, 1828; son of Lyman and Harriet (Porter) Beecher. He was educated under his father at Lane seminarj', Cincinnati, Ohio, and after graduating at Dartmouth, in 1848, pursued his studies in theology at Andover, and was ordained a Congregational minister. May 10, 1856. He went as missionarj' to Canton, China, and was chaplain of the Seamen's Bethel in that place and in Hong Kong until 1861. He then returned to the United States to take part in the civil war, and was commi.ssioned as chaplain of the l.st New York infantry, serving in 1861-'62. He was then conmiissioned lieutenant-colonel of the 141st N. Y. regiment, .serving about a year, when he was transferred to the 35th U. S. colored troops, promoted as colonel and served from 1863 to 1866, when he was mustered out of the volunteer ser- vice as brevet brigadier-general. He returned to the ministry, and was settled in Oswego, N. Y., from 1867 to 1870; in Poughkeepsie from 1870 to