mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第42部分

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　　　　　4th；　a　procession　of　citizens；　the　reading　of　the　Declaration　of
　　　　　Independence；　and　by　a　gorgeous　display　of　fireworks　from　Russian
　　　　　Hill　in　the　evening；　which　I　have　ordered　at　my　sole　expense；　the
　　　　　cost　amounting　to　eighty　thousand　dollars。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AT　NEW　MERCANTILE　LIBRARY
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bush　Street
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Thursday　Evening；　July　2；　1868






APPENDIX　I

MARK　TWAIN'S　CHAMPIONSHIP　OF　THOMAS　K。　BEECHER

（See　Chapter　lxxiv）

There　was　a　religious　turmoil　in　Elmira　in　1869；　a　disturbance　among　the
ministers；　due　to　the　success　of　Thomas　K。　Beecher　in　a　series　of
meetings　he　was　conducting　in　the　Opera　House。　　Mr。　Beecher's　teachings
had　never　been　very　orthodox　or　doctrinal；　but　up　to　this　time　they　had
been　seemingly　unobjectionable　to　his　brother　clergymen；　who　fraternized
with　him　and　joined　with　him　in　the　Monday　meetings　of　the　Ministerial
Union　of　Elmira；　when　each　Monday　a　sermon　was　read　by　one　of　the
members。　　The　situation　presently　changed。　　Mr。　Beecher　was　preaching　his
doubtful　theology　to　large　and　nightly　increasing　audiences；　and　it　was
time　to　check　the　exodus。　　The　Ministerial　Union　of　Elmira　not　only
declined　to　recognize　and　abet　the　Opera　House　gatherings；　but　they
requested　him　to　withdraw　from　their　Monday　meetings；　on　the　ground　that
his　teachings　were　pernicious。　　Mr。　Beecher　said　nothing　of　the　matter；
and　it　was　not　made　public　until　a　notice　of　it　appeared　in　a　religious
paper。　　Naturally　such　a　course　did　not　meet　with　the　approval　of　the
Langdon　family；　and　awoke　the　scorn　of　a　man　who　so　detested　bigotry　in
any　form　as　Mark　Twain。　　He　was　a　stranger　in　the　place；　and　not
justified　to　speak　over　his　own　signature；　but　he　wrote　an　article　and
read　it　to　members　of　the　Langdon　family　and　to　Dr。　and　Mrs。　Taylor；
their　intimate　friends；　who　were　spending　an　evening　in　the　Langdon　home。　
It　was　universally　approved；　and　the　next　morning　appeared　in　the　Elmira
Advertiser；　over　the　signature　of　〃S'cat。〃　　It　created　a　stir；　of　course。

The　article　follows：

MR。　BEECHER　AND　THE　CLERGY

〃The　Ministerial　Union　of　Elmira；　N。　Y。；　at　a　recent　meeting　passed
resolutions　disapproving　the　teachings　of　Rev。　T。　K。　Beecher；　declining
to　co…operate　with　him　in　his　Sunday　evening　services　at　the　Opera　House；
and　requesting　him　to　withdraw　from　their　Monday　morning　meeting。　　This
has　resulted　in　his　withdrawal；　and　thus　the　pastors　are　relieved　from
further　responsibility　as　to　his　action。〃N。　Y。　Evangelist。


Poor　Beecher！　　All　this　time　he　could　do　whatever　he　pleased　that　was
wrong；　and　then　be　perfectly　serene　and　comfortable　over　it；　because　the
Ministerial　Union　of　Elmira　was　responsible　to　God　for　it。　　He　could　lie
if　he　wanted　to；　and　those　ministers　had　to　answer　for　it；　he　could
promote　discord　in　the　church　of　Christ；　and　those　parties　had　to　make　it
right　with　the　Deity　as　best　they　could；　he　could　teach　false　doctrines
to　empty　opera　houses；　and　those　sorrowing　lambs　of　the　Ministerial　Union
had　to　get　out　their　sackcloth　and　ashes　and　stand　responsible　for　it。　
He　had　such　a　comfortable　thing　of　it！　　But　he　went　too　far。　　In　an　evil
hour　he　slaughtered　the　simple　geese　that　laid　the　golden　egg　of
responsibility　for　him；　and　now　they　will　uncover　their　customary
complacency；　and　lift　up　their　customary　cackle　in　his　behalf　no　more。　
And　so；　at　last；　he　finds　himself　in　the　novel　position　of　being
responsible　to　God　for　his　acts；　instead　of　to　the　Ministerial　Union　of
Elmira。　　To　say　that　this　is　appalling　is　to　state　it　with　a　degree　of
mildness　which　amounts　to　insipidity。

We　cannot　justly　estimate　this　calamity；　without　first　reviewing　certain
facts　that　conspired　to　bring　it　about。　　Mr。　Beecher　was　and　is　in　the
habit　of　preaching　to　a　full　congregation　in　the　Independent
Congregational　Church；　in　this　city。　　The　meeting…house　was　not　large
enough　to　accommodate　all　the　people　who　desired　admittance。　　Mr。　Beecher
regularly　attended　the　meetings　of　the　Ministerial　Union　of　Elmira　every
Monday　morning；　and　they　received　him　into　their　fellowship；　and　never
objected　to　the　doctrines　which　he　taught　in　his　church。　　So；　in　an
unfortunate　moment；　he　conceived　the　strange　idea　that　they　would　connive
at　the　teaching　of　the　same　doctrines　in　the　same　way　in　a　larger　house。　
Therefore　he　secured　the　Opera　House　and　proceeded　to　preach　there　every
Sunday　evening　to　assemblages　comprising　from　a　thousand　to　fifteen
hundred　persons。　　He　felt　warranted　in　this　course　by　a　passage　of
Scripture　which　says；　〃Go　ye　into　all　the　world　and　preach　the　gospel
unto　every　creature。〃　　Opera…houses　were　not　ruled　out　specifically　in
this　passage；　and　so　he　considered　it　proper　to　regard　opera…houses　as　a
part　of　〃all　the　world。〃　　He　looked　upon　the　people　who　assembled　there
as　coming　under　the　head　of　〃every　creature。〃　　These　ideas　were　as　absurd
as　they　were　farfetched；　but　still　they　were　the　honest　ebullitions　of　a
diseased　mind。　　His　great　mistake　was　in　supposing　that　when　he　had　the
Saviour's　indorsement　of　his　conduct　he　had　all　that　was　necessary。　　He
overlooked　the　fact　that　there　might　possibly　be　a　conflict　of　opinion
between　the　Saviour　and　the　Ministerial　Union　of　Elmira。　　And　there　was。　
Wherefore；　blind　and　foolish　Mr。　Beecher　went　to　his　destruction。　　The
Ministerial　Union　withdrew　their　approbation；　and　left　him　dangling　in
the　air；　with　no　other　support　than　the　countenance　and　approval　of　the
gospel　of　Christ。

Mr。　Beecher　invited　his　brother　ministers　to　join　forces　with　him　and
help　him　conduct　the　Opera　House　meetings。　　They　declined　with　great
unanimity。　　In　this　they　were　wrong。　　Since　they　did　not　approve　of　those
meetings；　it　was　a　duty　they　owed　to　their　consciences　and　their　God　to
contrive　their　discontinuance。　　They　knew　this。　　They　felt　it。　　Yet　they
turned　coldly　away　and　refused　to　help　at　those　meetings；　when　they　well
knew　that　their　help；　earnestly　and　persistently　given；　was　able　to　kill
any　great　religious　enterprise　that　ever　was　conceived　of。

The　ministers　refused；　and　the　calamitous　meetings　at　the　Opera　House
continued；　and　not　only　continued；　but　grew　in　interest　and　importance；
and　sapped　of　their　congregations　churches　where　the　Gospel　was　preached
with　that　sweet　monotonous　tranquillity　and　that　impenetrable　profundity
which　stir　up　such　consternation　in　the　strongholds　of　sin。　　It　is　a　pity
to　have　to　record　here　that　one　clergyman　refused　to　preach　at　the　Opera
House　at　Mr。　Beecher's　request；　even　when　that　incendiary　was　sick　and
disabled；　and　if　that　man's　conscience　justifies　him　in　that　refusal　I　do
not。　　Under　the　plea　of　charity　for　a　sick　brother　he　could　have　preached
to　that　Opera　House　multitude　a　sermon　that　would　have　done　incalculable
damage　to　the　Opera　House　experiment。　　And　he　need　not　have　been　
particular　about　the　sermon　he　chose；　either。　　He　could　have　relied　on
any　he　had　in　his　barrel。

The　Opera　House　meetings　went　on；　other　congregations　were　thin；　and　grew
thinner；　but　the　Opera　House　assemblages　were　vast。　　Every　Sunday　night；
in　spite　of　sense　and　reason；　multitudes　passed　by　the　churches　where
they　might　have　been　saved；　and　marched　deliberately　to　the　Opera　House
to　be　damned。　　The　community　talked；　talked；　talked。　　Everybody　discussed
the　fact　that　the　Ministerial　Union　disapproved　of　the　Opera　House
meetings；　also　the　fact　that　they　disapproved　of　the　teachings　put　forth
there。　　And　everybody　wondered　how　the　Ministerial　Union　could　tell
whether　to　approve　or　disapprove　of　those　teachings；　seeing　that　those
clergymen　had　never　attended　an　Opera　House　meeting；　and　therefore　didn't
know　what　was　taught　there。　　Everybody　wondered　over　that　curious
question；　and　they　had　to　take　it　out　in　wondering。

Mr。　Beecher　asked　the　Ministerial　Union　to　state　their　objections　to　the
Opera　House　matter。　　They　could　notat　least　they　did　not。　　He　said　to
them　that　if　they　would　come　squarely　out　and　tell　him　that　they　desired
the　discontinuance　of　those　meetings　he　would　discontinue　them。　　They
declined　to　do　that。　　Why　should　they　have　declined？　　They　had　no　right
to　decline；　and　no　excuse　to　decline；　if　they　honestly　believed　that
those　meetings　interfered　in　the　slightest　degree　with　the　best　interests
of　religion。　　（That　is　a　proposition　which　the　profoundest　head　among
them　cannot　get　around。）

But　the　Opera　House　meetings　went　on。　　That　was　the　mischief　of　it。　　And
so；　one　Monday　morning；　when　Mr。　B。　appeared　at　the　usual　Ministers'
meeting；　his　brother　clergymen　desired　him　to　come　there　no　more。　　He
asked　why。　　They　gave　no　reason。　　They　simply　declined　to　have　his
company　longer。　　Mr。　B。　said　he　could　not　accept　of　this　execution
without　a　trial；　and　since　he　loved　them　and　had　nothing　against　them　he
must　insist　upon　meeting　with　them　in　the　future　just　the　same　as　ever。　
And　so；　after　that；　they　met　in　secret；　and　thus　got　rid　of　this　man's
importunate　affection。

The　Ministerial　Union　had　ruled　out　Beechera　point　gained。　　He　would
get　up　an　excitement　about　it　in　public。　　But　that　was　a　miscalculation。　
He　never　mentioned　it。　　They　waited　and　waited　for　the　grand　crash；　but
it　never　came。　　After　all　their　labor…pains；　their　ministerial　mountain
had　brought　forth　only　a　mouseand　a　still…born　one　at　that。　　Beecher
had　not　told　on　them；　Beecher　malignantly　persisted　in　not　telling　on
them。　　The　opportunity　was　slipping　away。　　Alas；　for　the　humiliation　of
it；　they　had　to　come　out　and　tell　it　themselves！　　And　after　all；　their
bombshell　did　not　hurt　anybody　when　they　did　explode　it。　　They　had　ceased
to　be　responsible　to　God　for　Beecher；　and　yet　nobody　seemed　paralyzed
about　it。　　Somehow；　it　was　not　even　of　sufficient　importance；　apparently；
to　get　into　the　papers；　though　even　the　poor　little　facts　that　Smith　has
bought　a　trotting　team　and　Alderman　Jones's　child　has　the　measles　are
chronicled　there　with　avidity。　　Something　must　be　done。　　As　the
Ministerial　Union　had　told　about　their　desolating　action；　when　nobody
else　considered　it　of　enough　importance　to　tell；　they　would　also　publish
it；　now　that　the　reporters　failed　to　see　anything　in　it　importa